midnight
They laid before it their prayers for a favorable transaction of current state business , for guardianship over the boundaries of Egypt , and over the tombs of the pharaohs , so that no thief might dare to enter in and disturb the endless rest of those potentates . But the prayers of the priests , because of night weariness , surely , were not always effectual , for state difficulties increased , and sacred tombs were robbed , not only of costly objects , but even of the mummies of sovereigns . This was because various foreigners had settled in the country and unbelievers from whom the people learned to disregard the gods of Egypt and the most sacred places . The repose of the lord of lords was interrupted exactly at midnight . At that hour the astrologers roused his holiness and informed him in what mansion the moon was , what planets were shining above the horizon , what constellations were passing the meridian and whether in general something peculiar had taken place in heavenly regions . For sometimes clouds appeared or stars fell in greater number than usual , or a fiery ball flew over Egypt . The lord listened to the report of the astrologers .