No
ancient civilization has received more notoriety than Egypt with its massive mysterious
pyramids, magical religious practices and mystical rulers such as Cleopatra and
Khufu. Khufu constructed the Giza pyramid, one of the first pyramids built from
cut stone. Osiris was worshipped as a
deity by the Egyptians. After his untimely death at the hands of Seth, he
watched over the realm of the dead. Demons stood guard at the entrance. Isis,
Osiris’ wife, used her powers to raise the dead. Egypt, a highly advanced
civilization, was seemingly created overnight along with progressive levels of
art, agriculture, astronomy, and physics. Who was responsible for these highly
developed creations such as the pyramids? The ancient Egyptians recorded that
their civilization existed in the shadow of a kingdom of gods. Were these
highly intelligent supernatural individuals Lucifer and the fallen angels or
were they aliens such as the Annunaki from another planet or universe?
Edward F. Malkowski author of Ancient Egypt 39,000 BCE: The History,
Technology, and Philosophy of Civilization X referred to the possible superior
beings as Civilization X who could quarry, move, cut and shape granite, the
hardest, most durable of stones, into blocks. They were craftsmen with the
ability to use their materials. The elaborate paintings and carvings in the
granite impressed many for thousands of years. Highly technologically advanced
beings built the Great pyramid, the first pyramid in Giza.
The pyramid was constructed to
navigate water from one place to another by a pulse generator. Granite, which
was an excellent conductor of sound, was used to possibly communicate with
beings from other planets. The large pyramid consisted of 2.5 million massive
blocks, each weighing from ten to fifty tons.
The
pyramid at Abu Rawash was unfinished which gave many people who explored the
ruins a better understanding of the building of the pyramids. Evidence existed
that the saw blade had to have a diameter of 35.9 feet and an angle of 46.5
degrees to produce the cut that was made on a granite slab (Malkowski, 2010). Which
brings up the question about what source of power existed to run these massive
power tools? What types of superior beings and higher civilizations lived
during the period of Ancient Egypt? The inhabitants worshipped many gods and
some of the rulers were referred to as gods.
In Egypt the gods were called
“Neteru” meaning “guardians” or “watchers.” This designation was associated
with beings of a higher civilization. These individuals were known to have
created humans and have called themselves our creators. Tablets such as the
cuneiform tablets from Sumer and the Bible have told the story of the creation of
humans. The Annunaki had a traditional
headdress, symbol of the royal line of Anu when they resided on Nibiru (their
home planet). The headdress had two horns of a bull or that of a cow. Ninmah
(god on Nibiru) was identified as the goddess Hathor in Egypt, who symbolized
the sacred cow. As mentioned later, the symbol of the cow represented
life-giver, great mother, nourishing and protecting life. Hathor, Osiris, Isis
and Horus to name a few filled the role of providing protection for humans and
other gods (pharaohs, queens and other gods). To protect others they needed to
serve the role as watchers and guardians.
The Ancient Egyptian realm has
served as a home to towns with large populations, magnificent temples, and
people who worshipped differently and carried out their everyday lives in a
manner that was contrary to other countries. The priests’ heads were shaven and
in other countries the priests had long hair. The women went to the markets to
participate in trade while the men stayed home and tended to the loom. The
Egyptians abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and turned to agricultural pursuits
and domesticated animals such as cats, goats, sheep, cattle and pigs. They grew
wheat and barley. They were known to be the first to create pottery, bricks, cosmetic
palettes and war maces.
The Nile afforded the Egyptians many
gifts. It supplied fish, waterfowl, papyrus for writing, reeds and grass for
baskets and matting, mud for pottery and bricks and was served as a main source
of travel. Papyrus and lotus were two plants that represented Ancient Egypt and
these plants were used to make baskets, boats, furniture and mats. Palm trees
produced dates and dom palms which provided a hard nut including a gingery
flavored delicious fruit. The Egyptians lived in fear of scorpions, lions and
crocodiles. They also had animals living with them as valued pets while other
countries did not do so.
