The mystery of the Great pyramid : traditions concerning it and its connection with the Egyptian Book of the dead : with numerous illustrations

“THE TEMPLE OF OSIRIS”

of the chambers from the topmost point of the east wall of the Grand Gallery at its upper end. (See Note Y.)

Such, briefly, is the path followed by the Initiate into the Mysteries in his journey through the passages and chambers of the ‘‘ Secret House”, a journey which we consider is confined to that part of the Great Pyramid lying above the pavement level, and does not include the Descending Passage below the Granite Plug, nor the Subterranean Pit, in the same way that the real purport of the Pyramid is revealed in its Ascending Passage and upper chambers. Marsham Adams, however, pictures the postulant as traversing the full length of the Descending Passage into the Pit, which he regards as the Chamber of Ordeal, and returning thence to the Grotto, defined by him as the ‘‘ Well of Life ”.

There would appear to be, however, two objections to this idea. Firstly: It means the Initiate would have to make the journey twice over in order to return to the First Ascending Passage for his passage through the Hall of Justification, and thence through the Hall of Illumination ; while the Pit is reserved for the doomed who fail to pass the tests, and does not enter into the symbolism of the postulant’s initiation.

Secondly—and more particularly—the small passageway from near the foot of the Descending Passage leading to the Grotto (11) and well-shaft (10), and up which Mr. Adams pictures the postulant as ascending before he returns to the “‘ Hidden Lintel ” (3), did not enter into the original construction of the Pyramid, but was cut through the rock at some period after it had been built, but before the knowledge of the entrance into the Pyramid’s interior had become lost. At the same time, the short section necessary to connect the grotto itself with the

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