188 REV. J. N. FEADENBUEGH^ PH.D., D.D., LL.D., 



of passaf^es parallel with those which we have presented 

 from the waitings of the old sages of Egypt. It Avere also 

 suggestive of profitable reflections to read the " Negative 

 Confession " in connection Avith the " Ten Commandments " 

 of the Israelites ; and the hymns to the gods contain senti- 

 ments Avhich readily suggest the songs of Zion. 



The Egyptians were the first nation in the world Avhich 

 held the doctrine of the immortality of the soul as the funda- 

 mental article of their religious faith. Not merely the soul 

 ])ut the whole man Avas believed to be immortal, and it was 

 confidently taught that at the resurrection all the parts which 

 had been separated at death — the body, soul, intelligence, 

 genius or double, shadoAv, name, husk or mummy, and heart: 

 khat, ha, khon, ka, khaibit, ren, sahu, and ab — Avould be 

 reunited. This doctrine Avas w^-ought into the whole life of 

 the Egyptians, and it furnishes an explanation for many of 

 their mightiest Avorks. The embalment of the bodies of the 

 dead, the selection of sites for their cemeteries, the massive 

 pyramids and tombs with their secret chambers and passages, 

 the sepulchral off'erings, the pictured scenes, the portrait 

 statues of the deceased, the amulets arranged upon the 

 body, the magic texts upon Avrappings and coffins, the 

 prayers appointed to be said, the ushabti, the preparations 

 made for the repetition of offerings to the Kas — the most 

 stupendous and complicated system of magic Avhich the 

 Avorld has ever knoAvn permeating everything — all this tells 

 of the hold this doctrine had upon Egyptian religious thought. 

 How is the slight reference Avhich is made to the doctrine 

 of immortality in the Pentateuch to be explained? Is it 

 assumed that the doctrine is too familiar to call for especial 

 mention? Were duties to the dead absorbing the thought 

 and energies of the Egyptians? Was there danger that 

 duties to the living would be forgotten or neglected? 



The civilization of Egypt Avas in liarmony with this early 

 literary activity. Professor Petrie, speaking of the age of 

 the great pyramids, says : — 



" This earliest civilization Avas completely master of the 

 arts of combined labour, of masonry, of sculpture, of metal- 

 Avorking, of turning, of carpentry, of pottery, of weaving, 

 of dyeing, and other elements of a highly organized social 

 life ; and in some respects their w^ork is quite the equal 

 of any that has been done by mankind of late ages. Thougli 

 simple it is of extreme ability ; and it is only in resources, 

 and not in skill, that it has ever been surpassed. Certain 



