Ohjervations in Egypt. 411 



in an Angle of about one Degree. This Fruflum terminates Th^ Pynmi- 

 in a Pointy that is ufually made up (by the Inclination) of equi- """ 

 lateral Planes, as in the common Tyramids, from whence it has 

 received the Name of the Tjramidion , or little Tj/ramid. 

 It hath likewife been obferved ' , that the Height of this 

 Part, is equal to the greateft Breadth of the Ohelisk ; but this, 

 I prefume, willnot always hold true, other wife it would be of 

 great Importance in eftimating the Quantity of any of thefe 

 Pillars that lyes buried under Ground. But the Bafis or Foot, J^' obeiii 

 may perhaps be the molt remarkable Part of thefe Obelisks, """''■ 

 efpecially if that at Alexandria is to inftrud us. For This, as 

 the late worthy Perfon, above-mentioned, informed me, had not 

 a fquare Baje, like thofe we fee at Rome, but an Hemijpherical 

 one, that was received (in this Manner χ^^) into a cor- 

 refpondent Cavity in the Pedeftal ; upon which likewife were 



thefe odd Characters, fuch as the ■ 



wheel-like, capreolated oviqs oi Apu- ίΛ"'^ΒΐΓ^Ί3^ 



leius ^ may be fuppofed to have been. ~~~ 



It is certain, that thefe Pillars, by beins; thus rounded attheBot-?^^'''''? "f 



^ J ο Pyramids de- 



tom, would bear a nearer Refemblance to Darts and miifive Wea- '^""^''^ '<> ^''' 

 pons, than if they were fquare ; and confequently would be more 

 expreifive of the Rays of the Sun, which they w ere fuppofed 

 to reprefent ; as it was the Sun itfelf to which they were 

 dedicated ^ It may likewife be prefumed, as the Tyramids * 

 which are Obelisks only in obtufer Angles , were equally em- 

 blematical of Fire, fo they may be confidered under the fame 

 religious View, to have been no lefs confecrated to the fame 

 Deity. 



I Vid. Not. 3. p. 410. 2 De opertis adyci profert quofdam libros, literis igno- 

 rabilibus prsenotatos ; partim figuris cujufinodi Animalium , conccpti (eimonis com. 

 pendiofa verba fuggerentes ; parrim nodofis & in modum rot£ tortucfts , capreola- 

 timquc condenfis apicibiis, a curiofa profanorum leftione munita. /ΙριιΙ. Met. 1. n. 

 p. 2(58. 3 Obel'ifci enormitas Soli profrituta. Hermut. apud Tertull. de Sped. cap. 3. 

 Trabcs ex eo fecere Regcs quodam certamine, Obelifcos vocantes, Solis numini facracos. 

 Radiorum ejus argumentum in eiEgie eft ; & ita Ggnificatur nomine /Egypt'io. Plin. i. 36. 

 cap. 8. ( π\Χεβ.ΠΗρΗ forfan i.e. digitus Solis. Kirt/;. Obcl. Pamph. p. 44.) Mefphrcs* duos 

 Obelifcos Soli conlecravit. Ifid. 1. 18. cap. 31. Finis denique principalis, c[nera y£gyptij in 

 Obelifcorum ereftione habebant, erac, ut Ofiridem 8c Ifidem, hoc eft, Solem & Lunam in his 

 figuris, veluti myftica quadam radiorum reprefentatione colercnt, quafi hoc honore tacire be- 

 neficiorum, per hujulmodi iecundorum Deorum radios acceptorum magnitudinem infinu- 

 antes. Kirch, p. i<5i. ut fupra. Other Deities likewife, viz. Jupiter, Venus, Apollo &c. 

 were wor^ipped under the Forms 0/ Obelisks and Pyramids. Esj 3 Zuif ΜΗλι'χ/®' i^ Αρτϊ/^ί ΙνομΛ- 

 ?ομίν» ΠΛΤξωαΐ, civ Τΐ^ΚΗ wiTHiMftim »Λ(ΐΜ«. rit/frtjuieft Λ ό Μ«λί^'(@', ί -^ κιανι o^y tiy^O/uivx. Paufan. in 

 Corinth, p. 102. Uapioif » ^V A^g^t/Vw 7«V νμάί 'ίχα, τί ο Λ}α.λμΛ L• λι> ^ng,<ni{ α}λο) τΰ ~ι TTVfafAJ) λαυχϊί. 

 Max. Tjr. ΔΐίλίξΗ λΛ. We learn from Clemens Alexandrinus, that this method of worfhipping 

 Pillars "w.is of great Anticjiiity. Ueiv >άρ «r ocKe^Sa^veu 7ων ίγαλμάταν ^inf ιΰνκα Ιμάντα ο? τηκααα), 

 ίηΖοι ήηα,ώ! afiJ)iu(U<t7tt ϊ5θίί. Strom. 1. 1 .ρ. 418. AyjitCt Λ' Γςι κΊαν ^t l^ κκ^αν οι ίταί•< «ajge im S-vpaK, 

 ί//« Λ' ^uffif cujw «v<M Α7ή>λ«»©', 01 Λ' Δ/ίκνίΓΐί, ο! |5 if/io?/. Suid. in voce. 4 Vid. Not. ι. p. 407. 



Lllllx The 



