The Pharaohs and Their People: Scenes of old Egyptian life and history

by E. Berkley

The fact is that in the Egyptian hieroglyphic writing, hundreds of characters are employed as well as the letters of the alphabet; these characters represent syllables, words, or ideas, and could be used instead of the letters, almost at the pleasure of the writer. This gradually became apparent to Champollion, and as, fortunately, there are a very great number of copies extant of the same MSS., he was able, by laborious and persevering collation of those MSS., to determine the phonetic value of a great number of characters. To use a familiar illustration, it is as though two copies of an English sentence were compared by a foreigner who was acquainted only with the alphabet; in one of them occurred the word three and the word and, whilst in the other copy, in the places occupied by those words, appeared the character 3 and the character &; or in an astronomical treatise, he would find the words sun and Taurus interchangeable with the signs ☉ and ♉. It would clearly be possible for him to read the four signs into the words for which they respectively stand, by a comparison of copies. The only difference is that the use of signs, whether for syllables, words, or ideas, is carried to such an immense extent in the old Egyptian writing, that their decipherment was a work of the most arduous kind. Champollion, nevertheless, succeeded in recovering and reading the old Egyptian language to a great extent, and his work has been ardently carried forward by his successors. The language, however, even when deciphered and read, must have remained unintelligible, if modern Coptic (the descendant of the ancient tongue) had not afforded the key to its translation.

[INDEX.]

