274 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



eieely what we might expect to find in buildings 

 having an astrological significance. Similarly, it 

 would correspond well with the mysticism of as- 

 trology that the pyramid should be so propor- 

 tioned as to make the height be the radius of a 

 circle whose circumference would equal the cir- 

 cuit of the pyramid's base. Again, that long slant 

 tunnel, leading downward from the pyramid's 

 northern face, would at once find a meaning in this 

 astrological theory. The slant tunnel pointed to 

 the pole-star of Cheops's time, when due north 

 below the true pole of the heavens. This cir- 

 cumstance had no observational utility. It could 

 afford no indication of time, because a pole-star 

 moves very slowly, and the pole-star of Cheops's 

 day must have been in view through that tunnel 

 for more than an hour at a time. But, apart 

 from the mystical significance which an astrolo- 

 ger would attribute to such a relation, it may be 

 shown that this slant tunnel is precisely what the 

 astrologer would require in order to get the horo- 

 scope correctly. 



Another consideration remains to be men- 

 tioned, which, while strengthening the astrologi- 

 cal theory of the pyramids, may bring us even 

 nearer to the true aim of those who planned and 

 built these structures. 



It is known also that the Chaldeans from the 

 earliest times pursued the study of alchemy in 

 connection with astrology, not hoping to discover 

 the philosopher's stone by chemical investigations 

 alone, but by carrying out such investigations un- 

 der special celestial influence. The hope of achiev- 

 ing this discovery, by which he would at once 

 have had the means of acquiring illimitable 

 wealth, would of itself account for the fact that 

 Cheops expended so much labor and material in 

 the erection of the Great Pyramid, seeing that, of 

 necessity, success in the search for the philoso- 

 pher's stone would be a main feature of his for- 

 tunes, and would therefore be astrologically indi- 

 cated in his nativity-pyramid, or perhaps even be 

 secured by following mystical observances proper 

 for ruling his planets. 



The elixir of life may also have been among 

 the objects which the builders of the pyramids 

 hoped to discover. 



It may be noticed, as a somewhat significant 

 circumstance, that, in the account given by Ibn 

 Abd Alkohm of the contents of the various pyra. 

 mids, those assigned to the Great Pyramid relate 

 entirely to astrology and associated mysteries. 

 It is, of course, clear that Abd Alkohm drew 

 largely on his imagination. Yet it seems proba- 

 ble that there was also some basis of tradition for 



his ideas. And certainly one would suppose 

 that, as he assigned a treasurer to the East Pyra- 

 mid (" a statue of black agate, his eyes open and 

 shining, sitting on a throne with a lance"), he 

 would have credited the building with treasure 

 also, had not some tradition taught otherwise. 

 But he says that King Saurid placed in the East 

 Pyramid, not treasures, but "divers celestial 

 spheres and stars, and what they severally oper- 

 ate in their aspects, and the perfumes which are 

 to be used to them, aDd the books which treat of 

 these matters." ' 



But, after all, it must be admitted that the 

 strongest evidence in favor of the astrological 

 (and alchemical) theory of the pyramids is to be 

 found in the circumstance that all other theories 

 seem untenable. The pyramids were undoubted- 

 ly erected for some purpose which was regarded 

 by their builders as most important. This pur- 

 pose certainly related to the personal fortunes of 

 the kingly builders. It was worth an enormous 

 outlay cf money, labor, and material. This pur- 

 pose was such, furthermore, that each king re- 

 quired to have his own pyramid. It w r as in some 

 way associated with astronomy, for the pyramids 

 are built with most accurate reference to celestial 

 aspects. It also had its mathematical and mys- 

 tical bearings, seeing that the pyramids exhibit 

 mathematical and symbolical peculiarities not be- 

 longing to their essentially structural require- 

 ments. And, lastly, the erection of the pyramids 

 was in some way connected with the arrival of 

 certain learned persons from Palestine, and pre- 

 sumably of Chaldean origin. All these circum- 

 stances accord well with the theory I have ad- 

 vanced ; while only some of them, and these not 

 the most characteristic, accord with any of the 

 other theories. Moreover, no fact knowm respect- 

 ing the pyramids or their builders is inconsistent 

 with the astrological (and alchemical) theory. 



1 Arabian writers give the following account of Egvp- 

 tian progress in astrology and the mystical arts: Naera- 

 waseh, the progenitor of Misraim, was the first Egyptian 

 prince, and the first of the magicians who excelled in as- 

 trology and enchantment. Retiring Into Egypt with his 

 family of eighty persons, he built Essous, the most ancient 

 city of Egypt, and commenced the first dynasty of Mis- 

 raimitish princes, who excelled as cabalists. diviners, and 

 in the mystic arts Generally. The most celebrated of the 

 race were Naerasch, who first represented by images the 

 twelve signs of the zodiac ; Gharnak, who openly described 

 the arts before kept secret; Hersall, who first worshiped 

 idols; Sehlouk, who worshiped the sun ; Saurid (King 

 Saurid of Ibn Abd Alkohm's account), who erected the 

 first pyramids and invented the magic mirror ; and Pha- 

 raoh, the last king of the dynasty, whose name was after- 

 ward taken as a kingly title, as Ciesar later became a gen- 

 eral imperial title. 



