Page images
PDF
EPUB

Preliminary Dissertation published by Dr. Russell at the head of his "Connection of Sacred and Profane History;" a book that I cannot sufficiently recommend, and from which I have derived the greatest assistance.

LECTURE XII.

Anaglyphs-Remarkable instance of one, exhibiting the figures of the Israelites, Hyk-shos, and Negroes-National sentiments of the Egyptians concerning these shepherds-Attempt at ascertaining their origin-Historical account from Manetho, Diodorus, Chæremon, Lysimachus, and Tacitus, analysed -Systems of the ancient and modern writers about the Hykshos, and the Israelites Opinion of the Fathers and the primitive Christians confuted. Hypothesis of Mr. Bryant analysed.

Our last Lecture turned upon chronology, and I thought it necessary to call your attention to so important a subject, as a preliminary step to the investigation of some of the most interesting events recorded in history. Amongst these stands preeminent the endeavour to ascertain the historical names of the kings who held the throne of Egypt at the time of Joseph and of Moses.

They are both designated in our Holy Scriptures by the general denomination of Pharaoh, which was a simple title of honour, as amongst us is the name of king, corresponding to the Belus of the Assyrians, and to the Cæsar of the Romans. But on the appellation by which these Pharaohs were known in history, Moses is entirely silent. To

1

ascertain therefore, this point, I am compelled to draw your attention to a particular sort of hieroglyphics, which I have often mentioned in former Lectures, under the name of anaglyphs.

This peculiar sort of hieroglyphics seems an enlargement of the use and meaning of symbolical hieroglyphics. They are emblematical signs, or fantastic figures, which represent not syllables or words, nor even real objects, but ideas, and even these are exhibited allegorically. They do not offer to our view scenes and objects belonging to public or private life, or to religious rites and ceremonies, but they seem, and are, an extraordinary mixture of imaginary as well as real beings, which, without having the least similarity together, are nevertheless so united as to represent several ideas. These signs are not uncommon on Egyptian monuments, as you may easily ascertain by looking into the "description de l'Egypte," but fortunately they are not many. Horapollo has given the meaning of about forty of them, and they seem allegorically formed by the combination of several distinct qualifications, or attributes, belonging to different subjects.

I shall give you an example from the letter of Champollion to the duke of Blacas, in which this indefatigable scholar gives an account of the discoveries he has made in examining the inscriptions, statues, and mummies, existing in the Museum at Turin.

On a block of black granite, which represents a throne, there are two royal personages, one male, and the other female, with a long inscription, by which it appears that the name of the Pharaoh was Horus, and the name of the woman was Tmauhmot, his daughter, who succeeded him in the kingdom. The purport of this inscription is precisely the same with that of the Rosetta stone in regard to Ptolemy, namely, to order that the image of Horus and his daughter should be placed in a distinguished part of the temple, on account of the great benefits they had bestowed upon Egypt, and the respect they had shewn towards the gods; mentioning the honours which they should receive, and the priests to whom such service should be intrusted. The legends containing the names and mystic titles of both the Pharaoh and his daughter, are as usual, included in an oval, and are like those of all other kings, a mixture of phonetic and symbolical signs.

On each side of this throne there is a curious basso relievo. The one on the side of the throne towards queen Tmauhmot presents a curious specimen of anaglyphs. (Table 11. fig. 1.] It consists of a female sphinx, of a peculiar sort; it has a human head, as usual, and it is sitting; but instead of a paw it has an arm, raised in the attitude of protection. From the shoulders of the animal issue two large wings, half unfolded, and its tail rises perpendicularly and falls almost in the same direction, with a large tassel at its end. On the head there is a round bonnet, peculiar to queens and goddesses, at the top of which there is a bunch of flowers, rather elegantly arranged. On the ears of the monster hang large round rings, similar to those worn by other females painted on coffins or mummies, and round its neck there is a collar, the medallion of which, instead of falling on the breast, projects forward, and remains suspended in the air.

This most extraordinary figure, perfectly Egyptian, rests on a low basis, and has before its right hand an oval surmounted by the solar disk, standing in the middle of two enormous feathers. The interior of this oval contains six characters, altogether forming the name of Tmauhmot. The half-circle a T, the vulture an M, the chain an U, or an OU, the three sides of a square an M, the circle a T. The female figure is merely figurative and emblematical. And to conclude the whole, below the animal are thirteen plants, or rather flowers of lotus, arranged in two different lines.

This is a perfect anaglyph. The sphinx, we know, was the emblem of strength and wisdom, inasmuch as it consisted of the body of a lion with the head of a man, and consequently was symbolically used to represent some of the gods and goddesses, who are reasonably considered to possess these two attributes in an eminent degree. But on this occasion, the oval which exhibits the name of queen Tmauhmot evidently proves that we must look for the person, which this basso relievo intends to honour, not amongst the celestial, but the terrestrial goddesses. This is not, indeed,

« PreviousContinue »