11 chapters
2 hour read
Selected Chapters
11 chapters
INTRODUCTION.ToC
INTRODUCTION.ToC
The following work is taken in part, from an address delivered by me before, The American Numismatic and Archæological Society, at its Hall in the City of New York, on March 30th, 1893. Since that time I have been led into a train of thought, having as its basis a more philosophical treatment of the meaning of the scarabæus as a symbol, in the religious metaphysic conception of it by the Ancient Egyptians, and have added much new matter. I am convinced that at the period when we first meet with
25 minute read
II.ToC
II.ToC
MANUFACTURE OF THE SCARABÆI. MATERIALS. INSCRIPTIONS ON. DIFFERENT PERIODS OF MANUFACTURE AND THE PECULIARITIES OF. HOW TO JUDGE OF THE EPOCH. The representations of the insect are among the earliest sculpture of stones known, and were cut in various materials, steatite a species of soapstone being one of the earliest used. Some were perhaps first moulded in clay, dried, and then cut into shape. Many of those in use in Egypt were carved out of opaque or semi-transparent stones, and those cut in
8 minute read
III.ToC
III.ToC
METHOD, PERIOD AND ANTIQUITY, OF ENGRAVING THE SCARAB AND OTHER FORMS. USE OF RINGS. MENTION OF, AND OF ENGRAVING AND SEALING, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. USE OF CYLINDER SIGNETS BY THE EGYPTIANS. RELATIONS WITH MESOPOTAMIA. CARVING OF DIORITE AND OTHER HARD STONE. THE EGYPTIANS DID NOT BORROW THEIR ENGRAVING AND THE SCARAB, FROM MESOPOTAMIA. DISUSE OF SCARABS. The art of the lapidary is asserted in the Book of Enoch, to have been taught to mankind by the angel Azazel, [23] chief of the angels who too
11 minute read
IV.ToC
IV.ToC
THE OLDEST SCARABS. CLASSIFICATION AND VALUE OF THE SCARAB TO THE SCHOLAR OF TO-DAY. LARGE INSCRIBED HISTORICAL SCARABS. The oldest scarabs, as to which one can feel any certainty of their being genuine, are those I have mentioned bearing the name of Neb-Ka incised on the under surface. This pharaoh was of the IIIrd Dynasty and was living according to Brugsch-Bey, (3933-3900 B.C. ) [49] That would make 5,826 years past according to Brugsch. Auguste Mariette would make it much more ancient. These
7 minute read
V.ToC
V.ToC
WHERE USUALLY FOUND AND THE MODE OF WEARING SCARABS BY THE EGYPTIANS. BOOK OF THE DEAD. EGYPTIAN SCARABS FOUND IN MESOPOTAMIA. THE SCARAB IN CHRISTIANITY. The small sized scarabs were usually incised with hieroglyphics and perforated longitudinally; they are generally found on the breasts of mummies next the skin or suspended from the neck, by a wire of gold or other metal, or a string going through them, or worn like a ring stone on the forefinger of the left hand; and sometimes, grasped inside
5 minute read
VI.ToC
VI.ToC
THE POSITION OF THE SCARAB IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RELIGION AND THE BOOK OF THE DEAD. EGYPTIAN PHILOSOPHY. ADVANCED INTELLECTUALITY OF EGYPT SIX THOUSAND YEARS AGO. DEITIES OF LIBRARIES AND LEARNING. ANCIENT LIBRARIANS AND BOOKS. THE DIVISION OF LEARNED MEN INTO DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF STUDY. THE STATEMENTS OF GREEK WRITERS ON EGYPTIAN THOUGHT NOT TO BE DEPENDED UPON. QUOTATIONS FROM THE BOOK OF THE DEAD ON THE SYMBOLISM OF THE SCARABÆUS DEITY. THE SYMBOLISM OF THE GREAT SPHINX. FURTHER QUOTATIONS FRO
19 minute read
VII.ToC
VII.ToC
IMPORTANCE OF THE HEART IN THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RELIGION. IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL ACCORDING TO THAT RELIGION. SYMBOLISM OF THE SCARAB IN THEIR DOCTRINE OF SUCH IMMORTALITY. NO THING IN THIS UNIVERSE ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED, ONLY CHANGED. THE IDEA OF METEMPSYCHOSIS IN ANCIENT EGYPT. ELEVATED IDEAS AS TO THE DEITY. HYMN TO AMMON-RA CITED. QUOTATIONS AS TO EGYPTIAN PHILOSOPHY, EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE AND KOSMOGONY. OF KHEPRA AND OF TUM OR ATMU. EGYPTIAN PSYCHOLOGY AND ITS DIVISIONS. The human heart,
25 minute read
VIII.ToC
VIII.ToC
FORGERY OF SCARABS IN MODERN TIMES. DIFFICULTY OF DETECTING SUCH. OTHER EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES ALSO COUNTERFEITED BY THE PRESENT INHABITANTS OF EGYPT. M. Prisse says: [110] "Most of the fellahs who inhabit the land, formerly Memphis and Thebes, live only from the products of their finds. Constrained to cease from their lucrative researches, they are reduced to the counterfeiting of figurines, amulets and the other objects of art which they formerly found in the earth. Necessity the mother of indus
3 minute read
IX.ToC
IX.ToC
PHŒNICIAN SCARABS. MANUFACTURED MOSTLY AS ARTICLE OF TRADE. USED INSCRIBED SCARABS AS SEALS IN COMMERCIAL AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS. MANY SCARABS FOUND IN SARDINIA. Archæologists frequently find in lands bordering on the shores of the Mediterranean sea, scarabs and scarabeoids, on which are engraved subjects which are Egyptian, Chaldean, Assyrian, Hittite or Persian; they were intended apparently to be used as signets, and were incised with short inscriptions in Phœnician, and sometimes, in Aramaic
3 minute read
X.ToC
X.ToC
ETRUSCAN SCARABS. ORIGIN OF AND WHERE FOUND. COPIED FROM EGYPTIAN BUT WITH CHANGES IN SUBJECTS, SIZE AND ORNAMENTATION. THE ENGRAVING OF. WHERE USUALLY FOUND. USES BY THE ETRUSCANS. GREEK AND ROMAN SCARABS. GNOSTIC, OF THE BASILIDIANS. The archaic people of ancient Etruria did not make cameos, their gems were intaglios and were incised on the under side, on forms shaped in the model of the scarabæus or beetle. The use of the form therefore was most likely derived from those used in the valley of
6 minute read
APPENDIX A.ToC
APPENDIX A.ToC
The heart of man was considered to be the source from whence proceeded, not only the beginnings of life but also the beginnings of thought. It was symbolized by the scarab. Examples of the heart have been found, some with a representation of the human head at the top of them, and of human hands crossed over them; and others, having a figure of the soul in the shape of a hawk with outstretched wings, incised on one side of the model. Since the foregoing chapters were put in type, which were based
2 minute read