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Article ON THE STUDY OF MASONIC ANTIQUITIES. ← Page 3 of 14 →
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On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
of all modern discovery . Indeed there are many circumstances which show that they entertained the idea of a central sun ; such a supposition is far from improbable . AVith regard to GEOLOGY , it is a remarkable fact recorded by Plato , that when Solon visited Egypt , and conversed with Egyptian priests upon the beginning of all things , they observed— " You mention one deluge only , whereas many happened . " ( See Wilkinson , vol . iv . p . 169 . ) Upon
this , Mr . Gliddon , in his erudite work on ancient Egypt , which I have referred to in the previous chapter , remarks— " I leave it to geologists to define the true meaning of the priests , and to concede the correctness of the Egyptian record . " The Egyptian priests , as Mr . Gliddon observes , " told Solon many things that must have humbled his Athenian pride of superior knowledge . " And with regard to GEOGRAPHY , there are several circumstances , and one in particular , relative to the transatlantic world , worthy of our peculiar notice . Tangible reasons can be adduced
to show that Africa was circumnavigated by the orders of Pharaoh Necho , and the Cape of Good Hope actually -doubled about six hundred years before Christ . This is a startling fact . In our schools , geographical beginners are taught that the Cape of Good Hope was discovered by Diaz and Vasco de Gaina , A . D . 1497 . And with regard to the far % vest , it is a fact no less startling , that when Solon was receiving that instruction in the Egyptian sacerdotal colleges which rendered him the " wisest of mankind , " ( among the Athenians , ) besides gleaning that insight into primeval history and geology , which subsequently induced him to compose a great poem , wherein he treated on Africa before the OGYGIAN FLOOD , and on the VAST ISLAND which had sunk into the Atlantic Ocean ,
he was informed by " Sonchis , one ofthe priests , ofthe existence of the Atlantic Isles , which Sonchis said were larger than AFRICA and ASIA united . " On this interesting subject , see Wilkinson ' s " Thebes , " p . 254 , extract from Plato . It is thus perfectly manifest , that until the re-discovery of America by Columbus , the Egyptians possessed a much greater amount of geographical knowledge than was possessed by the most learned modern nation . At a period so remote as six hundred years before Christ , they
had intercourse with India , the Spice Islands , and China ; and in maritime skill equalled , as in geographical knowledge they excelled , all the other nations of antiquity . With regard to their SOCIAL CONDITION , it is apparent that all the arrangements of their domestic economy were conducted with the utmost order and regularity , and that they enjoyed in abundance not only the comforts but the luxuries of life , whilst the respect which they paid to the female sex affords an unfailing test of superior civilization , in which their conduct and customs contrast most advantageously when compared with other oriental nations , both ancient and modern .
As to CHRONOLOGY . We now approach a part of the subject which is deeply interesting ; for whilst hieroglyphical discovery shows that it is impossible at such early periods to define dates with indisputable accuracy , it also proves that the dates recorded in the Septuagint version of the Bible are unquestionably more correct than those founded on the authority of Archbishop Usher , and appended to the edition of the sacred volume in general use . lt is now clearly shown that a much grcuter period must have elapsed between the deluge and the advent of the Messiah than is assigned by Archbishop Usher . AVilkinson , and other writers upon
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
of all modern discovery . Indeed there are many circumstances which show that they entertained the idea of a central sun ; such a supposition is far from improbable . AVith regard to GEOLOGY , it is a remarkable fact recorded by Plato , that when Solon visited Egypt , and conversed with Egyptian priests upon the beginning of all things , they observed— " You mention one deluge only , whereas many happened . " ( See Wilkinson , vol . iv . p . 169 . ) Upon
this , Mr . Gliddon , in his erudite work on ancient Egypt , which I have referred to in the previous chapter , remarks— " I leave it to geologists to define the true meaning of the priests , and to concede the correctness of the Egyptian record . " The Egyptian priests , as Mr . Gliddon observes , " told Solon many things that must have humbled his Athenian pride of superior knowledge . " And with regard to GEOGRAPHY , there are several circumstances , and one in particular , relative to the transatlantic world , worthy of our peculiar notice . Tangible reasons can be adduced
to show that Africa was circumnavigated by the orders of Pharaoh Necho , and the Cape of Good Hope actually -doubled about six hundred years before Christ . This is a startling fact . In our schools , geographical beginners are taught that the Cape of Good Hope was discovered by Diaz and Vasco de Gaina , A . D . 1497 . And with regard to the far % vest , it is a fact no less startling , that when Solon was receiving that instruction in the Egyptian sacerdotal colleges which rendered him the " wisest of mankind , " ( among the Athenians , ) besides gleaning that insight into primeval history and geology , which subsequently induced him to compose a great poem , wherein he treated on Africa before the OGYGIAN FLOOD , and on the VAST ISLAND which had sunk into the Atlantic Ocean ,
he was informed by " Sonchis , one ofthe priests , ofthe existence of the Atlantic Isles , which Sonchis said were larger than AFRICA and ASIA united . " On this interesting subject , see Wilkinson ' s " Thebes , " p . 254 , extract from Plato . It is thus perfectly manifest , that until the re-discovery of America by Columbus , the Egyptians possessed a much greater amount of geographical knowledge than was possessed by the most learned modern nation . At a period so remote as six hundred years before Christ , they
had intercourse with India , the Spice Islands , and China ; and in maritime skill equalled , as in geographical knowledge they excelled , all the other nations of antiquity . With regard to their SOCIAL CONDITION , it is apparent that all the arrangements of their domestic economy were conducted with the utmost order and regularity , and that they enjoyed in abundance not only the comforts but the luxuries of life , whilst the respect which they paid to the female sex affords an unfailing test of superior civilization , in which their conduct and customs contrast most advantageously when compared with other oriental nations , both ancient and modern .
As to CHRONOLOGY . We now approach a part of the subject which is deeply interesting ; for whilst hieroglyphical discovery shows that it is impossible at such early periods to define dates with indisputable accuracy , it also proves that the dates recorded in the Septuagint version of the Bible are unquestionably more correct than those founded on the authority of Archbishop Usher , and appended to the edition of the sacred volume in general use . lt is now clearly shown that a much grcuter period must have elapsed between the deluge and the advent of the Messiah than is assigned by Archbishop Usher . AVilkinson , and other writers upon