Egypt and the Holy Land ...

Front matter

AND

THE HOLY .LAND.

" Those holy fields, Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail'd, For our advantage, on the bitter cross."

Preface To The Fourth Edition

In presenting to the public a fourth edition of his work on Egypt and the Holy Land, the Author begs leave to express his satisfaction at the success which his work has met with, and also to embrace the opportunity to give utterance to the hope that the present volume may continue to serve the good end which was had in view in its original publication.

Although not a work of much pretension, the Author has no ordinary gratification in knowing that the following Letters have been found to be — what it was his especial aim to make them — both truthful and reliable. And he is clear in the conviction, moreover, that these are points of far more consequence than any brilliancy of style, piquancy of adventure, or even profundity of learned research.

The interest of Christian people in the land of the Bible is, and must continue to be, unabated ; for wherever the Holy Scriptures are read and freely circulated, as in our highly favored land, there will there be found to exist an ever present desire to know all that can be known of these sacred localities where our Lord and Saviour, in the days of his flesh, tabernacled amon^ men. And hence, in a work vi

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such as the present claims to be, there is to the reader not only the interest which every book of travels offers, but also the further and more sacred interest in everything which can help to illustrate and make more plain the language, customs, allusions, and history of the Bible.

The Author would fain hope that the present volume will hold its place as a library book, and for use in Schools and Academies as a reading book and book of reference ; and this the rather because in Egypt and the Holy Land, the customs, and manners, and habits of the people do not change, hardly at all, from age to age ; and also because the various questions of interest relative to Biblical literature and interpretation are carefully considered, and discussed with as much fulness as readers in general would desire.

In the preface to the third edition, the Author took occasion to record his deep sense of the kindness and courtesy of the eminent Arabic Scholar and Orientalist, Me. Edward William Lane, and his not less distinguished nephew — already, though young in years, well known as a learned Egyptologist — Me. Reginald Stuaet Poole. He begs leave to repeat here the sense of obligation under which he lies to these gentlemen, and to conclude the present preface in the significant words of Me. Poole : — " If the reader will compare the results of my studies with the statements of ancient authors, he will find many points of agreement, some of which I have had occasion to point out, especially in the cases of Herodotus and Manetho. But what is far more important and interesting, is the fact that these results vindicate the Bible, showing that the monuments of Egypt in no manner, on no point contradict that Sacred Book, but con-

PREFACE.

vii firm it. Some have asserted that they disprove the Bible, others have insinuated that they weaken its authority. The monuments completely disprove loth these ideas, and their venerable records warn us not only against the disbelief of Sacred History, but also against distrusting too much the narratives of ancient Profane History, and even Tradition."*

J. A. S.

E"ew York, June 17th, 1854.

At the publisher's request the following letter from the learned Dr. S. T. Bloomfield is here inserted. It was addressed to the eminent publisher Mr. Murray, soon after the appearance of the first English edition of the present volume : —

Me. John Murray

Dear Sir, — I beg to return you my best thanks for your polite attention in offering to my acceptance a copy of " Sketches of Travel in Egypt and the Holy Land," by the Eev. J. A. Spencer, D. D., of E"ew York. I take a j>eculiar interest in whatever is written by intelligent travellers in those parts, especially in so far as their investigations serve to illustrate the Holy Scriptures, to the interpretation of which the main labors of my life have been bestowed. Accordingly, I have gone over with some care and attention the greater part of Dr. Spencer's book ; and my impression is that it will be ultimately well received by the reading public in this country as well as in America. It is indeed a work not intended for the learned, but for the great mass of well educated and intelligent persons, by whom it will, I think, be found both instructive (as conveying a great deal of valuable information not easily otherwise attainable), and,

* HOKAE JSaYPTIACAE, p. 210, 211.

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especially from its peculiar features, as being conveyed in familiar letters, very interesting. *******

The writer is evidently a truly modest man, yet an independent thinker for himself, and who has everywhere chosen to use his own eyes and convey his own impressions on the deeply interesting scenes brought under his view. There is no aim at fine writing, no tendency to over coloring, but everything is conveyed with simplicity and strict fidelity ; and there is a certain vividness, arising from the matter being written on the spot, while the subjects were fresh in the traveller's mind, and absorbed all his thoughts.

