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Article ON THE STUDY OF MASONIC ANTIQUITIES. Page 1 of 14 →
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On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
ON THE STUDY OF MASONIC ANTIQUITIES .
BY BRO . THOMAS PRYER , W . M . OF THE OAK LODGE , S . G . I . G . 33 " . CHAPTER IV . RESULTS OF RE-DISCOVERY OF H 1 ER 0 GLYPI 1 ICAL KNOWLEDGE CONSIDERED WITH REGARD TO TIIE HISTORY , GOVERNMENT , PHILOSOPHY , SCIRNCE , CHRONOLOGY , LITERATURE , AND RELIGION , OF ANCIENT EGYPT .
THE antiquities of ancient Egypt , whether considered historically , theologically , or masonically , deserve our most particular attention ; for , if not the nation in which science , literature , and the arts of civilized life first attained great perfection , it is perfectly clear , from what has been before observed , that the ancient Egyptians concentrated all the knowledge of the post-diluvian world , and were the means by which that knowledge became subsequently diffused over different nations . In continuing the speculative portion of our subjectI must
neces-, sarily allude to the Egyptian mysteries ; but before doing so , it becomes essential , for the better understanding of the matterunder consideration , to describe more particularly some of the leading results flowing from the newly-discovered art of deciphering the hieroglyphics , and to consider each point under its separate head . I therefore purpose to make some remarks , as concisely as the nature of the subject will admit , on the important accession of knowledge which these long-hiddenbut now
, available sources , throw upon the history , laws , scientific attainments , literature , and religion of ancient Egypt . And first as to HISTORY' . From these sources the Caucasian origin of the Egyptians is now clearly established , and the hypothesis so recently entertained of their
Ethiopian origin is shown to be perfectly groundless . In what way , or at what particular time , the founders of this mighty empire wound their way across the wilderness to the fertile banks of the Nile , it is at present impossible to determine ; whether their primogenitors progressed slowly westward as a pastoral people , or were driven by political convulsions or intestine feuds from their earliest domicile , ( although the former supposition bears the strongest impress of probability , ) cannot now be ascertained ; but their Asiatic origin is now satisfactorily establishedin
, opposition to the hitherto generally received notion ; and this important fact , developed from hieroglyphical knowledge , will be found , on strict examination , more in accordance with natural deduction and scripture history . AVith regard to LAWS and GOVERNMENT , it is perfectly evident that tiie first general form of government was that of a priestly aristocracy . This was beforein some mannerdeducible from traditionary legends
, , floating in the works of the Greek writers , and inferences gleaned from those mythological doctrines wherein truth was concealed beneath a veil of allegory ; it is now , however , rendered manifest from monumental evidence . This form of government was created gradually out of . the union of those patriarchal heads of villages , who each governed his own particular family , in precisely the same manner as does an Arab Sheikh VOL . V . T- ' I- E-.
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
ON THE STUDY OF MASONIC ANTIQUITIES .
BY BRO . THOMAS PRYER , W . M . OF THE OAK LODGE , S . G . I . G . 33 " . CHAPTER IV . RESULTS OF RE-DISCOVERY OF H 1 ER 0 GLYPI 1 ICAL KNOWLEDGE CONSIDERED WITH REGARD TO TIIE HISTORY , GOVERNMENT , PHILOSOPHY , SCIRNCE , CHRONOLOGY , LITERATURE , AND RELIGION , OF ANCIENT EGYPT .
THE antiquities of ancient Egypt , whether considered historically , theologically , or masonically , deserve our most particular attention ; for , if not the nation in which science , literature , and the arts of civilized life first attained great perfection , it is perfectly clear , from what has been before observed , that the ancient Egyptians concentrated all the knowledge of the post-diluvian world , and were the means by which that knowledge became subsequently diffused over different nations . In continuing the speculative portion of our subjectI must
neces-, sarily allude to the Egyptian mysteries ; but before doing so , it becomes essential , for the better understanding of the matterunder consideration , to describe more particularly some of the leading results flowing from the newly-discovered art of deciphering the hieroglyphics , and to consider each point under its separate head . I therefore purpose to make some remarks , as concisely as the nature of the subject will admit , on the important accession of knowledge which these long-hiddenbut now
, available sources , throw upon the history , laws , scientific attainments , literature , and religion of ancient Egypt . And first as to HISTORY' . From these sources the Caucasian origin of the Egyptians is now clearly established , and the hypothesis so recently entertained of their
Ethiopian origin is shown to be perfectly groundless . In what way , or at what particular time , the founders of this mighty empire wound their way across the wilderness to the fertile banks of the Nile , it is at present impossible to determine ; whether their primogenitors progressed slowly westward as a pastoral people , or were driven by political convulsions or intestine feuds from their earliest domicile , ( although the former supposition bears the strongest impress of probability , ) cannot now be ascertained ; but their Asiatic origin is now satisfactorily establishedin
, opposition to the hitherto generally received notion ; and this important fact , developed from hieroglyphical knowledge , will be found , on strict examination , more in accordance with natural deduction and scripture history . AVith regard to LAWS and GOVERNMENT , it is perfectly evident that tiie first general form of government was that of a priestly aristocracy . This was beforein some mannerdeducible from traditionary legends
, , floating in the works of the Greek writers , and inferences gleaned from those mythological doctrines wherein truth was concealed beneath a veil of allegory ; it is now , however , rendered manifest from monumental evidence . This form of government was created gradually out of . the union of those patriarchal heads of villages , who each governed his own particular family , in precisely the same manner as does an Arab Sheikh VOL . V . T- ' I- E-.