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Show s ca.o j. e.s sjr?22SrtSZrS.aji-ES-ti?- t w. sm u i . Church Department THE DESERET NEWS, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 19S5 as Joseph Smith nt) i I iContluued Pren Put ( copy of orne far older original. In 4hiX particular, it would have a parallel In the previously mentioned Precepts of PUh Hotrp, commonly knowp as Uia oldest book in the world," claunin origin t in the reign of a Fifth Dynasty king named last, at or about 3350 B. a; first discovered in e tomb of the Eleventh Dynasty, six or eighth centuries later, and afterward found often in edited and : .modern tied" renderings. All that we need insist upon is that oven if this drawing is evidently of a later data than that claimed for the book.' the t element of humor persists, in the fact that the latest expression for the contempt and asserted futility of heathenism is completely utilized. For, although the Egyptian belief was that the viscera of the deceased, placed In Jars stopped with the heads of prominent funerary deiUes as they came to he regarded in later times was that they ware sufficiently protected. no more complete example of futility could appeal to convinced Abrehamite than seeking such protection from the gods of the four quarters, rather than from the God of Heaven and Earth. No matter, then, whet the date of this drawing may be. the meaning which it Implies, after the 'manner of . . . hieroglyphics (i. typically or figuratively), may still be consistently derived. , It applies to the other elements, as we have . r shown; it applies here also, j In this same connection, "(her are two further facta which should be noticed. The first is that, while the figures. 6, . 7. 8, suggest common. or familiar, scenes, that numbered 9 is unfamiliar in the Same juxtaposition. There may be examples In which it occurs, but wc have been unable to find them hitherto. Consequently, we may call attention to the apparent fact that we have here, not merely four gods, with seemingly incongruous associations, but five, in unfamiliar groupThe second feet is that, in regard to these gods, the claim ing. is made specifically that they are ehown "hieroglyph icaHy." even though, ax we, have argued, the same significance seems to apply to the whole of the drawing. j j The first fact that appeats to the reader in regard to theee'four go; is," is that they have unusual, and seemingly unrecognizable, names Elkenah, Lihnah, Mahmarkrah and Korash. While these names, so Tar as their forms extend, may be said to suggest Semitic derive- tiorts, none of (hem seems to be vowied in accord with kites recognized in forming derivatives, and one of them, the third, hag Uia t combination, ck, which must embarrass a quest for originals stilt further. Such condition could result, of course, from simple fabrics! ijin, on the basis of some knowledge of Semitic forrtls and sounds. It is equally consistent, however, with the taim the names, as written in Egyptian characters, or even in Phoenician or Hebrew letters, wit bout vowel indications, are liable to be rendered with uncertainty, or even incorrectness. Nor need we go further than to repeat the very generally accepted fact that, apart from the consonant elements of Egyptian words, we have no certainties in regard to actual i pronunciations. Indeed, it is entirely probable that an ancient Etryp- tian would be unable to understand bis own language, as it is rendered by oven the closest approaches that modern scholarship has been t able to achieve, even with the best analogies from Coptic, Greek, and other rendering. And the same condition Would apply to foreign . , words, if written in Egyptian, characters. If, accordingly, we write these four names, with their consonants only, as they must "have appealed, if In an Egypt an text, we shall find eome suggestive approximations. This, ip effect, we have done already with the first of them, Elkenah, and have suggested that, on the basis of Semitic resemblances; it may have the meaning of god- or "creator Wa bava seen, also, jMisaesser." or even that he seems "to tie Identified with the god of Shegreel." who, In turn, is said to' be the sun. We have noted that such identifioa- turns, if such we may call thorn, are eminently consistent with the terms of the story iold in the text. The second name, Lihnah, gives us the consonants. lbnh, and no distant association with the root apparant in the Hebrew as Iben, meaning primarily, to be whitjj," from Which pome the derivatives, llbnuh, whiteness, lebrnah, brick or "tile (probably white like porcelain, or so4 called because a secondary meaning of the verta is "to make brick"), Wise lebaaah, the while one," a designation for the moon in several poetical passages of the Old Testament Song Vi. ' 10; lea. xxlv, 2S, xxxi 2d). Here again we seem to have eome Migges-tin- n . f, of consistence. J j The third name, Mabmackrah, k not so obvious, but if we take the f ck" as indicative of pronunciation for either jk (Uph) or q (Qoph), we may suspect that tbo- - word mh is combined with; or precedes some derivative suggested by the second end third syllable. Thus, we have in Hebrew, surb a word as mekrreh, usually rendered to pierce," etc.; "sword. from a root seeming to mean "to bore, a calling together," from the root, qara, also mlqerah, assembly," to call," or meqerah, from the root, qarer, "to be coot." etc. The nearest significance for the word, all, k that found in the Hebrew, meah, a hundred, which would enable ns to suspect some such , meaning as "hundred swords, "hundred assemblies," or hundred coolings" (for the word commonly precedes nouns in the singular tiuniber. imparting a plural meaning). Either erf these combinations could be held fo be fitting designation far the heathen god of the Stars, or the host of heaven." The god of hundred assembly" cojuld be compered with.'or regarded as s variation of such an expression as is familiar in the Scriptures, Lord of Tsabaoth, which So far as ueb possible mesntngs indicates ruleri of the hosts, j j ! er, l - j ", f Translator d. may be held to be properly representative of sueli a rendering as.we find in Uie text and caption of the book before us, we tuay claim ' that we have a third, and