• Aahmes, conqueror of the Hyksos, [87], [93].
• ——— his mummy discovered, [94].
• Aahmes, admiral of the fleet, exploits of, [90] seq.
• Aah-hotep, queen, [87].
• Aarsu, the Syrian, [210].
• Abydos, shrine of Osiris, [6].
• ——— ruins of, [10], [11].
• ——— tablet of, [151].
• ——— visit of Rameses ii. to, [152] seq.
• Abu-simbel, rock-temples and colossal statues at, [166], [167].
• Agesilaus of Sparta in Egypt, [284].
• Alexander the Great in Egypt, [286].
• Alexandria founded, [286].
• Amasis, King; his policy and character, [275], [277].
• Amen, god of Thebes, [49], [132], [223].
• Amen-Ra, hymn to, [222], [223].
• Amen, great temple of, at Thebes, (Karnak), [55], [65], [95], [128], [151].
• Amenemhat i., instructions of, [51] seq.
• ——— conspiracy against, [52], [53].
• ——— pyramid of, [64].
• Amenemhat iii. notes rise of Nile, [70].
• ——— constructs Lake Mœris and the Labyrinth, [71], seq.
• Amenemhib, inscription of, [112], [123].
• Amenhotep i., [93], [94].
• Amenhotep ii., [124].
• Amenhotep iii., his campaigns in the South, [128].
• ——— his buildings at Thebes, [128].
• ——— colossi of, [129] seq.
• Amenhotep, architect, [128] seq.
• Ameni, inscription of, [66], [67].
• Amenritis, queen of Ethiopia, [265].
• Amenti, scenes in, depicted, [192] seq.
• Amu, the, [26], [76].
• Amyrtæus, [283].
• Animal worship, [198] seq.
• Antef, the family, [43],
• ——— festal dirge of house of, [44], [45].
• Apepi, serpent of evil, [195], [196].
• Apepi, Hyksos king; his embassy to the ruler of the South, [83].
• Apis, sacred bull of Memphis, [199].
• Apis-worship, development of, [243], [244].
• Apollonius of Tyana on animal worship, [200] note.
• Apries, King (Hophra), [272] seq.
• Ark, the sacred, [179].
• Art, excellence and defects of, [201], [202].
• Assyrian empire, first, [239].
• ——— second, rise of, [253].
• ——— ——— fall of, [269].
• Assyrians first enter Egypt, [259].
• ——— finally expelled, [264].
• Assur-bani-pal, king of Assyria, [259] seq.
• Ata, King, [16].
• Aten the Disk, worship of, [133] seq.
• Atet, Princess, tomb of, [33].
• Avaris, fortified by the Hyksos, [81].
• siege and capture of, [90], [91].
• Azotus, siege of, [267].
• Baba-Abana, inscription of, [89].
• Babylon, conflicts with Assyria, [215], [239].
• ——— empire of, [269].
• ——— fall of, [276].
• Bai-en-neter, decree of King, [15].
• Bast or Pasht, the goddess, [238] note.
• Beni-Hassan, rock tombs of, [75].
• Biban-el-Moluk; tombs of the kings, [171].
• Book of the ‘Manifestation’ or ‘Coming forth into Day’;
• commonly called ‘Book’ or ‘Ritual of the Dead,’ [10].
• Bubastis, city of, [238].
• Cambyses invades and conquers Egypt, [277].
• ——— his disaster, cruelty and madness, [279].
• ——— his end, [280].
• Chaldea, early civilisation of, [215].
• Columns, Hall of, at Karnak, [151].
• Confession, the Negative, [67], [68].
• Crown, double, of Egypt, [16].
• Cyrene, Greek colony of, [273].
• Cyrus, King, [276].
• Darius, king of Persia, [280].
• Dodecarchy, the, [263].
• Esar-haddon, king of Assyria, [259].
• Famine, many years of, [89].
• Fayoum, oasis of, [70].
• Funeral celebrations, [39], [190], [191].
• Ghizeh, pyramids of, [18] seq.
• Gods, representation of, [119],1[92] seq.
• Greece, early, as known to the Egyptians, [281].
• ——— influence of Egypt on, [282].
• ——— alliances between Egypt and, [280], [283], [284].
• Greek mercenaries, [264], [266].
• Greek merchants and colonists, [267], [273].
• Hammamat, valley of, [46], [149].
• Hanno, expedition of, [47].
• Harper, Lay of the, [191], [192].
• Hatasu, Queen; her pride and ambition, [96].
• ——— splendid temple of, [97].
• ——— her expedition to Punt, [99] seq.
• Hebrew colonists in Goshen, [89].
• ——— reduced to bondage, [204].
• ——— exodus of, [205].
• Herodotus, the historian, [44], [69], [71], [200], [218], [263], [266], [277].
• Her-hor, priest-king, his family vault, [230], [234].
• Herusha, the, [26], [27].
• Hezekiah, alliance with Tirhakah, [256], [257].
• Homer, his acquaintance with Egypt, [281].
• Hophra, see Apries.
• Horse, first appearance of, [80].
• Horus, the god, son of Isis, [3] seq.
• Horus, King, [139].
• Houses and gardens, [180] seq.
• Hyksos, invasion of, [80].
• ——— rule and expulsion of, [81] seq.
• Immigrants, Asiatic, [76], [77].
• Invocation, customary funeral, [39].
• Isis, the goddess, [2] seq.
• ——— Lamentations of, [2] seq.
• Israelites in Canaan, [215].
• Israelitish empire, [241].
• Jeremiah in Egypt, [273].
• Jerusalem, siege and destruction of, [273].
• Jeroboam in Egypt, [242].
• Joseph in Egypt, [89].
• Josiah, King, [268].
• Kadesh, battle of, [159].
• Kames, Prince, [86].
• Karchemish, battle of, [270].
