0:02

Good evening, and thank you

0:04

for joining me for another Boring

0:06

Books for Bedtime. I

0:09

hope tonight's selection provides all

0:11

the boredom your busy brain

0:13

needs to quiet down

0:16

and let you get some sleep. Before

0:20

we begin, I'd like to

0:22

give a special shoutout of thanks

0:24

to some new members of our

0:26

Patreon family, Sonder,

0:28

Anne, Nancy, and Jean.

0:35

Thank you all so much for supporting

0:37

this podcast. By becoming

0:40

members of Patreon, you

0:42

help us remain 100% listener supported and ad-free

0:47

for everyone, and it's

0:49

very much appreciated. If

0:52

you're interested in supporting Boring Books

0:54

for Bedtime and finding

0:56

out more about the perks available

0:58

to subscribers, including exclusive

1:00

episodes and collections of

1:03

episodes by topic, you'll

1:05

find a link to Patreon in

1:07

the show description. You'll

1:10

also find a link to

1:12

buymeacoffee.com, where you can support

1:14

us with a one-time tip, no

1:17

subscription required. I

1:19

hope you'll take a moment to check them out.

1:23

Now let's read and

1:26

relax. Find

1:29

a comfortable spot. Adjust

1:34

your volume. Take

1:37

a nice deep breath in.

1:42

Let it out slowly. And

1:47

off we go. Tonight

1:51

we kick off 2024

1:54

with another reading from a

1:56

perennial favorite, the Manual

1:58

of Egyptian Archaeology. He

2:00

and Guy to the study

2:02

of antiquities in Egypt. For.

2:04

The use of students and

2:06

travelers, By. Guess Dog:

2:09

Camille Charles Smith Sparrow.

2:11

D. C L. Oxford. Member.

2:14

Of the Institute of France. Professor.

2:17

At the colors to France. X

2:20

Director General of Egyptian

2:22

Museums. Translated:

2:25

By Amelia, be at. In.

2:28

A new addition, revised

2:30

and. Enlarged by the author.

2:33

With. Three Hundred And Nine. Illustrations.

2:37

First. Published in Eighteen

2:39

Ninety Five. Let's

2:42

pick up right where we left

2:44

off in chapter three. Tombs.

2:48

Let's. Began. The.

2:51

Great Pyramid of Sakara is

2:54

not oriented with exactness. The.

2:57

North Face is turned four

2:59

degrees twenty one minutes. East

3:01

of the true North. It

3:04

is not a perfect square. But.

3:06

As a long hiatus from east to

3:08

west. Besides. Being. Three

3:10

Hundred Ninety Five And Three

3:13

Hundred Fifty One Seat. It

3:16

is one hundred ninety six feet

3:18

high. And is formed

3:20

a sixth grade. Steps was

3:23

inclined faces. Each

3:25

retreating about seven feet.

3:28

The. Step nearest the ground is thirty.

3:30

Seven and a half feet high. And

3:33

the top one is twenty nine feet

3:35

high. As. Shown in figure

3:38

One Thirty Seven. Is

3:41

is built entirely of limestone

3:43

quarry from. The neighboring hills.

3:46

The. Blocks are small and battle

3:48

a cut. And the

3:51

courses or concave according to a

3:53

plan applied. Both to keys and

3:55

to fortresses. on

3:58

examining the breaches in the me It

4:01

is seen that the outer face of each

4:03

step is coated with two layers,

4:06

each of which has its regular casing.

4:10

The mass is solid, the

4:12

chambers being cut in the rock below

4:15

the pyramid. It

4:17

has four entrances, the

4:19

main one being in the north, and

4:22

the passages form a perfect labyrinth

4:24

which it is perilous to enter.

4:29

Those with columns, galleries, and

4:31

chambers all end in

4:33

a kind of pit, in

4:35

the bottom of which a hiding place was

4:38

contrived, doubtless intended to

4:40

contain the most precious objects

4:42

of the funerary furniture. The

4:46

pyramids which surround this extraordinary

4:48

monument have been nearly all

4:50

built on one plan and

4:53

only differ in their proportions. The

4:57

door, Figure 138A,

5:00

opens close below the first

5:02

course, about the middle

5:04

of the north face, and

5:07

the passage B descends

5:09

by a gentle slope between

5:12

two walls of limestone. It

5:15

is plugged up all along by

5:18

large blocks, which needed

5:20

to be broken up before the first chamber

5:22

could be entered, C. Beyond

5:26

this chamber it is carried for

5:28

some way through the limestone rock.

5:32

Then it passes between walls,

5:34

ceiling, and floor of polished

5:36

cyanite, after which

5:39

the limestone reappears and the

5:41

passage opens into the vestibule, E.

