Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

630 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
portion of the Egyptian alphabet with the help of the Rosetta
stone. With enormous perseverance and wonderful
acumen he pursued his discoveries, and at last brought it so
far in the domain of hieroglvphic study that at the time of
his early death in 1832 he was able to leave behind him
in manuscript a complete Egyptian grammar and vocabulary.
Through this discovery of Champollion, the interest in
ancient Egypt in all learned circles grew considerably. In
order, therefore, to gain a closer acquaintance with the monuments,
it was necessary to bring together considerable and
trustworthy material in the shape of sculptures and inscriptions,
much more, in fact, than was brought by the
members of the French expedition of 1798, who were ignorant
of the hieroglyphic script.
In 1828 an expedition was sent out by the Tuscan government,
provided with a number of scholars, and supported
by Charles X. of France. At the head were Champollion
and the Italian Ippolito Rosellini, professor in Pisa. The
most important ruins were examined, and the pictures and
inscriptions in the tombs and temples were copied. Also
the ruins of the temples of Nubia, which shortly before had
been explored by the German architect Gau, were more
thoroughly examined. Owing to the outbreak of the revolution,
Champollion was unfortunately compelled to return
to France, where very soon afterward he died from exhaustion
consequent upon the wear and tear of travel, which
affected his weak constitution. The task of continuing the
work fell to the lot of Rosellini. In spite of this misfortune
the results of the Franco-Tuscan expedition were very
great, being published in two large works, which have remained
to this day the most important storehouse of Egyptological
science. This Italian publication, the work of
Rosellini, arranges the collected monuments according to
subjects. One volume shows us the historical side, another