Scarabs: The History, Manufacture and Symbolism of the Scarabæus in Ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, Sardinia, Etruria, etc.Myer, Isaac
Religion
Scarabs: The History, Manufacture and Symbolism of the Scarabæus in Ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, Sardinia, Etruria, etc.
Myer, Isaac
Egypt -- Religion; Scarabaeus; Symbolism
"In one of the tombs at Gizeh, a great functionary of the first period
of the VIth Dynasty (_circa_ 3300 B.C.,) takes the title of: 'Governor
of the House of Books.' This simple mention incidentally occurring
between two titles, more exalted, would suffice, in the absence of
others, to show us the extraordinary development which had been
reached in the civilization of Egypt at that time. Not only had that
people a literature, but that literature was sufficiently large to
fill libraries; and its importance was so great, that one of the
functionaries of the court was especially attached to the care and
preservation of the royal library. He had, without doubt, in his
keeping with the contemporaneous works, the books written under the
first Dynasties, books of the time of Mena and perhaps of kings
anterior to Mena. The works in the library would be composed of
religious works; chapters of the Book of the Dead, copied after
authentic texts preserved in the Temples; scientific treatises on
geometry, medicine and astronomy; historic books in which were
preserved the sayings and doings of the ancient kings, together with
the number of the years of their lives and the exact duration of their
reigns; manuals of philosophy and practical morals and perhaps some
romances," etc.[65]
The learned of that ancient people followed special lines of study and
thought. There was a division of them known as the _Herseshta_, or
Teachers of Mysteries. These were subdivided, among other divisions
into: "The Mystery Teachers of Heaven," or, the astronomers and
astrologers; "The Mystery Teachers of All Lands," or, the geographers
and those who studied other peoples and countries; "The Mystery
Teachers of the Depth," likely, the possessors of a knowledge of
minerals, mining, varieties of rocks, etc.; "Mystery Teachers of the
Secret Word," doubtless those interested in abstract thought,
religious metaphysics and philosophy; "Mystery Teachers of the Sacred
Language," men who devoted themselves to grammar and the form of
writing; "Mystery Teachers of Pharaoh, or, 'of all the commands of
Pharaoh,'" wise men, likely private scribes and secretaries of the
king; "Mystery Teachers who examine Words," likely learned men who sat
as judges to hear complaints, and sift the opposing statements of
litigants and witnesses. The learned writers known as scribes were
also divided into many branches.[66]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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