5:46

The part built of granite

5:48

is interrupted thrice at intervals

5:50

of two to two and a half feet

5:53

by three enormous

5:55

portcullises of granite,

5:57

D. Above each of

5:59

these the

8:00

Fourth Dynasty and those

8:02

of Abusir to the Pharaohs of the

8:05

Fifth. The

8:07

five pyramids of Saqqara, of

8:09

which the plan is uniform,

8:11

belong to Eunice and to the

8:13

first four kings of the Sixth

8:16

Dynasty, Tettie, Pepe

8:18

I, Merenra, and

8:21

Pepe II, and

8:23

are contemporary with the Mustabas with

8:26

painted vaults which I have mentioned

8:28

above. It

8:30

is therefore no matter of surprise

8:33

to find them inscribed

8:35

and decorated. The ceilings

8:38

are covered with stars

8:40

to represent the night

8:42

sky. The rest of the

8:44

decoration is very simple. In

8:47

the Pyramid of Eunice, which is

8:50

the most ornamented, the

8:52

decoration occupies only the end wall

8:54

of the Sepulchral Chamber. A part

8:58

against the sarcophagus was lined

9:00

with alabaster and

9:03

engraved to represent great monumental

9:05

doors, through which

9:07

the deceased was supposed to enter

9:10

his storerooms of provisions. The

9:13

figures of men and of animals,

9:16

the scenes of daily life, the

9:19

details of the sacrifice, are

9:22

not here represented. The

9:24

passages and the vault in which

9:26

the soul alone was free to

9:29

wander needed no

9:31

ornamentation except that which

9:33

related to the life of the soul.

9:37

The texts are of two kinds.

9:41

One kind, of which there are

9:43

the fewest, refer to the

9:45

nourishment of the double and

9:48

are literal transcriptions of the

9:50

formulae by which the priests

9:52

ensured the transmission of each

9:54

object to the other world.

9:57

This was a last resource for him.

12:00

Ati of the Sixth Dynasty.

12:04

Recent excavations have, on the other

12:06

hand, shown that the

12:08

brick pyramids of Dachur probably

12:10

belong to the Twelfth Dynasty. The

12:14

stone pyramids of that group, which

12:16

may be older, furnish

12:18

a curious variation from the

12:21

usual type. One

12:23

of these stone pyramids has the lower

12:25

half inclined at 54 degrees 41 minutes,

12:28

while the

12:31

upper part changes sharply to 42 degrees

12:33

59 minutes. It

12:37

might be called a mastaba,

12:39

crowned by a gigantic attic.

12:42

At least, where the two

12:45

pyramids now standing are of the

12:47

same period, one of

12:49

them being erected by Ussertesin I.

12:52

The structure is again changed.

12:56

The sloping passage ends in a

12:58

vertical shaft, at the

13:01

bottom of which open chambers now

13:03

filled by the infiltration of the

13:05

Nile. The

13:07

pyramids of Ilihun and

13:09

Hawara, which contain the remains

13:12

of Ussertesin II and Amenamet III,

13:16

are of the same type as those at

13:19

Lisht. Their

13:21

rooms are now filled with water.

13:24

The pyramid of Madam

13:26

is empty, having been violated

13:29

before the Ramasid Age. It

13:32

consists of three square towers,

13:35

with sides slightly sloping,

13:38

placed in retreating stages one over

13:40

the other, Figure 142. The

13:45

entrance is on the north, at

13:47

about 53 feet above the sand. After

13:51

60 feet, the passage

13:53

goes into the rock. At

13:56

174 feet it runs level. At

14:01

forty feet further it stops and

14:04

turns perpendicularly towards the

14:06

surface, opening in

14:08

the floor of a vault twenty-one

14:11

feet higher, as shown in

14:13

Figure 143. A

14:16

set of beams and ropes still in

14:18

place above the opening show

14:21

that the spoilers drew the

14:23

sarcophagus out of the chamber

14:25

in ancient times. This

14:29

small chapel, built against

14:31

the eastern slope of the pyramid,

14:34

with courtyard containing a

14:36

low flat altar between

14:38

two standing stelae nearly

14:40

fourteen feet high, was

14:42

found intact. The

14:45

walls of the chapel were uninscribed

14:47

and bare, but the

14:49

graffiti found there proved that

14:52

the place was much visited during

14:54

the times of the Eighteenth Dynasty

14:56

by scribes who

14:58

recorded their admiration of the beauty

15:00

of the monument, and

15:03

believed that King Sniferro had

15:06

raised it for himself and

15:08

for his queen, Marasanku.

15:12

The custom of building pyramids did

15:14

not end with the Twelfth Dynasty.

15:18

There are later pyramids at

15:20

Monfalut, at Hakali to

15:22

the south of Abados, and

15:25

at Mohammeraia to the

15:27

south of Esne. Until

15:30

the Roman period, the

15:32

semi-barbarous sovereigns of Ethiopia

15:34

held it as a point of honor

15:37

to give the pyramidal form to their

15:39

tombs. The

15:41

oldest, those of Nuri,

15:44

were the pharaohs of Napata sleep,

15:47

recall by their style the

15:49

pyramids of Saqqara. The

15:52

latest, those of Maroe, present

15:55

fresh characteristics. They

15:58

are higher than they are wide. and

16:01

built of small blocks, and

16:03

are sometimes decorated at the

16:05

angles with rounded borderings. The

16:09

east face has a false

16:11

window surmounted by a cornice

16:14

and is flanked by a chapel which is

16:17

preceded by a pylon. These

16:20

pyramids are not all dumb. As

16:24

in ordinary tombs, the

16:26

walls contain scenes borrowed from

16:28

the ritual of burial or

16:31

showing the vicissitudes of the life

16:34

beyond the grave. 3.

