SOME 'BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading we notice such Books of the week as have not bens. reserved for review in other forms.] The Sarcophagus of Beti I. (B.C. 1370). By E. A. Wallis Budge,. Litt.D. (Six John Scene's Museum.)—The sarcophagus of Seti I. (the father of Kiimeses II.) is one of the great treasures of the Scene Museum. It was discovered by 'Belzoai in '815. It had been broken into and robbed in the evil days of the X.I.Xth Dynasty. The naunnuy was removed circa 1000 B.C. to. a pace of safety. This was discovered-by A.rabe I8-72. Among .the ampales was-the head of Seti, which is still to be seen in the • Cairo Museum. Dr. Budge, after describing the form of the I sarcophagus, devotes the greater part of his volume to an account; -of the "Book of Gates," the most complete eopy of which known: to Egyptologists is to be found in the pictorial inscriptions. This .00nsists of two parts : (1) a series of texts and pictures which describe the progress of the boat of the Smagod front the region of sunset le the kingdom of Osiris, together with the Egyptian . heaven and hell; (2) a series of texts and pictures which illustrate the course of the Sun-god from the kingdom of Osiris to the sunrise. When we read these elaborate statements of Egyptian belief as to the life after death we cannot but be-perplexed by the fact that theIfebrew people retained no ideas of the kind in their • religious system. It must be remembered, however, thatimmor- tality was the privilege of the few in Egypt. The preservation -of the body was an absolute essential ; and for the multitude of artisans, and a f.ortiori of slaves—and the Hebrews were slaves— it did not exist. It is even possible that the belief became identified in the Hebrew mind with the memory of the oppressor.
Previous page
