ANCIENT EGYPT: A MAGNIFICENT CIVILIZATION - II

A Construction Technology Full of Secrets

The most important structures built in Ancient Egypt, which visitors today still gaze at in wonder, are the mysterious pyramids. The most magnificent of these if the Great Pyramid, regarded as the largest stone edifice constructed in the world to date. Various theories as to how this pyramid was built have been put forward by historians and archeologists since the time of Herodotus. Some people have maintained that slaves were used in the construction of the pyramid and that several different techniques were employed, from the ramp technique to a terraced pyramid. The picture that emerges from these methods is this:

- If this pyramid had been built by slaves, then the number of slaves working on it would be extraordinarily high, in the region of 240,000.
- If there were a ramp built to construct the pyramid, then it would have taken some eight years to dismantle the ramp after the pyramid had been completed. This, according to the Danish civil engineer Garde-Hanson, is a ridiculous theory, because once the ramp had been torn down giant rough blocks would have been left over, which we could see everywhere around. Yet no such evidence is to be seen anywhere. i

Stating that Garde-Hanson has considered aspects underestimated by other theoreticians, Moustafa Gadalla, in his book Historical Deception: The Untold Story of Ancient Egypt, goes on to say:

Try to visualize the staggering figures as you visit the pyramid: 4,000 year-round quarrymen producing 330 blocks per day. During inundation season, 4,000 blocks per day are transported to the Nile, ferried across, hauled up the ramp to the Giza plateau, and set into place in the core – a rate of 6.67 blocks per minute! Imagine 6.67 blocks every 60 seconds!!! ii

- In addition to all this, bearing in mind the fact that the surface area of each of the pyramid’s faces is some 5.5 acres, then some 115,000 casing stones were needed for each surface. These stones have been so scrupulously laid in place that the gaps between them are too small even to permit a piece of paper to fit between them. iii

All this is some of the information that shows that the secrets regarding the construction of the pyramids have still not been resolved by modern science and technology.

Striking facts about the Pyramid of Giza

Some of the mathematical research onto the pyramids at Giza has shown that the Ancient Egyptians possessed a highly developed knowledge of mathematics and geometry. According to these calculations, in addition to their knowledge of mathematics and geometry, the people who planned the pyramids must also have known about the measurements of the Earth, its circumference, its axis, and the angle of tilt of that axis. This information about the pyramids, the construction of which began around 2500 BC, is even more striking when one considers that they were built some 2000 years before the great mathematicians Pythagorus, Archimedes and Euclid:

- The angles of the Great Pyramid divides the Nile delta into two equal halves.
- The three pyramids at Giza have been arranged so as to make a Pythagorean triangle, forming sides with ratios of 3-4-5.
- The ratio between the height of the pyramid and its circumference is equivalent to that between the radius of a circle and its circumference.
- The pyramid is a giant solar clock. The shadows it casts between the middle of October and the beginning of March show the seasons and the length of the year. The length of the stone pillars around the pyramid is equivalent to the length of one day’s shadow.
- The length of a normal side of the rectangular base of the pyramid is equivalent to 365.342 Egyptian cubits (a unit of measurement of the time). This is very close to the number of days in a solar year (this has been calculated at 365.224 days).
- The distance between the Great Pyramid and the center of the Earth is equivalent to that between the North Pole and the pyramid.
- In the pyramid, the ratio of the height to twice the length of the base is the number Pi.
- The total surface area of the four faces of the pyramid is equal to the square of its height. iv

If One Wished to Rebuild the Pyramids…

In 1978 the Indiana Limestone Institute of America Inc. (the largest and most expert body in the world regarding limestone) carried out a study regarding what size workforce and what kind of materials would be needed if one were to build a pyramid similar to the Great Pyramid. The result was thought-provoking. The company officials described the difficulty involved: They note that if they raise the potential force to the maximum, which means raising present-day production three-fold, quarrying and transferring such a quantity of limestone would take 27 years. In addition, all this work can be done using advanced American technology, in other words hydraulic hammers and electrical crystal-headed saws. This enormous effort will be used solely to quarry and transport the limestone. This does not include the laboratory tests necessary for the building of the Great Pyramid, nor other such preparatory work. v

So how were these giant pyramids built in Ancient Egypt? By what power, with what machinery, by what techniques were the rock terraces set out? By what means were the rock tombs carved out? How was lighting provided during construction? (No staining or soot has been found on the walls or ceilings of the pyramids and tombs.) How were blocks of stone removed from the quarries, and how were the different shaped faces of the blocks arranged? How were these blocks, weighing several tons, transported, and how were they put together to an accuracy of 1/1000 of a centimeter? The list of questions could be a lot longer. Can these questions be answered in a logical and rational way through the evolutionist misconception of the history of mankind? Of course, not.

