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

MYSTERY OF THE GREAT PYRAMID

step pyramids are generally of brick or rubble faced with stone, while their form may be evidence that the idea of the stepped pyramids came into Egypt from Babylonia, being borrowed from the temple-pyramids of that country. Thus Strabo (first century of our era) has described a pyramidal structure erected at Babylon which exceeded in size the Great Pyramid of Khufu, and resembled Zoser’s step-pyramid—or ‘‘ Pyramid of Degrees” as it is also called—at Sakkara. According to Strabo, it was dedicated to the worship of the stars (compare similar tradition respecting the Great Pyramid—Note F.), and was built ' in eight stages, each 75 feet high, making a total height of 600 feet.

These mastaba-pyramids were divided horizontally into six large steps with inclined faces (hence their resemblance to a succession of mastabas one on top of the other), the height of which decreased progressively from base to summit, those of Zoser’s pyramid measuring about 38, 36, 344, 32, 31, and 293 feet. This pyramid has four entrance-passages, and contains in the rock below its base a most complicated system of passages and chambers, which are quite peculiar to it. This complication was no doubt intended to baffle unauthorized intruders and to make the task of tomb-robbers more difficult. In the course of excavations at Sakkara during 1927-8, undertaken by Mr. Cecil Firth, Chief Inspector of Antiquities to the Egyptian Government, a secret tomb situated south of Zoser’s pyramid, and containing portraits of that monarch, was discovered, built into the great boundary wall surrounding his pyramid. The entrance was most skilfully concealed, and led to a series of underground chambers of more elaborate and higher quality workmanship than those under the step-pyramid. The tomb-chamber, which was the lowest of all, when finally entered—a difficult and

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