28 ANCIENT EGYPT. 



he conquered Crete, Cyprus, Italy, and the coast portions of 

 Greece and Asia-Minor. Thotmes III. was the greatest 

 figure in Egyptian history, and it was during his long and 

 glorious reign that the country attained the zenith of its 

 power and splendour. We have a lasting memorial of this 

 mighty monarch in our midst in the obelisk on the Thames 

 Embankment, popularly known as Cleopatra's needle, which, 

 however, was erected fifteen hundred years before the days of 

 Queen Cleopatra, the last of the Ptolemies, Rameses II. 

 appropriated the side left blank for his own inscription. 



The hypethral court marked B divides the next mass of 

 buildings from those under A, but owing to the almost 

 hopelessly ruinous condition of the greater portion it is most 

 difficult to define the several halls, chambers, and even pylons. 

 The ancient sanctuary of Osertasen I. probably stood here, as 

 the base of a fallen column bears the legend Ra-Kheper-Ka. 

 This is the divine name of the king — Ra, the sun ; Kheper, 

 the earth, vivified by Ra ; and Ka is the double, something 

 perhaps between the soul and the shadow. The nucleus of 

 the next group is the sanctuary, numbered 3, built of the 

 lovely rose granite of Syene, one of the roofing stones of which 

 is inscribed with the name of Thotmes III., who provided two 

 golden doors. It was sorely battered by Sardanapalus or 

 Cambyses, perhaps both, but was handsomely restored by 

 Philip Aridseus, B.C. 330. The reliefs are of great beauty 

 and much interest, but I cannot dwell on them. They were 

 never completed ; and a red outline drawn for the guidance of 

 the sculptors may still be observed here and there. The 

 sanctuary is surrounded by a covered corridor and the usual 

 chambers. In one of these stood formerly a list of the 

 countries and towns paying tribute to Egypt, with the amount 

 of assessment for each; Babylon, Nineveh, and Tyre are all 

 mentioned. The pronaos, numbered 4, is a mass of ruins. 

 The inscriptions to be seen largely consist of representations 

 of the warlike achievements of Thotmes III. Passing from 

 this hall through the vestibule of the pylon we come to the pro- 

 cessional hall, numbered 7, which is surrounded by a peristyle 