With its art, medicine and culture, Ancient Egypt was a giant civilization. The works left behind by the Ancient Egyptians, the medical therapies they used and the accumulated knowledge and experience they possessed are some of the most important proofs of this. Some scientists today are even able to claim that the works produced by the Egyptians, for whom, according to the evolution of history thesis, the building of the pyramids must have been exceedingly difficult, were actually made by beings from space.

Of course the claim that “ visitors from space built the pyramids” is an exceptionally irrational and illogical one that evolutionists hide behind since even with all their demagoguery they are unable to provide a better explanation. First and foremost, there is not the slightest evidence to support this claim. When evolutionists realize that they cannot produce an explanation based on chance or the evolutionary process, they immediately hide behind the idea of “visitors from space.” Indeed, they came up with this ridiculous claim when they realized that the DNA in the cell nucleus and the first protein, which represents the fundamental building block of life, had far too complex and extraordinary a structure to have come about by chance from inanimate substances: “visitors from space brought the fist living organism to the Earth and left it behind.” The ridiculous nature of this claim, which is put forward by various evolutionist scientists, is of course one of the signs of the despairing position they find themselves in.

The civilization in Egypt and all the other civilizations down the course of history were all founded by people possessed of reason and will. We today express our amazement when we examine artifacts dating back to 3000 BC, and scientists and experts in the field debate and research how these could have been brought into existence. But what really matters is this: the civilization of 5000 years ago, the traces of which can be seen in Egypt today, was of course built with the experience and knowledge accumulated over thousands of years. In other words, the roots of this civilization go even further back. Therefore, in the very earliest times there were no primitive, half-animal humans lacking the power of speech, and living solely by hunting, as is claimed by evolutionists and other believers in the evolution of history. Ever since the first human being was created, man has had the same human characteristics, such as intelligence, conception of beauty, understanding, consciousness and moral values, as modern man today.

ANCIENT EGYPT: A MAGNIFICENT CIVILIZATION - I

Ancient Egypt is one of the most magnificent civilizations founded by man thousands of years ago. The Ancient Egyptians attained very high levels of medicine, science and art, and left hundreds of works behind them. They possessed more knowledge and experience than would have been possible were they the continuation of a primitive society. The levels achieved by the Egyptians have still not been achieved in many parts of the world today. In various parts of Africa, certain regions of South America, and various parts of Asia, and even in Egypt itself, a life way beyond the general level of civilization is still led. The civilization of Ancient Egypt, which registered such great successes in medicine, especially anatomy, urban planning, architecture, fine arts and textiles, is today studied by scientists with great awe and amazement.

The Origin of Medicine in Ancient Egypt

The level of development achieved by medicine in Ancient Egypt is quite amazing. Findings obtained from excavations have amazed both archaeologists and many historians because no historian expected such a highly developed technology in a civilization that existed in the 3000s BC.

It has been revealed, using X-ray analysis of mummies, that brain surgery was performed in Ancient Egypt. i What is more, these operations were carried out using highly professional techniques. When mummy skulls that underwent surgery are examined it can be seen that the sites of the surgery have been cut very neatly. Skull bones that have fused back together have been found, proving that these people survived after such operations. ii

Another example concerns various medicines. Giant strides were made in medicine in the 19th century due to the rapid progress made in experimental science. The discovery of antibiotics was one of the greatest advances made in that century. Yet the word “discovery” is not strictly accurate, because many of these techniques had already been known to the Ancient Egyptians. iii

One of the most important works showing just how advanced the Egyptians were in science and anatomy is without doubt the mummies they left behind them. The Egyptians used hundreds of different techniques in the process of mummification.

The mummification process that permits the bodies of living things to be preserved for thousands of years is actually a highly complex one. In essence, the technique employed by the Egyptians is this:

Firstly, the brain and some of the internal organs of the deceased were removed using special instruments. The next stage in the mummification procedure involved dehydrating the body for 40 days with natron. (Natron is a mineral salt, primarily a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate with small amounts of sodium chloride and sodium sulfate.) The excess body fluids were drained away and then the body cavity was stuffed with linen, sand or sawdust. The skin was anointed with special herbal preparations and then coated with molten resin to further preserve it. Finally the body was carefully wrapped in linen bandages. iv

The Egyptians’ mummification techniques were applied not only to human beings but also to animals. Archaeological findings and mummification techniques in particular show that medicine in Ancient Egypt was highly advanced. In addition, it must not be forgotten that mummification, carried out without damaging the shape of the body and by extracting all the deceased’s internal organs, shows that the people who performed it possessed a sufficient knowledge of anatomy to know to position of all the various organs.

