Based on the text provided, the purpose of the Great Pyramid has been a subject of debate, with evidence pointing to both its use as a tomb and for astronomical observation.
Historically, various theories have been proposed regarding its function:
* Astronomical Purpose: A widely held belief was that the pyramid was intended for astronomical purposes. An Arabian tradition supports this, stating that a king named Saurid placed 'divers celestial spheres and stars, and the mysterious records connected with them' inside it.
* Tomb: The astronomical theory was later 'superseded by the conviction that the Pyramid was nothing more than the tomb of one of the great kings of Egypt'. This idea is supported by the discovery of an ascending passage leading to a chamber that contained 'a polished granite coffin without a lid,' which probably once held the body of an Egyptian king.
More recent analysis by Professor Piazzi Smyth suggests a primary astronomical function. According to his findings, the pyramid is a 'stupendous monument of the wisdom of antiquity, and its construction shows an exact knowledge of astronomical science'. For example, one of the passages 'served as a tube which enabled observations to be made of the then Pole Star at its lower culmination, about the year 2500 B.C.'.
The text also notes that the Great Pyramid's purpose may be distinct from that of other Egyptian pyramids, which were 'obviously designed for sepulchral purposes'.
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