Crystal"s Palace Of Herbs

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In the beginning..
Egypt wasn't always a thin ribbon of life surrounded by desert. From 200,000 to 10,000 BCE most of what is now known as the Sahara desert used to be verdant grasslands and plains with many trees and several rivers. There was an accumulation of different cultures down to 5,000 BCE.

From 6,000-4,000 BCE different belief structures, and both matrilineal and patrilineal societies existed along the Nile, for by then the Sahara was rapidly turning to desert and the cultures went to the only remaining source of water, the life giving Nile. Agriculture was already developed, and irrigation systems in use. There was already predominant goddess and god worship in these societies.

From 4,000-3,100 BCE, Egypt evolved into states, numbering from 36 to 44, called Nomes. From time to time, Egypt became united into two kingdoms, the Upper Kingdom, from around Aswan down to Cairo, with its capital at Nekhen, whose chief god was a goddess, Nekhebit, the Vulture Goddess; and Lower Egypt in the Delta with it's capital at Uatchet, whose chief god was also a goddess, Uatchet.

Nekhebit, the Vulture Goddess was an maternal Earth Mother symbolizing regeneration of life, from Death comes Life, as the vulture is one of the few animals that can mainly subsists on bodies of animals that would poison others. Uatchet, the Snake Goddess, was venerated as a fertility goddess , snakes lay many eggs, and as protection from snakes. The two goddess, Nekhebit and Uatchet, became the part of the crown over the third eye. Later, the snake goddess became associated with the Serpent Fire whose it's power came out at the third eye, the Egyptian equivalent of the Kundalini, , instead of the top of the head which became associated with another god. The worship of Hathor, Amon, Thoth, Horus, Bast, Sekhmet and a few others are well established though Isis is yet to be found or mentioned.

Throughout its 4,000 odd year old history there is no systematic account of the doctrines used. Different men living at different times do not think alike; and no college of priests had formulated a system of beliefs that was received by all clergy and laity alike. 42 nomes; 42 religions in 4,000 years! Changes were extent, differences, even in the same periods, were great. But all had one thing in common, Organic Totality.

Organic Totality: the physical environment, human organizations, conscience, language and ultimate goals, all make up Egypt's totality. Egypt did not have a central dogma or sacred book. But the one thing that prevented them from losing their individuality and from coalescing into a common unit is the belief in more than one set of gods. The Egyptian religions were both personal and nationalistic. It was personal to each individual or family; private, interwoven with a sense of personal right and wrong, with a personal shrine or "niche" in every house to their personal gods/desses. It was nationalistic because usually the place of the national seat of government determined, for the most part, the overall thought of the period, the morality of the period. The Egyptian religion offers a variety of paths to the ultimate source by individual contact and tailoring information and guidance according to an individual's needs and level of development.

Three aspects of the Egyptian religion and culture.

Polytheism; all gods and goddesses are emanations or forces from one source (although in each state, the one source may have a different name).
Actualization of the Individual; the development of the potential of the individual was important to the Egyptian colleges.
Direct communication/relationship of an individual's surroundings.
The kings of Egypt had from three to five "great names". In addition to Horus there is also the "nebti" name. This name is from the Two Ladies, Nekhebet and Uatchet, and Pharaoh becomes the force uniting the dual monarchy. This name goes back to the 1st dynasty and is based on the two capitals of pre-dynastic Egypt, Neken and Buto, seats of the two goddesses. The third name is the "bee" name. "He who belongs to the sedge plant and the bee," the "nesu-list" name, symbolizing the union of Upper and Lower Egypt. Predynastic: According to Manetho, a race of people came into Egypt and some became the founders and rulers of This and Memphis. The system of solar theology arrived in Lower Egypt (Delta) as early as 5,000 BCE in the form of the "Shensu Heru" or Followers of Horus. They made their way to upper Egypt before the 1st dynasty. In predynastic times there were two distinct kingdoms, Upper and Lower Egypt, with their capitals at Neken located slightly north of Thebes, and Buto, in the Delta. We have names of at least 12 kings of these two areas, although the Book of Sothis lists 86 kings, and the "Old Chronicles" lists 84.