16:39

The Tombs of the Theban Empire

16:42

Excavated Tombs Two

16:46

subsequent systems replaced the

16:48

mastaba throughout Egypt. The

16:52

first preserved the chapel constructed

16:54

above ground and combined

16:56

the pyramid with the mastaba. The

17:00

second excavated the whole tomb

17:02

in the rock, including the

17:04

chapel. The

17:06

necropolis Quarter of Avados,

17:09

in which were interred the earlier generations

17:11

of the Theban Empire, furnishes

17:14

the most ancient examples of the

17:16

first system. The

17:19

tombs are built of large,

17:22

black, unbaked bricks made

17:24

without any mixture of straw

17:26

or grit. The

17:28

lower part is a mastaba with

17:31

a square or oblong rectangular base,

17:34

the greatest length of the ladder

17:36

being sometimes 40 or 50 feet.

17:40

The walls are perpendicular

17:42

and are seldom high enough for

17:44

a man to stand upright inside the

17:47

tomb. On

17:49

this kind of pedestal was a

17:51

erected, appointed pyramid of from 12

17:53

to 30 feet in height, covered

17:56

externally with a smooth coat

17:58

of clay painted white. The

18:01

defective nature of the rock below

18:03

forbade the excavation of the

18:06

sepulchral chamber. There

18:08

was no resource, therefore, except

18:10

to hide it in the brickwork. An

18:14

oven-shaped chamber with corbel

18:16

vault was constructed in

18:18

the center, figure 144, but more

18:23

frequently, the sepulchral chamber

18:25

is found to be half above

18:27

ground in the mastaba and

18:29

half sunk in the foundations, the

18:32

vaulted space above being left only

18:35

to relieve the weight, figure

18:37

145. In

18:40

many cases, there was

18:42

no external chapel, the

18:44

stella placed in the basement

18:47

or set in the outer face, alone

18:49

marking the place of offering. In

18:53

other instances, a square vestibule was

18:55

constructed in front of the tomb

18:58

where the relations assembled,

19:01

figure 146. Occasionally,

19:04

a breast-eye enclosure

19:07

wall surrounded the monument

19:09

and defined the boundaries of the

19:12

ground belonging to the tomb. This

19:15

mixed form was much employed in

19:17

theban cemeteries from the beginning of

19:19

the Middle Empire. Many

19:22

kings and nobles of the

19:24

11th Dynasty were buried at

19:27

Dral-Abonega in tombs like those

19:29

of Abados, figure 147. The

19:34

relative proportion of mastaba and

19:36

pyramid became modified during

19:38

the succeeding centuries. The

19:42

mastaba, often a

19:44

mere insignificant substructure, gradually

19:46

returned to its original

19:48

height, while the

19:51

pyramid has gradually decreased and

19:54

ended by being only an unimportant

19:56

pyramidion, Figure

19:58

148. Oh

20:01

the monuments of this type which ornamented

20:03

the see been. Necropolis during the

20:05

ram a set period have

20:07

perished. But. Contemporary tomb

20:10

painting show many varieties.

20:13

And the chapel of an office

20:16

which died during the reign of

20:18

Amenhotep the third. Still,

20:20

Remains to show that this fashion.

20:22

Extended as far as Memphis.

20:26

Of. The pyramid the in scarcely

20:28

any traces remain but the mr

20:30

By is and. It

20:33

is a square mass of limestone

20:36

raised on a base. And

20:38

surmounted by an overhanging cornice.

20:41

A flight of five steps leads up

20:43

to the inner chamber. Figure

20:45

one: Forty nine. They.

20:48

Earliest examples of the second

20:50

kind are those found at

20:52

Giza. Among. The must

20:54

stop as the fourth Dynasty. And

20:57

these are neither large nor

20:59

much ornamented. They.

21:01

Begin to be careful a raw

21:03

about the time at the Sixth

21:05

Dynasty. And in certain

21:07

distant places. As. At

21:09

Bershad. Shake. Say. Cause.

21:13

Or as seed. Ah, Show

21:15

on and nagar. The.

21:18

Rock cut tomb did not,

21:20

however attain it's full development.

21:23

Until. The times of the last

21:25

month fight kings and the early kings

21:27

of the deep and line. And

21:30

these rock cut tombs we find

21:32

all the various parts of the

21:35

Mustapha. The designer

21:37

select is a prominent vein

21:39

of limestone high enough in

21:41

the cliff. To risk nothing

21:43

from the gradual rising up the

21:45

soil. And. Yet know enough,

21:47

For the funeral procession to reach

21:50

it. Without difficulty. The.

21:52

Feudal lords that many as

21:55

slept. That Benny Hassan. Those.

21:58

A Tamil? know that? Those

22:01

of Seut and Elephantine

22:03

at Seut and

22:05

in the cliff opposite Oshuan. Sometimes

22:10

as at Seut, Persia and

22:12

Thebes, the tombs are

22:14

excavated at various levels. Sometimes

22:18

as at Beni Hassan, they

22:20

follow the line of the stratum and

22:23

are arranged in nearly horizontal terraces.

