Ohfervations in Egypt. a\^ 



pofed, to have been concerned either in the myftical Worfhip 

 oWfiris ', or to have ferved for one of their (k<Vcm U^) ') Sacred 

 Chefts, wherein either the Images of their Deities, or their 

 Sacred Veftments ' or Utenfils were kept; or elfe that it 

 might have been a Faviffa or Ciftern % fuch as contained the 

 Hofy ff^ater, made ufe of in their Ceremonies. The Length^" 

 of it, which is fomewhat more than fix Foot, does indeed favour 

 the received Opinion of it's having been deligned for a Coffin ; 

 yet both the Height and the Breadth, which are each of them 

 about three Foot, very far exceed the Dimcnlions, that perhaps 

 were ever oblerved by the Egyp'tans, upon fuch Occafions. 

 Thofe Stone Coffins, which I have feen in Egypt, (and by them,r«p sto^ie 

 I prefume, we may judge of others,) were all of them of TiZftloLt'de 

 quite different Form from this pretended one of Cheops ; being 



the fai 



Form. 



infcribed with Hierogfyphicks, and made exadtly in the Fafhion 

 of the Mummy Chefts , juft capacious enough to receive one 

 Body. Whereas This, which I am fpeaking of, is an oblong 

 Square, not ending, as the Mummy Chefts do, in a Kind of 

 Pedeftal, whereupon it might have been eredled ; neither is 

 it adorned with any Sacred Charadlers, which, from the great 

 Number of Coffins that are never known to want them, feem 

 to have been a general as well as neceflary Adl of Regard and 

 Piety to the deceafed. 



The Manner likewife, in which this Cheft is placed, is quite The Mum- 

 different from what was perhaps ever obferved by thQEgj^ptia^s,^/a7eFhon-^ 

 in the depofiting of their Dead. For the Mummies always ^w^^).^'^"' 

 ftand upright ', where Time or Accident have not difturbed 

 them : whereas This Cheft lyeth flat upon the Floor, and 

 thereby hath not that Dignity of Pofture, which, we may 

 fuppofe, this wife Nation knew to be peculiar, and therefore 



I \iyC-^i!)i Tt yiOmti'Q)' 'jofi^a.y^^'MiifJ^MMuvi. Plut. dclfid. 8c Of. p.^6^. H yaif htyofilvn ni^f^if 

 «V TKv copii' 0<r'te(S'^, i^h 'ioiKiy a.hx' » xfu^iv uJkTQi' Kj evfan<^ov tuv'nli^m. Id. p. 266. z Fercbatiir 

 ab alio C'tfla fecretorum capax, penitus cdlans operta magnificit, Religionis. Aptil. Met. I.i i. p. 262. 

 3 Particularly of fuch as were carried about in their Comafia. HcA( Ji x' av tcus v-aKa^iyeut Taj' 

 iuToif KiXMASIAIS, jai SiSv J^pKca ayi^fjut-pf Jit juSjJ xjuYOi, 'iva Si tifeuiot, )y 'iSif (/lav /ati^^isa-i. Clem. 

 Strom, l.j. p.4i3- 4 Favtffn. locum fie appellabant, in quo erat aqua inciuia circa Tcmpla. 

 Sunt autem, qui putant Farijfas efle in CaphoUo caellis cifternifque timilcsj ubi reponierant 

 folita ea, quoe in Templo vetuftate erant fatSa inutilia. Feft. Fuit autem inTemplo Pifcinit 

 fub figura convenienti myfterijs eorum. yibeneph. de Relig. y£gypt. apud Kirch. Obel. Pamph. 

 p. 473- 4" Vid. Not. I. p. 421. y riticvvnu ^htvov li-fro* Av^wjofiSia.- •jommfitvoi Si, iatfyvZa-i jcr 

 nv-es*' "9 K«7»x^>lJ<ral'7tf i7u^>\7<weilv<Ti Iv hiKifxav ^mts^a, imvTcf o^^w iao( Tor/tr. Herod, Eut. 5- 8(f. 

 Tl(}( tiy airpaXesaTey ray ni^av opSLu) /so?/ tw Aifve.x.<t. Diod. 1. I. p. j8. 



■ • yEgjiptia Tellus 



Claudit odorato po(t funus ftantia (bufto) faxo 



Corpora. Sil. Ital. I.jj. 1.47^. 



Nnnnnx would 



