Papers On The Great Pyramid.

building , and it is only in its finished proportions that its presence is noted . There Avas , hoAvever , preserved among the people of Israel a sacred cubit , distinct from the measure in ordinary use , described by the prophet Ezekiel , in giving the measures for the temple yet to be built , with great emphasis— " The cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth . " * A difference of not less than , i inches was thus indicated as existing between the cubit in general use and that to which he Avas referring . Sir Isaac NeAvton devoted his

great genius to this question , and from such data as he was able to obtain deduced an approximate length of 2-i'S 8 inches , for ivhat he pronounced to be the " sacred cubit of the JBAVS" which was "the proper and principal cubit of the Israelites long before they Aveut doAvn into E gypt . " - ] - Thus Ave have as the standard measure a cubit , which from comparison of results proves to have been equal to that used by Noah in the construction of the Ark ; by Moses for the Tabernacle ; by Solomon for the Temple ; by Ezekiel in his plans for the future Temple ; and to which the old two-foot rule as in general use among the so-called Gothic races is the closest approximation in length of any knoAvn measure in general use in ancient or modern times . .

In the Pyramid measurements Ave find this cubit comes out as a " day symbol , " or , as Piazzi Smyth calls it , the " day standard of linear measure ; " for on dividing the base side length by 5 x 5 , and thus reducing it to cubits , we have for the result 36 . 5 * 242 , —the exact number of days and the fraction of a clay in a year . We are now brought to Avhat scientific men chose to call , "the coincidences of the plan of the structure ; " They say in effect that the Architect having decided to build a

four-square pyramid of a certain hei ght , and at such an angle that the height should have to its base square the same proportions as the radius of a circle to its circumference , all else followed as a matter of course . Under these circumstances Ave may be thankful that the author of " Pyramid Facts ancl Fancies , " has given us a most unexceptional guarantee of the exactness of the coincidences we are called upon to consider . He quotes a distinguished scientist and official astronomer as Avriting to him as folloAVs : —

" Astronomers do not as a rule agree Avith Piazzi Smyth's deductions ancl conclusions . His matters of fact are of course not disputed , and many of his discoveries are , I think , rather looked upon as curious and interesting coincidences , than as establishing his theories . " ] :

Before recording a few of these so-called " coincidences , " it may not be out of place here to remind the craftsmen that as the Avhole structure of the pyramid masonifies the peculiar properties of the circle and square , its builder must have been a master in that science , Avhich , as its name ( Geometry—earth-measure ) denotes , has particular , reference to the plans of T . G . A . 0 . T . U ., and has for its laws those unchanging principles whose universal application is met with throughout all His works . Going back then to the building of the Great Pyramid for the oriin of Masonic

g tradition , Ave can understand hoAv appropriate is that recommendation to its study , which is given to the initiated on entering the F . C . degree . "Masonry and Geometry , " we are told , " Avere originally synonymous terms , and this science being of a divine and moral nature , is enriched with the most useful knoAvledge ; for while it proves the Avonderful properties of nature , it also demonstrates the important truths of morality . " § In taking for the standard of length the sacred cubit of 25 inchesthe Architect

, reall y fixed upon the 10 , 000 , 000 th part of the earth ' s radius , and thus based his system of measurement upon a line from the surface to the centre of the earth . If from this building Masonry took its rise , Ave can easily believe that this was no mere accident . Indeed , Mr . Proctor says : || "It seems , for instance , altogether likely that the architects of the Pyramid took the sacred cubit equal to one 20 , 000 , 000 th part of the earth ' s