Egypt shared with ancient Babylon and Assyria in the civilization of
its primitive literature. It is from five of its Pyramids, opened in
1881, that valuable writings have been brought to light that carry us
back one thousand years before the time of Moses.
Their famous "Book of the Dead," of which many copies are found in our
museums of antiquities, is one instance of their older civilization.
These copies of the original, in the form of scrolls, are some of them
over a hundred feet long, and are decorated with elaborate pictures and
ornamentation. The book gives conclusive proof of the teaching of the
Egyptians of a life beyond this. Their belief in the journey of the
soul after death to the Underworld, before it is admitted to the Hall
of Osiris, or the abode of light, is akin to the Catholic doctrine of
Purgatory and Heaven. The Egyptian literature is painted or engraved on
monuments, written on papyrus, and buried in tombs, or under the ruins
of temples, hence, as has been said elsewhere, much of it remained
hidden until nineteenth century research brought it to light. Even at
the present time many inscriptions are still undeciphered.
Geometry originated with the Egyptians, and their knowledge of
hydrostatics and mechanics (shown in the building of the Pyramids), and
of astronomy and medicine, is of remotest antiquity. The Greeks
borrowed largely from them, and then became in turn their teacher. The
Egyptian priests, from the earliest age, must have preserved the annals
of their country; but they were destroyed by Cambyses (500 B.C.), who
burned the temples where they were stored.
In the fourth century B.C., Egypt was conquered by Alexander the Great,
who left it under the rule of the Ptolemies. The next century after the
Alexandrian age the philosophy and literature of Athens was transferred
to Alexandria. The Alexandrian library, completed by Ptolemy
Philadelphus, in the third century before Christ, was formed for the
most part of Greek books and it also had Greek librarians; so that in
the learning and philosophy of Alexandria at this time, the Eastern and
Western systems were combined. During the first century of the
Christian era Egypt passed from the control of the Greek Kings to that
of the Roman Emperors, under whom it continued to flourish. In the
seventh century the country was conquered by the Saracens, who burned
the great Alexandrian library. Following them came the Arabian Princes,
who protected literature, and revived the Alexandrian schools,
establishing also other seats of learning. But in the thirteenth
century the Turks conquered Egypt, and all its literary glory
henceforth departed. It has had no further development, and no
influence in shaping the literature of foreign nations. What it might
have been if the literary treasures of Egypt had not been destroyed by
Cambyses and the Saracens, we can only guess. Great literary monuments
must have been lost, which would shed more light on the civilization of
the ancient world.