5945. Take you out of the land of Egypt carts.* That this signifies the doctrinal things of memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of the "land of Egypt," as being memory-knowledges (of which above); and from the signification of "carts," as being doctrinal things. In the Word, where Egypt is treated of, mention is here and there made of chariots and horses, and by "chariots," are there meant doctrinal things, sometimes false and sometimes true, and by "horses" are meant intellectual things, also in both senses. That "chariots" are doctrinal things may be seen above (n. 5321). In like manner "carts" there, but by these are signified the doctrinal things of memory-knowledges. The doctrinal things of memory-knowledges are doctrinal things from the literal sense of the Word, and are especially serviceable to those who are being initiated for the first time into more interior truths of the church, such as that widows, orphans, and the poor in the streets are the especial objects of beneficence; and also the precepts of the Decalogue. These and more are doctrinal things of memory-knowledges, and are signified by the "carts of Egypt." Such doctrinal things, being the first that a man learns, afterward serve him as an ultimate plane; for when progress is being made to more internal things, they become ultimates. Moreover celestial and spiritual things actually terminate in these, for they as it were stand and rest upon them; because the spiritual world has as it were its feet and soles of the feet in the natural world, and with man in respect to his spiritual life has them in the doctrinal things of memory-knowledges, in like manner as the internal sense of the Word has them in its literal sense. The "carts" by which these doctrinal things are signified, are not mentioned in the Word except in a few passages. A "cart" is mentioned by this word in the original tongue, where it speaks of the ark being laid on such a vehicle (1 Sam. 6:7, 8; 2 Sam. 6:3), and also when the tabernacle was sanctified (Num. 7:3). The reason is that the ark represented heaven (n. 3478), which as before said stands and rests upon the doctrinal things of memory-knowledges. * The carts of Egypt. These "carts" (Hebrew agalah; Swedenborg vehiculum) were two-wheeled vehicles drawn by cattle, whereas the chariots were drawn by horses. The carts were used for the conveyance of persons, burdens, or produce. As there were no roads in Egypt and Palestine, only the simplest wheeled vehicles were possible. These agalah were not wagons, which run on four wheels and are usually drawn by horses. They were really a somewhat inferior kind of chariot, less speedy, and usually ruder in construction; and this fact supplies the basis for their correspondence. Agalah is correctly rendered "cart" in 1 Sam 6:2; 2 Sam. 6; Isa. 5:18; 28:27, 28. "From time immemorial Egypt was rich in small, two-wheeled carriages, which could be used even where there were no roads (See Gen. 50:9; Exod. 14:6, with Isa. 36:9)." (Keil and Delitsch On the Pentateuch.) See also the interesting article "Cart" in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, which contains ancient pictorial representations of these "carts," both Egyptian and Assyrian, drawn by oxen, and carrying passengers.