Medu Netcher - Egyptian Hieroglyphs
In this course you will be introduced to Medu Netcher (Divine Speech), the Kemetic (i.e. Ancient Egyptian) sacred language and script, commonly referred to as Egyptian hieroglyphs.
DR. MARIO BEATTY, INstructor
Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Howard University.
About this Course
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Instructor
Lesson Descriptions
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In this course, Dr. Mario Beatty introduces you to Medu Netcher (Divine Speech), the Kemetic (i.e. Ancient Egyptian) sacred language and script, commonly referred to as Egyptian hieroglyphs. The course focuses on a phase of the language conventionally known as Middle Egyptian, dating from around 2100 BCE onwards. Using primarily the book by James Allen, Middle Egyptian (2014), the course will acquaint you with the fundamental elements of grammar and vocabulary in order to provide a unique and innovative examination of this African civilization from the inside through highlighting and translating numerous primary texts.
Dr. Mario Beatty
Mario Beatty, Associate Professor of Africana Studies, received his B.A. degree in Black World Studies at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, his M.A. degree in Black Studies at The Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. degree in African-American Studies at Temple University. He has taught at Morris Brown College, Bowie State University, and he served as Chairperson of the Department of African-American Studies at Chicago State University from 2007 to 2010. From 2004 to 2007, he served as an educational consultant for the School District of Philadelphia where he helped to write curriculum and to train teachers in the novel, district-wide mandatory course in African-American history. He currently serves as President of The Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations (ASCAC). His research interests include the Ancient Egyptian language, history, wisdom literature, astronomy in Ancient Egyptian religious texts, comparative analyses of African cultures, the image and use of ancient Africa in the African-American historical imagination, the theory and practice of African-American Studies, and Pan-Africanism.
Lesson 1 - The Uniliterals
In this lesson, you will learn all of the hieroglyphs referred to as uniliterals. These glyphs represent all of the fundamental consonants of the language and are the foundation needed to understand everything else in the course.
Lesson 2 - The Uses of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
In this lesson, you will
learn about the four major uses of Egyptian hieroglyphs as ideograms, as
phonograms, as determinatives, and as phonetic complements. The primary focus
is on the concepts of hieroglyphs as ideograms, phonograms, and determinatives.
Lesson 3 - The Uses of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Building on lesson #2, this lesson begins with a discussion of determinatives, but primarily focuses on the use of hieroglyphs as phonetic complements. This lesson prepares you to largely complete the important exercise at the end of Chapter 3 in James Allen, Middle Egyptian.
Lesson 4 - The Uses of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
This lesson focuses on special cases in the use of hieroglyphs as determinatives and phonetic complements.
Lesson 5 - Introduction to the Saidic Coptic Alphabet
This lecture explains the importance of Coptic as the last stage of Medu Netcher and introduces you to the Saidic Coptic Alphabet. Various Coptic equivalents are provided for Kemetic words drawn from Leo Depuydt's Core Vocabulary Noun List.
Lesson 6 - Egyptian Nouns: Gender and Number
In this lesson, you will learn about nouns in Medu Netcher in reference to the concepts of gender (i.e., masculine and feminine) and number (i.e., singular, plural, and dual). This lesson prepares you to complete exercises #1 and #2 at the end of Ch. 4 in James Allen, Middle Egyptian.
Lesson 7 - Egyptian nouns (Special Cases)
This lecture video focuses on special cases for
nouns that do not behave as expected in reference to gender and number. This
video highlights special cases involving some individual nouns, geographical
place names, collective nouns, nouns that are viewed as non-countable,
and false plurals. This video is primarily to be used for reference purposes.
Lesson 8 - Egyptian Noun Phrases
This lecture video focuses on noun phrases, i.e., two or more words used to express a relationship. In Medu Netcher, noun phrases are used to express three different relationships: possession (i.e., direct or indirect genitive), apposition, and connection (i.e., conjunction and disjunction). In addition to explaining these noun phrases, the video also highlights a special type of noun phrase referred to as "honorific transposition." This video prepares you to complete the exercise on noun phrases at the end of Chapter 4 in Allen's book.
Lesson 9 - Egyptian Noun Phrases (Allen Exercise)
This lecture video focuses on Exercise #3 at the end of Allen, Middle Egyptian, Ch. 4 on transliterating and translating noun phrases. Through the use of the PAC Method where P= possession (direct genitive, indirect genitive, or direct genitive in honorific transposition), A= apposition (nouns side by side referring to the same entity), and C= connection (conjunction "and"; disjunction "or"), this video concretely demonstrates how to transliterate, translate, and provide the appropriate grammar for examining noun phrases.
Lesson 10 - Egyptian prepositions and prepositional phrases
This lecture video introduces you to major prepositions in Medu Netcher as a building block for understanding a prepositional phrase (i.e., a preposition + a noun or noun phrase). With the understanding of the prepositional phrase, the lesson provides you with a brief glimpse of what is called the Adverbial sentence in Medu Netcher where the Subject is a noun or noun phrase and the adverbial predicate that follows is a preposition + a noun.
Lesson 11 - Adverbial Sentences
This lecture provides you with a clear sense of the basic structure of an adverbial sentence in Medu Netcher which often begins with an optional particle, and is followed by the subject (i.e., noun or noun phrase) which is, in turn, followed by the adverbial predicate (i.e., an adverb or a prepositional phrase). Since this is the dominant sentence type in Medu Netcher, you need to master its structure. Being familiar with the major prepositions and particles will tremendously assist you in deciphering the elements in this sentence structure, even if you are not familiar with all of the vocabulary.
Lesson 12 - Adverbial Sentences
This lecture introduces you to suffix pronouns and describes their three major uses: 1. as a genitive after a noun with our sense of possessive adjectives; 2. after prepositions; 3. as a noun with the simple tense of the verb. Please note that these uses are taken from Gardiner's Egyptian grammar book because Allen's grammar book does not provide enough clarity in Chapter 5 for the learner. The lecture concludes by highlighting a couple of examples from Allen's grammar book that show suffix pronouns in the context of adverbial.
Lesson 13 - Adjectives
This lecture introduces you to adjectives and focuses on two major uses: 1. adjective as modifier; 2. adjective as predicate. When adjectives are used to modify nouns in Medu Netcher, they follow them and agree in gender and number. When adjectives are used as predicates they are positioned before the noun (i.e., subject) and do not agree in number and gender with the noun. When adjectives are used as predicates, only the masculine singular form is used. In Allen's grammar book, these two uses are actually found in two different chapters, 6 and 7, but I think it is much easier to explain them together at the same time so that you can see the contrast. As I have indicated on a number of occasions, my approach transcends going chapter by chapter in Allen, but we will eventually cover everything.
Lesson 14 - Adjectives (The Nefer Her construction)
The lecture introduces you to a special type of adjectival construction called the Nefer Her construction that, on the surface, looks the adjective as predicate, but various context clues allow us to see the uniqueness of this construction. Medu Netcher uses this construction to describe the characteristics of someone or something. Unlike the adjective as predicate construction, the Nefer Her construction attaches the adjectival quality to the person rather than the thing being talked about. Knowing how to distinguish between the Nefer Her construction and adjectives used as predicates will be very important moving forward.
Lesson 15 - Apparent Adjectives and Beginning the Translation of First Egyptian Scene
This lecture introduces you to apparent adjectives (i.e., words that are not really adjectives in Medu Netcher, but are usefully translated as such in English). This video focuses on apparent adjectives that are really nouns from the standpoint of Medu Netcher. After beginning the discussion on apparent adjectives, the lecture introduces our first Egyptian scene for translation which is a ritual libation scene between a deceased mother and daughter.
Lesson 16 - Apparent Adjectives and Completing the Translation of First Egyptian Scene
The lecture continues our discussion on apparent adjectives (i.e., words that are not really adjectives in Medu Netcher, but are usefully translated as such in English). This video focuses on apparent adjectives that are really prepositional phrases from the standpoint of Medu Netcher. After completing the discussion on apparent adjectives, the lecture provides a full transliteration and translation of our first Egyptian scene which is a ritual libation scene between a deceased mother and daughter.
Lesson 17 - Demonstrative Pronouns
Lesson 17 focuses on explaining demonstrative pronouns and provides specific examples utilizing the exercise at the end of chapter 5 in Allen's grammar book. All of the examples in the lecture are taken from a very important literary text more appropriately termed by Jacob Carruthers as "The Nine Petitions of the Farmer Whose Speech is Good" and commonly referred to as "The Eloquent Peasant." The lecture provides a general background of this story before providing the examples taken from the text.
Lesson 18 - Verbs
This lesson introduces you to verbs in Medu
Netcher and exclusively focuses on categorizing and describing verbs based upon
their root class.
Lesson 19 - Dependent Pronouns and Verbal Sentence Structure
This lesson presents and explains dependent
pronouns and their three major uses: 1. as subject after adjectival predicate;
2. after a number of particles except iw; 3. as object of a verb. After
introducing the third use of dependent pronouns, the outlines of the verbal
sentence structure that is abbreviated as VsdoSOA are explained.
Lesson 20 - Verbs
Using small examples taken from Sir Alan Gardiner's Egyptian Grammar, this lesson focuses on introducing you to basic translations of primarily verbal sentences. It also provides you with initial conceptual tools to analyze sentence structure. Key terms discussed are main and subordinate clauses, marked and unmarked clauses, and the 3 types of subordinate clauses in Medu Netcher: adverb clauses, noun clauses, and relative clauses. This lesson highlights the adverb clause, the most dominant clause that you will encounter in reading Middle Egyptian.