Many medical techniques and implements used by the Egyptians 5000 years ago apart from for mummification have also been unearthed during excavations. The details of these may be listed as follows:

- The priests involved in medicine in Egypt treated all kinds of disease in their temples. Just as today, Egyptian doctors specialized in various fields of medicine. Every doctor had his own branch. Expert physicians in provided services, from eye doctors to dentists.

- Doctors in Egypt were supervised by the state. If the patient failed to recover or died, the state would investigate the reasons and determine whether or not the method of treatment employed by the doctor conformed to the rules. If any oversight had taken place during treatment this was identified and doctors punished within the framework of the law.

- Every temple possessed a well-equipped laboratory in which medicines were prepared and stored.

- The first steps in pharmacology and examples of the use of bandages and compresses go back to Ancient Egyptian times. The Smith Papyrus described how adhesive strips made out of linen were used to heal wounds. Linen was also an ideal material for making bandages.

- Archaeological findings have revealed a detailed picture of medical practices. In addition, the names and titles of more than 100 doctors specializing in their own fields have been discovered.

- A cavity was made in a relief on the wall of another temple in Kom Ombo and a box of surgical instruments placed inside it. This box contained a pair of large metal scissors, surgical knives, saws, probes, spatulas, small hooks and pincers.

- The techniques employed were numerous and varied. Breaks and fractures were set together, splints employed and wounds closed up with stitches. Breaks treated with great success can be found in most mummies.

- Although no trace of surgical sutures has been found in mummies there are 13 references to wound suturing in the Smith Papyrus (which is wholly concerned with medicine). This indicates that the Egyptians managed proper wound suturing, in which a linen thread was employed. The needles were in all probability made out of copper.

- Egyptian doctors were able to distinguish between sterile wounds and infected ones. They used a mixture of goat fat, fir oil and crushed peas to clean infected wounds.

- The discovery of penicillin and antibiotics was made relatively recently. However, the Ancient Egyptians used the first organic versions of these therapies. In addition, the Egyptians were familiar with different types of antibiotic. They wrote prescriptions suited to various types of disease. v

As we have seen, Egyptian civilization took major strides forward in the field of medicine, developing methods of treatment and training expert doctors. In addition to these successes in medicine, excavations have also revealed that the Egyptians were very interested in such subjects as urban planning and architecture.

An Advanced Level of Mathematics

Numbers were used in Ancient Egypt from very early times. Papyruses from 2000 BC that describe mathematical problems have been found. These documents are known as the Kahun, Berlin and Rhind papyruses. These documents state, with examples, the bases on which measurements are made. The Egyptians made use of Pythagorus’s Theorem, and knew that a triangle whose sides measure 3-4-5 is a right-angle triangle, in their construction measurements. vi

In addition, the Egyptians knew the difference between planets and stars. They added the stars, which are very hard to see, to their studies of astronomy.

On the other hand, since the Egyptians’ lives were dependent on the rising and falling of the Nile, they constantly had to measure and check it. Their ruler had a “Nilometer” made to record the rise and fall of the waters of the Nile, and appointed officials for the purpose.vii

The Egyptians’ knowledge of medicine, urban planning, and engineering and how it should be put into practice are just a few of the proofs that they possessed an exceptionally advanced civilization. This knowledge and the measures they implemented once again overturn the thesis, advocated by evolutionists, that “societies progress from a primitive state to a civilized one.” A society that existed 5000 years ago possessed a more advanced level of civilization than some communities living in the same place in our own day: that is something that cannot be explained in terms of evolution. There is also no doubt that at the time when the Egyptians were enjoying that advanced civilization there were more backward civilizations and people living in more primitive conditions in other parts of the world. Yet none of these had any less-then-human- features, nor any supposedly ape-like ones. The Ancient Egyptians, other people living in primitive conditions at the same period as them and human communities that existed hundreds of thousands of years ago, as well as modern man, have all been entirely human in all respects. Some communities may have lived in more advanced conditions and others in more backward ones, but this does not show, as Darwinists maintain, that they are a species descended from animals or that one group evolved from another. Such an interpretation is a violation of reason and logic.