the story of mankind-第6节

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their　ability。　The　Egyptians　called　them　‘‘priests''　and　they

became　the　guardians　of　his　thoughts　and　gained　great　respect

in　the　community。　They　were　highly　learned　men　who　were

entrusted　with　the　sacred　task　of　keeping　the　written　records。

They　understood　that　it　is　not　good　for　man　to　think　only　of

his　immediate　advantage　in　this　world　and　they　drew　his　attention

to　the　days　of　the　future　when　his　soul　would　dwell

beyond　the　mountains　of　the　west　and　must　give　an　account

of　his　deeds　to　Osiris；　the　mighty　God　who　was　the　Ruler　of

the　Living　and　the　Dead　and　who　judged　the　acts　of　men

according　to　their　merits。　Indeed；　the　priests　made　so　much

of　that　future　day　in　the　realm　of　Isis　and　Osiris　that　the

Egyptians　began　to　regard　life　merely　as　a　short　preparation

for　the　Hereafter　and　turned　the　teeming　valley　of　the　Nile

into　a　land　devoted　to　the　Dead。



In　a　strange　way；　the　Egyptians　had　come　to　believe　that

no　soul　could　enter　the　realm　of　Osiris　without　the　possession

of　the　body　which　had　been　its　place　of　residence　in　this　world。

Therefore　as　soon　as　a　man　was　dead　his　relatives　took　his

corpse　and　had　it　embalmed。　For　weeks　it　was　soaked　in　a

solution　of　natron　and　then　it　was　filled　with　pitch。　The

Persian　word　for　pitch　was　‘‘Mumiai''　and　the　embalmed　body

was　called　a　‘‘Mummy。''　It　was　wrapped　in　yards　and　yards

of　specially　prepared　linen　and　it　was　placed　in　a　specially

prepared　coffin　ready　to　be　removed　to　its　final　home。　But

an　Egyptian　grave　was　a　real　home　where　the　body　was　surrounded

by　pieces　of　furniture　and　musical　instruments　（to

while　away　the　dreary　hours　of　waiting）　and　by　little　statues

of　cooks　and　bakers　and　barbers　（that　the　occupant　of　this

dark　home　might　be　decently　provided　with　food　and　need　not

go　about　unshaven）。



Originally　these　graves　had　been　dug　into　the　rocks　of　the

western　mountains　but　as　the　Egyptians　moved　northward

they　were　obliged　to　build　their　cemeteries　in　the　desert。　The

desert　however　is　full　of　wild　animals　and　equally　wild　robbers

and　they　broke　into　the　graves　and　disturbed　the　mummy　or

stole　the　jewelry　that　had　been　buried　with　the　body。　To　prevent

such　unholy　desecration　the　Egyptians　used　to　build　small

mounds　of　stones　on　top　of　the　graves。　These　little　mounds

gradually　grew　in　size；　because　the　rich　people　built　higher

mounds　than　the　poor　and　there　was　a　good　deal　of　competition

to　see　who　could　make　the　highest　hill　of　stones。　The

record　was　made　by　King　Khufu；　whom　the　Greeks　called

Cheops　and　who　lived　thirty　centuries　before　our　era。　His

mound；　which　the　Greeks　called　a　pyramid　（because　the

Egyptian　word　for　high　was　pir…em…us）　was　over　five　hundred

feet　high。



It　covered　more　than　thirteen　acres　of　desert　which　is　three

times　as　much　space　as　that　occupied　by　the　church　of　St。

Peter；　the　largest　edifice　of　the　Christian　world。



During　twenty　years；　over　a　hundred　thousand　men　were

busy　carrying　the　necessary　stones　from　the　other　side　of　the

riverferrying　them　across　the　Nile　（how　they　ever　managed

to　do　this；　we　do　not　understand）；　dragging　them　in　many　instances

a　long　distance　across　the　desert　and　finally　hoisting

them　into　their　correct　position。　But　so　well　did　the　King's

architects　and　engineers　perform　their　task　that　the　narrow

passage…way　which　leads　to　the　royal　tomb　in　the　heart　of　the

stone　monster　has　never　yet　been　pushed　out　of　shape　by　the

weight　of　those　thousands　of　tons　of　stone　which　press　upon

it　from　all　sides。







THE　STORY　OF　EGYPT



THE　RISE　AND　FALL　OF　EGYPT





THE　river　Nile　was　a　kind　friend　but　occasionally　it　was

a　hard　taskmaster。　It　taught　the　people　who　lived　along　its

banks　the　noble　art　of　‘‘team…work。''　They　depended　upon

each　other　to　build　their　irrigation　trenches　and　keep　their

dikes　in　repair。　In　this　way　they　learned　how　to　get　along

with　their　neighbours　and　their　mutual…benefit…association　quite

easily　developed　into　an　organised　state。



Then　one　man　grew　more　powerful　than　most　of　his　neighbours

and　he　became　the　leader　of　the　community　and　their

commander…in…chief　when　the　envious　neighbours　of　western

Asia　invaded　the　prosperous　valley。　In　due　course　of　time

he　became　their　King　and　ruled　all　the　land　from　the　Mediterranean

to　the　mountains　of　the　west。



But　these　political　adventures　of　the　old　Pharaohs　（the

word　meant　‘‘the　Man　who　lived　in　the　Big　House''）　rarely

