4 Ancient Eoyptian Eeligion. 



Election of Offioe-Hearers. 



The following were elected office-bearers and members of 

 the Council for the ensuing Session :— President, Sir R. T. Reid, 

 AE.P. ; Vice-Presidents, Messrs James G. H. Starke, William J. 

 Maxwell, Philip Sulley, and James Barbour ; Secretary, Edward 

 J. Chinnock, LL.D. ; Treasurer, Mr John A. Moodie ; Librarians 

 and Curators of the Museum, Rev. Wm. Andson and Mr James 

 Lennox; Curators of the Herbarium, Mr George F. Scott-Elliot 

 and Miss Hannay ; Members of Council, Rev. Robert Weir, Rev. 

 John Cairns, Messrs Robert Murray, John Neilson, James S. 

 Thomson, .Tames Davidson, George H. Robb, J. Maxwell Ross, 

 William Dickie, and Matthew Jamieson. 



Communication. 

 Ancient Egyptian Religion. By GRANT Bey. 



A long and interesting paper on this subject by Grant Bey 

 was read by Mr Andson. The paper was too long to be given 

 in extenso. But the following abstract will give a fair idea of the 

 principal points discussed in it : — 



In treating of the Ancient Egyptian Religion, the author 

 begins with the Cosmogony, or origin of the world. According 

 to the' ancient Egyptian belief there existed from all eternity, 

 filling the infinitude of space, both matter and spirit. The material 

 was called Nu, which in our language means the " primordial 

 waters," and the spiritual part was called by different names at 

 the ilifferent periods of Egyptian history and at different religious 

 centres. At Heliopolis, the most ancient Egyptian sanctuary, the 

 primitive universal but latent spirit was called Atum, meaning 

 "darkness;" at Thebes, Amon, the "concealed one;" and at 

 Memphis, Phtah, " the one which opens," or " moulder," or 

 " carver." After remaining for an incalculable time in a passive 

 state, the spirit, or Phtah, moved in Nu — the primordial waters — 

 an idea probably derived from primitive tradition, and reminding 

 us of the similar expression in Gen. i. 3. The result was the pro- 

 jection of Shu and Tafrut, the one corresponding with the light of 

 the day, and the other with the light of the night. We now find 

 that the Lotus plant makes its appearance, and out of the full blown 

 Lotus flower the primitive spirit Phtah manifested itself in a material 



