EGYPTIAN HISTORY

FOR THE YOUNG;

WITH

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TOMBS AND MONUMENTS.

BY

THE AUTHOR OF "SIDNEY GREY," ETC.

AND HER SISTER.

Q. && Keary.

NEW EDITION,

WITH FRONTISPIECE.

MACMILLAN AND CO.

London and Cambridge.

1863.

[The Right of Translation is reserved.]

LONDON:

PRINTED BY R. CLAY, SON, AND TAYLOR,

BREAD STREET HILL.

CONTENTS.

LETTER I.

Donkey Ride from the River-The Site of the Ancient Memphis-
Description of Place-Statue of Rameses the Great in a Ditch-
Menes the Beginner-Curse recorded against him for changing the
old Customs of the Country-He founds Memphis-Begins to build
the Great Temple of Pthah-Reigns Fifty-two Years-Killed by a
Hippopotamus-Athothis the Physician-A Royal Writer of Books
reigns at This-Nekherophis reigns at Memphis-Revolt of the
Lybians-The Moon fights the Battles of Nekherophis-Manetho's
Dynasties-Chaiechos establishes the Worship of Apis-Binothris
permits Women to succeed to the Throne-Tombs of Memphis
Description of a newly-excavated Tomb of the Time of Thothmes
III. (Joseph's Pharaoh)-Description of the Apis Tombs-The Wor-
ship of Apis copied by the Children of Israel in the Desert-Tombs
of Cats and Ibises-Ride Home

PACK

1

LETTER II.

Ride to the Pyramids-Description of the Pictures on a Tomb painted

during the Reign of the Great Pyramid King-What they teach us of

the Manners and Customs of the People in that remote Time-The

Sphinx-Aboohol, the Father of Terror-Shuré, the first King of the

Pyramid Dynasty-His Picture at Wady Maghara-Shafu, the Great

Pyramid King-His Brother Noum Shafu-Building of the Great

Pyramid-Interior of the Great Pyramid-Its first Opening by the

Caliph Mamoon, in Egbert's Time-Last Glimpse of the Great Pyramid

King-Shafré, of the Little Pyramid-Statues of Shafré, found in the

Sphinx Temple, the oldest in the World-The Third Pyramid-Men-

karé, Herodotus' "Just Mycerinus"-His Misfortunes-His Effort to

cheat the Gods-His Wanderings-His Resting-place at last in the

British Museum

22

LETTER III.

Looking across Egypt-Methods of watering the Land, ancient and

modern-Herodotus' talk with Egyptian Priests about Rain-Con-

temporaneous Dynasties-Elephantine Kings-Heracleopolite Kings

-Acthoes the Bad, who was eaten by a Crocodile-The Nantefs-

A Royal Scribe-His old Proverbs-Diospolite Kings-Munt-hopt-

Amenemha the Unfortunate-Thinite Kings-Manetho's curious

Stories about the Memphite Kings-Othoes-Papi, the Giant, who

reigned a Hundred Years-Queen Nitocris, the Rosy-faced-Herodo-

tus' Story of her Death-Her Addition to Menkaré's Pyramid-

Shepherd Invasion of Egypt-Manetho's Account of it-Conjectures

respecting the Establishment of the Shepherds in Egypt, and the

Country from which they came-Discrepancies between the Accounts

of Ancient Historians and the Testimony of the Monuments-

Prophecy of Hermes Trismegistus

PAGE

46

LETTER IV.

Ride to the Rock Tombs at Beni Hassan-Description of the Tomb

of an Egyptian Lord of Sesertasen the First's time-Hunting Scene

-Farmyard-Men fishing-Acrobats-The Servants punished-The

Dress of the Servants-Nehoth's Tomb-Presentations of Asiatic

Captives to Nehoth-Columnar Tomb-An Egyptian Governor's

Account of himself-Family Life of an Egyptian Nobleman in Abra-

ham's Time-His Household-His pet Cats and Monkeys-His Furni-

ture-His Feasts-His Dress-The Dress and Ornaments of his Wife

and Children-The sort of Education Egyptian Boys of the Time

might be expected to receive-Their Games and Amusements-

Kings of the Twelfth Dynasty-Sesertasen the Conqueror-Seser-

tasen the Good-The Phoenix-Amenemha Maenra, Builder of the

Labyrinth-Herodotus' Description of the Labyrinth and the Lake-

Reasons for attributing these Great Works to Amenemha Maenra-

Semneh established as the Southern Frontier of Egypt-Ancient

Egyptian Method of raising great Weights, as shown in a Tomb near

Beni Hassan

74

LETTER V.

The Shepherds-Fragment of Manetho's History respecting them-

Their easy Conquest of Egypt-Their Cruelty to the Inhabitants--

Siege of Avaris-Difficulty of understanding Manetho's Account-

Attempt of Josephus to identify the Children of Israel with the

Shepherds-Fragment of a very ancient History transcribed by the

Poet Pentahor

108