DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14564#0124
io8
CITIES OF EGYPT.
houses, forts, circuit-walls of towns and temples, were
all in this material, and the mason's labour was almost
limited to temples and tombs.
The climate of Egypt does not make it necessary to
burn the bricks. In the present day, unburnt brick is
in common use in the villages, except near the northern
coast, where rain is not infrequent. The bricks are
merely shaped and placed in the sun to dry. Anciently
this was done with more skill and care than now. The
oldest bricks, as in the case of those of the brick pyramids
in the Necropolis of Memphis, are, as a rule, bound with
pebbles and similar materials, while the later bricks of
the age of the Empire are bound with straw. This fact
disposes of the old fancy that the Israelites laboured for
the kings who built the pyramids. The brick-mould or
form was very carefully made : it was of wood, and some-
times bore on its inner face the name of the sovereign
under whose orders it was used. Thus we can frequently
date Egyptian buildings from the royal names occurring
on the bricks, precisely as we can date those of Assyria
and Babylonia from the bricks which are more frequently
stamped in the same manner.
The Bible mentions three degrees of officers who
CITIES OF EGYPT.
houses, forts, circuit-walls of towns and temples, were
all in this material, and the mason's labour was almost
limited to temples and tombs.
The climate of Egypt does not make it necessary to
burn the bricks. In the present day, unburnt brick is
in common use in the villages, except near the northern
coast, where rain is not infrequent. The bricks are
merely shaped and placed in the sun to dry. Anciently
this was done with more skill and care than now. The
oldest bricks, as in the case of those of the brick pyramids
in the Necropolis of Memphis, are, as a rule, bound with
pebbles and similar materials, while the later bricks of
the age of the Empire are bound with straw. This fact
disposes of the old fancy that the Israelites laboured for
the kings who built the pyramids. The brick-mould or
form was very carefully made : it was of wood, and some-
times bore on its inner face the name of the sovereign
under whose orders it was used. Thus we can frequently
date Egyptian buildings from the royal names occurring
on the bricks, precisely as we can date those of Assyria
and Babylonia from the bricks which are more frequently
stamped in the same manner.
The Bible mentions three degrees of officers who