Lesson 21 - Verbs
Building on the foundation of Lesson 20, this lesson focuses on the various ways to translate what is called the Sedjemef form. Since Medu Netcher does not have a rigid tense system, the sedjemef form can be translated as present, past, future, or subjunctive, but context will usually call for translations that are subjunctive or future. Elements can also be inserted between a verb and its subject to communicate additional information in translating the verb. The sedjemef form can be made passive by adding an element "tw" between the verb and the subject (sedjemtuef= "he is heard). The sedjemef form can be made to communicate completed or past action by adding an element of "n" between the verb and the subject (sedjemenef= he heard, he has heard).
Lesson 22 - Independent Pronouns and Nominal Sentences
This lesson begins by presenting independent
pronouns and follows with a discussion on nominal sentences. It explains the 3
nominal sentence patterns, AB, A pw, and A pw B with examples.
Lesson 23 - Early Kemetic History, the Ruler, and the Fivefold Titulary
As a prelude to the discussion on the Coffin of
Amenhotep II, this lesson focuses on some important aspects of early Kemetic
history, highlighting the famous Narmer Palette. He explains the early concept
of the Ruler as the embodiment of the falcon divinity Horus and describes the
evolution of the fivefold titulary attached to the Ruler.
Lesson 24 - Osiris, Isis, and Horus (Part 1)
As part of providing necessary context to the
divine imagery of Isis on the coffin of Amenhotep II, this lesson describes and
explains the beginnings of the myth of Osiris, Isis, and Horus in the late Old
Kingdom. The lesson presents late period accounts of this myth by Greek
scholars Diodorus (1st c. BC) and Plutarch (1st c. AD) that dominate popular
discourse. The lesson deconstructs these accounts steeped in Greek
interpretation in order to ground the explanation of the myth in actual Kemetic
texts.
Lesson 25 - Osiris, Isis, and Horus (Part 2)
As part of providing necessary context to the
divine imagery of Isis on the coffin of Amenhotep II, this lesson describes and
explains the beginnings of the myth of Osiris, Isis, and Horus in the late Old
Kingdom. The lesson concretely demonstrates in narrative form how to decenter
Greet accounts of the myth as primary texts by focusing on select excerpts from
the Pyramid Texts.
Lesson 26 - Osiris, Isis, and Horus (Part 3)
As part of providing necessary context to the
divine imagery of Isis on the coffin of Amenhotep II, this lesson describes and
explains the beginnings of the myth of Osiris, Isis, and Horus in the late Old
Kingdom. The lesson concretely demonstrates in narrative form how to decenter
Greet accounts of the myth as primary texts by focusing on select excerpts from
the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts.
Lesson 27 - The Coffin of Amenhotep II in the Valley of the Kings (KV 35)
This lesson presents a complete transliteration
and translation of a scene from the coffin of Amenhotep II in the Valley of the
Kings (KV 35). The scene depicts the goddess Isis situated at the foot of the
coffin with her hand on a "shen" ring and squatting atop the symbol
for gold. In addition to the transliteration and translation, the lesson
provides descriptive grammatical and cultural commentary to assist in
contextualizing and interpreting the deeper meaning of the scene. Please find
below the specific readings that were referenced in the video.
Lesson 28 - Prepositional Nisbes
This lecture introduces prepositional nisbes. A
prepositional nisbe is an adjective derived from a preposition. Most
primary prepositions have a nisbe form. Prepositional nisbes are heavily used
in epithets and titles of officials and divinities. After explaining
prepositional nisbes, major examples of their use in titles are presented.
Lesson 29 - Prepositional Nisbes
This lecture continues the discussion on
prepositional nisbes and provides major examples of their use in the titles of
officials and divinities.
Lesson 30 - Reverse Nisbes, Relative Clauses, and the Htp di nswt offering formula
This lecture begins by explaining the reverse
nisbe, a relatively rare grammatical construction which is an adjective and
like other adjectives, it can be used in something like the nfr Hr
(i.e., "beautiful one of face) construction that has already been
introduced and discussed. The lecture introduces and explains marked and
unmarked relative clauses as a prelude to beginning the discussion on the Htp
di nswt offering formula.
Lesson 31 - Participles and the Htp di nswt offering formula
This lecture continues the discussion of the Htp di nswt offering formula and introduces and explains major uses of active participles with an example from the offering formula and the Horus names of Amenemhat I and his son Senusret I.
Lesson 32 - The Htp di Nswt Offering Formula
This lecture continues the discussion of the Htp
di nswt offering formula. In terms of new grammar, it introduces what is called
the superlative which is used to indicate that the quality of someone or
something is the highest of all.
Lesson 33 - The Htp di Nswt Offering Formula
This lecture completes the discussion of the Htp
di nswt offering formula. In terms of new grammar, the lesson introduces you to
how Medu Netcher can form various verbal nouns as an extension of the root,
focusing on the word Htp. It concludes with a discussion of the important
concept of imakh based on a selection of primary texts from the Old Kingdom.
Lesson 34 - The Concept of Akh
This is the first part of a detailed discussion
on the important concept of Akh. After introducing basic, essential vocabulary,
it begins the definition of Akh in its cosmic context, highlighting its
importance at creation and its link to the invisible power of light.
Lesson 35 - The Concept of Akh
This is the final part of a detailed discussion
on the important concept of Akh. This lecture highlights information gleaned
primarily from non-mortuary texts (i.e., Old Kingdom tomb autobiographies
and Middle Kingdom stelae). The ancient and enduring ritual of the
"Opening of the Mouth" is centered to provide additional context on
the process of being and becoming an Akh in the afterlife.
Lesson 36 - On African Cultural Unity and the Tomb of Mehu
The first part of this lecture highlights
important features of African cultural unity between Ancient Egypt and other
African cultures by explaining the meaning and importance of leopard skin and
walking sticks (i.e., medu) in the hands of high officials. The latter
half of the discussion focuses on providing some necessary background to the
discussion, transliteration, and translation of the late Old Kingdom tomb of
Mehu by focusing on how Egyptologists generally describe architectural features
of the ka-door and also highlighting the most important titles that Mehu held
as Prime Minister of the country.
Lesson 37 - On the Goddess Seshat and Framing the Idea of Kemetic Governance
The first part of this lecture is a continuation
of our discussion on leopard skin last week through highlighting the importance
of the Goddess Seshat and her role in the temple foundation ritual ceremony
referred to as "the stretching of the cord." The session highlights
an innovative view of Seshat's headdress in the work of the Spanish astronomer,
Juan Belmonte. The second part of the lecture focuses on framing part of the
essence of the idea of Kemetic governance through engaging select excerpts from
a work authored by Jacob H. Carruthers.
Lesson 38 - On Anubis and Translating the Ka Door of Mehu
This lesson formally begins our translation of the ka door of Mehu by focusing on the first two lines of the upper lintel which highlight the divinities of Anubis and Osiris respectively. The lesson goes into greater detail in discussing Anubis in his foundational role in successfully transforming the deceased through contextualizing some of his most important titles. It concludes with an initial discussion of the beginning of the second line focusing on Osiris.
Lesson 39 - On the Per Ankh (The House of Life) and Translating the Ka Door of Mehu
This lecture begins by completing the translation of the second line in the upper lintel of the Ka Door of Mehu. The balance of the session focuses on providing the necessary context to explain a very important Kemetic scribal institution referred to as the Per Ankh (The House of Life). Through an engagement with the major work on this institution by Sir Alan Gardiner, author of the foundational Egyptian Grammar book, this discussion highlights both the insights and some of the conceptual and textual limitations of his article. This session prepares us to go into greater detail next week around all of Mehu's titles that have the element of House (per) contained within them.
Lesson 40 - On the Ka and the Power of the Cosmic and Human Creation of Life
This lesson attempts to lay a beginning foundation to understanding the complexity of the Kemetic Concept of the Ka. The Ka is often left untranslated, but it is often imprecisely translated as "spirit." When attempting to translate it into the English language, many Egyptologists opt for translations like "double, life force, animating force, vital force," yet these translations do not exhaust its immensity and complexity. This lesson begins with a discussion of the formation of the Ka by the divinity Khnum on his potter's wheel and provides a detailed excerpt from a Hymn to Khnum in the Temple of Esna that describes the complexity of the various divine actions involved in forming the Ka and creating a new life. In reference to creation, the lesson also highlights Utterance 600 in the Pyramid Texts which discusses how the essence of the Ka is transmitted from Atum to Shu and Tefnut as an embrace in the form of the Ka hieroglyph and animates the creation of all life thereafter. The work of two continental African scholars, Mouhamadou Nissire Sarr and Yao Fabrice-Alain Davy Mene are discussed briefly as modern attempts to explain the Ka in reference to other African cultures like the Peul and the Akan respectively, but also to gesture to the continuity and cultural unity of these ideas vis-a-vis Kemet. The work of Andrey Bolshakov is important for his comprehensive literature review on various interpretations of the Ka and his particular focus on the Ka in tomb representations which emphasizes how the Ka manifests in the context of the afterlife. I share some basic, but fundamental vocabulary around the Ka and human anatomy linked to both men and women. The dissertation work of Maylana Williams is highlighted for her contribution in reconceptualizing the N41 glyph in Gardiner's sign list that he refers to as "a well full of water." Williams argues that the glyph is actually and "womb-vulva" and goes into great detail in explaining how this reinterpretation greatly adds to all of the various contexts in which this glyph is depicted either as a phoneme or as a determinative (i.e. classifier). The lesson concludes by briefly engaging the concept of "a container" in the work of Michael Rowlands on "the unity of Africa." That is to say, the womb is a sacred container of life, but this idea is also extended to many other features in African cultures and I concluded on this point as what I think can be a useful concept to ground further deeper exploration and examination of the complex views of life found on the African continent from antiquity to the present.
