EGYPT
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EGYPT
being the bull. The Egyptians also believed that the souls of the dead returned to the body after 3,000 or 10,000 years, and so, by embalming the bodies in spices and wrapping them in cloth, they have been preserved for centuries; many of these mummies have been found at different times. The religious buildings of the Egyptians were either temples or tombs. The great pyramids are royal tombs, having small temples in front. The temples were often covered with sculpture and paintings, and frequently were of great size. In front of them were sometimes sphinxes— figures of lions with men's or ram's heads— and also obelisks or great columns of stone.
History. When the Egyptians first became known in history, they already had a wonderful civilization. They had a knowledge of astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, the geography of their own country, etc. They had a system of picture-writing or hieroglyphics, specimens of which are found on their temples and obelisks. Their knowledge of architecture was considerable, and they evidently had a good degree of engineering skill in order to transport the enormous blocks of stone used in building temples and pyramids. They also showed great skill in sculpture, painting and music. In mechanical arts many inventions were early made, as the blowpipe, bellows, saw, chisel, balance, lever, razor, plow and other agricultural tools. A glazed pottery and a kind of glass are also found. In war, chariots came to be used, though the earlier armies were entirely foot-soldiers. War-boats also existed at an early period, and also sea-going vessels. An extensive commerce was carried on with neighboring nations.
\i the 3d century B.C., Manetho, a priest, drew up a history of his country, in which he divided the early history down to the conquest of Egypt by Cambyses II (B. C. 524) into 30 dynasties, but the exact length of the dynasties is unknown. Hence the early history is usually dated simply by dynasties. The earliest point in the history we know of is the time of Menes, who is said to have made laws, begun divine worship and founded Memphis. The period of his life is placed by different authorities all the way from 5004 to 3892 B. C. Menes and his successors reigned for something like 250 years, and formed the first dynasty. The second dynasty lasted for about 300 years, but little is known of it. With the third dynasty, lasting about 200 years, the history which is drawn from the old monuments begins. One of the kings of the fourth dynasty, Cheops or Khufer, built the great pyramid at Ghizeh and rebuilt the temple of Isis near the Sphinx. About 2000 B. C. the Hyksos or shepherd-kings arose in Lower Egypt. They probably were a Tartar race, and overthrew the reigning
kings, captured Memphis and established themselves in the city of Tanis. Joseph probably was the prime-minister of one of these kings, Apepi, at Tanis; and storehouses, such as he built are still to be seen at Pithom. The rulers of Upper Egypt afterward drove out the shepherd-kings. Egypt was raised to its highest point of glory by Thothmes III (B. C. 1445); _ all Syria and part of Mesopotamia were subject to him, and he received tribute from Assyria, Babylon, Phoenicia, Central Asia and the Ethiopian tribes of the south. A later king, Rameses II, carried on a long war with the Hittite6, with whom he finally made a treaty. He was a great king, and Egypt was still in the height of her glory during his reign, which was about 1322 B. C. His son probably was the Pharaoh spoken of in the Bible, when the Israelites under Moses left Egypt. His son closed the igth dynasty. With the 26th dynasty the history of Egypt became involved with that of Greece and Judsea. One of her kings helped Hezekiah against Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians. Necho II planned the canal across the Isthmus of Suez, but gave it up, cutting one from the Nile to the Red Sea that remained in use for centuries. He defeated Josiah, king of Judah, and conquered Palestine, but was himself defeated by Nebuchadrezzar. A later king, Amasis, was a friend of the Greek colonists in Egypt, but was conquered by Cambyses, king of the Persians, and Egypt was under Persian rule for many years. While a Persian province, Egypt was conquered by Alexander the Great, who founded Alexandria in 332 B. C. Under the succeeding Ptolemies the royal court became a center of learning and philosophy, and the great library at Alexandria was established. After the rule of the celebrated Queen Cleopatra, which ended with the battle of Actium (31 B. C.), Egypt became a Roman province. In 639 A. D. the Arabs invaded the country, and Egypt became a Mohammedan province. One of her governors made himself practically independent, and annexed Syria. Later the line of the Fatimi caliphs conquered Egypt and founded Cairo. They were deposed by the Kurd general, Saladin, who carried on the war against the European crusaders. One of Saladin's descendants introduced the bodyguard of Mamelukes or white slaves, who on Ms death usurped the supreme power (1250), and kept it for two centuries. These slave-kings were distinguished for valor, ability as rulers, luxury and encouragement of art. In 1517 their brilliant rule came to an end on the conquest of Egypt by Selim I, the Ottoman sultan.
Nearly three centuries of weak and corrupt government by Turkish governors or pashas, varied by rebellions of the Mameluke chiefs, bring us to the French invasion of Bonaparte