There are several approaches taken by metaphysically minded people of today about ancient Egypt. There are those who rely on Edgar Cayce. Those who read Budge, the most predominant writer who unfortunately gives an unrealistic and narrow view of ancient Egypt. Those who Elizabeth Haitch's book, Initiation, which relates a fanciful yet historically inaccurate Egyptian initiation. Those who practice through traditions such as Golden Dawn, or paths of Wicca, who do not draw upon traditional or historical Egyptian traditions. (The Golden Dawn uses Greco-Roman Egyptian Tradition, acknowledged by Egyptologists as the period when most of the Egyptian traditions have been radically changed by outside influences, much already lost, and even hieroglyphic writing being incomprehensible.)

There is no evidence that the Ancient Egyptian religion came from elsewhere. In fact in almost every case the a pagan religions that came into contact with the Egyptian invariably adopted the priesthood, had the priesthood teach them, or made it a part but separate from the main religion. This is different from today's pagans who choose to take snipits of the religions they encounter rather then being taught or adopting the priesthood of the other religion.

Egyptologists, The Church of the Eternal Source, and many Hermeticists agree that in the Late Period of ancient Egypt, the priesthood began forgetting the important esoteric side of their own religion, and started adopting others bits and pieces, without the total integration that they practiced earlier. It resulted in a almost total breakdown of usefulness in practicing magic, mumbling now meaningless phrases, and effectiveness in their magic and rituals.

Occult philosophy by these groups and many others maintain that the more powerful an object is based on the formula: # of people using it + # of years in use + the ability of the individual to use it + the correctness in its use. The astral plane is exclusively made up by just this principle, and it's this plane where much of the magic is done. Feel a talisman that was made and used 4,000 years ago, it still has as more power than the modern work of most systems. In Jungian terms an old cultural symbol is more embedded in our subconscious as a universal symbol, and will be more powerful and last longer than a personal one. The effectiveness of the individual to practice his magic or religion is also directly proportional to the abilities and effectiveness of his/her teacher, and the degree of success in achieving the goals in his/her training.

Co-partnership in Egypt
Horned gods in Egypt include Amon, Menthu, Serapis, Sokar. Since at the inception of ancient Egypt, 42 different societies were involved in the consolidation of the kingdom, later to become nomes or states, and these societies were patrilineal or matrilineal, accommodation had to be made for both, so laws were passed making male and females equal. Rights of women were highly established. Women could marry and divorce; they could establish their own businesses without a man's consent or co-signature; they could conduct them before, during and after marriage, and there was no community property; . Married couples were considered co-partners and co-equals. Pregnant women, by law, had to be taken care of by the husband or the police came and beat him up.

The Queens of Egypt
It was the 2nd King of the 1st Dynasty (around 3,070 BCE) that passed a law that women could rule Egypt. Here they are, with the dynasties that they belonged.

1st Dynasty Merneith, Horneith, IV Henutsen, V Inty, VI Ankhsenmerira, Nitrokris (Noblest and Loveliest), VII Queen, name unknown, VII Queen, name unknown, XII Sebek-neferu-Ra, XIII Aufna, XVIII Hatshepsut, Ptolemiac Period Cleopatra II, Cleopatra III, Cleopatra VII (the famous one).

Hatshepsut is well known because the Pharaoh following her became famous and his monuments, and those of hers that he defaced, are still in existence. For women seeking their historical roots she is a queen worth of study.

Queen Henutsen, also called Isis, Mistress of the Pyramids and wife of Khufu or Cheops,The Egyptians raised Henutsen to the status of a Goddess and shrines were built for her. If you visit the pyramids, give an offering or a prayer to her, for she is the Mistress of the Pyramids and Guardian thereof. She is sometimes seen in a white robe flittering around the Great Pyramids and the other pyramids.

In ancient Egypt, to say the name of a person who is deceased is to make them live forever in heaven. Other ruling queens were later elevated to Goddesshood, Nitrokris, Merneith, Hatshepsut.

Hieroglyphica
Hieroglyphics did play a part in the Temple teachings, as symbols of the god/desses, of power objects, of inter-relations. They themselves had power within them and the mere act of writing them down (or using a rubber stamp in today's world) would give the spell more power. As for being seed syllables, I'm not sure; you will have to give a few more examples, but there are hieroglyphics that do stand for and embodied the levels of creation, but not all of them were syllables or letters. Remember that while a number of hieroglyphics stood for letters, and some syllables, most of them stood for showing what the letter/syllable was for; so that if two objects were spelled the same, another hieroglyphic of the object would be inserted.

