DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33567#0231
^/* * . 12 3
remains, still occupying, alter the lapse of thousands of years, the pedestal on which it was originally
placed.
Both obelisks were originally adorned with copper caps. St. Ephrem Syrus (born about A. D.
308, died about^yS), in his commentary on Isaiah, xxiii chapter, says: "The cap which is on the top of
each of these columns is of copper, and of the weight of one hundred pounds, and even more/' * The
copper caps are also mentioned by Denys of Telmahre, Patriarch of Antioch, who wrote about A. D.
840." Ebn-Khordadbeh, an Arabian writer of the third century of the Hegira, about the ninth century
of our era, is quoted as follows : " At Ain-Schems (Heliopolis) are two columns, the remains of the
greater number which were formerly here ; at the top of each is a collar of copper. From one of the
two the water descends to about midway of the column, which is discolored." 3
Mohammed ben-Abd-alrahin, who visited Egypt in A. D. 1118, writes as follows: "Upon its
summit is a covering of copper, as beautiful as gold, on which is represented the figure of a man
seated in a chair and looking to the east." ^ Abd-el-Lateef s describes the obelisk thus : " In this town
are the two famous obelisks called Pharaoh's Needles ; they have a square base, each side of which
is ten cubits long, and about as much in height, fixed on a solid foundation in the earth. On this
base stands a quadrangular column of pyramidal form, one hundred cubits high, which has a side of
about five cubits at the base, and terminates in a point. The top is covered with a kind of copper
cap of a funnel shape, which descends to the distance of three cubits from the summit; this copper
through the rain and length of time has grown rusty and assumed a green color, part of which has
run down along the shaft of the obelisk. I saw one of these obelisks that had fallen down and
broken in two, owing to the enormity of the weight. The copper which had covered its head was
taken away. Around these obelisks were many others too numerous to count, which are not more
than a third, or a half as high as the large ones." ^
The mate of the present obelisk of Heliopolis fell prostrate about A. D. 1160, and has now entirely
disappeared/ Its fragments, says Ebers, perhaps lie deep buried in the vicinity of the standing shaft.
The foundations of this missing obelisk have lately been discovered (Murray's "Egypt," i8y5.)s
The obelisk still standing is of the red syenite of Assouan/ Its pyramidion is rough and was
originally covered with a cap of metal.
The pedestal and bottom of the shaft cannot now be seen, being buried under successive deposits
of the mud of the Nile. The pedestal is of sandstone, according to Lenormant, and consists of two
broad steps or slabs, each about two feet high, and which seem to have formed part of the paved
dromos.*°
* Works of St. Ephrem, vol. ii, p. 144. Quoted in De Sacy's " Abd-el-Lateef," p. 226. " De Sacy's "Abd-el-Lateef," p. 503.
° De Sacy's " Abd-el-Lateef," p. 223—. This story of water Rowing down the obelisk is repeated by another Arabian writer,
and has been re-told in our own times by M. de Hammer, who visited Heliopolis in 1801 (De Sacy).
* De Sacy's "Abd-el-Lateef," p. 223—. Kodhai, quoted by Donaldson, in Parker, p. 29, says the same. De Sacy adds a note that
this figure of a man was engraven on the cap, and not—as had been said in an earlier and erroneous translation of the passage—a
statue erected above the cap.
" "Abd-el-Lateef." Relation de 1' Egypte. Traduit par Silvestre de Sacy. Paris, 1810.—Abd-el-Lateef, an Arabian physician
from Bagdad, who visited Egypt about A. D. 1190 (Mariette), and wrote in 1201 (De Sacy).
"A highly exaggerated estimate of the amount of metal upon these obelisks is given by Mohammed ben-Ibrahim Djezi (or
Djezeri) in his chronicle of the year 636 of the Hegira, corresponding to the year 1238 of our era (De Sacy) : speaking of the
obelisk then fallen, he says that " within it [dans son interieur, De Sacy's translation] were found nearly twenty thousand pounds
[two hundred quintaux] of copper, and from its top the same was taken to the value of ten thousand dinars." De Sacy's "Abd-
el-Lateef," p. 223—.
? It fell in 1160, and not in 1260 as MaKrizi states (Ebers). For the error of Djezi (Djezeri) and MaKrizi as to this
date, see De Sacy's Abd-el-Lateef, p. 225—. Abd-el-Lateef saw the obelisk lying prostrate. The notes of Langles upon this
point in Norden should be corrected, says De Sacy.
" Lenormant says it was overthrown by the Arabs in their search for hidden treasure.
"For plates or descriptions of this obelisk see : Kircher, "GEdipus," vol. iii, p. 333. "Descr. de 1 Egypte, Antiq., vol. i,
p. 229. Lepsius, "Denkmaler," pt. ii, pi. 118. "Thomas Shaw's Travels," Oxford, 1738, (plate,) p. 412. Lenormant,
" Musee," pi. xxix No. 3.