22:26

A flight of steps, rudely

22:29

constructed in rough-hewn stones,

22:31

leads up from the plain to the entrance

22:34

of the tomb. At

22:36

Beni Hassan and Thebes, these

22:39

steps are either destroyed or buried

22:41

in sand, but recent

22:44

excavations have brought to light

22:46

a well-preserved example leading up

22:49

to a tomb at Oshuan.

22:52

The funeral procession, having

22:54

slowly scaled the cliffside,

22:57

halted for a moment at the entrance to

23:00

the chapel. The

23:02

plan was not necessarily uniform

23:04

throughout any one group of

23:06

tombs. Several

23:08

of the Beni Hassan tombs have

23:11

porticos, the pillars, bases,

23:13

and entablatures, being all cut in

23:15

the rock. Those

23:18

of a Beni and Knumotep

23:20

have porticos supported on two

23:23

polygonal columns, figure At

23:28

Oshuan, figure 152, the

23:31

doorway forms a high and narrow

23:33

recess cut in the rock wall,

23:36

but is divided, at about one-third

23:38

of its height, by

23:40

a rectangular lintel, thus

23:43

making a smaller doorway in

23:45

the doorway itself. At

23:48

Siyut, the tomb of

23:50

Hapazefa was entered by a

23:52

true porch about twenty-four feet

23:54

in height, with a

23:57

vaulted roof elegantly sculptured and

23:59

painted. More

24:01

frequently, the side of

24:03

the mountain was merely cut away

24:05

and the stone dressed over a

24:08

more or less extent of surface,

24:10

according to the intended dimensions of

24:12

the tomb. This

24:15

method ensured the two-fold advantage

24:17

of clearing a little platform,

24:20

closed in on three sides in front of

24:22

the tomb, and also

24:24

of forming an upright facade which

24:27

could be decorated or left plain,

24:30

according to the taste of the proprietor.

24:33

The door, sunk in the middle of

24:35

this facade, has sometimes no

24:38

framework. Sometimes

24:41

however, it has two jams and a

24:43

lintel, all slightly projecting.

24:47

The inscriptions, when any occur,

24:49

are very simple, consisting

24:52

of one or two horizontal

24:54

lines above and one

24:56

or two vertical lines down each

24:58

side, with the addition

25:01

perhaps of a sitting or

25:03

standing figure. These

25:05

inscriptions contain a prayer as

25:08

well as the name, titles, and

25:10

parentage of the deceased. The

25:13

chapel generally consists of a

25:16

single chamber, either square

25:18

or oblong, with a

25:20

flat or a slightly vaulted ceiling. Light

25:24

is admitted only through the doorway. Sometimes

25:29

a few pillars, left standing in

25:31

the rock at the time of

25:33

excavation, give this chamber

25:35

the aspect of a little hypostyle

25:37

hall. Four

25:40

such pillars decorate the chapels

25:42

of Ameni and Kanumhotep

25:44

at Benihassan. Figure

25:47

153. Other

25:50

chapels there contain six or

25:52

eight and are very irregular

25:54

in plan. One

25:57

tomb, unfinished, was in

25:59

the first instance. in a simple oblong

26:01

hall with a barrel

26:03

roof and six columns. Later

26:06

on it was enlarged on the

26:09

right side, the new part forming

26:11

a kind of flat-roofed portico,

26:13

supported on four columns. To

26:17

form a serdab in the

26:20

solid rock was almost impossible,

26:23

while on the other hand, movable

26:25

statues, if left in

26:27

a room accessible to all comers, would

26:30

be exposed to theft or

26:33

mutilation. The

26:35

serdab therefore was transformed and

26:37

combined with the stella of

26:40

the ancient mastabas. A

26:43

false door of the olden time

26:45

became a niche cut in the

26:47

end wall, almost always

26:49

facing the entrance. Members

26:52

of the deceased and his wife, carved

26:55

in the solid rock, were there

26:57

enthroned. The walls

27:00

were decorated with scenes of offerings,

27:02

and the entire decoration of

27:05

the tomb converged towards the

27:07

niche, and that of

27:09

the mastaba converged towards the stella.

27:12

The series of tableaux is, on the

27:14

whole, much the same as of

27:16

old, though with certain

27:18

noteworthy additions. The

27:21

funeral procession and the

27:23

scene where the deceased enters into possession

27:26

of his tomb, both

27:28

merely indicated in the mastaba,

27:30

are displayed in full upon the

27:32

walls of the deep in Sepulchre.

27:36

The mournful cortege is there,

27:38

with the hired mourners, the

27:41

troops of friends, the bearers

27:43

of offerings, the boats for

27:45

crossing the river, and

27:47

the catafalk drawn by oxen. It

27:51

arrives at the door of the tomb.

27:54

The mummy, placed upright upon his

27:57

feet, receives the farewell of

27:59

his family. When

30:00

the necessary prayers recited, he

30:03

was rich and happy. In

30:06

order to establish his identity, it was

30:09

enough to record his name, his

30:11

title, and his parentage. His

30:15

past was taken for granted. But

30:18

when once a belief in rewards

30:20

and punishments to come had

30:23

taken possession of men's minds, they

30:26

bethought them up the advisability of

30:28

giving to each dead man the

30:30

benefit of his individual merits. To

30:34

the official register of his social

30:36

status, they now therefore

30:39

added a brief biographical notice.

