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

NOTES

and expounder, a regal high priest. But Edouard Schurée, who shows great knowledge of the purposes of a Temple, is of the opinion that this Temple served chiefly at the Initiation of Priests, and was not intended to serve as a Tomb, with which opinion Kingsford and Maitland in their valuable books The Perfect Way and Clothed with the Sun are in complete accord, and we may safely value highly any deductions they make. Having regard to the advanced state of civilization and the great measure of popular freedom, the perfection of the work done can surely only be accounted for on the supposition that the workman’s interest was largely that of religious enthusiasm and not solely that of hire, as a mere tomb would imply.”

Without necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with this last suggestion, it supports what we have said in Chapter IT (page 28) respecting the alleged oppression of the country by Khufu during the erection of his pyramid, that it was purely a calumny invented by the priests after his death, and retailed by them to Herodotus.

Note Q: “ Book oF THE MASTER OF THE HIDDEN PLACES ” (page 57)

The above is the translation preferred by Marsham Adams; Sir Wallis Budge (Book of the Dead, Kegan Paul) gives it as “ Book of the Mistress of the Hidden Temple”. There is, therefore, apparently a doubt of the hieroglyphic reading, which is rendered master by one translator and mistress by another. In any case, however, it does not affect the significant allusion contained in the title, while the different renderings are probably to be explained by saying that master refers to Osiris, and mistress to the divine goddess, Isis, his wife. Both forms, master of the House and mistress—or goddess—of the House, occur several times throughout the Ritual.

Note R: THe Ecyptian Gop THorTH (page 59)

In view of our references elsewhere (Note H) to the connection between ancient Egypt and Britain, and to

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