interested　the　patient　and　toiling　peasant　of　the　grain　fields。

Provided　he　was　not　obliged　to　pay　more　taxes　to　his　King

than　he　thought　just；　he　accepted　the　rule　of　Pharaoh　as　he

accepted　the　rule　of　Mighty　Osiris。



It　was　different　however　when　a　foreign　invader　came

and　robbed　him　of　his　possessions。　After　twenty　centuries　of

independent　life；　a　savage　Arab　tribe　of　shepherds；　called　the

Hyksos；　attacked　Egypt　and　for　five　hundred　years　they　were

the　masters　of　the　valley　of　the　Nile。　They　were　highly　un…

popular　and　great　hate　was　also　felt　for　the　Hebrews　who

came　to　the　land　of　Goshen　to　find　a　shelter　after　their　long

wandering　through　the　desert　and　who　helped　the　foreign

usurper　by　acting　as　his　tax…gatherers　and　his　civil　servants。



But　shortly　after　the　year　1700　B。C。　the　people　of　Thebes

began　a　revolution　and　after　a　long　struggle　the　Hyksos　were

driven　out　of　the　country　and　Egypt　was　free　once　more。



A　thousand　years　later；　when　Assyria　conquered　all　of

western　Asia；　Egypt　became　part　of　the　empire　of　Sardanapalus。

In　the　seventh　century　B。C。　it　became　once　more　an

independent　state　which　obeyed　the　rule　of　a　king　who　lived　in

the　city　of　Sais　in　the　Delta　of　the　Nile。　But　in　the　year　525

B。C。；　Cambyses；　the　king　of　the　Persians；　took　possession　of

Egypt　and　in　the　fourth　century　B。C。；　when　Persia　was　conquered

by　Alexander　the　Great；　Egypt　too　became　a　Macedonian

province。　It　regained　a　semblance　of　independence

when　one　of　Alexander's　generals　set　himself　up　as　king　of　a

new　Egyptian　state　and　founded　the　dynasty　of　the　Ptolemies；

who　resided　in　the　newly　built　city　of　Alexandria。



Finally；　in　the　year　89　B。C。；　the　Romans　came。　The　last

Egyptian　queen；　Cleopatra；　tried　her　best　to　save　the　country。

Her　beauty　and　charm　were　more　dangerous　to　the　Roman

generals　than　half　a　dozen　Egyptian　army　corps。　Twice　she

was　successful　in　her　attacks　upon　the　hearts　of　her　Roman

conquerors。　But　in　the　year　30　B。C。；　Augustus；　the　nephew

and　heir　of　Caesar；　landed　in　Alexandria。　He　did　not　share

his　late　uncle's　admiration　for　the　lovely　princess。　He　destroyed

her　armies；　but　spared　her　life　that　he　might　make　her

march　in　his　triumph　as　part　of　the　spoils　of　war。　When

Cleopatra　heard　of　this　plan；　she　killed　herself　by　taking　poison。

And　Egypt　became　a　Roman　province。







MESOPOTAMIA



MESOPOTAMIATHE　SECOND　CENTRE　OF

EASTERN　CIVILISATION





I　AM　going　to　take　you　to　the　top　of　the　highest　pyramid

and　I　am　going　to　ask　that　you　imagine　yourself　possessed

of　the　eyes　of　a　hawk。　Way；　way　off；　in　the　distance；　far

beyond　the　yellow　sands　of　the　desert；　you　will　see　something

green　and　shimmering。　It　is　a　valley　situated　between　two

rivers。　It　is　the　Paradise　of　the　Old　Testament。　It　is　the

land　of　mystery　and　wonder　which　the　Greeks　called　Mesopotamia

the　‘‘country　between　the　rivers。''



The　names　of　the　two　rivers　are　the　Euphrates　（which　the

Babylonians　called　the　Purattu）　and　the　Tigris　（which　was

known　as　the　Diklat）。　They　begin　their　course　amidst　the

snows　of　the　mountains　of　Armenia　where　Noah's　Ark　found

a　resting　place　and　slowly　they　flow　through　the　southern

plain　until　they　reach　the　muddy　banks　of　the　Persian　gulf。

They　perform　a　very　useful　service。　They　turn　the　arid

regions　of　western　Asia　into　a　fertile　garden。



The　valley　of　the　Nile　had　attracted　people　because　it　had

offered　them　food　upon　fairly　easy　terms。　The　‘‘land　between

the　rivers''　was　popular　for　the　same　reason。　It　was　a

country　full　of　promise　and　both　the　inhabitants　of　the　northern

mountains　and　the　tribes　which　roamed　through　the

southern　deserts　tried　to　claim　this　territory　as　their　own　and

most　exclusive　possession。　The　constant　rivalry　between　the

mountaineers　and　the　desert…nomads　led　to　endless　warfare。

Only　the　strongest　and　the　bravest　could　hope　to　survive　and

that　will　explain　why　Mesopotamia　became　the　home　of　a　very

strong　race　of　men　who　were　capable　of　creating　a　civilisation

which　was　in　every　respect　as　important　as　that　of　Egypt。







THE　SUMERIANS



THE　SUMERIAN　NAIL　WRITERS；　WHOSE　CLAY

TABLETS　TELL　US　THE　STORY　OF　ASSYRIA

AND　BABYLONIA；　THE　GREAT　SEMITIC

MELTING…POT





THE　fifteenth　century　was　an　age　of　great　discoveries。

Columbus　tried　to　find　a　way　to　the　island　of　Kathay　and

stumbled　upon　a　new　and　unsuspected　continent。　An　Austrian

bishop　equipped　an　expedition　which　was　to　travel　eastward

and　find　the　ho