I am Osimanduas King of Kings; if any would know how great I am, and where I lye, let him excel me in any of my Works.
There was likewise at this Second Gate, another Statue of his Mother, by her self, of one Stone, Twenty Cubits in height; upon her Head were plac'd Three Crowns, to denote she was both the Daughter, Wife and Mother of a King. Near to this Portico they say there was another Gallery or Piazzo, more remarkable than the former, in which were various Sculptures representing his Wars with the Bactrians, who had revolted from him, against whom (it's said) he march'd with Four Hundred Thousand Foot, and Twenty Thousand Horse; which Army he divided into Four Bodies, and appointed his Sons Generals of the whole.
In the first Wall might be seen the King assaulting a Bulwark, inviron'd with the River, and fighting at the Head of his Men against some that make up against him, assisted with a Lion in a terrible manner, which some affirm is to be taken of a true and real Lion, which the King bred up tame, which went along with him in all his Wars, and by his great strength ever put the Enemy to flight. Others make this Construction of it, that the King being a Man of extraordinary Courage and strength, he was willing to trumpet forth his own praises, setting forth the Bravery of his own Spirit, by the representation of a Lion.
In the Second Wall was carv'd the Captives dragg'd after the King, represented without Hands and Privy Members; which was to signifie that they were of effeminate Spirits, and had no Hands when they came to fight.
The Third Wall represented all sorts of Sculptures and curious Images, in which were set forth the King's sacrificing of Oxen, and his Triumphs in that War.
In the middle of the Peristylion, open to the Air at the top, was rear'd an Altar of shining Marble, of excellent Workmanship, and for largeness to be admir'd.
In the last Wall were Two Statues, each of one intire Stone, Seven and Twenty Cubits high: Near to which Three Passages open'd out of the Peristylion, into a stately Room supported with Pillars like to a Theater for Musick; every side of the Theater was Two Hundred Foot Square. In this there were many Statues of Wood, representing the Pleaders and Spectators looking upon the Judges that gave Judgment. Of these there were Thirty carv'd upon one of the Walls. In the middle sat the Chief Justice, with the Image of Truth hanging about his Neck, with his Eyes clos'd, having many Books lying before him: This signify'd that a Judge ought not to take any Bribes, but ought only to regard the Truth and Merits of the Cause.
Next adjoyning was a Gallery full of divers Apartments, in which were all sorts of Delicate Meats ready drest up. Near hereunto is represented the King himself, curiously carv'd and painted in glorious Colours, offering Gold and Silver to the Gods; as much as he yearly receiv'd out of the Gold and Silver Mines. The Sum was there inscrib'd (according to the Rate of Silver) to amount unto Thirty Two Millions of Minas. Next hereunto was the Sacred Library, whereon was inscrib'd these Words, viz. The Cure of the Mind. Adjoyning to this were the Images of all the Gods of Egypt, to every one of whom the King was making Offerings peculiarly belonging to each of them, that Osiris and all his Associates who were plac'd at his Feet, might understand his Piety towards the Gods, and his Righteousness towards Men. Next to the Library was a stately Room, wherein were Twenty Beds to eat upon, richly adorn'd; in this House were the Images of Jupiter and Juno, together with the Kings: And here it's suppos'd the King's Body lies inter'd: Round the Room are many Apartments, wherein are to be seen in curious Painting, all the Beasts that are accounted Sacred in Egypt. Thence are Ascents to the top of the whole Monument of the Sepulcher, which being mounted, appears a Border of Gold round the Tomb of Three Hundred Sixty Five Cubits in Compass, and a Cubit thick; within the Division of every Cubit, were the several Days of the Year ingraven, with the natural rising and setting of the Stars and their Significations, according to the Observations of the Egyptian Astrologers. This Border, they say, was carry'd away by Cambyses and the Persians, when he conquer'd Egypt. In this manner they describe the Sepulcher of King Osimanduas,
The Histories of Herodotus written in 440 BC is considered to be the founding work of history in Western literature. His history included stories and fables but he claimed to have traveled extensively and learned about many countries through direct observation.
The thesis of Stolen Legacy is that the Egyptians created what is wrongly called Greek philosophy. Dr. James argues that the African origin of Greek Philosophy is well known but rarely discussed. Ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus and Diodorus the Sicilian wrote in significant detail about the contributions of Egypt. Egyptian technology and libraries were unmatched and Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato studied there. The contribution of Africa to the intellectual foundation of modern knowledge is tremendous but unacknowledged.
The Library of History by Diodorus the Sicilian is one of the most highly regarded universal histories in antiquities. His work includes the history of Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece and Europe. His book is a must read for research of ancient history.
Bible Study The King James Bible (kjv), World English Bible (web) and Bible in Basic English (bbe) are all examples of public domain books. The King James Bible (kjv) online uses the content from these books and open source software to enhance Bible study capabilities. The site includes the verse of the day, search tools, christian literature and links to related content. It demonstrates the use of open source to create a valuable service.