he year
27 B.C. a great earthquake brought them abruptly to light. We find
everywhere among the ruins, at the foot of the dislocated gates, or at
the bases of the headless colossal figures, heaps of blocks detached
from the structure, on which can be made out remnants of prayers
addressed to the Disk, scenes of worship, and cartouches of Amenofches
IV., Ai, and Tutankhamon. The work begun by Harmhabi at Thebes
was continued with unabated zeal through the length of the whole
river-valley. "He restored the sanctuaries from the marshes of Athu even
to Nubia; he repaired their sculptures so that they were better than
before, not to speak of the fine things he did in them, rejoicing the
eyes of Ra. That which he had found injured he put into its original
condition, erecting a hundred statues, carefully formed of valuable
stone, for every one which was lacking. He inspected the ruined towns of
the gods in the land, and made them such as they had been in the time
of the first Ennead, and he allotted to them estates and offerings
for every day, as well as a set of sacred vessels entirely of gold and
silver; he settled priests in them, bookmen, carefully chosen soldiers,
and assigned to them fields, cattle, all the necessary material to
make prayers to Ra every morning." These measures were inspired by
consideration for the ancient deities; but he added to them others,
which tended to secure the welfare of the people and the stability of
the government. Up to this time the officials and the Egyptian soldiers
had displayed a tendency to oppress the fellahin, without taking into
consideration the injury to the treasury occasioned by their rapacity.
Constant supervision was the only means of restraining them, for even
the best-served Pharaohs, Thutmosis, and Amenothes III. themselves, were
obliged to have frequent recourse to the rigour of the law to keep the
scandalous depredations of the officials within bounds.*

* Harmhabi refers to the edicts of Thutmosis III.

The religious disputes of the preceding years, in enfeebling the
authority of the central power, had given a free hand to these
oppressors. The scribes and tax-collectors were accustomed to exact
contributions for the public service from the ships, whether laden or
not, of those who were in a small way of business, and once they had
laid their hands upon them, they did not readily let them go. The poor
fellow falling into their clutches lost his cargo, and he was