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but also on the dwellings of the rich and powerful.?, Sayce. (See DEBIR;
PHOENICIA.)
The ?Book of the Dead? was a collection of prayers and formulae, by the
use of which the souls of the dead were supposed to attain to rest and
peace in the next world. It was composed at various periods from the
earliest time to the Persian conquest. It affords an interesting glimpse into
the religious life and system of belief among the ancient Egyptians. We
learn from it that they believed in the existence of one Supreme Being, the
immortality of the soul, judgement after death, and the resurrection of the
body. It shows, too, a high state of literary activity in Egypt in the time of
Moses. It refers to extensive libraries then existing. That of Ramessium, in
Thebes, e.g., built by Rameses II., contained 20,000 books.
When the Hebrews entered Canaan it is evident that the art of writing was
known to the original inhabitants, as appears, e.g., from the name of the
city Debir having been at first Kirjath-sepher, i.e., the ?city of the book,?
or the ?book town? (Joshua 10:38; 15:15; Judges 1:11).
The first mention of letter-writing is in the time of David (2 Samuel 11:14,
15). Letters are afterwards frequently spoken of (1 Kings 21:8, 9, 11; 2
Kings 10:1, 3, 6, 7; 19:14; 2 Chronicles 21:12-15; 30:1, 6-9, etc.).
Y
Another Bible Timeline fact –>YARN Found only in 1 Kings 10:28, 2 Chronicles 1:16. The Hebrews
word mikveh, i.e., ?a stringing together,? so rendered, rather signifies a
host, or company, or a string of horses. The Authorized Version has:
?And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king?s
merchants received the linen yarn at a price;? but the Revised Version
correctly renders: ?And the horses which Solomon had were brought out
of Egypt; the king?s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a
price.?
Another Bible Timeline fact –>YEAR Hebrews shanah, meaning ?repetition? or ?revolution? (Genesis
1:14; 5:3). Amo
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