Lesson 41- On the Kemetic Festival Calendar and Translating Titles on the Ka Door of Mehu
This lesson begins by translating the third line of the upper lintel on the Ka Door of Mehu. Phrases and Titles found on Ka Doors are often given greater context in more narrative form in other parts of the tomb. In translating the third line, I highlighted a phrase that asks for offerings to be provided to Mehu during "every festival and every day." Referencing part of the handout that was originally provided on the Ka Door of Mehu, I cite and explain the specific festivals that Mehu makes reference to in another part of the tomb. This provided us with another opportunity to discuss the historical complexity of the Kemetic Calendar(s), civil, lunar, and eventually civil-based lunar, and situating important festivals within them. The second part of the lesson focuses on translating and explaining all of the titles on the Ka Door of Mehu that integrate the element of pr "house" within them in some way.
Lesson 42 - On “Time,” “Eternity,” and the Ka Door of Mehu
This lesson focuses on continuing our discussion of the third line of the upper lintel on the Ka door of Mehu by examining the important concept of Djet time which is commonly translated as “eternity.” Djet time is often contrasted with Neheh time which is also commonly translated at “eternity.” The major work by the prominent German Egyptologist Jan Assmann entitled The Search for God in Ancient Egypt, pp.73-80 was used as a starting point not only for our discussion, but to also provide a sense of major issues in orientation and perspective in examining Djet and Neheh time. Although Assman rightly asserts that these two concepts do not have one word equivalents in English translation, he is on less solid ground in arguing that the Ancient Egyptians had no concept of “space” as part of the cosmic totality, but only of “time.” Since Assmann used Chapter 17 of the Book of Coming Forth By Day in the New Kingdom to emaphasize this view, I presented two visual images from the shrines of Tutankhamun in the New Kingdom to ground an alternative view. Since an understanding of Maat is also inextricably linked to this discussion, I also highlighted Assamann’s view that Maat in the New Kingdom in the post-Amarna period was stripped of its central importance as a moral code as texts begin to emphasize a closer relationship to divinity. The work by Emily Teeter entitled The Presentation of Maat critiques the fundamental inaccuracies and limitations of Assmann’s interpretations and conclusions regarding this period. In attempting to define Djet time, Assmann also attempts to grapple with the dominant aspectual framework of Medu Netcher to contain the interpretation of Djet and Neheh time within an exclusive temporal environment. I present an alternative view that argues that Djet time that speaks to the timeless, permanent, expansive, metaphysical and unchanging essence of creation where Atum-Ra emerges from the primeval waters on Nun at the Sep Tepy “the first occasion” implies an inherent atemporal aspect that is part and parcel of the temporal environment. Assmann attempts to solidify his interpretation of Djet time by contrasting the divinities of Ra and Osiris. He links the sun divinity Ra to Neheh time and Osiris to Djet time. I argue against this rigid separation and assert simply that Osiris is not only considered the “Ruler of Djet time” as Assmann argues, but he is also commonly referred to as Neb Neheh, “the Possessor of Neheh time.” I conclude with the imperative for comparative studies to be done on this issue between Kemet and other African civilizations and to think deeply through the problems of orientation, evidence, perspective, and interpretation.
Lesson 43 - The Tomb of Mehu: Examining Major Remaining Titles and Issues
This lesson focuses on completing our discussion on the Ka door of Mehu through highlighting and examining major remaining titles and issues. Two major issues highlighted in the discussion centered on Mehu's judicial titles and his titles dealing with the regalia of the Ruler, especially the Crowns of Upper and Lower Kemet. The next lesson will focus on Lady Peseshet, a Director of Female Physicians in the Old Kingdom. In the readings you will find the original description of Peseshet's Ka door in Selim Hassan's Excavations in Giza and an excerpt on her importance by Theophile Obenga in preparation for next week.
Lesson 44 - On Lady Peseshet and Male and Female Physicians in Kemet
This lesson focuses our attention on the importance of the Ka door of Lady Peseshet who was the Director of Female Physicians during the 4th dynasty. She is the first recorded female physician in world history and evidenced by her title, she was not alone. Her Ka door is in the tomb of Akhethotep, who is probably her son and she is positioned beside a man named Kanefer on her Ka door who scholars think is probably her husband and thus, Akhethotep's father. Her tomb was initially published in Selim Hassan's Excavations at Giza, 1929-1930. Her Ka door provides us with an opportunity to contextualize her identity within the broader Kemetic social order and medical profession. The excerpt on "Male/Female Relations in Ancient Egypt" by Theophile Obenga is used to provide some necessary context on the importance and power of women in Kemet. In the discussion, I also made reference to a work by Barbara Lesko entitled The Remarkable Women of Ancient Egypt that can be utilized to expand and amplify some of the ideas in Obenga's work. The work by Paul Ghalioungi on The Physicians of Pharaonic Egypt is used to discuss the debate surrounding the essence and meaning of the Kemetic word "swnw" "physician,"; the education of the physicians in the House of Life; the various important medical titles and specialization within the broader organzational structure that was, at once, national, regional, and local.
Lesson 45- Djehuty (Thoth) - Reflections on the Master of Medu Netcher (Divine Speech), the Possessor of Khemenu (the City of the Eight Infinite Ones), and the Divine Messenger and Healer
This lesson seeks to provide deeper context to our discussion of Peseshet and the vocation of the role of the physician in Kemet by investigating and exploring the importance of the divinity Djehuty (Thoth). I begin with a brief excerpt from the late period Book of Thoth (2005) edited by Richard Jasnow that reads like an initiation text between a Master Teacher and a student disciple who is named mer rekh "one who loves knowledge," a phrase that some scholars argue as the source of the Greek word "philosopher." A Kemetic phrase of greeting, ankh, udja, seneb (life, prosperity, and health) is used as a starting point to discuss the deep origins of the cosmos and the role that marshaling these forces and energies plays in healing, especially in highlighting the importance of the eye of Heru (Horus).
The divinity Djehuty (Thoth) is the inventor of Medu Netcher and thus, the divine patron of scribes, priests, physicians, etc. who seek to investigate, explore, and acquire knowledge from the depths of the mysteries of the cosmos in all areas of life. Djehuty is prominently shown in the form of a sacred ibis bird, a bird that frequents aquatic environments, especially the papyrus swamps in Kemet. The word papyrus, from which our word "paper" is ultimately derived, has no known etymology in Greek because this was not an indigenous plant in their environment. It is theorized that the word papyrus may come from the phrase pa per aa "that of the Great House," a phrase referring to the central role of the Greek government in production and distribution of this product when they ruled Kemet. In addition to Djehuty's central importance in terms of both language (oral and written), and writing, Djehuty was also over the sacred city of Khemenu (Hermopolis), a city that refers to the Eight Infinite divinities that collectively form the essence and substance of the primeval waters of Nun that precede what is called the sep tepy "the first time" that creation happens, and the sun divinity Ra emerges.
Djehuty, in the form of the ibis and a reflection of the reactive activity within the primeval waters of Nun, lays the primoridal egg from which Ra emerges to give light and life. The principle of Heka (magic) is also a force that animated and permeated the cosmos, it was not separate from it, and it couldbe both productive and destructive. Djehuty in the form of the moon is also seen as the son of Ra. The Kemites viewed the sky or heaven as a face having two sacred eyes referred to as Udjat eyes of Heru (Horus), the right eye viewed as the sun and the left eye the moon. As a divine healer, Djehuty lessens the injury inflicted on the eye of Heru (Horus) by Seth and initiates divine healing. This archetype becomes critical for grounding what it meant to be physically and spiritually whole and healthy in Kemet. This lays the foundation for a detailed discussion in the next lesson on further explaining illness, healing, and the myriad treatments that physicians engaged in to help restore a person's wholistic health.
The divinity Djehuty (Thoth) is the inventor of Medu Netcher and thus, the divine patron of scribes, priests, physicians, etc. who seek to investigate, explore, and acquire knowledge from the depths of the mysteries of the cosmos in all areas of life. Djehuty is prominently shown in the form of a sacred ibis bird, a bird that frequents aquatic environments, especially the papyrus swamps in Kemet. The word papyrus, from which our word "paper" is ultimately derived, has no known etymology in Greek because this was not an indigenous plant in their environment. It is theorized that the word papyrus may come from the phrase pa per aa "that of the Great House," a phrase referring to the central role of the Greek government in production and distribution of this product when they ruled Kemet. In addition to Djehuty's central importance in terms of both language (oral and written), and writing, Djehuty was also over the sacred city of Khemenu (Hermopolis), a city that refers to the Eight Infinite divinities that collectively form the essence and substance of the primeval waters of Nun that precede what is called the sep tepy "the first time" that creation happens, and the sun divinity Ra emerges.
Djehuty, in the form of the ibis and a reflection of the reactive activity within the primeval waters of Nun, lays the primoridal egg from which Ra emerges to give light and life. The principle of Heka (magic) is also a force that animated and permeated the cosmos, it was not separate from it, and it couldbe both productive and destructive. Djehuty in the form of the moon is also seen as the son of Ra. The Kemites viewed the sky or heaven as a face having two sacred eyes referred to as Udjat eyes of Heru (Horus), the right eye viewed as the sun and the left eye the moon. As a divine healer, Djehuty lessens the injury inflicted on the eye of Heru (Horus) by Seth and initiates divine healing. This archetype becomes critical for grounding what it meant to be physically and spiritually whole and healthy in Kemet. This lays the foundation for a detailed discussion in the next lesson on further explaining illness, healing, and the myriad treatments that physicians engaged in to help restore a person's wholistic health.
Lesson 46 - On Illness and Healing in Kemet
This lesson provides a narrative overview of major features of illness and healing in Kemet. There were a wide range of illnesses that were present in Kemet: various parasitic diseases, bacterial and viral infections, deformities like club foot, tumors, probably cancer, metabolic disorders like liver disease, various diseases of internal organs dealing with the cardiovascular system, lungs, large bowel, rectum, anus, urinary tract infections; various disorders of the ears, eyes, and skin; pains and aches in various bones and joints; the general breakdown of the body that occurs twith the ageing process. Illness can come from these negative physical processes or they could come from the power of a divinity or a deceased or living person. In addition, sickness and suffering could also be viewed as a self-inflicted character wound based upon negative thoughts and behavior towards others and towards oneself and negative personality traits, especially greed.