30:42

At first, this consisted of only

30:44

a few words, but

30:46

towards the time of the Sixth

30:49

Dynasty, as where

30:51

Yuna recounts his public services

30:53

under four kings, these

30:56

few words developed into pages

30:58

of contemporary history. With

31:01

the beginning of the New Empire,

31:04

tableau and inscriptions combine to immortalize

31:07

the deeds of the owner of

31:09

the tomb. Knumhotep

31:12

of Benihassan records

31:14

in full the origin and

31:16

greatness of his ancestors. Petit

31:20

displays upon his walls all

31:23

the incidents of a military life,

31:25

parades, war dances,

31:28

sieges, and sanguinary

31:30

bezel scenes. In

31:33

this respect, as in all others,

31:35

the Eighteenth Dynasty perpetuated the

31:38

tradition of preceding ages. A.E.

31:42

in his fine tomb at

31:44

Tell El-Amarna recounts the episode

31:46

of his marriage with

31:48

the daughter of Ku'anatin, Neforhotep

31:51

of Thebes. Having

31:53

received from Horemib the decoration

31:55

of the golden collar, complacently

31:59

reproduces As every little incident

32:01

of his investiture, the

32:03

words spoken by the King, as

32:06

also the year and the

32:08

day when this crowning reward

32:10

was conferred upon him. Another

32:14

having conducted a survey is seen

32:17

attended by his subordinates with their

32:19

measuring chains. Elsewhere

32:22

he super intends a census of the

32:24

population, just as T

32:26

formerly super intended the numbering of

32:29

his cattle. The

32:31

Stella partakes up these new characteristics

32:33

in Wall Decoration. In

32:37

addition to the usual prayers, it

32:39

now proclaims the praises of the

32:41

deceased and gives a summary of

32:43

his life. This

32:45

is too seldom followed by a list

32:48

of his honors with their dates. When

32:51

space permitted, the vault

32:54

was excavated immediately below the

32:56

chapel. The

32:58

shaft was sometimes sunk in a corner

33:00

of one of the chambers, and

33:02

sometimes outside, in front of the

33:04

door of the tomb. In

33:08

the great cemeteries, as

33:10

for instance at Thebes and Memphis,

33:13

the superposition of these three

33:15

parts, the chapel,

33:17

the shaft, and the vault,

33:19

was not always possible. If

33:22

the shaft were carried to its

33:25

accustomed depth, there was sometimes the

33:27

risk of breaking into tombs excavated

33:29

at a lower level. This

33:32

danger was met either by driving

33:34

a long passage into the rock

33:37

and then sinking the shaft at the

33:39

farther end, or by

33:41

substituting a slightly sloping or

33:43

horizontal disposition of the parts

33:45

for the old vertical arrangement

33:48

of the Mustapha model. The

33:51

passage in this case opens

33:53

from the center of the end wall, its

33:56

average length being from 20 to 130.

34:00

The Sepulchral

34:02

vault is always small and

34:04

plain, as well as the

34:06

passage. Under

34:08

the Theban dynasties, as under the

34:10

Memphite kings, the soul

34:13

dispensed with decorations. But

34:16

whenever the walls of the vault are

34:18

decorated, the figures and inscriptions

34:20

are found to relate chiefly to

34:22

the life of the soul, and

34:25

very slightly to the life of the

34:27

double. In the

34:29

tomb of Horhotep, which is

34:32

of the time of the Ussertessens, and

34:35

in similar rock-cut sepulchers, the

34:38

walls, except on the side of the

34:40

door, are divided into

34:42

two registers. The

34:45

upper row belongs to the double,

34:48

and contains, besides the table of

34:50

offerings, pictured representations of

34:53

the same objects, which

34:55

are seen in certain mastabas of

34:58

the Sixth Dynasty, namely

35:00

stuffs, jewels, arms,

35:03

and perfumes, all

35:05

needful to Horhotep for the purpose

35:07

of imparting eternal use to

35:09

his limbs. The

35:12

lower register belongs to both the

35:14

soul and the double, and is

35:16

inscribed with extracts from a variety

35:19

of liturgical writings such as the

35:21

Book of the Dead, and

35:24

Ritual of Embalment, and

35:26

the Funeral Ritual, all

35:29

of which were possessed of magic

35:31

properties which protected the

35:33

soul and supported the double. The

35:36

stone sarcophagus and even the

35:39

coffin are also covered

35:41

with closely written inscriptions, precisely

35:45

as the stella epitomized

35:47

the whole chapel. So

35:50

did the sarcophagus and

35:52

coffin epitomize the sepulchral

35:54

chamber, thus forming, as

35:56

it were, a vault within

35:58

a vault. Tex,

36:01

Tableau, all thereon

36:03

depicted, treat of the

36:05

life of the soul and of its

36:08

salvation in the world to come. At

36:11

Thebes, as at Memphis, the

36:14

royal tombs are those which it is

36:16

most necessary to study, in

36:18

order to estimate the high degree

36:21

of perfection to which the decoration

36:23

of passages and sepulchral chambers was

36:25

now carried. The

36:28

most ancient were situated either

36:30

in the plain or

36:32

on the southern slopes of the

36:34

western mountain, and of

36:36

these no remains are extant.