From the personal knowledge which I have of the writer, I should say that every dependence may be placed on the complete accuracy of the representation which he makes of the state of things in those countries. Truthfulness, an earnest seriousness and candor, as they form, I believe, the characteristics of the man, so they stamp every page of the writer, whose book will be found especially interesting to Bible students, from the attention of the pious writer having been uniformly directed to the illustration of the Holy Scriptures.

Upon the whole, I feel assured that you will have no cause to regret having undertaken the republication of the work in this country. I am, dear sir, with much esteem, yours very truly,

S. T. Bloomfteld.

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The Author of the following Letters is anxious to say a word or two to his readers, before they do him the honor of venturing upon the perusal of what he has written. It is to forewarn them that they are lot to expect erudite disquisitions on antiquity, history, chronology, and •,uch like matters ; neither must they look here for critical dissertations m science in its various relations to Egyptian or Hebraistic lore. Though he Author has transgressed on one or two occasions, being led away yy the deep interest of the subject, he, nevertheless, makes no pretensions to more than ordinary fitness for dealing with the vexatse quassiones of scholars ; and were he able to add any of his own learned iulness, to the mass already reposing on the shelves of royal and national libraries, he would, under the circumstances under which he wrote, most carefully have eschewed everything of the sort. He begs to assure his readers, that the Letters now made public, were actually written — except in a few instances — as they profess to be, and at the time when they are dated:* they were addressed to one at home,

* It is but proper, however, to state, that on revising the Letters since his return, the Author has added notes here and there from works published since the date of the Letters in the present volume. He has also in his quotations from Mr. Williams's "Holy City," made them conformable to the second and enlarged edition of that valuable work : while the Author was in the East the first and less complete edition was all that was accessible to him. He has preferred this course, wherever it seemed desirable, even at the risk of being charged with anachronisms.

PRE A dearer to him than all else in the wide world, and had most of all in view, her interest and pleasure ; and if there be aught of life or value in them to readers in general, it may not improperly be attributed to the fact of the Author's writing on the spot, while the subjects were fresh in his mind and filling all his thoughts.

It has been a pleasing thing to him, to hope, that many a reader will love to hear of those sacred regions, where our Lord walked in the days of His flesh, and will love to know how full of Holy Scripture is the Holy Land ; and hence, though originally he wrote for one out of the thousands and tens of thousands of Christ's soldiers and servants, he has trusted that he may be the humble instrument of adding to the knowledge, and 'confirming the faith, of others, among those who believe in, and adore the Divine Saviour. Nothing doubting, on his own part, that the Word of God is sure and standeth fast forever, he has loved to speak of it, whenever he beheld its holy truths illustrated, enforced or impressed upon the mind and heart ; and he shall esteem himself happy indeed, if he has been able to make others partakers of the deep convictions, and the clearer, brighter views of the truth as it is in Jesus, which it was his privilege to enjoy in both Egypt and the Holy Land.

The Author's aim has uniformly been to deal plainly, candidly, and in earnest with everything which came under his observation : he has not hesitated to express a decided opinion on some occasions, where, perhaps, modesty should have taught him to be silent; he has not scrupled to speak out what he believes respecting many of the questions relative to oriental life, manners, customs, principles, &c, ; and he would fain hope that, though the following Letters do not pretend to any original research in the great field of geography, history, and antiquities, the reader may, notwithstanding, obtain a tolerable idea from them, of the most important points of interest to the Christian student.

