228 
For, as Saturn does not, on the same day of the year, return 
to the same place of the zodiac, but after 206 years ; Jupiter 
first after 83, or rather 166 years ; Mars after 215 years, the 
Moon after 19 years, Venus after 4, and Mercury first after 
26 years ; it is obvious, that this planetary configuration 
could not happen twice in the lapse of 206 x 166 x 215 x 
19 X 4 x 26 years, that is to say, in several millions of years. 
Our mummy-coffin then may be classed for the subjoined 
reasons as one of the most important monuments of Egyptian 
antiquity. It confirms the key to the mythology of the 
Egyptians, Canaanites, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and 
all nations of antiquity, which was, during so many centuries 
enveloped in impenetrable darkness ; it ratifies the key to the 
astronomical monuments of Egypt, Greece, and Italy, and 
that to the Egyptian literature, discovered many years pre- 
viously ; it illustrates, by its antiquity, the condition of 
primeval culture ; it corrects, as being 1600 years older than 
the oldest astronomical observations formerly known, some 
statements of the present planetary tables, particularly those 
of the Moon. The Leeds mummy-coffin proves again that 
astronomy is as old as human society, as Josephus, Aristotle, 
Cicero, Diodorus, Egyptian papyri, and other authors testify. 
Formerly, it was believed and taught that no zodiac existed 
before the year 500 B.C., but here we see that the Egyptians 
in 1722 b.c, were already familiar with the smallest seg- 
ments of the zodiac ; that they already understood the art of 
determining the places of the planets to a nicety, and that 
they knew the motion of the equinoctial points. Now how 
many centuries prior to 1722 b.c, must have elapsed before 
astronomy attained to so high a degree of perfection ! It 
dissipates the old fog of Egyptian history, and corroborates 
mathematically the true history and chronology of the Bible. 
As regards the latter, let us add a few remarks : — 
It is known that, according to the passage 1 Kings vi., 1, 