Cats were highly honored. Bastet was
the Cat Goddess. Cats were mummified and delivered to her during ceremonies and
the festival dedicated to this goddess was one of the most important concerning
the Egyptian calendar. Egyptian farmers domesticated the native African wild
cat (Felis sylvestris libyca) long before historical documentation. Cats’
remains were placed in tombs of honored people. The cat was referred to as
“miw” after the sound cats made. At first they kept rats and mice out of the
grain stores but soon they were treated as honored domestic pets in the homes
of the Egyptians. The inhabitants of Egypt sought the help of Bastet to protect
their homes and their occupants. She was granted cat figurines and mummified
cats to show appreciation for her services.
Egypt is located in the
north-eastern corner of Africa and shares a border with the Sahara desert.
Rainfall has been practically non-existent. The Nile is the only saving grace
in this dry land which has provided water and fertile soil. The Nile floods
once a year and the land is made more habitable with its silt and nutrients
enhancing to the soil.
The following legend portrays how
Horus avenged his father’s death and how he became the ruler of Egypt.
The Egyptian Myth of Creation from Atum, the sky god,
and Nut, the earth goddess came four children: Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nepthys.
Osiris was the oldest and so became king of Egypt, and he married his sister
Isis. Osiris was a good king and commanded the respect of all who lived on the
earth and the gods who dwelled in the netherworld. However, Seth was always
jealous of Osiris, because he did not command the respect of those on earth or
those in the netherworld. One day, Seth transformed himself into a vicious
monster and attacked Osiris, killing him. Seth then cut Osiris into pieces and
distributed them throughout the length and breadth of Egypt. With Osiris dead, Seth
became king of Egypt, with his sister Nepthys as his wife. Nepthys, however,
felt sorry for her sister Isis, who wept endlessly over her lost husband.
Seven
scorpions escorted Isis during her flight in search of her husband. She was
weary and wanted to rest one evening and stopped at the home of a peasant woman
and her children. The woman did not want to let Isis into her home. One of the
scorpions, Tefen, decided to slip under the door and he stung one of the woman’s
children. Isis heard the woman crying over the loss of her child so she forgave
the woman for turning her away. Isis entered the home and laid a hand on the
child and gave him a new life.
Isis,
who had great magical powers, continued to look for her husband so she could bring him back to life long enough so that
they could have a child. Together with Nepthys, Isis roamed the country,
collecting the pieces of her husband’s body and reassembling them. Once she
completed this task, she breathed the breath of life into his body and
resurrected him. They were together again, and Isis became pregnant soon after.
Osiris was able to descend into the underworld, where he became the lord of
that domain.
The
child born to Isis was named Horus, the hawk-god. When he became an adult,
Horus decided to make a case before the court of gods that he, not Seth, was
the rightful king of Egypt. A long period of argument followed, and Seth
challenged Horus to a contest. The winner would become king. Seth, however, did
not play fair. After several matches in which Seth cheated and was the victor,
Horus’ mother, Isis, decided to help her son set a trap for Seth. She snared
him, but Seth begged for his life, and Isis let him go. When he found out that
she had let his enemy live, Horus became angry with his mother, and rages
against her, earning him the contempt of the other gods.
They
decided that there would be one more match, and Seth would get to choose what
it would be. Seth decided that the final round of the contest would be a boat
race. However, in order to make the contest a challenge, Seth decided that he
and Horus should race boats made of stone. Horus was tricky and built a boat
made of wood, covered with limestone plaster, which looked like stone. As the
gods assembled for the race, Seth cut the top off of a mountain to serve as his
boat and set it in the water. His boat sank right away, and all the other gods
laughed at him.
Angry,
Seth transformed himself into a hippopotamus and attacked Horus’ boat. Horus
fought off Seth, but the other gods stopped him before he could kill Seth. The
officiating gods decided that the match was a tie. Many of the gods were
sympathetic to Horus, but remembered his anger toward his mother for being
lenient to Seth, and were unwilling to support him completely. The gods who
formed the court decided to write a letter to Osiris and ask for his advice.
Osiris responded with a definite answer: his son is the rightful king, and
should be placed upon the throne. No one, said Osiris, should take the throne
of Egypt through an act of murder, as Seth had done. Seth had killed Osiris,
but Horus did not kill anyone, and was the better candidate. The sun and the
stars, who were Osiris’ allies, descended into the underworld, leaving the
world in darkness.
