their　ability。　The　Egyptians　called　them　‘‘priests''　and　they
  became　the　guardians　of　his　thoughts　and　gained　great　respect
  in　the　community。　They　were　highly　learned　men　who　were
  entrusted　with　the　sacred　task　of　keeping　the　written　records。
  They　understood　that　it　is　not　good　for　man　to　think　only　of
  his　immediate　advantage　in　this　world　and　they　drew　his　attention
  to　the　days　of　the　future　when　his　soul　would　dwell
  beyond　the　mountains　of　the　west　and　must　give　an　account
  of　his　deeds　to　Osiris；　the　mighty　God　who　was　the　Ruler　of
  the　Living　and　the　Dead　and　who　judged　the　acts　of　men
  according　to　their　merits。　Indeed；　the　priests　made　so　much
  of　that　future　day　in　the　realm　of　Isis　and　Osiris　that　the
  Egyptians　began　to　regard　life　merely　as　a　short　preparation
  for　the　Hereafter　and　turned　the　teeming　valley　of　the　Nile
  into　a　land　devoted　to　the　Dead。
  In　a　strange　way；　the　Egyptians　had　come　to　believe　that
  no　soul　could　enter　the　realm　of　Osiris　without　the　possession
  of　the　body　which　had　been　its　place　of　residence　in　this　world。
  Therefore　as　soon　as　a　man　was　dead　his　relatives　took　his
  corpse　and　had　it　embalmed。　For　weeks　it　was　soaked　in　a
  solution　of　natron　and　then　it　was　filled　with　pitch。　The
  Persian　word　for　pitch　was　‘‘Mumiai''　and　the　embalmed　body
  was　called　a　‘‘Mummy。''　It　was　wrapped　in　yards　and　yards
  of　specially　prepared　linen　and　it　was　placed　in　a　specially
  prepared　coffin　ready　to　be　removed　to　its　final　home。　But
  an　Egyptian　grave　was　a　real　home　where　the　body　was　surrounded
  by　pieces　of　furniture　and　musical　instruments　（to
  while　away　the　dreary　hours　of　waiting）　and　by　little　statues
  of　cooks　and　bakers　and　barbers　（that　the　occupant　of　this
  dark　home　might　be　decently　provided　with　food　and　need　not
  go　about　unshaven）。
  Originally　these　graves　had　been　dug　into　the　rocks　of　the
  western　mountains　but　as　the　Egyptians　moved　northward
  they　were　obliged　to　build　their　cemeteries　in　the　desert。　The
  desert　however　is　full　of　wild　animals　and　equally　wild　robbers
  and　they　broke　into　the　graves　and　disturbed　the　mummy　or
  stole　the　jewelry　that　had　been　buried　with　the　body。　To　prevent
  such　unholy　desecration　the　Egyptians　used　to　build　small
  mounds　of　stones　on　top　of　the　graves。　These　little　mounds
  gradually　grew　in　size；　because　the　rich　people　built　higher
  mounds　than　the　poor　and　there　was　a　good　deal　of　competition
  to　see　who　could　make　the　highest　hill　of　stones。　The
  record　was　made　by　King　Khufu；　whom　the　Greeks　called
  Cheops　and　who　lived　thirty　centuries　before　our　era。　His
  mound；　which　the　Greeks　called　a　pyramid　（because　the
  Egyptian　word　for　high　was　pir…em…us）　was　over　five　hundred
  feet　high。
  It　covered　more　than　thirteen　acres　of　desert　which　is　three
  times　as　much　space　as　that　occupied　by　the　church　of　St。
  Peter；　the　largest　edifice　of　the　Christian　world。
  During　twenty　years；　over　a　hundred　thousand　men　were
  busy　carrying　the　necessary　stones　from　the　other　side　of　the
  riverferrying　them　across　the　Nile　（how　they　ever　managed
  to　do　this；　we　do　not　understand）；　dragging　them　in　many　instances
  a　long　distance　across　the　desert　and　finally　hoisting
  them　into　their　correct　position。　But　so　well　did　the　King's
  architects　and　engineers　perform　their　task　that　the　narrow
  passage…way　which　leads　to　the　royal　tomb　in　the　heart　of　the
  stone　monster　has　never　yet　been　pushed　out　of　shape　by　the
  weight　of　those　thousands　of　tons　of　stone　which　press　upon
  it　from　all　sides。
  THE　STORY　OF　EGYPT
  THE　RISE　AND　FALL　OF　EGYPT
  THE　river　Nile　was　a　kind　friend　but　occasionally　it　was
  a　hard　taskmaster。　It　taught　the　people　who　lived　along　its
  banks　the　noble　art　of　‘‘team…work。''　They　depended　upon
  each　other　to　build　their　irrigation　trenches　and　keep　their
  dikes　in　repair。　In　this　way　they　learned　how　to　get　along
  with　their　neighbours　and　their　mutual…benefit…association　quite
  easily　developed　into　an　organised　state。
  Then　one　man　grew　more　powerful　than　most　of　his　neighbours
  and　he　became　the　leader　of　the　community　and　their
  commander…in…chief　when　the　envious　neighbours　of　western
  Asia　invaded　the　prosperous　valley。　In　due　course　of　time
  he　became　their　King　and　ruled　all　the　land　from　the　Mediterranean
  to　the　mountains　of　the　west。
  But　these　political　adventures　of　the　old　Pharaohs　（the
  word　meant　‘‘the　Man　who　lived　in　the　Big　House''）　rarely
