Ohjervations in Egypt. 411. 



in an Angle of about one Degree. This Fruflum terminates rz-c pyrami- 

 in a Point, that is ufually made up (by the Inchnation) of equi- 

 lateral Planes, as in the common Tyram'ids^ from whence it has 

 received the Name of the Tyram'id'ion , or little Tjramid. 

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

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

 I prefume, will not always hold true, otherwife 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 gbdJ 

 may perhaps be the moft remarkable Part of thefe Obelisks y"""""^- 

 efpecially if that at Alexandria is to inftru6l 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 jAJ;] ) into a cor- 

 refpondent Cavity in the Pedeftal ; upon which likewife were 

 thefe odd Characters, fuch as the 



wheel-like, capreolated ones o( Apu- «A "'^BiT— IQ^ 



leius ' may be iuppofed to have been. " 



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



'Jo *- Pyramids de- 



tom, would bear a nearer Refemblance to Darts and miflive Wea- '^'^'^'^'^ ^^ ^*^ 

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

 expreffive of the Rays of the Sun, which they were fuppofed 

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

 dedicated \ It may likewife be prefumed, as the T/ramids ♦^ 

 which 2Ci.Q 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 opcrcis adyti profert quofdam libros, Jitcris fgno- 

 rabilibus prsnotatos ; partim figuris cujudnodi Aiiimalium , concept! (eimonis com- 

 pendiofa verba fuggerentes ; partim nodolis & in modtim rot£ tortuofis , cApreola- 

 thnqm condenfis apicibus , a curiofa profanorum ledione munita. Apul. Met. 1, ii. 

 p. 268. 3 Obelifci enormitas Soli prottituta. Hcrmut. apud Tertull. de Sped:, cap. 3, 

 Trabes ex eo fecere Reges quodam certamine, Obelifcos vocantcs. Soils numini facratos. 

 Radiorum ejus argumentum in cfBgie eft ; & ita fignificatur nomine j£gyptio. Pliii. 1. ^6. 

 cap. 8. ( mxefiinHpH forlan i.e. digitus Solis. Kirc/;. Obel. Pamph. p.44.) Mefphres* duos 

 Obelifcos Soli confecravit. Ifid. 1. 18. cap. 31. Finis denique principalis, c[\\cm jEgjpttj in 

 Obel'ifcorum eredione habebant, erat, ut Ofiridem & Ifide7n, hoc elt, Solem & Lunam in his 

 figuris, vcluii myftica quadam radiorum reprefentatione colerent, quafi hoc honore tacite be- 

 neficiorum, per hujulmodi fecundorum Deorum radios acceptorum magnitudinem infinu- 

 antes. Kirch, p. 161. ut fupra. Other Deities likewife, viz.. Jupiter, Venus, Apollo &c. 

 were ivorfhipped under the Forms 0/ Obelisks and Pyramids. Esj j Zodlf Mhm^iQ' )^ ApTS/tuf hvof^a- 

 FofJAvx riccTfiBij ai/y vi^'V TrewoiKftii'rt kJ\jUi?. Uu^tifxlJ) Ji MwM'p^/®', « 3 xjovt 'f^v Hi^erjAvn. faufan. in 

 Corinth. p. 102. nn^ion i (^ hp^SijH lat VfJua S^h, to 3 aya^f/a, i/. ay fii{a,tni( otKXw tS Jl TW^afAS) hcAJKn. 

 Max.T]r. A/e«?iS5« Kn. We learn from Clemens Alexandrinus, that this method of wor/Jjipping 

 Pillars T.''ts of great Antiquity, fleiv >ap xr iKaCa^vcu toc i.ya,KijA-mv ^lant luovai IsavTsf oJ TiaKcuolj 

 iOiZn T»T«>)»f ApSfiiACcnt. nSiii. Strom. 1. 1 .p.418. hytniis Si ob xiW «if o^i hiyjiv ov l^Ji <b^ rav ^ufav^ 

 IJiaf ,^ 9*fir (uiii( fiyau A7ii>}\w&'i oi c/V AwuVk, oi kijupolv. Suii. in voce. 4 Vid. Not.i. p. 407. 



LIUli The 