Finally,
the gods agreed that Horus should claim his birthright as king of Egypt. Light
was returned to Earth. He assumed the Atef crown and took over the thrown of
his father, Osiris. Horus was known as the “King of men” and his father was
granted the kingdom of the dead and known as the “King of eternity.” The family
has died. Osiris died in truth and serve as a star in the sky. Isis was the
dog-star. Horus was Orion (Tirard, 1971).
Many creation stories consist of a
man and woman created by a higher being, usually a god. Osiris and Isis were
created and procreated with one another and Horus was born, who was also a god.
Seth the evil brother was married to his sister Nephthys. Osiris and Seth were
brothers like Cain and Abel. One was good and one was evil.
Some historians believe that Osiris
may have been a living mortal who served as a ruler. He was a shepherd who
lived before the dynastic time period between 5500 and 3100 BC in the Nile
Delta. He served as a good and fair ruler so his followers referred to him as a
god which was similar to how Jesus was revered. The pharaoh was considered the
son of the sun god Ra. After Osiris died he ascended into the heavens to join
Ra in the sky.
Isis was referred to as the
“Universal Mother” to the Egyptian people. The goddess served as a
representation of the devoted wife and mother. She not only used her powers to
restore life, she also helped mothers and children in many ways. Her magical
powers permitted her to conceive a child with her dead husband so that was why
she was considered the protector of children and nursing mothers.
Seth may have had a dark side but he
was also known for his association with the thunder god, Baal. Many rulers took
his name associating themselves with his strength. Seth served alongside Ra the
sun god when he was on his journey through the night. He defended Ra from the
serpent Apophis. Seth represented the balance in the universe concerning the
concept of duality. Seth would appear as a hippopotamus on occasion. The
hippopotamus was regarded as a symbol of disorder and positive feminine
morality.
Nephthys, Seth’s wife and sister,
was considered a protective goddess. She was seen with her sister Isis more
than with her spouse Seth. She helped find the pieces of Osiris body and helped
put him back together with her sister.
Hathor was the goddess of love and
considered one of the most important deities during the ancient Egyptian
period. She was associated with joy, music and love and was the divine mother
of each king. She was also the daughter of Ra and had a dark side, appeared in
a lioness form as the aggressive goddess Sekhmet. Hathor was represented as a
cow, symbol of motherhood, fertility and protection. Known as the “lady of the
western mountain,” she was responsible for receiving the setting sun each
evening and keeping it safe until morning. The goddess protected the deceased
in the afterlife. Rameses II )1279-1213 BC) had a rock-cut temple for his wife,
Nefertari. Part of the constructed temple includes the queen who appears as
Hathor, near the entrance of the temple. It was believed that the likeness of
Hathor protected Rameses II.
An elaborate tomb was erected for
Nefertari and other queens and princes which was referred to as the valley of
queens. It was built on the scale of a pharoah’s tomb and was decorated with
paintings. The tomb consisted of various chambers, stairs with various levels,
a multitude of chambers and four large pillars. A painting of a deceased queen
who was led to the afterlife by Isis was on one of the walls. There is a
painting in the vestibule of a queen being greeted by Neith before being led by
the falcon-headed Horus towards Ra, the sun god. It was believed that with
Osiris guarding the land of dead, the deceased would be reborn as Osiris was
after Seth murdered him. Ra and the other gods would help make this happen.
Egyptians upheld many beliefs about specific deities.
Alexander the Great was born in 356
BC and was the son of Philip II, King of Macedonia. Philip possessed a strong
desire to make his kingdom larger so he undertook a series of conquests. In 338
BC he conquered the Athenians which aided in his dominance of Greece. He
trained his son, Alexander, in the art of warfare and involved him in his
campaigns. The philosopher, Aristotle, provided Alexander an education that
consisted of what would make the ideal city, science, politics and ethics. When
Alexander turned 20, his father was assassinated and Alexander inherited the
throne and the acquired ambitions of his father.
He became the head of the Hellenic
Confederation and he was more than ready to take on the Persians and stop them
in their tracks. Known later as Alexander the Great, he was revered as a savior
of the Egyptian people because he drove the Persians out of Egypt. As a result of
the conquest, he was revered as a pharaoh. Egypt was not the only territory
taken from the Persians, before his death he managed to amass an empire that
expanded from the Mediterranean to the river Indus. While he stayed in Egypt
for only a short period of time, he changed the taxation system and organized
military occupation of Egypt. He restored some of the temples in Egypt and
built a chapel for a sacred barge. The Egyptian people did not have a problem
with crowning him in the temple of Ptah in Memphis even though he was a
foreigner and absent for the majority of his reign on campaigns.