36:40

The mummies of Amenhotep I

36:43

and Thutmose III of

36:45

Sekinenra and Ahhotep

36:48

have survived the dwellings of

36:50

solid stone designed for their

36:52

protection. As

36:54

the middle of the 18th Dynasty, however,

36:57

all the best places were taken up,

37:00

and some unoccupied site in

37:02

which to establish a new

37:04

royal cemetery had to be sought.

37:08

At first they went to a

37:10

considerable distance, namely to

37:12

the end of the valley, known

37:15

as the Western Valley, which

37:17

opens from near Drah Abonnegha.

37:21

Amenhotep III,

37:23

i.e., and perhaps others, were there

37:26

buried. Somewhat

37:28

later, they preferred to draw nearer to

37:30

the city of the living. Behind

37:33

the cliff which forms the northern boundary

37:36

of the plain of Thebes, there

37:38

lay a kind of rocky hollow,

37:40

closed in on every side, and

37:43

accessible from the outer world by

37:46

only a few perilous paths. It

37:49

divides into two branches which

37:52

cross almost at right angles. One

37:55

branch turns to the southeast, while

37:57

the other, which again divides into the east,

38:00

to secondary branches turns to

38:02

the southwest. Westward

38:05

rises a mountain which recalls

38:07

upon a gigantic scale the

38:10

outline of the Great Step

38:12

Pyramid of Saqqara. The

38:14

Egyptian engineers of the time observed

38:17

that this hollow was separated

38:19

from the ravine of Amenhotep

38:21

III by a mere barrier,

38:24

some 500 cubits in thickness.

38:28

In this there was nothing to

38:30

dismay such practiced miners. They

38:33

therefore cut a trench some 50 or

38:36

60 cubits deep through the

38:38

solid rock, at the end of

38:40

which a narrow passage opens

38:42

like a gateway into the Hidden

38:45

Valley beyond. Was

38:47

it in the time of Haremeb or

38:50

during the reign of Ramses I

38:52

that this gigantic work was

38:55

accomplished? Ramses

38:57

I is at all events the

38:59

earliest king whose tomb has as

39:01

yet been found in this spot.

39:05

His son Seti I, then

39:08

his grandson Ramses II,

39:10

came hither to rest beside him.

39:14

The Ramacid pharaohs followed one

39:16

after the other. Her

39:19

roar may perhaps have been the last

39:21

of the series. These

39:23

crowded catacombs caused the place

39:26

to be called the Valley

39:28

of the Tombs of the Kings, a

39:31

name which it retains to this

39:33

day. These

39:35

tombs are not complete. Each

39:39

had its chapel, but those

39:41

chapels stood far away in the

39:43

plain at Gurna, at

39:46

the Ramessium, at

39:48

Madinat Habu, and

39:50

they have already been described. The

39:54

Theban rock, like the Memphite

39:56

Pyramid, contained only the

39:58

passages in the stone. a p for

40:26

12 hours, the divine squadron defiles

40:28

through long and gloomy corridors,

40:30

where numerous chini,

40:42

some hostile, some friendly,

40:45

now struggle to bar the way,

40:48

and now aid it in surmounting the

40:50

difficulties of the journey. Great

40:53

doors, each guarded by a

40:55

gigantic serpent, were stationed

40:58

at intervals, and

41:00

led to an immense hall full

41:02

of flame and fire, peopled

41:05

by hideous monsters and executioners,

41:08

whose office it was to torture the

41:11

damned. Then came

41:13

more dark and narrow passages,

41:16

more blind gropings in the gloom,

41:19

more strife with malevolent genie,

41:23

and again the joyful

41:25

welcoming of the propitious gods.

41:28

At midnight began the upward

41:30

journey towards the eastern regions of

41:33

the world, and in

41:35

the morning, having reached the

41:37

confines of the darkness,

41:40

the sun emerged from the east

41:43

to light another day. The

41:46

tombs of the kings were

41:48

constructed upon the model of the

41:50

world at night. They

41:52

had their passages, their

41:54

doors, their vaulted

41:56

halls, which plunged

41:58

down into the depths of the world. the mountain.

42:02

Their positions in the valley were

42:04

determined by no consideration of

42:06

dynasty or succession. Each

42:10

king attacked the rock at any point

42:12

where he might hope to find a

42:14

suitable bed of stone, and

42:17

this was done with so little regard

42:19

for his predecessors that

42:22

the workmen were sometimes obliged to

42:24

change the direction of the

42:26

excavation in order not

42:28

to invade a neighboring catacomb. The

42:32

designer's plan was a mere

42:34

sketch, to be modified

42:36

when necessary, and which

42:38

was by no means intended to be

42:41

strictly carried out. Hence

42:44

the plan and measurement of the actual

42:46

tomb of Ramses IV, Figure 156, differ

42:48

in the

42:52

outline of the sides and in

42:54

the general arrangement from

42:56

the plan of that same tomb which

42:59

is preserved on a papyrus in

43:01

the Turin Museum, Figure

43:03

153. Nothing

43:07

however could be more simple than

43:10

the ordinary distribution of the parts.

