The Great pyramid : observatory, tomb, and temple

Richard A. Proctor examines the Great Pyramid through the lenses of astronomy, archaeology, and comparative religion, considering its possible functions as monument, observatory, and sacred structure. Historically, it belongs to the nineteenth-century effort to reconcile empirical study with speculative interpretations of ancient monuments, and readers will find measured arguments, measurements, and historical discussion.

Richard A. Proctor (1837–1888) was an astronomer and popular science writer rather than an occult author in the strict sense. However, some of his works intersect with broader philosophical and speculative literature of the nineteenth century, and he is occasionally encountered in esoteric catalogues because of his writings on cosmology and life in the universe.