The hieroglyphic stamps (Metropolitan museum editions) are very useful, extremely accurate of the hieroglyph. If using them in magic, be sure to bless and consecrate them first, along with the ink. You can use henna as an ink.

Temples

In pre-dynastic times, the priest/esses had no stone temples, they worked outside (or later, in mud and dabble temples) and cast circles; hence their name; "People of the Circle". Eventually they had temples of sun dried brick, but still retained the name. During the Dynastic period they were building temples out of stone. Now the stone temples, if you have seen them, are covered with figures of the gods and goddesses and religious texts and invocations. The walls became the psychic circle of protection and were imbued with their own power. Despite the fact that the magical group no longer needed to cast circles for protection from without or raise power within as the temples walls did that, priest/esses were still called the "People of the Circle".

Power spot it was originally built over
The temple, being built over the power spot and with all the magic working in it for hundreds or thousands of years, the power from the spot would seep into the temples walls. This power is still imbued in the stones even if the temple was rebuilt. Ancient Egyptians would sometimes take a temple apart and incorporate the older stones into the walls of another temple. This is a method of getting stones already imbued with power and "precharging" the new temple with power.

The temples themselves, despite having been moved or assimilated into newer temples, are still full of power as the walls themselves are the stone circle of power. If you wish to see this power but cannot go to Egypt visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for they have the Temple of Dendar removed from Egypt in an exchange program of temple preservation.

Temples and metaphysical spots still in existence today

The Temple of Ra at Heliopolis,built around 1800-1900bce
The temple described by Greek historian Herodutus, was probably the largest temple in the world. The temples' description is as follows: 2/3 of a mile long, a 1/4 of a mile in width, 6 stories tall, and a courtyard big enough for over 4 football fields surrounded by a high, 2 story wall. The entry to the courtyard was through 20 foot high doors encased in gold. The courtyard was made of polished black basalt stones that reflected the stars above. In the middle of the courtyard was a full size tree, its trunk and branches made with Lapis Lazuli, its leaves made with Turquoise. No doubt a most impressive courtyard. The entire temple is now under the suburb of Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo. A small portion was uncovered 3 years ago, and showed the black basaltic paving stones of the courtyard.

The Temple of Bast at Bubastis
Delta area. Although not much remains there, it still exudes a feeling of serenity and peace there. Center to the Bast cat tradition.

Memphis: Temple of Ptah
also not well preserved, but serene with the ponds of water within the temple enclosure.

Sakkara: The tombs of Ptahhotep and Kaegemni
Extremely magical, housing at one time two of the greatest teachers of Egypt.

The Labyrinth, near the Fayyum
Herodutus described it as having 3,000 rooms; 1,500 above, and 1,500 below ground that was so sacred, no one but high priests could enter the underground rooms. Extremely magical, and what is better, almost no tourists, even at the height of the tourist season! Initiations took place here.

Temple of Hathor at Denderah
Magical place with secret chambers and passageways, Initiation center of Hathor. The Zodiac ceiling was found in the Temple of Hathor at Denerah (original in British Museum, replica in temple).

Osirieon at Abydos
Center of the highest initiations of Osiris (his tomb is located nearby but has not yet been discovered). You can visit the once underground chambers where the initiations took place, surrounded by a pond, with a secret passageway, now under water, supposedly going to Osiris's tombs.

The Ramesseum: west bank of Thebes; Luxor
Sit on the stone throne of Rameses, feel the power, or go find the initiation chamber there (the only one that utilizes a coffin). Highly magical.

The Temple of Hatshepsut,
same general area as the Ramesseum.

Temples of Amon and Mut at Karnak and Luxor;
If size impresses, this will! The courtyard itself can easily hold Notre Dame! Seek out the small temple of Sekhmet (but beware of doing rituals there, Sekhmet is unforgiving).

Temple of Horus, Edfu
Most complete temple in modern Egypt, lots of subtle power waiting to be reawakened, doing a gentle chant in the sanctuary can be heard over the entire temple!

Temple of Isis, Philae
Despite being moved from the original island; still very magical, especially because of the surroundings.

