"And Hiram, King of Tyre sent messengers to David,—and cedar trees,—and carpenters and masons,—and they built David a house"—i. e. Palace. [2 Samuel v. 2.]
Here then is a distinct and undeniable record of the Tyrians being, not only carpenters (their Shipbuilding proves that) but Masons,—and which in the original Hebrew text is defined to be "hewers of the stone of the wall;" and consequently they were Sculptors, as well as Architects. Their building and adorning of Solomon's Temple (as will be shewn in the History of Tyrus) are additional facts, with the building of the Palace of David, to put at rest any suspicion, or question, whether the Tyrians themselves, unassisted by others, could have built and Sculptured those edifices in America. The Israelites had no practical knowledge of Architecture until ages after the building (by the Tyrians) of Solomon's Temple. 1015 B. C.
The above quotation from Sacred History refers to the year 1043 B. C., and consequently centuries before the time contemplated by this Epoch,—viz., B. C. 332.
Skilful knowledge, possessed, and existing for ages before, by any nation, and upon any subject, would naturally be improved upon and practised by descendants:—they would also improve upon the Architecture of any other nation with whom they had association and communion,—and as Tyrus, as a People, of all the ancient nations was a practical one, they produced in America an improvement (and a great one) upon the Architecture of the Egyptians. This fact of improvement, and alteration of the original order of Egypt, is another proof that the builders were not essentially of that nation; but,—from a country having a practical skill, and minds daring enough to innovate upon any precedent, when improvement would be the result.—That Nation was Tyrus.
We do not desire to advance one assertion, not capable of being defended, and consequently will establish that an improvement upon the Architecture of Egypt does exist in the Ruined cities of Ancient America.
The first idea in building had its origin (without doubt) from the Caverns of Nature, where Man would be protected from the raging tempest:—and, from being shadowed from the beams of Apollo by the spreading branches of the forest, he must have soon felt the necessity of converting the latter into more commodious forms than those in which Nature had left them. To huts made of trees and branches, festooned together by their own foliage, succeeded more convenient habitations, composed of upright and cross beams, the apertures closed with leaves and moistened earth. From these humble pillars of the forest, were derived those beautiful Columns composing the five received orders of Architecture. That of Egypt is not admitted into the Classic group.
The interior of a cavern with the walls rising pyramidally, gave the natural instruction for the formation of a Tent,—poles rising from a broad base to a centre,—or of a single one, with the canvass outstretched by cords and fastened to the stakes driven in the earth;—such were the Tents of Israel,—those of the Aborigines of North America, and of the wandering Gipsy, in the erection of their culinary edifice even to this day. The Pyramids of Egypt are but majestic examples of the same principle of construction,—viz., the corners and sides of a broad base rising on an inclined plane, until they meet and form an apex over a common centre. This construction has given them that defiance against the whirlwinds and sands for which they are so conspicuous. Water,—that "sore decayer of dead bodies,"—be they of "flesh," wood, or stone, can have no effect in Egypt; for there the rains do not fall, and consequently moisture cannot exert her gradual but certain power;—in Ancient America this safeguard to edifices is not granted by Nature,—but yet the principle of the Pyramid has given duration, and proved the existence of Nations in the Western Hemisphere, traceable to centuries before Egypt mourned a Cleopatra, who, as the living emblem of her death, became the venomed and fatal Serpent of her Country!
The Pyramids of Egypt (symbols of self-vanity) rise from a broad base to an unsupporting, useless, and idle apex:—in Mexican America the lowest portion of the base is retained, and that only; and upon this simple, but lasting foundation, are erected the perpendicular walls of her sacred Temples,—Sculptured stone forming the façades of the gorgeous edifices! The point of grandeur of design, is far beyond the useless masses of the Nile; for there can exist no grandeur of design without the association of utility,—physical or mental. The radiant Sun itself would cease to be Sublime, were it in design, or in its powers, to be devoid of its manifold, and creative blessings! The Architect of the Universe in forming the "image of Himself," and in assigning to it the functions of physical power, so organized them,—and the more subtle mechanism of the brain,—that they should illustrate, that all action and thought (apart from Religious duty) should be directed towards utility and excellence!
The fact of improving upon the pyramidal Architecture of Egypt, supports the apparent fact that Tyrians alone were the builders of the edifices now under consideration; for (apart from the perpendicular river-wall, which is identical with the sea-wall of ancient Tyrus) a new and distinct order, or style of Architecture, is visible in those Temples, traceable from the base to the Cornice or summit,—and from the compound character, believe that we have correctly termed it Egypto-Tyrian.