Alexandre Moret

In the Time of the Pharaohs Alexandre Moret

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III Egypt Before The Pyramids Successful excavations undertaken during the last fifteen years have allowed us a glimpse of the origin of Egyptian civilisation. Until our knowledge was thus widened, the history of Egypt began for our purposes virtually about one century before the IVth dynasty, which erected the great pyramids, that is about 4000 B. C. The period antedating this dynasty offered only uncertain traditions: according to Manetho (who wrote in the third century B. C. a Greek history of Egypt, of which we have nothing left but chronological summaries), the first two dynasties sprang from Thinis (near the site of Abydos); the third resided at Memphis and probably founded the Memphite kingdom, the pyramids and other monuments of which have come to us. Of the first kings of Egypt, Manetho has preserved for us only legends; he has, at least, transcribed their names and classified them, according to families or dynasties. Many of these names are recognisable, in spite of the divergencies between the hieroglyphic characters and the Greek transcription, in the lists of kings that the Pharaohs of the XVIIIth and XlXth dynasties had engraved in the temples of Karnak and Abydos. The papyrus known under the designation of "Royal Canon" of Turin, written at the same time, has preserved for us another more complete list, indicating the length of the reign of each king and the total number of years during which each great royal family occupied the throne; but this papyrus is in bits to-day, and many of its precious pieces have been destroyed. This is the more to be regretted because the document claimed to trace back the Egyptian monarchy to its origin, before even the 1st dynasty. The human kings--according to this record--were preceded by a fabulous n...