In justice to himself, the Author deems it but right to speak of a matter almost purely personal. When he left home early in the spring of 1848, he had no expectation whatever of proceeding beyond England

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vii and the Continent ; neither his time nor his engagements admitting of any protracted absence from the United States ; but as various circumstances — which it would not, he trusts, be wrong to term providential — occurred to open the way, and as he was solicited by a dear friend to join him in a projected journey to the East, after some hesitation he yielded consent, and gladly became a pilgrim, with his face set toward the Holy City. Up to that date he had never given any special attention to Egyptian history and learning, and his knowledge of the Arabic was confined to the elements of the language. He felt consequently with giseat keenness, his own deficiencies in many points, and he well knows that his enjoyment was much marred by want of previous preparation, and his fitness so much the less for undertaking to write anything respecting the East. He hopes that this statement may account for various lacunaa and imperfections which will readily be discovered.

So much for self; it is far more pleasing to turn to something of more consequence. The Author begs to return his sincere thanks to all the friends and brethren who have encouraged him to hope, that these Letters may be acceptable and not unuseful to the public ; he would also embrace the present opportunity to acknowledge his obligations, in various ways, to his learned young friend and fellow-voyager, Mr. George W. Pratt, and to give utterance to the hope that he may continue to cultivate oriental studies, for which he has peculiar aptness and capacity.

To J. B. Atkinson, Esq., who, though trained to the severer studies of the law, is a devoted lover and cultivator of art, the Author would particularly express his thanks. The reader will readily understand, how materially Mr. Atkinson's pencil has added charm and beauty to the present volume ; and he may gather from these specimens of the artist's talents, what a treat is in store for the public, when that gentleman is prevailed upon to submit his entire portfolio to the admirers and patrons of art.

A word or two in conclusion may be allowed the Author. He ven- 'ures to offer these Letters to the public, without much apprehension as viii

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to their fate ; for he is well convinced that they will meet with all the indulgence which they deserve ; and will speedily find their true level in the estimation of the reading community. If it be found that they contain nothing of interest or value to the Christian public in general, and that they ought never to have been dragged forth, through the unwise partiality of friends, from the privacy of thei: original destination, the writer of them will yield to no one in wishing that they may speedily sink into neglect and oblivion ; but if it be true, as he believes and trusts, that they are not unworthy attention, as coming from one who has spoken honestly and straight-forwardly ; as being free from exaggeration, affectation, or a captious spirit ; and as treating of matters deeply important and interesting to all ; then he will not doubt, that even a new book on the East will be received with indulgent favor ; and he will have the satisfaction of knowing, that he has not lived and written altogether in vain.

New Yoke, December 20th, 1849

CONTENTS,

Letter I. Alexandria

PAoa

Voyage from Malta —Arrival.— First Impressions.— Contrasts.— The Modern City.— Glimpses of Oriental Life. — Remnants of the Past. — Pompey's Pillar. — The Obelisks. —Recollections of by-gone Ages, 1

LETTER H.

THE NILE AND THE PYRAMIDS.

Mahmiidieh Canal.— Importance.— Petty Steamers. — Scenery.— Atfeh. — Discomforts.— First View of the Nile. — Scenery Peculiarly Oriental. — Arrival at Cairo in the Night. — The Metropolis— Start for the Pyramids.— Masr el Atikeh.— Mosque of 'Amr.— Tradition. — Island of Rhoda. — Pyramids from East Bank of the Nile. — Gizeh. — Plain between River and Pyramids. — Effect of Gradual Approach. — Immense Masses of Stone. — Ascent—Prospect from the Summit.— Visit to the Interior— Narrow, Dark Passages.— "King's Chamber." — Sarcophagus. — Perhaps Discoveries yet to be made. — " Queen's Chamber." — Very Hot and Dusty inside.— Evening Walk.— Vast Necropolis of Royal Memphis, . . 23

LETTER EI.

THE PYRAMIDS AND THEIR BUILDERS.

The Second Pyramid. — The Pyramid of Mycerinus. — The Sphinx. — Its Position and Appearance—Its Former Glory .—Mystical Import of the Sphinx— Object of the Pyramids. — Historical Abstract. — Statements of Herodotus, Diodorus, Strabo, Pliny. — Early Christian Travellers.— Date of the Pyramids.— Who built the Pyramids ?— Intended Uses of these Structures.— Exciting Scene on Leaving the Pyramids, . . . . 51

T

Contents

LETTER IV.

LIFE ON THE NILE.

PAGB