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Mysteries of the Great Pyramid of Khufu Monuments and burial sites of such great design, size, and architectural precision that to attempt to replicate them today is completely unheard of, but does the great pharaoh Khufu, who later became revered as Re, the sun god, deserve anything less. Just as the Balinese built temples for their gods, so did the Egyptian. Back in the area of around 2575 B. C. - 2134 BC, during the fourth dynasty, and what is known as the old kingdom, the Egyptians built one of the greatest monuments and burial sites ever constructed, The Great Pyramid of Khufu.
The Great Pyramid is one of the greatest accomplishments of ancient Egypt. Many people believe that the pyramids at Giza are the most appealing pyramids ever made (Bahn 245). The Egyptians were very dedicated to their Pharaoh and the effect of time on the Great Pyramid of Khufu. In the Old Kingdom sometime between the years of 2575 BC and 2134 BC, the Egyptians constructed The Great Pyramid.
The Pharaoh Khufu ordered the building of a pyramid of greater dimensions than any other pyramid ever constructed. Allegedly, Khufu's pyramid was built to out do the massive tombs built under Snefrus, his father, reign over the Egyptian Empire. In hope to increase interest in the building of his pyramid, Khufu shut down other temples to divert the interest to his site. Khufu chose to build on the Giza plateau on the East side of the Nile River. Many sources say that the Egyptians used slave labor to construct the huge pyramid for the pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops as he was also called, this was not so.
The pyramid was built by free citizens of Egypt drafted for public work. Using stone cut mostly form a quarry right on the Giza plateau the laborers quarried and hauled the massive blocks of stone to and later even up the pyramid. More on the upward progression later, for now let us concentrate on the materials. Fine white limestone was taken from Tura across the Nile River. The granite used for the kings burial chamber was quarried from Aswan, 400 miles upriver form Giza. The blocks of stone weighed as much as 15 tons as the granite stones were the heaviest.
The total weight of the pyramid 6. 25 million tons and is constructed of about 2, 250, 000 blocks of stone. This feat is almost unheard of today with the use of new machines and techniques for hauling and moving incredibly heavy objects. The construction of the pyramid was flowing smoothly until either Khufu or one of his architects changed his mind and moved the burial chamber from the under ground to the center of the pyramid. Archaeologists suggest that the shifting of the burial chambers took place after Khufu started to be revered as Re, the sun god. Since Res symbol was the ben-ben which was the shape of a pyramid it would only seem appropriate for Khufu-Re to be placed for eternity in the pyramid itself instead of under it as originally planned. The Egyptians used some rather ingenious ways to keep their building project on the perfect side.
The crews would dig connected trenches around the building site and fill the trenches with water. After filling the trenches with water, they would tie a length of rope at equal height onto two sticks. Thus stretching the rope taunt, they could see any unraveled points to fill or level off to keep their base even all-around. Seeing how organized the ancient civilization was proving itself to be, we are not shocked to find that they used a four-way ramp system to haul the blocks of rock to the upper most places of Khufu's pyramid. The system used three ramps that formed three squared off spirals to the top, and one ramp that followed the same form down and off the formation. This gives us four tiers of ramps, a sort of Egyptian highway system of on and off ramps.
To build the Great Pyramid at Giza, a nearby quarry cut stone blocks. They were then dragged through the sand and up steep and long ramps (Berman & Sanchez 556). French architect Henri Chevrier tested the ramp theory with 50 men and a one-ton block of limestone set on a track of wet mud from the Nile river. The results showed that one man harnessed to a rope could move the block on a level surface, 1 not all 50. After possibly what might have taken the entire twenty-three year reign of Khufu, the structure was complete.
Then advancing upward to a second burial chamber that was left incomplete, this chamber is commonly misnamed the Queens Chamber. Then we fall upon a 153 -foot long 28 -foot high tunnel called The Grand Gallery. The Grand Gallery is noted for its ceiling made with tiers and braces. After traveling through The Grand Gallery, we find ourselves in the actual burial chamber of Khufu. The sarcophagus, which is a marvel of engineering in its own right, still stands at the west end of the chamber.
The sarcophagus was crafted from a single block of granite and hollowed out by unknown methods. The burial chamber was actually the third placement designated by Khufu. The burial chamber was designed with six stress-relieving roofs made of granite to support the tons of block over head. This monument of Egyptian architecture and technique covers a landmass of 13. 1 acres.
At the top of the once gold capstone the pyramid stands 482 feet high, now it is 31 feet shorter due to other projects taking stone from the handy source. The sides at the base are an astounding 756 feet long. There is even strange tales and theories about the Egyptians being able to see the future. One theory is from the Scottish astronomer Charles Pizza Smyth.
