DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15#0117
Thè problem ôf the pyramids. to?
the Pharaonic pictures of human souls sent back
from heaven to earth, in the bodies of pigs, for far
lighter offences than shortening the national cubit.'
Sir E. Beckett has sought to shorten the pyramid
cubit, which with Smyth is ' the sacred, Hebrew
earth-commensurable, anti-Canite cubit,' a far
heavier offence probably than merely ' shortening
the national cubit.' But after all, it is unfortunately
too true, that if the shorter cubit which Beckett
holds to have been used by the pyramid builders
was not so used, the pyramid does its best to sug-
gest that it was; and if Beckett and those who
follow him (as I do in this respect) are wrong, the
pyramid and not they must be blamed. For, apart
from the trifling detail that the Hebrew cubit of
25 inches is entirely imaginary, 'neither this cubit,
nor any multiple of it, is to be found in a single one
of all Mr. Smyth's multitude of measurements,
except two evidently accidental multiples of it in
the diagonals of two of the four corner sockets in
the rock ; which are not even square, and could
never have been seen again after the pyramid was
built, if the superstructure had not been broken up
and stolen, which was probably the last thing that
Cheops or his architect expected.' But of the
other cubit, ' the pyramid and the famous marble
" Coffer," in the king's chamber (which was doubt-
the Pharaonic pictures of human souls sent back
from heaven to earth, in the bodies of pigs, for far
lighter offences than shortening the national cubit.'
Sir E. Beckett has sought to shorten the pyramid
cubit, which with Smyth is ' the sacred, Hebrew
earth-commensurable, anti-Canite cubit,' a far
heavier offence probably than merely ' shortening
the national cubit.' But after all, it is unfortunately
too true, that if the shorter cubit which Beckett
holds to have been used by the pyramid builders
was not so used, the pyramid does its best to sug-
gest that it was; and if Beckett and those who
follow him (as I do in this respect) are wrong, the
pyramid and not they must be blamed. For, apart
from the trifling detail that the Hebrew cubit of
25 inches is entirely imaginary, 'neither this cubit,
nor any multiple of it, is to be found in a single one
of all Mr. Smyth's multitude of measurements,
except two evidently accidental multiples of it in
the diagonals of two of the four corner sockets in
the rock ; which are not even square, and could
never have been seen again after the pyramid was
built, if the superstructure had not been broken up
and stolen, which was probably the last thing that
Cheops or his architect expected.' But of the
other cubit, ' the pyramid and the famous marble
" Coffer," in the king's chamber (which was doubt-