The lesson emphasizes the importance of their knowledge of and examination of the heart in a strict medical sense and also in relationship to character as the seat of one's consciousness, intelligence, will, desires, emotions, and feelings. From the heart spring what are called the Metu which could refer to anything long and thin in the body, including blood vessels, ducts, nerves, tendons, and muscles. From the heart, these Metu branch in all directions of the body. Air flowed into the body through these Metu and during life, oxygenated blood flows through them from the pulsating heart. To provide you a sense of their technical medical approach involving the heart, I have provided an example from Case #1 of the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus in the readings taken from the excellent work by Gonzalo Sanchez and Edmund Meltzer.
Using the work of Charles Finch, the prominent African American physician at Morehouse College that has spent much of his career exploring science in Africa, entitled "African Background to Medical Science," I highlight the rigorous methodological approach evidenced in medical papyri by Kemetic physicians. Using the work of Theophile Obenga on medicine in his work African Philosophy: the Pharaonic Period, I discuss the complex range of therapeutic treatments to heal the body and spirit practiced in Kemet. Using the work of Nabil Ebeid, I presented the surgical instruments depicted in the Temple of Kom Ombo and referenced his discussion on the Udjat eye mathematically used in the process of creating prescriptions for illness combining various things. In my discussion of healing, I highlighted the importance of dreams and dream interpretation in Kemet. You will find supportive readings to guide further investigation for those who are interested in this topic. And lastly, using the work of Dialo Diop, a Medical Doctor of Biological Sciences at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop, I provided some narrative sense of the importance of the Kemetic contribution to medicine in world history and its enduring influence from antiquity to the present.
The lesson emphasizes the importance of their knowledge of and examination of the heart in a strict medical sense and also in relationship to character as the seat of one's consciousness, intelligence, will, desires, emotions, and feelings. From the heart spring what are called the Metu which could refer to anything long and thin in the body, including blood vessels, ducts, nerves, tendons, and muscles. From the heart, these Metu branch in all directions of the body. Air flowed into the body through these Metu and during life, oxygenated blood flows through them from the pulsating heart. To provide you a sense of their technical medical approach involving the heart, I have provided an example from Case #1 of the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus in the readings taken from the excellent work by Gonzalo Sanchez and Edmund Meltzer.
Using the work of Charles Finch, the prominent African American physician at Morehouse College that has spent much of his career exploring science in Africa, entitled "African Background to Medical Science," I highlight the rigorous methodological approach evidenced in medical papyri by Kemetic physicians. Using the work of Theophile Obenga on medicine in his work African Philosophy: the Pharaonic Period, I discuss the complex range of therapeutic treatments to heal the body and spirit practiced in Kemet. Using the work of Nabil Ebeid, I presented the surgical instruments depicted in the Temple of Kom Ombo and referenced his discussion on the Udjat eye mathematically used in the process of creating prescriptions for illness combining various things. In my discussion of healing, I highlighted the importance of dreams and dream interpretation in Kemet. You will find supportive readings to guide further investigation for those who are interested in this topic. And lastly, using the work of Dialo Diop, a Medical Doctor of Biological Sciences at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop, I provided some narrative sense of the importance of the Kemetic contribution to medicine in world history and its enduring influence from antiquity to the present.
Lesson 47 - The Powerful Legacy of Imhotep, the Great, son of Ptah
This lesson is the first part of a discussion on the life and legacy of Imhotep, a Prime Minister in the 3rd dynasty under the reign of Netcherkhet (Djoser) who is primarily revered for designing and overseeing the construction of the vast Step Pyramid Complex in Saqqara. From the rock inscription in Wadi Hammamat of Khnumibre inscribed during the Persian reign of Darius (495-491 BC), I ground the discussion providing a sense of a long family genealogy of 25 Master architects and builders that stretched back to Imhotep's father, Kanefer. In addition, based on Late Period texts, his mother's name was Khereduankh and his wife's name was Renpetneferet.
On the south side of the entrance colonnade of the enclosure around the Step Pyramid complex was found a statue of Netcherkhet and on the base of this statue, he is mentioned along with the name and a series of important titles of Imhotep. This pairing of the Ruler and an official on a statute base like this is singularly unique and definitively marks Imhotep as an official that was considered to have extraordinary knowledge and skills from the very beginning. I provide a full transliteration and translation of the base of this important statue which I have not seen fully rendered in the English language.
The second text that I focus on is a libation receptacle honoring Imhotep commissioned by the 4th son of Ramesses II, Khaemwaset, a renaissance man in his own right who had a deep appreciation for the Kemetic past and restoring monuments that were decaying, especially in the area of Memphis where he held office as a Sem priest of Ptah. This libation receptacle is very important, and it is not widely known, discussed, or even integrated at all into discussions on Imhotep. It is especially important because it explicitly calls Imhotep the son of Ptah and most scholarship argued that this epithet originated during the Late Period. It is fitting that Imhotep would be honored in this way by Khaemwaset in the form of a libation vessel because there was a long tradition of scribes and priests pouring a water libation explicitly to Imhotep before they commenced their work, clearly honoring the great legacy that Imhotep left in the Kemetic memory in the area of wisdom, administration, architecture, engineering, astronomy, and medicine.
In the next lesson, we will intimately discuss the divinity Ptah and Imhotep's importance as the son of Ptah and further examine his enduring memory and legacy inside and outside Kemetic civilization.
On the south side of the entrance colonnade of the enclosure around the Step Pyramid complex was found a statue of Netcherkhet and on the base of this statue, he is mentioned along with the name and a series of important titles of Imhotep. This pairing of the Ruler and an official on a statute base like this is singularly unique and definitively marks Imhotep as an official that was considered to have extraordinary knowledge and skills from the very beginning. I provide a full transliteration and translation of the base of this important statue which I have not seen fully rendered in the English language.
The second text that I focus on is a libation receptacle honoring Imhotep commissioned by the 4th son of Ramesses II, Khaemwaset, a renaissance man in his own right who had a deep appreciation for the Kemetic past and restoring monuments that were decaying, especially in the area of Memphis where he held office as a Sem priest of Ptah. This libation receptacle is very important, and it is not widely known, discussed, or even integrated at all into discussions on Imhotep. It is especially important because it explicitly calls Imhotep the son of Ptah and most scholarship argued that this epithet originated during the Late Period. It is fitting that Imhotep would be honored in this way by Khaemwaset in the form of a libation vessel because there was a long tradition of scribes and priests pouring a water libation explicitly to Imhotep before they commenced their work, clearly honoring the great legacy that Imhotep left in the Kemetic memory in the area of wisdom, administration, architecture, engineering, astronomy, and medicine.
In the next lesson, we will intimately discuss the divinity Ptah and Imhotep's importance as the son of Ptah and further examine his enduring memory and legacy inside and outside Kemetic civilization.
Lesson 48 - Imhotep, the son of Ptah
This lesson is a meditation and reflection on the deeper meaning of why Imhotep is referred to as the "son of Ptah." The memory of Imhotep was pervasive throughout Kemetic history and transcended incorporations on various temples and monuments to include songs, proverbs carried on in the oral tradition, and literary texts as evidenced by "the Song of the Harper" and "the Immortality of Writers" respectively. Ptah, a divinity intimately linked to creative thought and utterance, speaks to the idea of the means by which the cosmos was transformed into reality.
In highlighting a well-known text commonly referred to as "the Memphite Theology" inscribed on a slab of black granite during the reign of Shabaka (715-701 BC) of the 25th Kushite dynasty, I use an excerpt from Jacob Carruthers Mdw Ntr: Divine Speech that presents and analyzes the power of the Creator's thought (i.e. ib "heart, mind") and tongue (i.e. speech) in the process of creation. This principle was self-evident and existed in the primeval waters of Nun to ultimately produce the forces and elements of the cosmos. Ptah embodies the intellectual principle of creation and its material realization in the structure and substance of the cosmos.
Among many characteristics, Ptah is especially revered as a patron of craft persons, builders, masons, and sculptors because he speaks to the power of creative speech that arises from perception and fashions raw materials from the power in the earth into various products (i.e. statues, jewelry, towns, building, temples, pyramids, medical remedies, etc.) through actions. Imhotep's most notable achievement in designing and overseeing the construction of the Step Pyramid Complex was viewed by Djoser and the Kemites themselves as unprecedented and extraordinary in terms of both conception and scale and it would lay the foundation for all future efforts at pyramid building. I highlight the work of Dieter Arnold entitled Building in Egypt: Pharaonic Stone Masonry as an excellent work that goes into great detail in terms of all of the various tools, methods, skills, and techniques involved in engineering any pyramid. Most treatments on the Step Pyramid focus on the various structures and dimensions of the complex, but I argue that the greater legacy of Imhotep is not in the actual finished product, but is to be found more in the complexity of all of the information, knowledge, skills, and vision needed in the conceptualization and process of construction.
Lesson 49 - On Djehuty (Thoth) in The Temple of Seti I at Abedju (Abydos) and the Infinitive
The Mortuary Temple of Seti I at Abedju (Abydos) is stunning in the both the conception and beauty of the layout and scenes. Seti I ruled in the early part of the 19th dynasty and was the father of Rameses II. Although not complete in examining all of the scenes in the temple, the early work in 4 volumes on The Temple of Sethos I (1933) by Amice Calverly and Alan Gardiner and the more recent work by Rosalie David entitled The Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018) provide a solid foundation to ground a narrative study of the temple. I have attached the 4 volumes of The Temple of Sethos I (1933). For those interested in a more engaged and intensive study of Seti I's reign, I have attached the monumental work by Peter Brand entitled The Monuments of Seti I.