Cleopatra VII Philopator, ruler of Egypt
from 51 to 30 BC, took over the throne after her father’s death, Ptolemy XII
Neos Dionysos. She served as a co-ruler with her father when she turned 18. Her
father required that she marry and turn over part of the rule to her oldest
brother, Ptolemy XIII. He was only ten at the time of her father’s death. Cleopatra
was one of the most well-known Egyptians. She committed suicide in 30 BC which
ended the last period of the Ancient Eygptian era. Cleopatra was clever and
known for her outstanding political abilities. Her desire to keep Egypt
independent from other countries, led her down a path of dominance over Egypt. Ptolemy
XIII did manage to kick Cleopatra from the throne in 48C for a short amount of
time.
Rome was also in disarray. Pompey,
Julius Ceasar and Crassus, the triad of rulers in Rome, were at war with one
another. Caesar, the winner of the war at Pharsalus, sent Pompey to his knees.
Pompey fled to Egypt, and soon after his arrival, he was assassinated by
Ptolemy XIII, hoping to gain Caesar’s support. Caesar pursued Pompey. Cleopatra
used this as an opportunity to charm Caesar. Caesar remained in Egypt for
several months and as a result Ptolemy XIII was defeated in a civil war.
Cleopatra was returned to the throne
in 47 BC. A child was conceived as a product of their union. It was the desire
of Caesar and Cleopatra to join Rome and Egypt to create a new empire. Caesar
convinced Cleopatra to marry him before he left for Asia Minor. He suggested
that Ptolemy XIV serve as a co-regent while he was away. However, Cleopatra
followed Caesar to Rome in 46 BC. Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. Cleopatra
returned to Egypt and ordered the killing of her brother Ptolemy XIV. Following
she regained the throne and assigned Caesar’s son as the co-regent on the
throne.
Mark Antony requested to meet with
Cleopatra. He was the ruler of the eastern part of the Roman Empire, and
Octavian was the ruler of the western portion of the empire. They met at
Tarsus. She was laden with gifts to gain the favor of Mark Antony. Captivated
by Cleopatra’s charm, he followed her to Alexandria. Octavian, furious with
Antony, cooled his temper when Antony married his sister Octavia. The tension
between Antony and Octavian increased and Antony believed the strife was not going
to be resolved. He sought funding from Cleopatra to go to war against the
Persians. The campaign was not successful.
He married Cleopatra and twins were
conceived through the union. Antony granted Cleopatra and her children parts of
the eastern Roman Empire. Octavian, upset about the perceived treachery against
Rome, launched a campaign against Antony. Octavian defeated Antony in a sea
battle off the coast of northern Greece in 31 BC. Mark Antony committed suicide
a year later.
Cleopatra did not want to succumb to
Octavian’s rule so she killed herself by the venomous bite of a cobra which
symbolized the goddess Wadjyt, protector of the pharaohs. She was the last of
Pharaohs (Strudwick, 2017).
The peasants also worshipped what
were considered the lesser deities. These gods did not have temples or
monuments dedicated to them like Horus, Ra, Osiris and Isis. The commoners
celebrated the public festivals and prayed at shrines. The lesser deities were
represented in domestic settings as part of the design of furniture, usually
beds, musical instruments, pottery and other vessels. The minor deities were
also represented in amulets. These deities served in a protective role, and
were associated with fertility and childbirth. Taweret was one of the popular deities
used for protection of women during childbirth. The goddess took the form of a
hippopotamus, with arms and legs of a lion and a tail of a crocodile. The full
belly represented pregnancy.
The goddess of writing and
measurement, Seshat, was a woman in a long panther-skin dress and wearing a
star and a bow on her head. She recorded the spoils of war. Sokar, the falcon
god, served as a guide of craftsmen and was also referred to as a fertility
god. The goddess Serket, along with the Goddesses Isis, Nephtyhy and Neith,
protected the Canopic jars which contained the organs of the deceased. She was
portrayed as a woman with a rearing scorpion on her head and/or with a
scorpion’s tail. Magic embodied in the form of the god Heka, served as an
important part of everyday life in Ancient Egypt which was derived by the use
of rituals or spells. Magic was used to solve problems and crises, such as
illness and to keep away snakes and crocodiles. The mysterious structures such
as “The Sphinx,” massive obelisks, temples and pyramids were believed to
provide protection for the rulers and inhabitants.
