Proctor, Richard A.: The Great Pyramid: observatory, tomb, and temple (New York, 1883)

2 THE GREAT PYRAMID.

choice. Some have thought that these buildings
were associated with the religion of the early
Egyptians ; others have suggested that they were
tombs ; others, that they combined the purposes
of tombs and temples, that they were astronomical
observatories, defences against the sands of the
Great Desert, granaries like those made under
Joseph's direction, places of resort during exces-
sive overflows of the Nile ; and many other uses
have been suggested for them. But none of these
ideas are found on close examination to be tenable
as representing the sole purpose of the pyramids,
and few of them have strong claims to be regarded
as presenting even a chief object of these remark-
able structures. The significant and perplexing
history of the three oldest pyramids—the Great
Pyramid of Cheops, Shofo, or Suphis, the pyramid
of Chephren, and the pyramid of Mycerinus ; and
the most remarkable of all the facts known re-
specting the pyramids generally, viz. the circum-
stance that one pyramid after another was built
as though each had become useless soon after it
was finished, are left entirely unexplained by all
the theories above mentioned, save one only, the
tomb theory, and that does not afford by any
means a satisfactory explanation of the circum-
stances.