Hermione Wrote:
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>

Quote

The Egyptians said that this Kheops reigned
> for fifty years; at his death he was succeeded by
> his brother Khephren, who was in all respects like
> Kheops. Khephren also built a pyramid, smaller
> than his brother’s. I have measured it myself. It
> has no underground chambers, nor is it entered
> like the other by a canal from the Nile, but the
> river comes in through a built passage and
> encircles an island, in which, they say, Kheops
> himself lies.

There's a non sequitur here caused either by sloppy grammar or poor translation. While speaking of G2 the subject suddenly shifts to G1. Whatever the intent the meaning of the sentence is clear; "... but the river comes in through a built passage and encircles an island, in which, they say, Kheops himself lies". Khufu's tomb is on an island surrounded by water. There is absolutely no reason to believe that water could ever have existed 70' up in G1 according to Egyptologists making it wholly impossible for the king's chamber to be the referent. Khufu could not have been laid to rest in G1 any other place than the subterranean chamber. At the very least this wholly contradicts Egyptological beliefs and casts grave doubt on the belief that G1 was ever a tomb at all. At the very least we can certainly see that the idea that G1 was a tomb is a modern one. Indeed, there are no historical accounts to suggest any great pyramid was a tomb and no evidence the builders themselves or their immediate progeny believed them to be tombs. The idea these were tombs is a modern one derived, apparently, from the translation of ancient texts like the "book of the dead" written many many centuries after the great pyramids were built and already entering a state of ruin.

> From Lacus Curtius, the Rawlinson version:
>
>."I have myself measured it. It has no
> underground chambers, nor is it entered [p431]
> like the other by a canal from the Nile, but the
> river comes in through a built passage and
> encircles an island, in which, they say, Cheopsº
> [sic, and so the facing Greek] himself lies. (II:
> 127)
> [penelope.uchicago.edu]

Again the same4 problems exist. The Giza Plateau is at far too high an altitude to have any water at the base. While the description is obviously referring to the tombs these tombs can't possibly be be surrounded buy water nor have a canal dug to them. This means the tombs are elsewhere and at a lower elevation that can be flooded by "high nile".

"Underground chambers" surrounded by water may just mean that the chambers are below the water table.

The only alternative I can see is that there was a water source at higher elevation which is improbable due to physics. If such water existed here it would overturn far more than merely the belief that the pyramids were tombs.
>
> The syntax here seems slightly confusing.
> However, as Herodotus says, Khafre's pyramid,
> unlike Khufu's, doesn't have any connection with
> the Nile. Obviously, Khufu's body didn't lie in
> Khafre's pyramid ...

It appears both of these may have originated from the same source. If true it's a wonder the second author didn't fix the syntax. As a rule it seems ancient authors worked far harder at preserving original meaning than modern scholars who rephrase older authors and provide their own interpretations. I'm reminded of the admonition in the Bible to not change a single word.

> A third version, perhaps making the point a little
> clearer:
>
> "Chephren imitated the conduct of his
> predecessor, and, like him, built
> a pyramid, which did not, however, equal the
> dimensions of his brother's.
> Of this I am certain, for I measured them both
> myself. It has no subterraneous
> apartments, nor any canal from the Nile to supply
> it with water, as
> the other pyramid has. In that, the Nile water,
> introduced through
> an artificial duct, surrounds an island, where the
> body of Cheops
> is said to lie."

> [classics.mit.edu]

Again the same problem; no water is known to have been higher than the base of the Sphinx. The pyramids and their bases are at far too high an altitude.

> (See also here,
> [www.gutenberg.org]
> [II 127] - scroll about half-way down], in Greek).
>
> From Colavito, Jason (2021), "The Legends of the
> Pyramids":

> No funeral island exists under the Great Pyramid
> like the one Herodotus described. However,
> unbeknownst to scholars until the twentieth
> century, there was in fact such a tomb at Giza,
> the so-called Osiris Shaft underground near the
> Sphinx, which archaeologist Zahi Hawass has
> interpreted as an underground cenotaph, or
> symbolic tomb, of Osiris. It featured a
> sarcophagus he believes was surrounded by a
> water-filled trench, similar to the cenotaph of
> the god Osiris at Abydos, which also surrounded
> the grave with water. Herodotus’s informants might
> have spoken of this Giza grave or some similar
> much later grave as though it were the ancient
> burial chamber of the Great Pyramid. (p. 12).
> [/quote]

Perhaps!

But the fact remains no ancient author referred to any great pyramid as a tomb and no contemporary evidence exists any great pyramid was intended or used as a tomb. This idea began arising in the 1830's and now is universally believed by Egyptologists et al.

The absence of evidence is certainly sufficient to cast doubt on it but contemporary writing does not support the belief. So why are no other hypotheses even considered? Certainly just calling all the great pyramids "cenotaphs" would have little or no effect on Egyptological beliefs but it might lead to reconsideration of what the builders said. It would reframe Egyptological knowledge of the Old Kingdom and this might lead to a better understanding of the builders and the economy that generated these structures. Whatever was required to be these had an enormous economic impact on the nation. Understanding the nature and degree of this impact could lead to a much clearer understanding of the day to day life of the actual builders and those who got their hands dirty every day; ie- the real people of ancient Egypt.

____________
Man fears the pyramid, time fears man.