  interested　the　patient　and　toiling　peasant　of　the　grain　fields。
  Provided　he　was　not　obliged　to　pay　more　taxes　to　his　King
  than　he　thought　just；　he　accepted　the　rule　of　Pharaoh　as　he
  accepted　the　rule　of　Mighty　Osiris。
  It　was　different　however　when　a　foreign　invader　came
  and　robbed　him　of　his　possessions。　After　twenty　centuries　of
  independent　life；　a　savage　Arab　tribe　of　shepherds；　called　the
  Hyksos；　attacked　Egypt　and　for　five　hundred　years　they　were
  the　masters　of　the　valley　of　the　Nile。　They　were　highly　un…
  popular　and　great　hate　was　also　felt　for　the　Hebrews　who
  came　to　the　land　of　Goshen　to　find　a　shelter　after　their　long
  wandering　through　the　desert　and　who　helped　the　foreign
  usurper　by　acting　as　his　tax…gatherers　and　his　civil　servants。
  But　shortly　after　the　year　1700　B。C。　the　people　of　Thebes
  began　a　revolution　and　after　a　long　struggle　the　Hyksos　were
  driven　out　of　the　country　and　Egypt　was　free　once　more。
  A　thousand　years　later；　when　Assyria　conquered　all　of
  western　Asia；　Egypt　became　part　of　the　empire　of　Sardanapalus。
  In　the　seventh　century　B。C。　it　became　once　more　an
  independent　state　which　obeyed　the　rule　of　a　king　who　lived　in
  the　city　of　Sais　in　the　Delta　of　the　Nile。　But　in　the　year　525
  B。C。；　Cambyses；　the　king　of　the　Persians；　took　possession　of
  Egypt　and　in　the　fourth　century　B。C。；　when　Persia　was　conquered
  by　Alexander　the　Great；　Egypt　too　became　a　Macedonian
  province。　It　regained　a　semblance　of　independence
  when　one　of　Alexander's　generals　set　himself　up　as　king　of　a
  new　Egyptian　state　and　founded　the　dynasty　of　the　Ptolemies；
  who　resided　in　the　newly　built　city　of　Alexandria。
  Finally；　in　the　year　89　B。C。；　the　Romans　came。　The　last
  Egyptian　queen；　Cleopatra；　tried　her　best　to　save　the　country。
  Her　beauty　and　charm　were　more　dangerous　to　the　Roman
  generals　than　half　a　dozen　Egyptian　army　corps。　Twice　she
  was　successful　in　her　attacks　upon　the　hearts　of　her　Roman
  conquerors。　But　in　the　year　30　B。C。；　Augustus；　the　nephew
  and　heir　of　Caesar；　landed　in　Alexandria。　He　did　not　share
  his　late　uncle's　admiration　for　the　lovely　princess。　He　destroyed
  her　armies；　but　spared　her　life　that　he　might　make　her
  march　in　his　triumph　as　part　of　the　spoils　of　war。　When
  Cleopatra　heard　of　this　plan；　she　killed　herself　by　taking　poison。
  And　Egypt　became　a　Roman　province。
  MESOPOTAMIA
  MESOPOTAMIATHE　SECOND　CENTRE　OF
  EASTERN　CIVILISATION
  I　AM　going　to　take　you　to　the　top　of　the　highest　pyramid
  and　I　am　going　to　ask　that　you　imagine　yourself　possessed
  of　the　eyes　of　a　hawk。　Way；　way　off；　in　the　distance；　far
  beyond　the　yellow　sands　of　the　desert；　you　will　see　something
  green　and　shimmering。　It　is　a　valley　situated　between　two
  rivers。　It　is　the　Paradise　of　the　Old　Testament。　It　is　the
  land　of　mystery　and　wonder　which　the　Greeks　called　Mesopotamia
  the　‘‘country　between　the　rivers。''
  The　names　of　the　two　rivers　are　the　Euphrates　（which　the
  Babylonians　called　the　Purattu）　and　the　Tigris　（which　was
  known　as　the　Diklat）。　They　begin　their　course　amidst　the
  snows　of　the　mountains　of　Armenia　where　Noah's　Ark　found
  a　resting　place　and　slowly　they　flow　through　the　southern
  plain　until　they　reach　the　muddy　banks　of　the　Persian　gulf。
  They　perform　a　very　useful　service。　They　turn　the　arid
  regions　of　western　Asia　into　a　fertile　garden。
  The　valley　of　the　Nile　had　attracted　people　because　it　had
  offered　them　food　upon　fairly　easy　terms。　The　‘‘land　between
  the　rivers''　was　popular　for　the　same　reason。　It　was　a
  country　full　of　promise　and　both　the　inhabitants　of　the　northern
  mountains　and　the　tribes　which　roamed　through　the
  southern　deserts　tried　to　claim　this　territory　as　their　own　and
  most　exclusive　possession。　The　constant　rivalry　between　the
  mountaineers　and　the　desert…nomads　led　to　endless　warfare。
  Only　the　strongest　and　the　bravest　could　hope　to　survive　and
  that　will　explain　why　Mesopotamia　became　the　home　of　a　very
  strong　race　of　men　who　were　capable　of　creating　a　civilisation
  which　was　in　every　respect　as　important　as　that　of　Egypt。
  THE　SUMERIANS
  THE　SUMERIAN　NAIL　WRITERS；　WHOSE　CLAY
  TABLETS　TELL　US　THE　STORY　OF　ASSYRIA
  AND　BABYLONIA；　THE　GREAT　SEMITIC
  MELTING…POT
  THE　fifteenth　century　was　an　age　of　great　discoveries。
  Columbus　tried　to　find　a　way　to　the　island　of　Kathay　and
  stumbled　upon　a　new　and　unsuspected　continent。　An　Austrian
  bishop　equipped　an　expedition　which　was　to　travel　eastward
  and　find　the　ho