Temple of Shahabu
The Egyptian equivalent of Tantric magic, it's place is unknown, and even to the ancient Priests, it's location was kept a secret.

Oracle of Amon; Siwa Oasis, where Alexander the Great went and never spoke of his prophecy!

The Great Pyramids
Being built for King Khufu, the pyramid is not an important metaphysical spot in and of itself. Although having tombs of the workers around it, the mention its building and use as a burial place, and the providing of food to Khufu by the Keeper Priests who lived there, there is absolutely no mention of it as an initiation place. However, Europeans are impressed by what is large and commanding (it embarrassed the ancient Egyptians) and put greater stock in the Great Pyramid than the Egyptians. Also what with the vast number of people in the occult who have visited there, it now has it's own aura added to it, and most people today can't tell the difference.

Priests & Priestesses
Becoming a priest/ess in ancient Egypt: Each family had their own family worship area, the size of which is wholly dependent upon the size of the house they lived in. Therefore, in each family, one family member acted as the family priest/ess. If the father or mother was a priest/ess, then he or she was the family religious leader, in charge of the family rituals. If the parents were not initiated priest/esses, then usually the elder son acted as the religious leader. And in some nomes (or states), matrilineal descent (through the female) was a tradition so the eldest daughter was the religious leader.

The only schools, which included most crafts, were taught in the temple colleges. A child would be sent to a college to learn a craft between the ages of 6-10. If the family had a tradition of priest/esses then usually the children would go to the temple college to be interviewed and tested for the priesthood. Exactly how the priest/esses at the college tested the would be initiate is not well known yet, but we do know that usually the following priests would be involved:

1. A Divine Scribe (reader and writer initiate)
2. A Prophet (who uses divination of some sort and inner visions)
3. A Purification Priest
4. A Priest of Anubis (or some other sort related to traveling in Egyptian heavens (astral plane directly related to Egyptian heavens).

Every Egyptian temple had 2 types of staff, a magical one and a working one consisting of the scribes, bakers and the every day parts of life. If the would be initiate was found wanting in the magical staff, called People of the Circle, the person might be sent back, taught a craft, or sent to the working temple.

Egyptian Philosophy, more really less like Voltaire and closer to ethics and conscious, was one of the first things that initiates were taught. Ethics and morals was the beginning of the training. A would be priest developed his own ethics or philosophy before embarking on to magical training. If one had to make a condensed version of all of the Egyptian ethics and philosophy teachings it would be; "Do anything you want, but only in moderation, and while doing so, do not harm anyone physically or psychology."

In the high magic section of ancient Egypt
In the temples to Gods the male priesthood predominated. Conversely in the temples to the Goddesses the female priesthood predominated, yet you still find male and females in both. Since many of the groups of gods in the cities were the triads of male, female, offspring, there were rituals to each separately, and rituals for both. Many times the god was worshipped in the day, the goddess at night, but of course, in Egypt, where many traditions did their own thing, sometimes it was reversed. In others, such as the city of Memphis, the female was the Sun, the male god was the moon or something else.

Magic and worship within the family and village.
All families had a family shrine. A family member who was initiated as a priest or priestess would preside over the shrine. If no family member was an initiate, the eldest son usually presided. Even to this there were many exceptions, in states where goddesses predominated, it was the eldest daughter. The orientation of the family life (farmer, sailor, trader, etc) determined the chief god/dess. A farmer's family usually had Osiris and Isis and co-partners; a healers, Sekhmet and Thoth.

Many families had dual shrines, with eldest son leading the god rituals and eldest daughter leading the goddess. God and goddess were considered essential, each predominate in their powers, but always complementing each other.

In villages, where there were no temples, then there were groups of interested people who belonged to a group, more formal than the family group, less formal than a temple, and headed by an initiated priest/ess. Hence, in a village where there may be four initiated people, there usually would be four groups. For example, in a suburb of Hermopolis state there was a male healer of Thoth, a female healer of Sekhmet, a priest of Thoth, and a Priestess of Isis. Hence, there was a healing group, a divination group, and a family group (Isis). Some people belonged to several groups. All groups worshiped other god/dess besides their chief one. During part of the year even in the group of Isis, Osiris had more emphasis.