In order to determine if a society
was more civilized and advanced, the society was accredited with developing a
written language. The Ancient Egyptians developed their own alphabet and
hieroglyphs. One of the most important roles during the ancient times was the
role of the scribe. There were a number of government offices that managed the
affairs of Egypt. The governmental officials had to manage the labor force,
food supply, building projects, finances, legal matters and scribal
administration. Many of the wealthy ordered funerary monuments built for them
and records were kept for the responsible peasants placed in charge of the
monuments construction.
Twenty-four
letters along with pictures created for their language, depicted an elaborate
writing system. The letter “a” resembled the number 3. They either wrote in
symbols or letters. Their writing system evolved from the hieratic to a more
easily read style referred to as demotic which resembled our cursive writing
around 650 BC. Another form of writing referred to as Coptic script established
in Egypt at the end of the Roman period between the end of the Roman period and
the Arab conquest from 395 and 641. This alphabet included pictures and
letters. The writing appeared everywhere such as temples, obelisks, parchment,
monuments, various locations in and on pyramids.
The
massive elaborate structures such as “The Sphinx,” pyramids, sitting and
standing statues and obelisks were scattered all over Egypt and come to the
wonder of many throughout history. The Egyptian sphinx was depicted as
benevolent. However, the Greek sphinx appeared as fearsome and mean. The form
of many of the sphinx varied. Some had a human head with an animal body, some
with a body of man or woman with an animal head, some had a animal body and
animal head. The sphinx, built in honor of a pharaoh, represented the earthly
reincarnation of the god Atum. The pharaohs, believed to be reincarnated gods,
were honored with magnificent structures. At Karnak, the sphinx has a lion’s
body and ram’s head which was associated with the temple deity, Atum. Atum was
often represented with a ram’s head. Different communities would honor specific
gods that were known in their Egyptian community.
Atum was one of the most influential
and powerful gods in ancient Egypt. He was known as the father of Isis, Seth,
Osiris and Nephthys. Called the ‘king of the gods,’ he was a prominent deity
during the history of ancient Egypt. Atum combined his powers with the Sun God
Ra which made him even more powerful. The various Egyptian municipalities
celebrated a variety of minor gods. The
glory gods who everyone worshipped were Atum, Shu, Tefnut, Nut, Geb, Osiris,
Set and Nephthys. The big dipper represented the nine gods, seven stars were
visible with two hidden stars.
The Ancient Egyptian culture
expanded their areas of expertise and knowledge in various areas such as
mathematics, geometry, and physics. A number of papyri include the mathematicians’
ability to problem solve and have consisted of a complicated method for
calculating the construction of specific portions of a pyramid. They needed to
make determinations on how to transport large quantities of stone for building
projects. The Egyptians relied heavily on agriculture. They had to predict the
annual flooding of the Nile to optimize the irrigation and fertilization of the
land used for agriculture.
They
invented an elaborate system to manage the flooding of the Nile called the
nilometer. This ingenious invention assisted them with the measuring and
predicting of the annual flood with the use of wells, buildings in which the
wells were sunk, stairways which allowed them to gain access to the wells, and
a graduated scale to conduct the measurements. The nilometers allowed the
Egyptians to take advantage of an early warning system enhanced by the setting
up of a network of dykes and channels. The nilometer was either fed by ground
water or directly from the Nile.
The
calendar system they created also gave them the ability to predict the flooding
of the Nile. They used astronomy to determine the seasons and the orientation
of the monuments and the timing of religious festivals. Egyptians have always
been interested in the night sky. They attributed their many gods to the star
formations. As mentioned earlier, the big dipper represented the most prominent
gods. The roof of Hathor’s temple in Dendera was covered in an astronomical
theme with constellations, planets and two eclipses.
Mathematics
was another area they excelled at. They created an ancient measuring rod. They
used signs to denote the numbers: 1
10 100 1000
10,000 100,000 and 1,000,000.