43:13

A square door, very

43:16

sparingly ornamented, opened

43:18

upon a passage leading

43:20

to a chamber of more or less

43:22

extent. From

43:24

the further end of this chamber

43:26

opened a second passage leading

43:29

to a second chamber, and

43:32

thence sometimes to more chambers,

43:35

the last of which contained

43:37

the sarcophagus. In

43:40

some tombs the whole excavation

43:42

is carried down a gently

43:44

inclined plane, broken

43:46

perhaps by only one or two

43:48

low steps between the entrance and

43:50

the end. In

43:53

others the various parts follow each

43:55

other at lower

43:57

and lower levels. In

44:00

the catacomb of Seti I,

44:02

Figure 158, a long

44:05

and narrow flight of stairs

44:07

into sloping corridor A

44:10

lead to a little anti-chamber

44:13

and two halls B supported

44:15

on pillars. A

44:18

second staircase C leads

44:20

through a second anti-chamber to

44:23

another pillared hall D, which

44:26

was the hiding place of the

44:28

sarcophagus. The tomb

44:31

did not end here. A

44:34

third staircase E, opening

44:36

from the end of the principal

44:38

hall, was in progress and would

44:41

no doubt have led to more halls

44:43

and chambers, had not the

44:45

work been stopped by the death of the

44:47

king. If

44:49

we go from catacomb to catacomb,

44:52

we do not find many variations

44:54

from this plan. The

44:57

entrance passage in the tomb of

45:00

Ramses III is flanked

45:02

by eight small lateral chambers.

45:06

In almost every other instance,

45:08

the lesser or greater length of the

45:10

passages and the degree of

45:13

finish given to the wall paintings

45:16

constitute the only differences between

45:18

one tomb and another. The

45:21

smallest of these catacombs comes to

45:24

an end at 53 feet from

45:26

the entrance. That

45:29

of Seti I, which is the longest, descends

45:31

to a distance of 470 feet and there

45:33

remains unfinished.

45:38

The same devices to which the

45:40

pyramid builders had recourse in

45:43

order to mislead the spoiler were

45:46

adopted by the engineers of

45:48

the Theban catacombs. False

45:51

shafts were sunk which led to

45:53

nothing and walls

45:55

sculptured and painted were built

45:57

across the passages. When

46:00

the burial was over, the entrance

46:02

was filled up with blocks of

46:04

rock, and the natural

46:06

slope of the mountainside was restored

46:08

as skillfully as might be. The

46:12

most complete type of this class of

46:14

catacomb is that left to us by

46:17

Seti I. Figures

46:19

and hieroglyphs alike are models

46:22

of pure design and elegant

46:24

execution. The

46:27

tomb of Ramses III already

46:29

points to decadence. It

46:32

is for the most part roughly painted.

46:35

Yellow is freely laid on,

46:37

and the raw tones of the reds and blues

46:40

are suggestive of the early

46:42

dobs of our childhood. Mediocrity

46:46

ere long-range supreme,

46:49

the outlines becoming more feeble,

46:52

the color more and more glaring,

46:55

till the latest tombs are

46:57

but caricatures of those of

46:59

Seti I and Ramses III.

47:02

The decoration is always the

47:05

same, and is based

47:07

on the same principles as the decoration

47:09

of the pyramids. At

47:12

Thebes, as at Memphis, the

47:14

intention was to secure to the

47:16

double the free enjoyment of his

47:18

new abode, and to

47:20

usher the soul into the company of

47:22

the gods of the solar cycle and

47:25

the Osirian cycle, as

47:27

well as to guide it through the

47:29

labyrinth of the infernal regions. But

47:33

the deepen priests exercised their

47:35

ingenuity to bring

47:37

before the eyes of the deceased all

47:40

that which the Memphites consigned to

47:42

his memory by means of writing,

47:45

thus enabling him to see what

47:47

he had formerly been obliged to

47:50

read upon the walls of his

47:52

tomb. Where the

47:54

texts of the Pyramid of Eunice

47:56

relate how Eunice, being identified with

47:59

the sun, Navigates

48:01

the celestial waters or

48:03

enters the fields of

48:05

Alu, the pictured walls of

48:07

the tomb of Seti I show

48:10

Seti sailing in the solar bark,

48:13

while a side chamber in the tomb

48:15

of Ramses III shows

48:18

Ramses III in the fields of

48:20

Alu. Figure 159.

48:24

Are the walls of the Pyramid of Eunysk

48:26

if the prayers recited over the mummy

48:29

to open his mouth, to

48:31

restore the use of his limbs, to

48:34

clothe, to perfume, to feed

48:37

him? The walls

48:39

of Seti's catacomb contain representations

48:41

of the actual mummy, of

48:44

the Ka statues which are the supports

48:46

of his double, and of the

48:49

priests who open their mouths,

48:51

who clothe them, perfume them,

48:54

and offer them the various meats

48:56

and drinks of the funeral feast.