I begin the lesson by providing Seti I's throne name of Men Maat Ra ("Enduring one of the Maat of Ra) and his birth name which identifies him from birth as being linked the divinity Seth. Because this mortuary temple was situated in Abedju, a sacred sanctuary of Wsir (i.e. Osiris) who is featured heavily inside the temple in scenes, Seti I opted to replace the unknown Seth animal in the writing of his birth name in this temple with the knot of the goddess Aset (i.e Isis). Rulers can also be described as being beloved of a particular divinity and Seti I describes himself as being "beloved of Ptah."
This lesson is used to highlight the importance of the infinitive and its wide-ranging use in Kemetic scenes in both tombs, temples, and literary texts. The infinitive belongs to a special class of verbs known as verbal nouns. Unlike verb forms that are finite, the infinitive presents action that is not linked to a specific tense (i.e. past, present, future), aspect (i.e. the kind of action- completion or extension), mood (i.e. indicative or subjunctive) or voice (i.e. active and passive). The normal translation of the infinitive into English is ex. "to learn" and the gerund "the learning or learning." The infinitive is actually a noun that describes the action of the verb and as such, it can be used in most of the same ways that other nouns are used. In scenes, the infinitive is often used in headings to capture the essence of major action.
In this lesson, I present three scenes from the temple of Seti I to sensitize you to how the action of a scene is captured and is also contingent upon who is performing the action. In the scene that I present of Djehuty giving the two crowns of Upper and Lower Kemet to Seti I, the major action is captured by the sDm.n.f form (Allen, Ch. 17) which refers to completed action. In the other two scenes that I present, one with Seti I offering the Djehuty in the form of the heby (i.e. ibis) and Seti I offering the goddess Maat to Wsir (i.e. Osiris), the action in both is captured by the infinitive because these actions are part of a daily temple ritual and are viewed as ongoing, habitual and repetitive for eternity.
I have attached the transliteration of these scenes from Rosalie David's Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018) for you to review in preparation for the next lesson where we will transliterate, translate, and provide rich cultural context to understand the deeper meaning of these scenes and to further emphasize the importance of knowing how to feel for and spot the infinitive operating in Kemetic scenes
I begin the lesson by providing Seti I's throne name of Men Maat Ra ("Enduring one of the Maat of Ra) and his birth name which identifies him from birth as being linked the divinity Seth. Because this mortuary temple was situated in Abedju, a sacred sanctuary of Wsir (i.e. Osiris) who is featured heavily inside the temple in scenes, Seti I opted to replace the unknown Seth animal in the writing of his birth name in this temple with the knot of the goddess Aset (i.e Isis). Rulers can also be described as being beloved of a particular divinity and Seti I describes himself as being "beloved of Ptah."
This lesson is used to highlight the importance of the infinitive and its wide-ranging use in Kemetic scenes in both tombs, temples, and literary texts. The infinitive belongs to a special class of verbs known as verbal nouns. Unlike verb forms that are finite, the infinitive presents action that is not linked to a specific tense (i.e. past, present, future), aspect (i.e. the kind of action- completion or extension), mood (i.e. indicative or subjunctive) or voice (i.e. active and passive). The normal translation of the infinitive into English is ex. "to learn" and the gerund "the learning or learning." The infinitive is actually a noun that describes the action of the verb and as such, it can be used in most of the same ways that other nouns are used. In scenes, the infinitive is often used in headings to capture the essence of major action.
In this lesson, I present three scenes from the temple of Seti I to sensitize you to how the action of a scene is captured and is also contingent upon who is performing the action. In the scene that I present of Djehuty giving the two crowns of Upper and Lower Kemet to Seti I, the major action is captured by the sDm.n.f form (Allen, Ch. 17) which refers to completed action. In the other two scenes that I present, one with Seti I offering the Djehuty in the form of the heby (i.e. ibis) and Seti I offering the goddess Maat to Wsir (i.e. Osiris), the action in both is captured by the infinitive because these actions are part of a daily temple ritual and are viewed as ongoing, habitual and repetitive for eternity.
I have attached the transliteration of these scenes from Rosalie David's Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018) for you to review in preparation for the next lesson where we will transliterate, translate, and provide rich cultural context to understand the deeper meaning of these scenes and to further emphasize the importance of knowing how to feel for and spot the infinitive operating in Kemetic scenes
Lesson 50 - On "Meritptah," the Blood of Aset (Isis), the Power of Incense and the Daily Offering Ritual
This lesson begins by addressing a question around the authenticity of a woman named Meritptah who was called the world's first female doctor in a book by Kate Campbell Hurd-Mead entitled A History of Women in Medicine (1938). Since Hurd-Mead does not provide any source for this assertion coupled with the fact that we have no actual evidence of a woman named Meritptah as a physician during any period in Kemetic history obviously means that this position can not be supported based upon the evidence. I use Wolfram Grajetzki's article on this issue who correctly deconstructs this falsehood, but I also point out that Grajetzki perpetuates another falsehood in relationship to the female physician that we do know and have discussed named Peseshet. Grajetzki argues that we don't know whether or not Peseshet was the Director of male or female physicians when the title on her ka door very clearly states that she was the Director of female physicians. In addition, he argues that it is questionable as to whether or not Peseshet herself was even a physician although she is titled as a Director of female physicians. I clearly argue that it is illogical to argue that anyone, male or female, who is a Director of anything would not have intimate knowledge and training in their respective vocations. No Egyptologist would ever make a case like this for a male who held any office as a Director.
The scene that is highlighted in this session depicts Seti I making incense and presenting it to Djehuty. I contextualize this ritual action as part of a daily offering ritual that has various features in awakening the ba power of a divinity to come and temporarily reside in the physical form (ka) of divine statues in the respective shrine chapels in this temple.
Another question raised centered around the spirit of Djehuty compared to Djelis or memory keepers in the Bambara society, a word that means "blood" communicating its central importance to the life of a community across generations. This question inspired a deeper discussion of Aset (Isis) as her sacred "tit" image which is red communicating the idea of blood is the glyph that replaces the Seth animal in all writings of Seti I's name in the temple. I link the two strips of red cloth dangling from the sides of the "tit" image of Aset (Isis) to the two strips of red cloth wrapped around the standard of Djehuty, positioned on the kilt of Seti I, and protruding from the back of his crown in the neck region in the scene that we translate in this session. As the throne, Aset (Isis) is the blood that is essential to the life of a person, a community, and intergenerational transmission of memory and in the context of this temple specifically the office of Ruler since the founding of the "Union of the Two Lands."
The scene that is highlighted in this session depicts Seti I making incense and presenting it to Djehuty. I contextualize this ritual action as part of a daily offering ritual that has various features in awakening the ba power of a divinity to come and temporarily reside in the physical form (ka) of divine statues in the respective shrine chapels in this temple.
Lesson 51 - On the Temple of Seti I at Abedju (Abydos) and a New Interpretation of the Ankh "Life" Symbol and the Tit symbol of Aset (Isis)
This lesson begins with a continuation of our discussion of a scene in the Temple of Seti I at Abedju (Abydos) where Seti I is making and giving incense to Djehuty in the form of the sacred Hebi or Ibis. We complete our transliteration and translation of this scene along with cultural commentary.
The second part of the lesson seeks to resolve a historical debate around deciphering the image of the Ankh "life" symbol. Sir Alan Gardiner's grammar cites Battiscombe Gunn as the initial proponent of a view that argued that the ankh "life" symbol was a "sandal strap." In an earlier lesson, I reviewed this view without fully committing to it, but expressing the idea that I could understand on a metaphorical level how it could communicate the idea of elements in the cosmos being tied together. After that lesson, I researched and reviewed major visual evidence on the ankh and I have now decisively concluded that it is not a sandal strap, but it is rather a plant knot that can symbolize any flower or plant, but primarily the sedge plant of Upper Kemet, the papyrus plant of Lower Kemet, and the white and blue lotus flowers, especially the blue lotus flower that rises and closes with the sun and has a very potent, fragrant smell. The sandal strap, like garlands, and other items, are made from plants and this is why you can see them in words. The sandal strap is part of a sandal made of papyrus and this is why it can be used as a design feature in sandals, but it is not a sandal strap in and of itself. The image of ankh combines within itself the idea of earth, water, and air, all essential elements of what we call "life." I submit evidence, primarily from the Temple of Seti I, to demonstrate the strength of my revised view of this symbol.
I conclude by reinterpreting another symbol that is closely linked to the Ankh, and that is the tit symbol heavily linked to Aset (Isis). Based upon Spell 156 in the Book of Coming Forth By Day that talks about a ritual of anointing tit image of Aset (Isis) of red jasper with a plant called Ankh imy, i.e. "the life which is in it" or "that which life is in" (a reverse nisbe), I hypothesize that the tit image actually is a mirror image of the ankh, covering it with red cloth symbolizing blood and the ends are bent down on the image to indicate death juxtaposed against the ankh image whereby the stems protruding from the side are erect. Because the Kemites knew that blood is transported from the heart to all parts of the body and that blood also transports air (i.e oxygen) and nutrients throughout the body, it is essential in empowering the deceased to live again and Aset (Isis) is the goddess that embodies this idea. I also show the musical instrument of the sistrum of Aset (Isis) and demonstrate how the sound of that instrument mirrors the sound in papyrus thickets and intimately speaks to the sounds of creation emerging out of the primeval waters of Nun embodied in the essence and movement of the papyrus plant.
Lesson 52 - On the Ascension, Coronation, and Crowns of the Ruler in Kemet
This lesson focuses on interpreting and explaining the royal insignia and various aspects of the crowns on the head of Seti I in on our scene in the Temple of Seti I at Abedju (Abydos) where Djehuty (Thoth) gives life and scepters of Rulership of Upper and Lower Kemet to Seti I. To ground our discussion, I make reference to the dissertation by Sandra Collier, The Crowns of Pharaoh: the Development and Significance of Ancient Egyptian Kingship (1996). Although this dissertation is not comprehensive and lacks deeper analysis of the meanings of the various crowns in Kemet, it is a good starting point for these types of discussions. On page 12-14, she describes in a very useful chart form 8 major crown types with various subtypes which can have 1 or more among 15 different added elements.
