Belongs the honour of having constituted Egypt, such as we know it, from the commencement of the historic period.
And Staniland Wake adds:
They founded the principal cities of Egypt, and established the most important sanctuaries.[1003]
This was before the Great Pyramid epoch, and when Egypt had hardly arisen from the waters. Yet:
They possessed the hieroglyphic form of writing special to the Egyptians, and must have been already considerably advanced in civilization.
As says Lenormant:
It was the country of the great pre-historic sanctuaries, seats of the sacerdotal dominion, which played the most important part in the origin of civilization.
What is the date assigned to this people? We hear of 4,000, at the utmost of 5,000, years b.c. (Maspéro). Now it is claimed that it is by [pg 451] means of the Cycle of 25,868 years (the Sidereal Year) that the approximate year of the erection of the Great Pyramid can be ascertained.
Assuming that the long narrow downward passage leading from the entrance was directed towards the pole-star of the pyramid builders, astronomers have shown that in the year 2,170 b.c. the passage pointed to Alpha Draconis, the then pole-star.... Mr. Richard A. Proctor, the astronomer, after stating that the pole-star was in the required position about 3,350 b.c., as well as in 2,170 b.c., says: “either of these would correspond with the position of the descending passage in the Great Pyramid; but Egyptologists tell us there can absolutely be no doubt that the later epoch is far too late.”[1004]
But we are also told that: