ANCIENT EGYPT. II5 



ANCIENT EGYPT. 



Part II. 

 Monuments, Forms of Writing, and System of Religion. 



A lecture delivered before the Natural History Society on November i8th, 

 1903, by Robert Coltman Clephan, F.S.A., F.S.A. Scot. 



In a previous lecture I dealt with the natural history of 

 Ancient Egypt, its chronology, history, and architecture ; 

 describing the salient features of the temples, their form, 

 scope, and significance, as illustrated mainly by the ruins of 

 Karnak. This evening I shall endeavour to give you some 

 idea of the monuments generally ; the forms of writing ; and 

 the system of religion, with its complicated and symbolic 

 ritual. 



The Monuments. 



This heading covers so wide a field that I was in some 

 doubt as to how to deal with it most effectively this evening. 

 I shall aim at giving you a general idea of the leading types 

 of monuments, selecting, as much as possible, the most sahent 

 and representative examples of each variety. 



The Temple of the Sphinx. The building at Geezeh known 

 as the Temple of the Sphinx, lying some fifty yards south of 

 the Great Sphinx, is probably of prehistoric origin, that is to 

 say, it was built before the reign of Menes, the founder of the 

 first dynasty of United Egypt known to history ; and besides 

 the great interest attaching to it as a building of such immense 

 antiquity, it possesses very remarkable features of its own. 

 The great hall is shaped like the letter T; sixteen square 

 monolithic columns, 16 feet high, support the roof, ten forming 

 a nave, and six running singly along the centre of the transept. 

 Admittance is through a long passage, and there are no 

 windows, so that all light from the sun is excluded. This 