The symbol for one million could represent any very large number. Ancient papyrus scrolls, two wooden tablets
and a leather scroll depict four basics of calculation: addition, subtraction,
multiplications and division. Their architects were able to calculate volume,
angles, and cylinders for the building projects. Their ability to calculate and
solve problems using geometry was revealed in their calculations of area and
volume. Knotted measuring rope was used to calculate the area of a farmer’s
field to determine the amount of crop that would be produced. Wheat was the
main crop. Estimating the amount of yield helped the administrators calculate
the amount of duty to be raised. Physics came into play when they needed to
develop techniques for lifting and carrying.
The Ancient Egyptians practiced medicinal
remedies for a variety of ailments. These remedies were documented on papyrus
in hieratic script. They used spells and
incantations which demonstrated a close association between medicine and magic.
They had various tools used in surgery and medical procedures such as bone
saws, cautery for sealing wounds, knives, dental forceps, catheters, scalpels,
and specula for viewing the inside of the body.
They also used bandages, sponges, and scales.
The
multiple weapons of the Ancient Egyptians included spears, battle-axes, slicing
axes, khepesh swords, daggers. maces and bows and arrows. These were used for
hunting and defending off enemies. Pharoahs were the Minister of War and
Commander in Chief of the army. He led his troops into battle. The pharoah’s
presence represented the rule of Egypt and also symbolized order in the
universe because pharaohs were referred to as gods. Since early dynastic times
the pharaoh struck down the enemy by using a mace or a battle ax. The Egyptian
army enlisted foreign mercenaries to assist them in wars. The war chariot was
introduced by the Hyksos invaders from Palestine during the second intermediate
period (1650 – 1550 BC). The chariot enhanced their warfare abilities. The
chariot usually carried a driver and a soldier armed with bows and arrows and
spears. Warfare was a way of bringing harmony to the Egyptians.
Traffic
on the Nile was of central importance and served as a means of communication.
The Nile also provided fish and other food. Their boats were either papyrus
skiffs to large wooden vessels. Papyrus boats were affordable for everyone.
Papyrus grew along the Nile River in abundance. It grew to a height of ten feet
in season. The stems, dried and made into bunches, were bound together with
ropes which was made from the plants’ fiber. The outer stems were used to make
sandals, mats, and baskets. The plant also provided writing materials, food and
medicine. Very versatile plant. Wooden boats, constructed for the wealthy,
served as funerary equipment.
The
Ancient Egyptian society consisted of a hierarchal structure. Pharoahs and
their spouses, children and the pharoahs’ parents were at the top of pyramid.
High military official and high priests were directly under the ruling class.
Soldiers, scribes, priests and craftsmen and artists were next on the ladder of
notoriety and power. At the bottom of the ladder were the farmers, serfs and
prisoners, fishermen and servants. A caste system existed which involved one’s
association to the ruling class, royalty was born from royalty. The poor were
born poor and remained at that status until their death.
The food for the entire community
was provided by the peasant farmers who worked in the fields. Forced to pay
taxes from their yields, this often left the peasants struggling to make ends
meet. The scribes supervised the collection of grain and calculate the amount
due to the ruling class. They surveyed the fields to make a determination about
the amount of yield was expected and what taxes would be due. The peasants
lived in small rudimentary mud huts while the elite resided in luxurious villas
surrounded by gardens.
The peasant population made up the
majority of Egypt’s population. Agriculture and raising of animals served as
the basis for their economy. The population at 2500 BC was 1.5 million. The
Egyptian’s advanced irrigation system afforded increased yields of crops which
allowed the population to grow. During Rameses II reign the population rose to
3 million from 1279 to 1213 BC. The population grew to over 5 million under
Cleopatra’s rule (Strudwick, 2017).
The Ancient Egyptian time period,
filled with many mysterious religious, technological and scientific wonders,
have puzzled many throughout the history of this planet. Especially the Great
Pyramid in Giza which is referred to as the seventh wonder. Gods and goddesses played
an important role for all the inhabitants. It was believed that Osiris was one
of the gods who provided the human population with instruction regarding
agriculture and other technological advancements. Was Osiris a fallen angel or
an Anunnaki from the 12th Planet? The nine significant gods were worshipped
by all. Pharoahs were considered gods to be worshipped. The Ancient Egyptians
in the shadow of a kingdom of gods.
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