The great pyramid passages and chambers

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.

LTHOUGH primarily addressed to our three dear sisters, Annie, Minna and Eva (who are also, we rejoice to say, our sisters in the Lord), these letters in their present revised form are addressed to our brethren in the Lord generally.

211 As hinted at in Chapter I,-it was in Spring of the year 1906 that we began a systematic study of the symbolical and time features of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh in Egypt, using as our text-book the third volume of Scripture Studies by C. T. Russell. Although this volume had previously been read by us, a closer application during the preceding two years to the Scriptural philosophy of God's glorious plan of the Ages, and to the prophetic times and seasons as presented in the first two volumes of the series of Scripture Studies, had now prepared us to understand and appreciate to a greater degree C. T, Russell's exposition of the corroborative testimony given by the Great Pyramid.

212 Being convinced that further careful and reverential investigation, based upon the knowledge thus gained, would reveal yet other important features still stored up in the dark recesses of this wonderful structure, we procured Professor C. Piazzi Smyth’s three large volumes entitled Life and Work at the Great Pyramid, and his Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramid. With the additional data thus gathered we were enabled by the Lord’s grace to discover many more beautiful faith-inspiring corroborations, Ina series of lectures delivered in Great Britian and America during the summer of 1906, these further corroborations were made known generally ; and at that time a small edition of a brochure containing a brief synopsis of the various findings was published.

213 This edition was soon exhausted, and as interest in the subject was sustained we decided to write out our findings in fuller detail, including a number of others since discovered. Subsequently, we were so fortunate as to procure, among other books on the Pyramid, the rare work of Col. Howard Vyse, Operations at the Pyramids of Gizeh, in three large volumes, and also, the equally rare volume of Professor Flinders Petrie, Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh (the identical volume presented by Professor Petrie to Professor C. Piazzi Smyth, and containing Professor Smyth's marginal notes). These works enabled us to become well acquainted with the interior construction of the Pyramid, excepting the lower rock-cut parts (the Descending Passage, the Small Horizontal Passage leading to the Subterranean Chamber, the Subterranean Chamber, the Well-shaft, and the Grotto), of which parts none of these books pretends to be accurate, nor describes so fully as our present study requires.

214 It was therefore thought that a personal visit to the Great Pyramid was necessary, in order to arrive at proper conclusions in our time-calculations, and to ascertain the true teachings of certain parts of the Pyramid. Accordingly, after careful consideration of ways and means, and after communicating with various friends who were in favourable positions to furnish useful information, among whom were Professor Alex. Ferguson of Cairo, and Charles W. Cotton of London, we made our arrangements, and booked our passage by the P. Henderson line of steamers. In order to make necessary preliminary arrangements, and complete certain parts of the work, preparatory to the more important work of measuring, one of the joint-authors (Morton Edgar) left for Egypt on the 13th of May, 1909, a fortnight before the other (Professor John Edgar, who was accompanied by his younger son, Stanley). A fortnight after the latter’s departure, his wife and elder son Jack came out to join us. All five of us returned together, arriving home at the end of July.

215 The letters cover only the period between our several arrivals in Egypt, and our departure for home. We were most hospitably entertained by the Burns family during our short stay in Liverpool while waiting for the departure of our several boats; and on our return to Glasgow, five hundred of our brethren in the Lord congregated in a large hall to extend to us a warm welcome home.