• Khafra, pyramid and statue of, [23].
• Khamus, Prince, priest of Apis, [199].
• Khem, ‘lord of the mountain,’ [49].
• Khemi, a name of Egypt, [69].
• Kheta (Hittites), campaign of Seti i. against, [144].
• ——— war of Rameses ii. with, [156] seq.
• ——— treaty of Rameses with, [169] seq.
• Khetasir, king of Kheta, [156], [168], [169].
• Khnumhotep, family and tomb of, [75].
• Khons, the god, [49], [222] note.
• ——— oracle-temple of, [222], [225].
• ——— visit of, to Bakhten, [227], seq.
• Khufu, great pyramid of, [22], [23].
• Khu-en-aten, new religion of, [133].
• ——— family life of, [135], [136].
• Kom-es-Sultan, mound of, [11].
• Koptos, town of, [46], [214].
• Labyrinth, The, [71].
• Lebanon, visit of Seti i. to, [145].
• Libyan invasion of Egypt, [207] seq.
• Luxor, temple of, [128], [175].
• Magic, practice of, [221], [222].
• Manetho, the historian, [81] note.
• Marmaiu, Libyan king, [207].
• Mashuasha, defeat of, [213].
• Medinet Habou, temple of, [218].
• Megiddo, battle of, [109].
• Meidoom, early tombs at, [30].
• Memnon, statues of, [130].
• Memphis, founded by Mena, [12].
• Mena, first king of Egypt, [1], [12].
• Mendes, ram of, [199].
• Menephtah i. defeats the Libyans, [209] seq.
• Menkaura, his pyramid and sarcophagus, [24].
• Mentuhoteps, princely family of, [46].
• Mentuhotep, a great noble, [74], [75].
• Mercenary troops, [209], [246], [264].
• Merienra, King; sepulchre and mummy of, [25].
• Mesopotamia, campaigns in, [94], [110].
• Migdol, battle of, [217].
• Mines of copper and mafek, [17], [65], [214].
• Mnevis, sacred bull of Heliopolis, [199].
• Mœris, Lake, [71].
• Momemphis, battle of, [264].
• Morality, standard of, [67], [68].
• Moses, [205].
• Mut, the Divine Mother, [49].
• Naharina, see Mesopotamia.
• Nahum, the prophet, [262], [269].
• Napata, city of, [238], [265].
• Necho, Assyrian viceroy at Memphis, [260].
• Necho, King, defeated at Karchemish, [270].
• ——— his naval expedition, [271].
• Necropolis of Memphis, [15].
• Nectanebus, last native king, [284], [285].
• Nefert, Princess, statue of, [34].
• Nefe-rmat, tomb of, [33].
• Nefer-tai, wife of Khu-en-aten, [136].
• Nefertari, wife of Rameses ii., [167].
• Neith, the goddess, [265], [266] note.
• Negroes (or Nahsi), [12], [69], [128], [165].
• Negro queen, visit of, [137].
• Nile, Egypt the gift of, [69].
• ——— rise of, recorded, [70].
• ——— Hymn to the, [223], [224].
• Nineveh, fall of, [269].
• Nitocris, Queen, [41].
• Nomes, Egypt divided into, [42].
• Nubia, added to Egypt, [68].
• Nut—the Heaven—mother of Osiris, [3] note, [25] note, [196].
• Nutmeramen, King; dream of, [252].
• Oasis of Amen, [278], [286].
• ——— Fayoum, [70].
• Obelisks of Heliopolis, [10], [64], [65].
• ——— of Hatasu, [97].
• ——— of Thothmes iii., [116].
• Ochus, King of Persia, [285].
• Oracle-temple of Khons, [222], [225].
• On (Heliopolis), ancient city of, [7] seq., [64], [250].
• Osiris, myth of, and Isis, [2] seq.
• ——— judgment of the spirit before, [5], [67], [192].
• Palestine or Canaan, land of, [107], [113], [124], [144], [215].
• Pa-Ra, City of the Sun, [6], [64], [250].
• Pa-Ramessu, city of Rameses, poetical description of, [163], [164].
• Pasht or Basht, the goddess, [238] note.
• Pelusium, battle of, [277].
• Pentaur, heroic poem of, [160] seq.
• Pepi, King; sepulchre and mummy of, [25].
• Persian empire, rise of, [276].
• Persians first enter Egypt, [277].
• ——— final conquest by, [285].
• Philistines, nation of, [240], [241].
• Phœnicians, the, [113], [143], [156], [170], [240].
• Phœnix, story of the, [9].
• Philo of Alexandria on the sacred animals, [200].
• Piankhi, the Ethiopian king, [246].
• ——— inscription of, [247] seq.
• Pinotem ii., his wife and child, [234].
• Pithom, store-city, [205].
• ——— site of, identified, [205] note.
• Priesthood of Egypt, [8].
• ——— growth of power at Thebes, [229].
• Priest-kings, [230] seq.
• Priest-kings, their family tomb, [233].
• ——— discovery of mummies there, [234] seq.
• Princess, the possessed, of Bakhten, [226] seq.
• Prosopis, battle of, [209].
• Psamtek (Psammetichus) i., [263].
• ——— ii., [271].
• ——— iii., [277].
• Ptah, the god, [2], [12], [208].
• Ptah-hotep, maxims of, [34], [35].
• Punt; expedition of Sankhkara, [47].
• ——— ——— of Hatasu, [99], seq.
• Pyramid builders, [17] seq.
• Pyramid of Sakkara, [16].
• ——— the Great, [22], [23].
• ——— of Khafra, [23].
• ——— of Menkaura, [24].
• ——— of Amenemhat i., [64].
• Pyramids, construction of, [22], [29], [30].
• ——— names of, [39].
• Ra, worship of, at On, [2], [49].
• ——— his triumph over Apepi, [196].
• Raamses, store-city, [205].
• Ra-hotep, statue of Prince, [34].
• Rameses i., [142].