I cannot find the record of the excavation and measurement of this pedestal.
remains, still occupying, alter the lapse of thousands of years, the pedestal on which it was originally
placed.
Both obelisks were originally adorned with copper caps. St. Ephrem Syrus (born about A. D.
308, died about^yS), in his commentary on Isaiah, xxiii chapter, says: "The cap which is on the top of
each of these columns is of copper, and of the weight of one hundred pounds, and even more/' * The
copper caps are also mentioned by Denys of Telmahre, Patriarch of Antioch, who wrote about A. D.
840." Ebn-Khordadbeh, an Arabian writer of the third century of the Hegira, about the ninth century
of our era, is quoted as follows : " At Ain-Schems (Heliopolis) are two columns, the remains of the
greater number which were formerly here ; at the top of each is a collar of copper. From one of the
two the water descends to about midway of the column, which is discolored." 3
Mohammed ben-Abd-alrahin, who visited Egypt in A. D. 1118, writes as follows: "Upon its
summit is a covering of copper, as beautiful as gold, on which is represented the figure of a man
seated in a chair and looking to the east." ^ Abd-el-Lateef s describes the obelisk thus : " In this town
are the two famous obelisks called Pharaoh's Needles ; they have a square base, each side of which
is ten cubits long, and about as much in height, fixed on a solid foundation in the earth. On this
base stands a quadrangular column of pyramidal form, one hundred cubits high, which has a side of
about five cubits at the base, and terminates in a point. The top is covered with a kind of copper
cap of a funnel shape, which descends to the distance of three cubits from the summit; this copper
through the rain and length of time has grown rusty and assumed a green color, part of which has
run down along the shaft of the obelisk. I saw one of these obelisks that had fallen down and
broken in two, owing to the enormity of the weight. The copper which had covered its head was
taken away. Around these obelisks were many others too numerous to count, which are not more
than a third, or a half as high as the large ones." ^
The mate of the present obelisk of Heliopolis fell prostrate about A. D. 1160, and has now entirely
disappeared/ Its fragments, says Ebers, perhaps lie deep buried in the vicinity of the standing shaft.
The foundations of this missing obelisk have lately been discovered (Murray's "Egypt," i8y5.)s
The obelisk still standing is of the red syenite of Assouan/ Its pyramidion is rough and was
originally covered with a cap of metal.
The pedestal and bottom of the shaft cannot now be seen, being buried under successive deposits
of the mud of the Nile. The pedestal is of sandstone, according to Lenormant, and consists of two
broad steps or slabs, each about two feet high, and which seem to have formed part of the paved
dromos.*°
* Works of St. Ephrem, vol. ii, p. 144. Quoted in De Sacy's " Abd-el-Lateef," p. 226. " De Sacy's "Abd-el-Lateef," p. 503.
° De Sacy's " Abd-el-Lateef," p. 223—. This story of water Rowing down the obelisk is repeated by another Arabian writer,
and has been re-told in our own times by M. de Hammer, who visited Heliopolis in 1801 (De Sacy).
* De Sacy's "Abd-el-Lateef," p. 223—. Kodhai, quoted by Donaldson, in Parker, p. 29, says the same. De Sacy adds a note that
this figure of a man was engraven on the cap, and not—as had been said in an earlier and erroneous translation of the passage—a
statue erected above the cap.
" "Abd-el-Lateef." Relation de 1' Egypte. Traduit par Silvestre de Sacy. Paris, 1810.—Abd-el-Lateef, an Arabian physician
from Bagdad, who visited Egypt about A. D. 1190 (Mariette), and wrote in 1201 (De Sacy).
"A highly exaggerated estimate of the amount of metal upon these obelisks is given by Mohammed ben-Ibrahim Djezi (or
Djezeri) in his chronicle of the year 636 of the Hegira, corresponding to the year 1238 of our era (De Sacy) : speaking of the
obelisk then fallen, he says that " within it [dans son interieur, De Sacy's translation] were found nearly twenty thousand pounds
[two hundred quintaux] of copper, and from its top the same was taken to the value of ten thousand dinars." De Sacy's "Abd-
el-Lateef," p. 223—.
? It fell in 1160, and not in 1260 as MaKrizi states (Ebers). For the error of Djezi (Djezeri) and MaKrizi as to this
date, see De Sacy's Abd-el-Lateef, p. 225—. Abd-el-Lateef saw the obelisk lying prostrate. The notes of Langles upon this
point in Norden should be corrected, says De Sacy.
" Lenormant says it was overthrown by the Arabs in their search for hidden treasure.
"For plates or descriptions of this obelisk see : Kircher, "GEdipus," vol. iii, p. 333. "Descr. de 1 Egypte, Antiq., vol. i,
p. 229. Lepsius, "Denkmaler," pt. ii, pi. 118. "Thomas Shaw's Travels," Oxford, 1738, (plate,) p. 412. Lenormant,
" Musee," pi. xxix No. 3.
I cannot find the record of the excavation and measurement of this pedestal.