272 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XV. 



The stand was also carried in the procession by 

 another set of priests, following the shrine*, by 

 means of similar staves ; a method usually adopted 

 for transporting large statues, and sacred emblems, 

 too heavy or too important to be borne by one 

 person. The same is stated to have been the 

 custom of the Jews in some of their religious pro- 

 cessions t, as in carrying the ark " to its place, 

 into the oracle of the house, to the most holy 

 place," when the temple was built by Solomon, t 



The number of shrines in these processions, and 

 the splendour of the ceremony performed on the 

 occasion, depended on the particular festival they 

 intended to commemorate. In many instances the 

 shrine of the Deity of the temple was carried alone, 

 sometimes that of other Deities accompanied it, 

 and sometimes that of the king was added ; a pri- 

 vilege granted as a peculiar mark of esteem for 

 some great benefit conferred by him upon his 

 country, or for his piety in having beautified the 

 temples of the Gods. Such is the motive mentioned 

 in the inscription of the Rosetta Stone; which, after 

 enumerating the benefits conferred upon thecountry 

 by Ptolemy, decrees, as a return for them, " that a 

 statue of the king shall be erected in every tem- 

 ple in the most conspicuous ])lace ; that it shall be 

 called the statue of Ptolemy, the defender of Egypt; 

 and that near it shall be placed the presiding 



* Vide Coronation Procession, PI. 7G. 



-|- Conf. " the Levitcs bare tlic ark on tlicir shoulders." 1 Chron. 

 XV. 2. and 15.; 2 Sam. xv. 21. ; and Joshim, iii. 12. 

 \ I Kings, viii. 6. 