For those who are really into goddess worship you will be pleased to know that the last operating temple of Egypt was the Temple of Isis at Philae before it was closed by the Christians in the late 5th/early 6th century, however people continued coming for 100 years later, despite the Islamic conquest over the Christians in Egypt during that century.

Initiation and Lesser Mysteries
The mysteries and initiations varied from temple to temple. In the Lesser Mysteries of Isis there is preparatory instruction, meditation within the temple and introduction to the sanctuary for participation in a performance of drama of death and resurrection. Initiations all contain the same demands in order to be successful today or in the ancient times: preparation of the group and the initiates, complete ceremonies and dedication to the purpose, and study and understanding.

Egypt allowed for self-initiation for some levels. All cognition, after all, comes from the inside. We are therefore initiated only by ourselves, the master or teacher gives us the Key. In some Egyptian initiations the goal is the receive the Sa, the innate virtue or power of the gods as a sort of fluid (or magnetic fluid or aura). It is transmitted by the God's (I will sometimes say God, but take it as either God or Goddess) hands through touch or passes on the neck or spine of the individual. This operation is called the Satapu-sa.

"The Summit is the Apex of the Mountains height, but there are both Summit and Valley, hence, something exists which causes both. Equally there is within you that which wants to lift itself despite the animal instincts, and also that which wants to remain earthly. Summit and Valley, are 2 powers manifested. If there were not these two there would be only one. Since there are two there are also all the others which sprang from these, the other Neters or Gods/desses."

"One should pass through complexity in order to exhaust the various possibilities until the awakening of the consciousness which leads towards simplicity; it is on intermediate phase between dream and reality."

"If the essence and perfection of all good are comprehended in the god/desses, and if you adhere to a more excellent nature, you will obtain a union with them, the contemplation of truth, and the possession of intellect. A knowledge of the gods is accompanied with a conversion to and knowledge of ourselves. Written on the college walls of the Temple of Horus at Edfu.

The Egyptian path, as defined by Frankfort, can be considered as;

Evolution = Ignorance
Destruction = Knowledge
Dissolution = Experience
Reintegration = Understanding
Integration = Wisdom.

Religion in the Late Period of Egypt
Egyptologists, The Church of the Eternal Source, and many Hermeticists agree that in the Late Period of ancient Egypt, the priesthood began forgetting the esoteric side of their religion, and started adopting bits and pieces of other religions, without the total integration that they practiced earlier. It resulted in a breakdown of usefulness in practicing magic, mumbling now meaningless phrases, and effectiveness in their magic and rituals.

Occult philosophy by these groups and many others maintain that the more powerful an object is based on the formula: # of people using it + # of years in use + the ability of the individual to use it + the correctness in its use. Feel a talisman that was made and used 4,000 years ago, it still has as more power than the modern work of most systems. In Jungian terms an old cultural symbol is more embedded in our subconscious as a universal symbol, and will be more powerful and last longer than a personal one.

The prevailing thought up to 10 years ago is that if a form and function of a god/dess has been worshipped for thousands of years by hundreds of thousands of individuals, including those properly initiated, then that form and function will always override what one individual or group over a few years may invoke. The thought form was constructed in the Astral plane and is extremely strong, and a few people who have decided that (usually through ignorance) he/she had a different form or function, will never be able to compete with the stronger form. Those who try to tap into an ancient thought form with a "modified" view of it frequently don't know what they are drawing from and instead of tapping the vast astral power it works against them or else their own power is all they tap into. Isis, for example, is never invoked as a Great Mother Goddess unless she is holding baby Horus. NEVER! I have seen many Wiccan ceremonies where they use the wrong Egyptian god/desses in their rituals, or the wrong god/desses forms for the powers they are invoking. Remember, that despite some current thinking that it's only the association in your mind that counts, don't, for example, invoke Sekhmet with a knife and envision a gentle mother goddess.

RELIGION

The manifest of power in animal and man
In nature, everything is linked with everything else, and you are a part of nature. Observe outside, observe inside, you begin to see the relations between things. The ancient Egyptians didn't worship animals. They had "sacred animals" but worshiped the Divine Principle manifested through that animal, the power behind the animal. Hence, the Serapis bull symbolized the Divine Principle of Strength. The Baboon of Thoth for two things: Society (baboons have, among the animals, one of the most complex societies), and of Contemplation for Baboons will sit and watch the Sun rise, among other things; Horus with the Hawk, one who sees or watches the earth from above for hawks and birds of prey have a binocular vision of about 7x power; hence the celestial Horus eyes were the Sun and the Moon. The attributes of Bast and of the cat are very similar.