49:00

The ceilings of the Pyramid Chamber

49:02

were sprinkled over with stars

49:04

to resemble the face of

49:06

the heavens, but there

49:08

was nothing to instruct the soul as

49:11

to the names of those heavenly bodies.

49:14

On the ceilings of some of the

49:16

Theban catacombs, we

49:19

not only find the constellations

49:21

depicted, each with

49:23

its personified image, but

49:25

astronomical tables giving the aspect

49:28

of the heavens, fortnight by

49:30

fortnight, throughout the months

49:32

of the Egyptian year, so

49:35

that the soul had but to lift

49:37

its eyes and see in

49:39

what part of the firmament its course

49:41

lay, night after night.

49:45

Taken as a series, these tableaux

49:48

form an illustrated narrative of the

49:50

travels of the sun and the

49:52

soul throughout the twenty-four hours of

49:54

the day and night. Each

49:58

hour is represented as

50:00

also the domain of each hour, with

50:03

its circumscribed boundary, the

50:06

door of which is guarded by

50:08

a huge serpent. These

50:11

serpents have their various names,

50:13

as fire face, flaming

50:17

eye, evil eye,

50:19

etc. A

50:21

fate of souls was decided in the

50:23

third hour of the day. They

50:26

were weighed by the god Thoth,

50:29

who consigned them to their future abode

50:31

according to the verdict of the

50:33

scales. The

50:36

sinful soul was handed over

50:38

to the sinuscephalus ape assessors

50:41

of the infernal tribunal, who

50:44

hunted and scourged it, after

50:46

first changing it into a sow

50:49

or some other impure animal. The

50:53

righteous soul, on the contrary, passed

50:55

in the fifth hour into the

50:57

company of his fellows, whose

50:59

task it was to cultivate the

51:01

fields of Alu and

51:04

reap the corn of the celestial

51:06

harvest, after which they

51:08

took their pleasure under the guardianship

51:10

of the good genie. After

51:13

the fifth hour, the heavenly

51:16

ocean became a vast battlefield.

51:19

The gods of light pursued,

51:21

captured and bound the

51:24

serpent Apapi, and

51:26

at the twelfth hour they strangled

51:28

him, but this triumph

51:30

was not of long duration. Scarcely

51:34

had the sun achieved this

51:36

victory, when his bark

51:38

was borne by the tide into the

51:40

realm of the night hours, and

51:43

from that moment he was assailed,

51:45

like Virgil and Dante, at the

51:47

gates of hell by

51:50

frightful sounds and clamourings. Each

51:53

circle had its voice, not

51:55

to be confounded with the voices of

51:58

other circles. Here

52:00

the sound was as an immense humming

52:02

of wasps. Yonder

52:05

it was as the lamentations of

52:07

women for their husbands and

52:09

the howling of sheep beasts for their

52:11

maids. Elsewhere it was

52:13

as the rolling of the thunder. The

52:16

sarcophagus, as well as the walls,

52:19

was covered with these scenes of

52:22

joyous or sinister import. It

52:24

was generally of red or black

52:27

granite. As it

52:29

was put in hand last of all,

52:32

it frequently happened that the sculptors had

52:34

not time to finish it. When

52:37

finished, however, the scenes and text

52:39

with which it was covered contained

52:42

an epitome of the whole catacomb.

52:46

Us lying in his sarcophagus,

52:48

the dead man found his

52:50

future destinies depicted thereon and

52:53

learned to understand the blessedness of

52:56

the gods. The

52:58

tombs of private persons were

53:00

not often so elaborately decorated.

53:04

Two tombs of the period

53:06

of the 26th Dynasty, that

53:08

of Peta Menaph at Thebes

53:10

and that of Bockenrath at Memphis,

53:13

compete in this respect, however,

53:15

with the royal catacombs. Their

53:19

walls are not only sculptured with

53:21

the text, more or less complete,

53:23

of the Book of the Dead,

53:26

but also with long extracts from

53:28

the Book of the Opening of

53:30

the Mouth and the

53:32

religious formulae found in

53:34

the Pyramids. And

53:41

with that reminder that striving for

53:43

a higher class is hardly a

53:45

new phenomenon, I think

53:48

will end this evening's reading. From

53:51

a manual of Egyptian archaeology and

53:53

guide to the study of

53:55

antiquities in Egypt, which

53:58

continues to impress me with its detailed

54:00

breakdown of monuments that have

54:02

been famous for thousands of

54:04

years. I hope you

54:06

enjoyed that. If you'd

54:08

like to read this work for yourself and

54:11

see the many, many illustrations and

54:13

photographs, as always, you'll find a

54:15

link to a free ebook from

54:17

Project Gutenberg in the show description.

54:19

If you'd like

54:22

to connect, suggest a boring book

54:24

you'd like to hear read, or

54:26

request more from one we've already started,

54:29

as several of you did with this book, you

54:32

can drop me an email via our

54:34

website, www.BoringBooksPod.com.

54:40

It's always a pleasure to hear from you. Thank

54:43

you so much for joining me for

54:45

this evening's reading. Until

54:48

our next boring book, good

54:50

night.