than the houses of men, but not otherwise differing
from them. It was built on a site slightly raised above the level of
the plain, so as to be safe from the inundation, and where there was no
natural mound, the want was supplied by raising a rectangular platform
of earth. A layer of sand spread uniformly on the sub-soil provided
against settlements or infiltration, and formed a bed for the
foundations of the building.[*]

* This custom lasted into Graeco-Roman times, and was part of
the ritual for laying the foundations of a temple. After the
king had dug out the soil on the ground where the temple was
to stand, he spread over the spot sand mixed with pebbles
and precious stones, and upon this he laid the first course
of stone.

This was first of all a single room, circumscribed, gloomy, covered in
by a slightly vaulted roof, and having no opening but the doorway, which
was framed by two tall masts, whence floated streamers to attract from
afar the notice of worshippers; in front of its facade [*] was a court,
fenced in with palisading.

* No Egyptian temples of the first period have come down to
our time, but Herr Erman has very justly remarked that we
have pictures of them in several of the signs denoting the
word _temple_ in texts of the Memphite period.

[Illustration: 167.jpg THE SACRED BULL. 2]

2 A sculptor's model from Tanis, now in the Gizeh Museum,
drawn by Faucher-Gudin from a photograph by Emil Brugsch-
Bey. The sacred marks, as given in the illustration, are
copied from those of similar figures on stelae of the
Serapeum.

Within the temple were pieces of matting, low tables of stone, wood,
or metal, a few utensils for cooking the offerings, a few vessels for
containing the blood, oil, wine, and water with which the god was
every day regaled. As provisions for sacrifice increased, the number of
chambers increased with them, and rooms for flowers, perfumes, stuffs,
precious vessels, and food were grouped around the primitive abode;
until that which had once constituted the whole temple became no more
than its sanctuary. There the god dwelt, not only in spirit but in
body,[*] and the fact that it was incumbent upon him to live in several
cities did not prevent his being present in all of them at once. He
could divide his double, imparting it to as many separate bodies as he
pleased, and these bodies might be human or animal,