Smyth believed that the pyramid reflected measures of time and distance that could have then been only from a divine source. The pyramid showed the distance of the sun to the earth when its height in inches is multiplied by 10 to the 9 th power. Ten to nine being the proportion of height to width of the pyramid. Smyth also said that the perimeter of the pyramid equaled 1000 times 365. 2, the number of days in a solar year. Unfortunately, Smyth's measurements were proven wrong by British archaeologist Flinders Petrie. Even thought the construction of the pyramid still has its doubts and theories, we find that the Egyptians used such great accuracy in their techniques that some spots in the pyramid have gaps only about. 002 inches wide.
This is about large enough to squeeze a postcard through. This brings us to another interesting theory, the Orion correlation theory. It has also been speculated that the Great Pyramid lies at in the center of gravity of the continents and the exact center of the entire worlds landmass, dividing it into approximately equal parts. While being the oldest structures on the earth, the pyramid is the most accurately oriented, being constructed at almost exactly due north, south, east, and west.
Modern mans best attempt, the Paris observatory, could not even match that. Suppose we ask the question posed originally: Who built the Pyramid? We have to conclude that it was somebody who was very smart about the Earth and who had technology beyond what we possess nowadays. The Khufu Pyramids designer could also see, and more likely, control, the future. The builder knew when and where the most significant person in history was going to be born and when he was going to die and what affects that would have on the people of our planet.
Could possibly the builder of the Great Pyramid be a space visitor from another planet? Possibly, if we focus on his advanced knowledge. However, being able to see and control the future precisely is what we would recognize as supernatural. Dedication of the interior of the Pyramid to the history of the Jews, prophecy, and especially to the life and death of Christ indicates that the Pyramid must have been designed and built with Supernatural help as a prophetic monument able to endure through the ages, despite millennia of natural and fabricated assaults against it. Sitchin is one of the most famous advocates of astronaut theories of the ancient times, which he believes to be the inhabitants of the 12 th planet of our solar system, a planet, which completes its orbit around the sun only once every 3600 years, and will be close to earth again soon (2013? ). With his idea Sitchin rewrites the pre-history of humankind as we thought to know it.
Sitchin based his theory on the Bible, and more specific: the word Nefilim in the Old Testament. He takes the Bible literally, combining it with his extensive knowledge of the ancient Middle East. Sitchin is persuaded that the aliens will return to Earth. Sitchin has had quite an argument on several matters concerning the pyramid of Khufu.
Perhaps one of the greatest discoveries found around the perimeter of the Great Pyramid is the twin pits that contain funeral boats for Khufu. Today the boat is on display in a special museum along side of the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Time has taken its toll on the Great Pyramid. Unfortunately, we have almost no tombs from the old kingdom left with artifacts and treasures from the nobility that once inhabited them. Khufu's Great Pyramid is unfortunately one that made in the old kingdom, hence it was not well preserved and artifacts are rare. Another fear is that as the pollution progresses it can cause the rocks on the pyramid to erode at a much more rapid pace.
Possible tourism someday will take a toll and start to make the wonderful site deteriorate much more rapidly than it would if we were to just admire from a distance. Ever since archaeologists and scientists have started exploring pyramids, they have found many great pieces of artwork. Explorers found that ancient Egyptians wrote the plans for the shrines on pieces of rock. These rocks were preserved intact. The soil and mud helped to preserve these rocks very well. Artists often etched the tale of the Kings life on the walls of the pyramids (James 96).
Archaeologists often discovered many decorative drawings on the walls of pyramids (Payne 92). Most statues that were guarding the pharaoh were made out of limestone (James 94, 110). The Grand Gallery held many of the late pharaohs treasures. In conclusion, The Great Pyramid has open eyes on the techniques and loyalty of the ancient Egyptian empire. The Egyptians have constructed a piece of history that can only sit on a list of seven, the other six are no longer in existence. This makes the pyramid the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
There will probably never be anything constructed with such raw accuracy and detail without computers and machines. This makes you stop to wonder, How did they do it? The answer to this question can only be partially answered with the information that is available today. Unfortunately, there is not much more known about the mysterious formations given to us by the ancient Egyptians. Perhaps there will never be.
The world can only hope and pray for more information on this civilizations wonderful architecture to emerge and fill our appetites to learn about them. The Great Pyramid is one of the greatest accomplishments of ancient Egypt. The icon of Egyptian architecture and design might not be with us forever, but it will always be an important part of the worlds history. The Great Pyramid will never be forgotten.
Bibliography: Berman, Lawrence M. , & Young-Sanchez, Margaret. Pyramids. The New Book Of Knowledge. 2000. Payne, Elizabeth. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
New York. Random House. 1964. Bahn, Paul G. Archaeology. Mew York. University of Cambridge. 1996.
James, T. G. H. The Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. New York. Henry Z.
Walk, INC. 1972. Sitchin, Zechariah. The Cosmic Code. Bear & Company, 2002
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Research essay sample on Mysteries Of The Great Pyramid Khufu