To the Egyptian, while man is an example of ALL the powers of all the god/desses; certain animals manifest specific powers, and manifest them more than man. An animal does not reason, it experiences directly. Man is deceived by the incomplete testimony of his senses and his reason and has allowed the instinctive consciousness to atrophy without having learned to use his intuitive faculties which to the Egyptians, is the wisdom of the heart. Therefore there are ancient rituals to strengthen the heart. Raise your eyes to know what relates to the laws of the heavens, look around you to study the principles of nature, look inside you to determine your attributes, to integrate your personality, and identify it with the heavens and nature, One can cast your heart ahead on the Chosen Way, then go and retrieve it, and let your steps loyally follow its voice. The Egyptian Way of Life is of harmony; within the all-inclusive Unity of God/desses, nature and society; man can move with dignity, safety and happiness.

The Egyptian essential Unity in the conviction that man can find immortality and peace by becoming part, or as one, with the perennial cyclic rhythms of Nature, a recurring movement, part of the established and unchanging Order of the Universe.

METAPHYSICAL PARTS OF MAN
The material body: the spirits of the heart is called Hati. Of hearing, Setem; of sight, Maa; of taste, Hu; of touch, Saa; of the material body, Khat. The astral or Inner Self: Setem, compassion, the ability to feel rightly. Maa, justice, the ability to perceive rightly. Hu, command, divine utterance. Saa, perception, knowledge, understanding. Heka, magic. Ab, the seat of life, source of will and intentions. Ka, the astral body; principle of the body and protective genius. Khu, the intellect; low form Khu, highest intellect. Then we have the Khaibit, or Dweller; the Shadow, the part before, at and after the Dweller of the Threshold. Higher up, the Ba, soul, sublime, and multi-leveled. Next comes the Sahu, part of the spiritual self and is the spiritual body otherwise called the spiritual body. There is also the sekem; lower force; the power of forms, names, and life. There is also the Sa, the higher force, essential energy of all.

To give you an idea of the complexity of it all: Touch: Saa (Sia) god of feeling, knowledge, understanding, intelligence. Personification of perception, to feel, to understand (comes from Memphis and the Ptah/Sekhmet/Nefertum triad). As Saau-ur "The Great Intelligence: the cognitive reception of a situation, object or idea. Saau-ur is mentioned as early as the 5th dynasty. As Saa Amenti-Ra "The Intelligence of the Amenti of Ra" god of conscience and character.

Sa is a god of protection within his functions and is associated with Hu, taste. Oddly enough Sa is associated also with the heart. Hu and Saa together are the Eyes of Horus. More importantly they are the tongue and heart of Ptah; as such it is thur the heart that men relate their lives to moral precepts, and to be craftsmen.

METAPHYSICS
To give you the understanding of Egyptian philosophy and metaphysics I will briefly quote some Egyptian philosophers. The material I use is not from Masonic or Rosecrucian but from Egyptian sources. In many cases I quote the sources, most are translations of papyrus, temples, tombs, etc. All of the translations are from Egyptologists and archaeologists.

The hymns of Egypt tell of the nature and workings of the God/dess they glorify. They mention his /her name and his/her tie to a locality, allude to the myths and describe his/her appearance and powers and attributes.

A occult tradition is like a journey. Before one ventures onto any unknown journey it is best to have an idea of the dangers and preventive protection. Ancient Egypt had 14 traditions. To share another "wisdom texts" as the ancient Egyptian philosophy is called.

"To give a few words of truth, and what you make of them will be your test." - Ptah hotep

Put not thy faith in length of years, for the Gods regard a lifetime as but an hour; A man remains over after reaching the haven of Death. His deeds are laid beside him for all treasure. He who has reached it without wrongdoing, shall continue yonder like a god, stepping forward like a Lord of Eternity. God does not confine his favor to the prosperous and the powerful, he bestows it also upon the poor. His will is that they be fed and clothed, and exempted from tasks beyond their strength. That they may not be oppressed, and unnecessary tears be spared them.