striking, consistency. In the fourth name. Korasb, if It Is taken as consistently Semitic We have the seme problem as to the value of (he initial k," If we take ttiis tetter to reprirtenl haph, we might refer it to the Hebrew root,' Wnrash, to bend ojr curve," whence the derivative, Verenh, the belly" (reminding us bf the Scriptural denunciation, Wilt, ii, to, of people who make this member their god"). If o select Aytn, we' n Scripture, orarti, having e meaning like to( find the root, unu-e- d build or erect," whose nearest active derivative is eresh, bed or couch, indicating, perhaps, ease, idleness, luxury." With Khcth, we find the verb, khnrarti, "to cut or giave." with a secondary meaning, to plough;" whence the derivatives, Mtorash, artificer, workmen, engraver, klieresh, product of work" in general, and khorexh, forest." With Glmel, we find onrush, to put forth" (as of fruit, produce, particularly of the etc.), whence the derivative, selection between" those earth. In these several verbs we have signifying the production of lifes necessities, as in agriculture, etc, and those signifying, jin general, their 'enjoyment, or the advantages of fortune and leisure. We Incline to the bbiief that an average .of meaning may be derived, which is not l be called inconsistent" with the meanings of .the other names herewith. Indeed, s pantheon Consisting principally pf the gods of the sun, moon, stars end human industry, particularly agriruHn re, la by no means improbable or unprecedented. i ' Next week will be Pert III, Illustrations to the Book of Abraham. Says The Old .Yellow (Continued From Page One) here next spring, by be first March If poeulble, so authorities. After assisting in or- - j battalion and accom- -f enlisted brethren as Leavenworth, he re-- " hte duties as mission president In the eaa Warn That Tim On It was in 1ZSZ, after a diligent half decade of labor aa at missionary,- that he arrived In Bait Lake the second time. From that time on he gave hie life's services to tbo establishment of the Church in Its new home and to tha building up of the community that bees me the ' sovereign elate of Utah. He hold responsible positions in the Church io hie piece in the Presiding having been mentioned. Ho woo celled by President Young to seek out colonising sites for the gathering Saints, On thin call ha designated settlement In ("ache Valley where today are thriving cities end communities. In Balt Lake he wee the first city fire chief, the first city marshal and the first city sexton. Ho established a settlement of Littleton, near Morgan, and after a tong llfg of dvveed Church and civic activi, ties tn Balt Lake, ho established home la Morgan, but kept hia acIn Belt Lake till the last, lie tivities died Dec. 14. Kit, honored for fa the faith he aa unwavering life had espoused and pa a valiant ser-va-nt f (led. ganixing the panylng the far aa Fort returned to o; with ua, and aunt 1 the war for th Bain mar have a home to President young, wish with him in the sprli as possible to accompany him the journey." The Next Spring Early the next spring, Elder Lit tie left hle wife, and two chlldre; and aet out on the mile Journey to Join the pionoei The wky was rough and the Ing was alow. Elder Little arrtvi od at Winter Quarters Juet after the first pioneer company bad do parted. But he tarried not, he took the trail and neertoole President Toung and the west bound company only seventy mile along the trail, and was enrolled aa a member of the first company to cross the plains. History records that Journey and the arrival of the intrepid hand in the valley of the Urfat Halt Lake. It records1 that Elder Little was In the advance guard as the company neared the valley and wo among the first groan of nine that entered the valley ahead of the main company. thrve-thous- i -- Bieh-opr- en j BRIGHAM-YOUNG- - I Beck Kant Ho returned that full to Winter Quarters with President Young and others and was commissioned again to resume Ms presidency of the Eastern Male branch f the Church. A letter ntgned by President Young, dated at Winter Uuar tern. Nov. 4, Hit. addressed to the ttuint In the Esstem and Middle Plates apprises them of Elder It bears Little's testimony that Col. Little has most faithfully borne eft every trust committed to his cam In our camp durtnr the long and tedious Joumey in searching out a location tor the paints, and sometimes seen at the risk of lire " And oontlnuent "Elder Little will call wle and Judicious elders to hie assistance when sod where find it necessary ts hie presidency and wa Invtto yes to upheld end sustain Mm by your faun And prayers.,,- - Follow then Ms counsel and you shall bo blessed, you shall prosper, and wp will see you. In a land of peace." Leitefc -- The Man and His Work , (Continued From Pago Four) also will they offer up devotion to , the throne of grace, Bounteous Land la ended. The troupe and wo withdrawn, tn our oomfnrtahlo returned have homed: Our trees are loaded wMB fruit. Wo have the bent country In the world for vegetable Our crop are most nbundaaL Wheat l onr At many timee wo maple grain l , l -- Mormon RaMalVrm was while Elder Little was filling his first call as presides of the Eastern States branches of the Church, history record, that he learned while on a visit to Washington, D C., from President James K. Polk, the Intention of tha government to raise a battalion bf men to march to California. On hearing tht. Elder Litshe tle started Immediately , for Nau-vocamps of th Faints by a ay of to confer with (he Church It o, tA have harvested three crops front one sowing, by what we call volur-tar-y wheat springing up the second and third season. AKbongh I have been In this valley only eleven 1 have had peaches aeyen . years, years, and this year wilt have an abundance of applun for family aw. We've apricots, almond trass, plume, cherries, and the finest gee pee I have seen; they grow In from eight bunches. weighing ounces to two pounds 1 have a fine family of boys and girls s part of whom are married. I have fifteen Itvtng, end two rdead, grand children.- Present my warmest regards to I your tether and Me family. yen fa let one know realty dartre are where they living, and how ted they are situs BRIO HAM TOUNt (To he continued) |