The Cat of Bubastes
Encyclopedia
The Cat of Bubastes, A Tale of Ancient Egypt (1889) is a historical novel
for young people by British author G.A. Henty. It is the story of a young prince who becomes a slave when the Egyptians conquer his people, then is made a fugitive when his master accidentally kills a sacred cat.
, on or around 1250 B.C.
In Thebes
, Amuba becomes the servant and companion to Chebron, the son of Ameres, high priest of Osiris
. The lads become involved in a mystery as they begin to uncover evidence of a murderous conspiracy within the ranks of the priesthood. However, before they are able to prevent it,
they are forced to flee for their lives when they accidentally cause the death of the successor to the Cat of Bubastes, one of the most sacred animals in Egypt. With Jethro as their guide and protector, the boys make plans to escape from Egyptian territory and return to Amuba's homeland.
and focuses on Egyptians rather than Jews, Judeo-Christian themes are still present. The two Rebu, Amuba and Jethro, look at the many Egyptian superstitions and veneration of animals with amusement and disdain.
Ameres, the priest of Osiris, is a progressive who has embraced monotheism
, believing that the various gods of the Egyptian pantheon actually represent different facets of the character of one true God.
The Hebrews are present in parts of Egypt, and, though most have accepted the worship of the Egyptian gods, a few still hold to the religion of the God of Abraham
. A servant-girl named Ruth often proclaims her belief in the God of the Hebrews.
Moses
himself makes a cameo appearance, prior to his call to lead the Exodus from Egypt.
Audio on Internet Archive * http://www.archive.org/details/cat_bubastes_0912_librivox.
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
for young people by British author G.A. Henty. It is the story of a young prince who becomes a slave when the Egyptians conquer his people, then is made a fugitive when his master accidentally kills a sacred cat.
Setting
The novel takes place in the Middle East, particularly in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, on or around 1250 B.C.
Plot
After his father, the king of the Rebu, is killed in battle with the Egyptian army, and the Rebu nation is conquered by the Egyptians, the young prince Amuba is carried away as a captive to Egypt, along with his faithful charioteer, Jethro.In Thebes
Thebes, Egypt
Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:...
, Amuba becomes the servant and companion to Chebron, the son of Ameres, high priest of Osiris
Osiris
Osiris is an Egyptian god, usually identified as the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead. He is classically depicted as a green-skinned man with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers at either side, and...
. The lads become involved in a mystery as they begin to uncover evidence of a murderous conspiracy within the ranks of the priesthood. However, before they are able to prevent it,
they are forced to flee for their lives when they accidentally cause the death of the successor to the Cat of Bubastes, one of the most sacred animals in Egypt. With Jethro as their guide and protector, the boys make plans to escape from Egyptian territory and return to Amuba's homeland.
Spiritual themes
Though the novel is set prior to the beginnings of ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and focuses on Egyptians rather than Jews, Judeo-Christian themes are still present. The two Rebu, Amuba and Jethro, look at the many Egyptian superstitions and veneration of animals with amusement and disdain.
Ameres, the priest of Osiris, is a progressive who has embraced monotheism
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
, believing that the various gods of the Egyptian pantheon actually represent different facets of the character of one true God.
The Hebrews are present in parts of Egypt, and, though most have accepted the worship of the Egyptian gods, a few still hold to the religion of the God of Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
. A servant-girl named Ruth often proclaims her belief in the God of the Hebrews.
Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
himself makes a cameo appearance, prior to his call to lead the Exodus from Egypt.
External links
Text on Project Gutenberg * http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/29756.Audio on Internet Archive * http://www.archive.org/details/cat_bubastes_0912_librivox.