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--- Caroline Tully <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > "And perhaps the > Egyptians were practically the only "ancient > society" that people knew > about? Or perhaps the Egyptian aesthetic is so > powerful it just "seemed" > really right to incorporate it into secret society > imagery and costume. > Maybe "Egyptian" was so foreign that it was > something safe to befuddle, it > was distant enough and weird enough that outrageous > claims could be made > about it?..." At that period Western intellectuals would also have known a good deal about at least two other ancient civilisations, India and China. But Egypt had the advantage of being quite, quite extinct, and also apparently static and monolithic. And compact, geographically. Whereas the other two were very complex, with many regional variations and changes over the centuries. I think that must have helped the reputation of Egypt as a source of wisdom. Plus, of course, that some amcient greek writers presented it in that light (Hernes Trismegistus etc) and Victorian intellectuals were powerfully influenced by the greek classics Jacquelien ___________________________________________________________ NEW Yahoo! Cars - sell your car and browse thousands of new and used cars online! http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/