The ascension to the throne of a new Ruler occurred during the morning immediately following the death of the previous Ruler while the formal coronation was planned to be in alignment with some natural cycle of life (i.e. planting festival on New Year's Day, the day of the re-appearance of the moon, or the Festival of Wsir (Osiris) when the inundation of the Nile had receded and new plants began to sprout. (Collier, p.31-32)
In interpreting and explaining the insignia and crowns on the Seti I in the scene, I begin with the Heqat scepter and the Nekhekh flail, which are definitely transmitted to Horu (Horus) from Wsir (Osiris), but, as I explain, these are ancient insignia that actually precede the latter part of the Old Kingdom when we begin to see Wsir (Osiris) come to visibility and prominence. Wsir (Osiris) absorbs some of the attributes and insignia of an earlier divinity named Andjety who is shown in the Temple of Seti I and is referred to there as Wsir (Osiris) Andjety.
Following the discussion of the Heqat scepter and Nekhekh flail, I gesture to some of the meanings attached to the nemes headdress (Collier, p.69-70; 76), the cobra (uraeus) (Collier, p.28, 78), the ram's horns and sun disc which can be linked to both Amun-Re and Re-Horakhety, and the 2 Shuti ostrich feathers (Collier, p.59, 68). The crown that Seti I is wearing in this scene indicates that he is the embodiment of Horu (Horus) and intimately links him to both the earliest Heliopolitan cosmology of Re and also the particular manifestation Horu (Horus) appearing in Waset (Thebes), the sacred locale of the high divinity of Amun-Re who is transcendent yet immanent in all life. These two elements combined ground the Ruler's cosmic authority to govern the country in both the deep past and relatively more recent past after the First Intermediate Period and into the Middle Kingdom when Amun-Re assumes greater importance and centrality as a high divinity in governing the country.
Lesson 53 - On Djehuty Giving Life to Seti I in the Temple of Seti I at Abedju (Abydos) and the Complexities of Translation
This lesson provides a complete transliteration, translation, and grammatical commentary of the scene of Djehuty giving the life of Horu (Horus) to Seti I in the shrine of Seti I in the Temple of Seti I at Abedju (Abydos). The lesson provides a complex look inside my mind as a translator of Kemetic texts and highlights significant differences between my translation of this scene and the translation provided by Rosalie David in her book Temple Ritual at Abydos. This is the first time that I have attached descriptive excerpts from Allen's grammar book as part of translating a scene. This is a major feature of Theophile Obenga's method of specifically citing paragraphs in the process of understanding, explaining, and justifying translations. In terms of grammar, this lesson emphasized imperatives (i.e. commands), participles, the subject-stative construction, and the pseudo-verbal construction. Read closely my translation and explanation of the grammar in this scene, contrast it with Rosalie David and understand my key differences and how I support my interpretation. Read the specific grammar descriptions in Allen referenced by me over and over and each time we see these grammar features again, your knowledge and familiarity of them will grow stronger and over time many of your reads will become automatic. This process takes time, but consistent engagement is going to make the process much easier. In the final analysis, the art of translation is about both understanding language and culture and their inextricable relationship. You can not truly know one without the other. This is especially the case with Medu Netcher where understanding the complexities of the added dimension of image writing is critical to any translation and hopefully this lesson demonstrated the knowledge that a translator of Medu Netcher should possess and the different translation approaches that you will inevitably encounter as you engage more texts.
Lesson 54 - On the Grammar of Kemetic Royal Names: A Case Study of Ramesesu (Ramesses) II
Ramesses II, the son of Seti I, ascended to the throne formally around the age of 25, but was being prepared for this role significantly before this, serving as hereditary prince and co-regent alongside his father as is attested in the Temple of Seti I at Abedju (Abydos). Ramesses II is one of the most recognizable Kemetic rulers and you will feel and see his imprint everywhere in Kemet in terms of construction. The fact that he ruled for approximately 67 years provided him with an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. It is fitting to begin our discussion on the grammar of Kemetic royal names with him because of his prominence.
This lesson provides a nuanced discussion of the grammar of his birth name and throne names respectively which is something that you will not encounter as you read standard works on his life and times. I attempted to situate his names in a historical context, linking him to his grandfather Ramesses I and the last ruler of the 18th dynasty Horemheb who named Ramesses II's grandfather, Ramesses I, as his successor before he died without an heir. Ramesses II is named after his grandfather Ramesses I, and the major epithet, "who Ra has chosen" appended to Ramesses II's throne name is taken intentionally from Horemheb where it is first used. Thus, Ramesses II' birth name and throne name evidence a deep conversation around memory with a genealogy of the recent past. I have attached a detailed grammatical analysis of his name and I have also attached an excerpt from the chronicles of Manetho which provides us with some sense of how Kemetic royal names like Ahmose I, the founder of the 18th dynasty and Ramesses were rendered in Greek and how they inform and influence English translations. I also discuss the importance of Coptic in informing English translations, but each royal name has to be examined individually in regards to dynamics of translation and pronunciation.
In the next lesson, I will provide nuanced commentary on all of Hatshepsut's royal names and also discuss the names of Tutankhamun, a name that you will see adorn a large amount of consumer products in modern Egypt.
This lesson provides a nuanced discussion of the grammar of his birth name and throne names respectively which is something that you will not encounter as you read standard works on his life and times. I attempted to situate his names in a historical context, linking him to his grandfather Ramesses I and the last ruler of the 18th dynasty Horemheb who named Ramesses II's grandfather, Ramesses I, as his successor before he died without an heir. Ramesses II is named after his grandfather Ramesses I, and the major epithet, "who Ra has chosen" appended to Ramesses II's throne name is taken intentionally from Horemheb where it is first used. Thus, Ramesses II' birth name and throne name evidence a deep conversation around memory with a genealogy of the recent past. I have attached a detailed grammatical analysis of his name and I have also attached an excerpt from the chronicles of Manetho which provides us with some sense of how Kemetic royal names like Ahmose I, the founder of the 18th dynasty and Ramesses were rendered in Greek and how they inform and influence English translations. I also discuss the importance of Coptic in informing English translations, but each royal name has to be examined individually in regards to dynamics of translation and pronunciation.
In the next lesson, I will provide nuanced commentary on all of Hatshepsut's royal names and also discuss the names of Tutankhamun, a name that you will see adorn a large amount of consumer products in modern Egypt.
Lesson 55 - The Grammar of Kemetic Royal Names: A Case Study of Hatshepsut
This lesson focuses on presenting and explaining the fivefold titulary of Hatshepsut, who was the daughter of the Ruler Djehutymose I and her mother Iahmes, holding the powerful office of the God's Wife of Amun, and eventually the Great Royal Wife of the Ruler Djehutymose II. After Djehutymose II died, his heir was Djehutymose III born of a lady of the court named Aset (Isis). Because Djehutymose III was only 3 or 4 years old and due to Hatshepsut's vast experience and royal pedigree, she handled the affairs of the country to ensure continuity of governance and eventually entered into a formal co-regency with Djehutymose III, undergoing all of the coronation rituals with a fivefold titulary given divine support by Amun.
As the lesson emphasizes, Hatshepsut's fivefold titulary is very nuanced, influenced by both her father and his remembrance of the early 12th dynasty in the Middle Kingdom, especially Senusret I, but also emphasizing her own feminine power in a unique way that allowed her to describe her essential leadership qualities, while, at the same time, obliquely making reference to important divinities (i.e. Amun, Wosret, Wadjet, and Maat) that grounded those leadership qualities from birth.
This lesson is dedicated to the memory of Tina Turner (maa kheru, "true of voice"), who, in a CNN interview with Larry King in 1997, told him that, based upon her spiritual practice of Buddhism, which believes in reincarnation, she was told that in a past life that she was Hatshepsut. Thus, this is a very appropriate lesson to honor the memory of this great musical artist who believed that she was deeply connected to and inspired by Kemet in this personal way.
Here is the Link for the Kemet Exhibition in Leiden on Hip Hop, Jazz, Soul and Funk referenced in the beginning of the lesson.
https://www.rmo.nl/en/exhibitions/temporary-exhibitions/kemet-exhibition/
Lesson 56 - The Grammar of Kemetic Royal Names: A Case Study of Tutankhamun
This lesson focuses on Tutuankhamun, who came to the throne as a youth around 9 years old, following the aftermath of a series of greatly debated successors of Akhenaten, and reigned for approximately 9 years. His royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) found on November 4, 1922 was announced with great fanfare because it was largely intact, full of thousands of treasures. The opening of this tomb captured the world's imagination and I discuss the importance of this find for both modern Egyptians and African Americans.
I begin in the contemporary moment discussing the politics surrounding the artistic depiction of the hip-hop artist Nas overlayed on the famous golden mask of Tutankhamun in a current museum exhibit in Leiden on how Ancient Egypt and Nubia has been part of the inspiration for many Black musical artists in jazz, funk, hip-hop, and soul. I link this to the subtle, ongoing politics of historical facial reconstructions of Tutankhamun, evidenced most recently in the new facial reconstruction announced by a team from Brazil, Australia, and Italy.
