DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6359#0057
CHAMPOLLION.
49
Jomard made them at least 3000 years old when the Christian
era commenced; while M. Dupuis would not ahate a second
of 4000 years; and M. Gori was very sure they could not be
younger than 17,000 years ! " Like birds of the night," (says
Osborn,) "hovering over, or perching upon, the uncouth remains
of ancient superstition, they filled the air with their dismal fore-
bodings of the downfall of Christianity, or with shrieks of
laughter still more revolting, when they thought that their
object was accomplished. All these, however, were soon to be
Put to flight by that of which they professed themselves to be
all the while most devoted worshippers—the light of truth."
When Champollion, in the course of his researches into
r°yal rings, came to read that upon the zodiac of Dendera, he
found the title of Augustus Censor ; while on that at Esneh,
he read the name of Antoninus. That temple, therefore, which
% Dupuis had declared to be 4000 years older than the Chris-
tian era, proved to have been built about the time of its com-
mencement ; and the edifice at Esneh, which had been pro-
foundly demonstrated to be 17,000 years old when the Saviour
came, was shown to belong to a period 140 years after his ad-
vent. And thus were exposed the pretence of learning and
the insolence of arrogance, on the part of a class of men who
sought, by bold perversion and confident dogmatism, to distort
ah that Egypt might reveal, into testimony against the Bible.
4
49
Jomard made them at least 3000 years old when the Christian
era commenced; while M. Dupuis would not ahate a second
of 4000 years; and M. Gori was very sure they could not be
younger than 17,000 years ! " Like birds of the night," (says
Osborn,) "hovering over, or perching upon, the uncouth remains
of ancient superstition, they filled the air with their dismal fore-
bodings of the downfall of Christianity, or with shrieks of
laughter still more revolting, when they thought that their
object was accomplished. All these, however, were soon to be
Put to flight by that of which they professed themselves to be
all the while most devoted worshippers—the light of truth."
When Champollion, in the course of his researches into
r°yal rings, came to read that upon the zodiac of Dendera, he
found the title of Augustus Censor ; while on that at Esneh,
he read the name of Antoninus. That temple, therefore, which
% Dupuis had declared to be 4000 years older than the Chris-
tian era, proved to have been built about the time of its com-
mencement ; and the edifice at Esneh, which had been pro-
foundly demonstrated to be 17,000 years old when the Saviour
came, was shown to belong to a period 140 years after his ad-
vent. And thus were exposed the pretence of learning and
the insolence of arrogance, on the part of a class of men who
sought, by bold perversion and confident dogmatism, to distort
ah that Egypt might reveal, into testimony against the Bible.
4