• Rameses ii., childhood of, [146].
• ——— visit to Abydos, [152] seq.
• ——— invocation of his father, [155].
• ——— war with the Kheta, [156] seq.
• ——— danger and prowess of, [159].
• ——— campaigns and exploits, [165] seq.
• ——— architectural achievements, [163], [167], [175].
• ——— colossal statues of, [14], [167].
• ——— fate of his mummy, [172].
• Rameses iii., drives back invading tribes, [213].
• ——— repels great invasion of confederates, [217].
• ——— victories and spoils, [218].
• ——— conspiracy against, [220] seq.
• ——— tomb of, [224].
• Ramessidæ, successors of Rameses iii., [225] seq.
• Rameses ix., violation of tombs discovered under, [226].
• Rameses xii., the god Khons sent to Bakhten by, [226] seq.
• Ramesseum, the, [189].
• Rampsinitus, Rameses iii. so called by the Greeks, [218].
• Rome, Egypt a province of, [287].
• Sais, city of, [265].
• ——— visit of Cambyses to, [278].
• Sakkara, pyramids of, [16].
• Samaria taken by Sargon, [255].
• Saneha, story of, [55] seq.
• San-Tanis or Zoan, [162] seq.
• Scythians, the, in Asia, [267].
• Seb, Earth-god, father of Osiris, [2], [3] note.
• Sechet, the goddess, see Pasht.
• Sefek, ‘Lady of Writings,’ [119].
• Sekenen-Ra, a patriot, [85].
• Semem-kheftu-ef, tame lion of Rameses, [157], [166], [167].
• Semnut, architect of Hatasu, [98].
• Senefru, King, [17].
• Serapeum, the, [243].
• Sesostris, of the Greeks, [220].
• Set, brother and foe of Osiris, story of, [2], [3].
• Seti i., his campaign in Palestine, [144].
• ——— against the Kheta, [144] seq.
• ——— triumph of, [145], [147].
• ——— his Hall of Columns and his temple at Abydos, [151].
• Seti Menephtah ii., [209].
• Setnekht, founder of Dynasty xx., [210], [211].
• Shebek, King, (So or Sabaco), [255].
• Sheshenk i., (Shishak), [242].
• ——— his campaign in Judæa, [242], [243].
• Slavery in Egypt, [116], [117], [203], [204].
• Solomon, king of Israel, [241].
• Solon in Egypt, [281], [282].
• Sphinx, the Great, [21].
• Superstition, growth of, [222].
• Symbolism in religion, [197].
• Symbols, animals as, [198], [199].
• Taa, the family of, [86] seq.
• Tafnekht, a prince of the north, [24] seq.
• Tai-ti, Queen, [132], [172].
• Ta-khent or Nubia, [68].
• Ta-neter, the ‘divine land,’ [47].
• Tel-el-Amarna, site of city of Khu-en-aten, [134].
• Temples, Egyptian, [176] seq.
• Thebes, first mention of, [43].
• ——— in her magnificence, [186], [187].
• ——— Western, the City of the Dead, [187] seq.
• ——— sack of, by Assur-bani-pal, [261], [262].
• Thi, tomb of, [36], [38].
• Thinis-Abydos, twin cities of, [6].
• Thoth, the god, [75] note, [192].
• Thothmes i., campaign in Mesopotamia, [94].
• Thothmes ii., [96].
• Thothmes iii., his boyhood, [97].
• ——— coronation of, [103].
• ——— enters Palestine, [107].
• ——— his victorious campaigns in Asia; extent of empire, [109-111].
• ——— his wealth, and gifts to the temples, [113-115].
• ——— heroic song in honour of, [120], [121].
• ——— fate of his mummy, [123], [124].
• Thothmes iv., dream of, [125] seq.
• Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, [253].
• Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia and Egypt;
• his long conflict with Assyria, [259] seq.
• Trade, manufactures, and amusements of the people, [182-186].
• Tum, the god, worship of, [49] and note.
• Tutankh-amen, King, [137].
• Uahpra, see Apries.
• Uah-hor-penres, priest of Neith, [278] note.
• Una, inscription of, [26].
• Unas, King, [25].
• University, ancient, of On, [8].
• Usertesen i. associated with his father, [51].
• ——— his obelisk and other buildings, [64], [65].
• Usertesen iii., conquers Nubia, [68], [69].
• Wady Maghara, mines in the valley of, [17], [65].
• Zedekiah, king of Judah, [272].
• Zoan, city of, [162] seq., [169], [237], [257].

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PRINTED BY T. AND A. CONSTABLE, PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY,
AT THE EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY PRESS.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The date that has been assigned to the Great Pyramid varies by at least a thousand years, and is generally placed from about 3000 to 4000 b.c. The present tendency is certainly rather in favour of the remoter dates, as agreeing best with the requirements of historic data, and harmonising with the results of recent discovery and research.

[2] Isis is joined in her lamentations by her sister Nephthys, who was wife of Set, but never shared his evil repute.

[3] i.e. The Earth. Seb, the Earth-god, was father of Osiris; Nut, the Heaven above, was his mother in Egyptian mythology.

[4] In Greek Heliopolis, which bears the same meaning as Pa-Ra—‘City of the Sun.’