In beginning the discussion on the identity of Tutankhamun, I highlight two major debates in Egyptology around his parentage and immediate predecessors based on available evidence. It is commonly agreed that Tutankhamun's father was Akhenaten, but there is still an ongoing debate around the identity of his mother. Some scholars argue that his mother was Nefertiti and others argue that she was Kiya, a lady at court that held the title "great beloved wife." Some scholars like Nicholas Reeves argues that Nefertiti was the sole one who functioned as co-regent with and succeeded Akhenaten until Tutankhamun and other scholars like John and Colleen Darnell argue that Akhenaten and Nefertiti's eldest daughter Meritaten functioned as co-regent and succeeded Akhenaten and was succeeded by a man named Semenkhare whose clear identity is still unknown. I have attached a reading from Ronald Ridley's book on Akhenaten that discusses the end of Akhenaten's reign and attempts to walk the reader through the major sources of evidence that are debated along with the historical evolution of vastly different views by scholars interpreting this evidence. I attach an excerpt from Nicholas Reeves work on Tutankhamun laying out his argument for Nefertiti as Akhenaten's successor and a brief narrative on Tutankhamun. I also attach a chapter from the book by John and Colleen Darnell on Akhenaten and Nefertiti that focuses on the topic of Akhenaten's successors before Tutankhamun. This book is particularly useful because they have essential bibliographic essays on source material for each chapter which can really assist you if you wish to explore these issues in greater detail even if you do not agree with some of their arguments or interpretations.
I conclude by discussing the grammar of the birth name of Tutankhamun "the living image of Amun" which was originally Tutankhaten "the living image of Aten." Two very prominent officials, Aye and Horemheb, who were also important during Akhenaten's reign, were both clearly instrumental behind the scenes in moving the country back toward Amun although they clearly had their own internal rivalry as power brokers. The politics of the movement back toward Amun is clearly evident in what is commonly referred to as the Restoration Stela of Tutankhamun.
In the next lesson, I will complete the grammar analysis of Tutankhamun's royal names and add a narrative discussion on Akhenaten and his theology of light and introduce some of my innovative work on the unique art style of his reign.
Lesson 57: The Grammar of Kemetic Royal Names: A Case Study of Tutankhamun and Akhenaten
This lesson begins with a discussion of the alteration of Tutankhamun's birth name from Tutankhaten by examining some of the major theological implications of contrasting Amun with the Aten in his probable father Akhenaten's sebayet "wisdom instruction." Akhenaten's elevation of the Aten is definitely an extension and elaboration on ideas of his father Amenhotep III during the latter part of his reign. During his reign, Akhenaten elevates the Aten to a central focus and uniquely provides it with its own shenu's (i.e. cartouches). I have attached a full grammatical analysis of the early and later versions of the names of the Aten discussed in the lecture. I have also attached a full grammatical analysis of the fivefold titularies of both Tutankhamun and Akhenaten respectively.
During the second part of the lesson, I heavily focus on introducing some of my innovative scholarship around interpreting major features of the distinctive art style that accompanied the elevation of the Aten in Akhenaten's sebayet. I provide insight into the broad parameters of my method which involves both viewing the art as conveying a complex visual communication system that unites geography, landscape, astronomy, and language. I have attached the "Great Hymn of the Aten" in the Tomb of Aye that provides us with the most elaborate statement on Akhenaten's sebayet. As demonstrated in this lesson, my work moves us decisively away from viewing Akhenaten's body as depicting any physical deformity like Frohlichs or Marfan Syndrome by some Egyptologists. In interpreting Akhenaten's art style, it is essential to understand the concept of the Akhet "horizon" and the centrality that this plays in his sebayet. Among other features of his body, I prominently show how Akhenaten literally maps the form of the Akhet "horizon" on his body by forming a curvature in his torso and/or back that equates with the outlines of the mountain glyph. And when the rays of the sun, i.e the Aten reaches his body, it forms the glyph of the Akhet which is a combination of the sun and the mountain glyph. The importance of the Akhet was certainly not unique to Akhenaten's office as a Kemetic Ruler, but what was unique was his attempt to link himself exclusively to this recurring celestial phenomena through elevating the Aten. This scholarship is a major intervention in all existing scholarship that will hopefully fundamentally shift how we view the art style during his reign.
During the second part of the lesson, I heavily focus on introducing some of my innovative scholarship around interpreting major features of the distinctive art style that accompanied the elevation of the Aten in Akhenaten's sebayet. I provide insight into the broad parameters of my method which involves both viewing the art as conveying a complex visual communication system that unites geography, landscape, astronomy, and language. I have attached the "Great Hymn of the Aten" in the Tomb of Aye that provides us with the most elaborate statement on Akhenaten's sebayet. As demonstrated in this lesson, my work moves us decisively away from viewing Akhenaten's body as depicting any physical deformity like Frohlichs or Marfan Syndrome by some Egyptologists. In interpreting Akhenaten's art style, it is essential to understand the concept of the Akhet "horizon" and the centrality that this plays in his sebayet. Among other features of his body, I prominently show how Akhenaten literally maps the form of the Akhet "horizon" on his body by forming a curvature in his torso and/or back that equates with the outlines of the mountain glyph. And when the rays of the sun, i.e the Aten reaches his body, it forms the glyph of the Akhet which is a combination of the sun and the mountain glyph. The importance of the Akhet was certainly not unique to Akhenaten's office as a Kemetic Ruler, but what was unique was his attempt to link himself exclusively to this recurring celestial phenomena through elevating the Aten. This scholarship is a major intervention in all existing scholarship that will hopefully fundamentally shift how we view the art style during his reign.
Lesson 58: "All in All": The Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel
This lesson focuses on primarily discussing the cosmic symbolism in the Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel which is situated north of Lake Nasser on the Nile River, approximately 43 miles from the 2nd cataract. Ramesses II had this temple built to give honor to and marshal the power of the cosmic energy of the netcheru Ptah, Rahorakhety, and Amun respectively in his governance of the Kemet, in addition to deifying himself alongside of them. Because the power of these netcheru are invoked not only to sustain and maintain the life of the country, but to also defeat any perceived enemies.
Although I do not delve into this issue with any great detail in this lesson, Ramesses II's famous battle at Qadesh with the Hittites is illustrated prominently on the north wall in the pronaos of the temple to commemorate his "victory" against them although it is clear from the aftermath that this was not an overwhelming "victory" for either side.
In this battle, he narrated his singularly unique courage and fierce fighting and he gave high praise to Amun because he was able to live to tell the story of what happened in what appeared to be a certain defeat and death for him on the battlefield. The memory of this battle was so important for him that he had it carved on many temples during his reign. I have attached a translation of this battle from Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature (Vol. 2) for you to acquire some sense of how this battle was narrated from the Kemetic side.
Although I do not delve into this issue with any great detail in this lesson, Ramesses II's famous battle at Qadesh with the Hittites is illustrated prominently on the north wall in the pronaos of the temple to commemorate his "victory" against them although it is clear from the aftermath that this was not an overwhelming "victory" for either side.
In this battle, he narrated his singularly unique courage and fierce fighting and he gave high praise to Amun because he was able to live to tell the story of what happened in what appeared to be a certain defeat and death for him on the battlefield. The memory of this battle was so important for him that he had it carved on many temples during his reign. I have attached a translation of this battle from Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature (Vol. 2) for you to acquire some sense of how this battle was narrated from the Kemetic side.
I begin this lesson by displaying an album cover that features the facade of the Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel from the great Black musical group Earth, Wind, and Fire from their 1977 album entitled "All in All." I then play my favorite song from Earth, Wind, and Fire entitled "Imagination," featuring the beautiful, soaring, and cosmic falsetto voice of Philip Bailey. In his autobiography discussing the importance of Kemet, Maurice White said "Our rich culture didn't start on slave ships or in cotton fields, and it sure didn't start in the Cabrini-Green projects of Chicago. It started in Egypt. Knowing where you came from gives you confidence and pride that can't be easily taken away. Egypt gave the planet mathematics, astronomy, science, medicine, the written word, religion, symbolism, and spirituality. Despite what centuries of distortion have told us, the civilized world did not start in Europe: it started in Egypt. This is the core reason I turned to Egyptology: it encourages self-respect." He goes on to say "I wanted EW&F to use the symbols of Egypt in our presentation to remind black folks of our rich and glorious heritage. And not just African Americans: today we have scientific proof that all of mankind has African origins. We are all brothers. Everybody is connected. On some basic, primal level we all are a reflection of the universe, and in that reflection we are connected to one divine source, God." (see Maurice White with Herb Powell, Maurice White: My Life with Earth, Wind, and Fire- 2016).
I use Earth, Wind, and Fire's concept of "All in All" to frame and discuss the deeper, hidden cosmic imagination that is operating in the layout of the temple, from the outer facade, going inside to the pronaos, and finally to the inner sanctuary, i.e. the Holy of Holies (Djeser djeseru). In the Holy of Holies, where we see Ptah, Amun, Ramesses II, and Rahorakhety, the rays of the sun shine on principally Amun, Ramesses II, and Rahorakhety twice a year, February 21st and October 21st, and brush the left shoulder of Ptah. I have attached my full transliteration and translation of this inner sanctuary for you.
Some Egyptologists have theorized that one reason why the sun is shining in the sanctuary may be related to the coronation and birthday of Ramesses II and I attempted to show that I think this is a plausible inference based upon translating the inner sanctuary and understanding the cryptographic rendering of his names in this space. I also present and attach for you the scientific work of Amanda- Alice Maravelia who studied this temple closely, and based upon astronomical software used, factoring in the shift of the temple to higher ground with the construction of the High dam, she argued that the temple is a harbinger for two prominent seasons in the Kemetic calendar, Peret and Shemu. I accept her argument, but without displacing the importance of the coronation and birth names which she does. Multiple meanings can easily operate simultaneously in the Kemetic imagination without contradiction. It is difficult for some scholars, especially steeped in Western logic, to really understand this and actually feel this dynamic as an a priori assumption when engaging Kemetic texts, both literary and artistic.
I have attached a partial translation of the Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel and the Temple dedicated to his Great Royal Queen Nefertari adjacent to his taken from the monumental, foundational work of Kenneth Kitchen on Ramesside Inscriptions.
