Saturday Morning, April 6, 2024
Horus on the Horizon
Engineers and architects scampered across the plateau. The project vast, the expertise critical. One surveyor was waving his hands. Horus! Horus! To the right! Far in the distance, Horus stood, leaning against his survey stick, nodding off. Another day, another deben. The sun sizzled overhead, beating down on his neck. Just for a dip in the Nile. His pole swung back and forth. Couldn't this be done another day?
Chelsea Ship's Bell mariner's clock, 9" H.
Precise timekeeping while at sea.
Swiss watchmaker's brass mandrel, with crossfeed. Swiss timepieces are accurate demanding high precision tools. What better place in the world where compounding interest is calculated daily.
Abercrombie & Fitch spotting scope ↓
He watched the surveyor gyrating, his arms flailing hieroglyphically. As he leaned against his stick, he noticed the surveyor's gestures shifted one way then another. This was kinda fun, he thought wiggling the pole once again. What difference could two fingers make anyway? Who would notice in a project this large? The desert seemed to stretch into eternity, like this work day. Pyramids. Three in a row. Go figure. The wind blew grit in his face. The smell of camel dung lay on his tongue. Good Gods, who would want to build here anyway? Couldn't think of a worse spot. He leaned against his stick. The shadow cast longer and longer. This day's end couldn't come soon enough. And the surveyor kept on flailing.
This week will wrap up our adventure with our scientist's estate. From cellos to clocks, instrumentations to pocket watches, what a journey. Relax, there are more interesting lives to explore on the horizon, Horus.
We Three Kings of Orion Are
The Giza Plateau, southwest of Cairo, Egypt, has earned its spot as a Wonder of the World. Its design and execution defy time. Over two million hand-cut stones, each weighing from two tons to seventy-five were quarried, transported, and jigsawed into place just in the Great Pyramid alone. A marvel of engineering, the pyramid's secrets of construction remain locked in time.
Boley watchmaker's lathe, 11" bed.
Impressive indeed though the more incredible fact about the Great Pyramid is its placement. The monument rests on the thirtieth-degree latitude and is aligned on the north/south, east/west axes, off a mere seconds allowing for atmospheric refraction from space.
With satellite measurement, we have determined the Great Pyramid falls short of siting true north by only three-sixtieth of a degree. What difference could two fingers make anyway? Precise. Almost perfect. Truly amazing. Its location is also anchored to the stars above. The synchronicity with the constellation Orion is incredible, aligning together as one within our 26,000 Great Year cycle, Orion's three-star belt above reflecting the three-pyramid configuration below. The Nile River with the Milky Way. Thy kingdom come; they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Kendrick & Davis watchmaker's staking tool set.
Star sighting shafts within the Great Pyramid act as archaeological-astronomical clocks linking specific stars in perfect alignment, marking a specific time, again twice in the 26,000 year cycle similar to our clocks as 2 AM and 2 PM. The engineering skills to achieve remain a great mystery. Giza's existence embodies the human spirit for perfection. This desire rests within our accomplishments and faith.
10k yellow gold Masonic ring finding its roots deep within the pyramids of long ago.
Two-Finger Salute
To err is to be human. So go the words of Alexander Pope. All religions share this conviction. Pure perfection is the domain of God only. Without this belief all faith would crumble. People are people and mistakes happen. As a believer we look to forgiveness "on high." The system spawns hubris, a most common human pitfall, one we witness every day.
English pocket barometers: London marked on left;
Short & Mason, London barometer/altimeter on right.
But religious structures are not bad, they are very good for stability and longevity of our species. Without them, we flounder following one false prophet after another.
English pocket barometers: F. Darton & Co., London barometer/altimeter on left; unmarked on right.
Today we live in a world of nanoseconds, precision, exactness. We are on top of if all. Each moment is duly noted on our wrist watches and telephones, each text read. We think we are really in control. Like a white rabbit. I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date. No time to stay hello goodbye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late. And white rabbits we've become. But running rabbits make lots of mistakes. What makes us human, secures our confidence, is the Horus inside all of us. We waver, our poles wander. So what if the Great Pyramid is off a mere split degree, it's still there isn't it? We hear the words of Horus echoing to us across time. Some days, let others flail their arms. We have more important commitments to make. Just for a dip in the Nile. The next one starts this Saturday.
Doors open at 8 AM. Auction starts at 9 AM. Not precisely, but more Horus like. PA AU 1265L [bb]