If we take Earth, Wind, and Fire's "All in All" as a framing concept, we can say that the "All (i.e. everything in the cosmos) is governed by the same divine, intellectual principle that produced it (i.e. the All). As Ptah is conceptualized as "the flash of the spirit," the first instance of the Creator's mind/heart and will at work, he represents the bridge between the heart (i.e. the intellectual principle) and the tongue (i.e. the material realization and articulation of that principle in the substance of cosmos). This is why in the Holy of Holies Ptah is not in complete darkness because he represents this important, cosmic bridge. This is an important intervention that I make in this lesson that runs counter to many of the standard treatments of this temple that usually frame Ptah as being in complete darkness.
Like Ptah, the music of Earth, Wind, and Fire is a powerful example of articulating divine speech that arises from deep thought and elevates us by giving us all life, power, strength, and light like the sun for eternity.
Lesson 59: Amun-Ra and the Temple of Karnak
For over 2000 years, Kemetic Rulers built monuments in The Temple of Karnak, located on the east bank of the Nile in Waset (Thebes). The major focus of the temple centered around Amun-Ra, his wife Mut, and their child, Khonsu. Measuring approximately 1 mile long and 1/2 mile wide, this is the largest temple complex in the world. The temple has a main axis oriented East-West that includes the first 6 pylons and the inner Holy of Holies sanctuary and a North-South axis that includes pylons 7-10. As mentioned in the lesson, the pylons are a useful way of orienting yourself in this vast temple.
This lesson focuses on explaining the essence and power of Amun-Ra through translating a scene on the west wall of the famous Hypostyle area of the temple, an area comprised of 134 open and closed bud papyrus columns the lay immediately behind the second pylon, that was constructed during the reign of Seti I and completed by his son Ramesses II. In the scene that we focus on, Ramesses II kneels before the Great Ennead and Amun-Ra, Mut, and Khonsu. As a primordial netcher and Ruler of the netcheru and existence, this scene highlights the idea of the Ennead, here emphasizing their human forms and not their anthropomorphic forms, as the mirror of and sum total of the image of Amun. As the scene demonstrates, Amun's power is shown in the specific context here of bringing Hapy, the Nile flood, the major source of life for the country.
I have attached a full transliteration and translation of the scene that is highlighed in the lesson video, i.e. the conversation between Amun-Ra and the Great Ennead. I have also attached to this lesson a major reflection on the temple by Mirolsav Verner. And lastly, I have attached 3 large volumes that focus exclusively on scenes in the Hypostyle area of the temple that were produced by The Oriental Institute in Chicago. We will revisit various scenes from this temple again over the course of the next year.
This lesson focuses on explaining the essence and power of Amun-Ra through translating a scene on the west wall of the famous Hypostyle area of the temple, an area comprised of 134 open and closed bud papyrus columns the lay immediately behind the second pylon, that was constructed during the reign of Seti I and completed by his son Ramesses II. In the scene that we focus on, Ramesses II kneels before the Great Ennead and Amun-Ra, Mut, and Khonsu. As a primordial netcher and Ruler of the netcheru and existence, this scene highlights the idea of the Ennead, here emphasizing their human forms and not their anthropomorphic forms, as the mirror of and sum total of the image of Amun. As the scene demonstrates, Amun's power is shown in the specific context here of bringing Hapy, the Nile flood, the major source of life for the country.
I have attached a full transliteration and translation of the scene that is highlighed in the lesson video, i.e. the conversation between Amun-Ra and the Great Ennead. I have also attached to this lesson a major reflection on the temple by Mirolsav Verner. And lastly, I have attached 3 large volumes that focus exclusively on scenes in the Hypostyle area of the temple that were produced by The Oriental Institute in Chicago. We will revisit various scenes from this temple again over the course of the next year.
Lesson 60: "The Weheme Mesut ("One Who Repeats the Birth, i.e. "Renaissance), Coming Back to Kemet, and the White Chapel of Senusret I at Karnak."
In preparation for our trip to Kemet, the focus of this lesson is to translate a small scene in the famous White Chapel of Senusret I at Karnak that centers around the importance of Amun and Atum in crowning Senusret I. Senusret I had a co-regency with his father Amenemhat I and I discuss the importance and connection between both of their Horus names. The Horus name of Amenemhat I is Wehem Mesut "one who repeats the birth" and the Horus name of his son Senusret I is "one who lives the birth." This White Chapel highlights the elevation of Amun in the Temple of Amun during this Middle Kingdom period that was to become the core of the vast, larger temple complex at Karnak in later periods. The White Chapel was constructed in celebration of Senusret I's sed festival of renewal after 30 years of being on the throne. It later served as a temporary resting place during processions for the sacred barque containing the statue of Amun.
Lesson 61: Maat and Creation
After providing general reflections on some highlights and meaning of the Kemet Study Tour 2023, I focus this lesson on Maat and Creation, the first installment of many discussions over at least the next 2-3 months. I begin with an examination on the hieroglyphic writing of the word itself and major variant writings, citing select passages from my article on Maat written as a graduate student which I have attached. I focus on two major symbols, one that I have re-interpreted as the primeval hill which Allen and Gardiner view as a pedestal or platform and the other which is the ostrich feather. On Maat and Creation, I highlight a passage from Coffin Text 80. I have attached the glyphs and translation from Raymond Faulkner of this passage. I have also attached the full publication of Volume 2 of the Coffin Texts from which this passage is taken. This is a major reference work as you grow deeper in your knowledge and experience with the language.
In this lesson, I also use Theophile Obenga's commentary on Maat emphasizing its divine essence which means that Maat can not be reduced to a mere ethical or moral philosophy as the departure point for discussing it. I have also attached Obenga's article on Ancient Egyptian philosophy referenced in the lesson with his treatment of Maat towards the end.
Lesson 62: Maat and Creation
This lesson continues our discussion on Maat and Creation. I begin by highlighting a major verb in Medu Netcher, kheper, "to come into existence, become, happen, and transform." This word is utilized in very diverse and complex ways grammatically to emphasize the dynamic process of creation. I use the work by Theophile Obenga entitled The African Genesis, to explain this Kemetic cosmology that is commonly referred to as the Heliopolitan cosmology. I have attached the whole work here and I cite Obenga's full translation of a passage from the Bremmer Rhind Papyrus.
In formulating a cosmology, one can not simply use the external world (i.e. the outside) to explain the universe. One has to deeply reflect on the nature of space and time, the basic elements and components of the universe and the gradual differentiation of the cosmos, along with patterns of observed regularity. The Ennead of the Kemetic Heliopolitan cosmology represents the framework of their attempt to explain the diversity of components in the cosmic order of Maat and the dynamic of creation. The word for Ennead is pesedjet and I make reference to the article by Lana Troy on "The Ennead: The Collective as Goddess" to highlight the Ennead collectively akin to a mother goddess, i.e. the idea that each generation yields the birth of a more complex distribution of the elementary cosmic components.
Because of its importance in both structuring the physical world and organizing the family, the Ennead is considered the highest judicial authority of the divine world and thus, serves as a divine council called djadjat in the final judgement of the deceased where their heart is weighed against the idea of Maat. The judgment of the deceased becomes the initial step in their renewal, regeneration, and rebirth.
I conclude by translating a scene in the Temple of Seti I at Abydos that shows Maat next to the Goddess Renepet, the goddess of the concept of the year. This pairing of goddesses speaks profoundly to the Kemetic scientific observations of phenomena such as Sirius, the sun, the moon, and the Nile over a very long period of time to create the 365 day calendar in what the Egyptologist/astronomer Juan Belmonte calls "Keeeping Maat on Earth" in work on Ancient Egyptian Astronomy entitled "In Search of Cosmic Order: Selected Essays on Egyptian Archaeoastronomy." I have attached my full transliteration, translation, and grammar analysis of this scene discussed in class for reference.
Lesson 63: Defining Maat as the Power of the Northwind on the Stela of Horemheb
In this session, we begin to attempt to examine and understand on a deeper level the beautiful metaphors that the Kemites used themselves to describe and explain Maat. We primarily focus here on Maat found on the Stela of Horemheb. The Stela of Horemheb found in his tomb at Saqqara contains a very nice visual scene of Horemheb praising Ra-Horakhety, Djehuty, and Maat. We will translate a couple of lines in this stela that highlight the power of Maat as the Northwind. An image of the stela is attached along with a link that takes you directly to a detailed narrative description of the stela which is now housed in the British Museum. I have attached a document containing the stela, my translation of the lines dealing with Maat, a full hieroglyphic transcription of the stela contained in Wolfgang Helck, Urkunden der 18. Dynastie, and a full translation of the stela in the work by Benedict Davies, Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dyansty.
We began a discussion of Maat found in the Wisdom Instruction of Ptahhotep at the end of this session, but I will post all of the materials for this text in our next session.
Lesson 1 - The Uniliterals:
No Assignment
Lesson 2 - The Uses of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Common Determinatives
Lesson 3 - The Uses of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Instructions for James Allen Exercise
Middle Egyptian by James Allen - Chapter 3 Exercise and Sign List
Middle Egyptian by James Allen - Chapter 3 Exercise and Sign List
Lesson 4 - The Uses of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Copy the whole Egyptian noun list in Leo Depuyd'ts Fundamentals of Egyptian Grammar. As you copy each noun, pay close attention to every glyph. If there is a glyph that you are not familiar with, look it up in the sign list and make sure that you understand what it is as an ideogram, phonogram, and/or determinative.
Look over the Sahidic Coptic alphabet a few times this week. In class on Tuesday, I will introduce this alphabet and demonstrate the importance of this last stage of Medu Netcher.
Look over the Sahidic Coptic alphabet a few times this week. In class on Tuesday, I will introduce this alphabet and demonstrate the importance of this last stage of Medu Netcher.
Lesson 5 - Introduction to the Saidic Coptic Alphabet
Please cross-reference the following Coptic nouns with Leo Depuydt's Core Vocabulary Noun List. Based upon the lecture video, practice pronouncing these Coptic words.