The mortal person is a manifestation on earth of His Divine Spirit. Splendid actions and great deeds are worthy and precious to the gods. but the tasks the Gods alone see - they surpass all. The Ways to God are as many as the breaths in the bodies of men. -- From Rameses II

"Knowledge is the Way to Life; The Way to Life leads to the Way to God. The Way to God leads to Inner Knowledge. Inner Knowledge leads to Wisdom. Wisdom becomes Life."
--Quote from the entrance to the College of Priests, Temple of Horus at Edfu, Egypt

"The lamp of wisdom burns steadily, if the soil that feeds it be reality. If the oil that feeds the lamp be love, the beloved will meet the Lord or Lady and be blessed. If the air that feeds the flame be truth, the breath of he who breathes will inhale wisdom. If the spirit enters the flame, the fire will be as bright as a star."
-- from the College of Priests House of the Temple of Horus at Edfu.

"He who is a Priest of the Living, whom a Neter* favors like the Bennu on the Obelisk, performs right actions without seeking a reward for them. Such a teacher lives a life of true piety. He seeks no gain from any good deed he does, but sets his heart only on the Neter's service. He has compassion upon all living creatures. He holds fast to the Neter's name and inspires others to meditate on it.* He accepts joy and sorrow with an equal mind. He is always happy and never set apart from his Neter. To him gold and dross are as one; nectar and poison are as one. The King and the beggar are as one." -- from Kagemni, whose tomb can be visited at Sakkara, as is known as one of the wisest men around. This text is for a student in order for him to select the right metaphysical teacher.

*Bennu on the Obelisk - the Bennu bird - the Egyptian Phoenix, lives in Arabia, comes every 500 years to built a nest on an obelisk where it lays an egg. When the egg starts hatching, it dies in its own flames, and is reborn from the egg. The obelisk-Egyptian symbol of the first ray of sun light striking the earth, when built, usually covered in gold or electrum. Top of the obelisk is pyramid like called the Pyramidion; and the pyramids are all representations of the suns first light on the Newly Born Earth.

* 3. "He holds fast to the Neter's name and inspires others to meditate on it." - In addition to the common name of any god, like Heru for Horus, they also have a hidden name, a name of power, that priest/esses use in ritual and meditation.

One of the traditions was that of the artists and craftsmen. All of the best artists and craftsmen were trained in one place, the Temple of Ptah in Memphis (presently 20 minutes south of Cairo). all other artists and craftsmen were usually trained at the Temple or by people who were trained there.

These artists and craftsmen include: architects, draftsmen, stone workers (large stones and small), jewelers, painters, eventually glass workers, dyers. All the architects and draftsmen who produced all of the pyramids, temples, palaces, royal tombs, and even forts were trained here. Weavers studied at the Temple of Neith in the Delta.

Unlike the Greeks, who wanted to show how a persons body really looked like, Egyptians were interested in showing the "inner essence" of the person. Therefore only in the background and workers are shown with realistic bodies, crippled, aged, over weight,etc. One can assume that the Egyptians were interested in the "inner" man or woman.

THE ANKH
The ankh is not evolved from an ancient symbol of the Goddess in Libya and Phoenicia; the narrow triangle surmounted by a crossbar and a round or oval head in both Libya and Phoenic evolved long after the standard Egyptian ankh was made. In fact, it wasn't until after the ancient Egyptians either conquered or did extensive trading with both areas did their symbols evolve.

It is a symbol for life. It is true that both gods and goddesses in ancient Egypt held it, but they never presented it to kings and the people, the scenes show the god/dess holding it to the person's lips or head (which means bestowing life, and was not a present). The ankh is the hieroglyph for the word "life", and is used in a common saying "Life, Health, Strength."

The ancient Egyptians never said that the ankh represented the union of male and female sexual symbols, which are quite different symbols and bore no relation to the ankh, or resemblance to it. It was not the "Key of the Nile", nor is there any sacred marriage between God and Goddess taking place at the source of the Nile before the flood. In fact, in all of the Egyptian mythologies there is not one mention of any God and Goddess being married at the source of the Nile. The copts and the Gnostics both used the Ankh or Crux Ansate (Coptic word) before the 5th century ad, and both are Christian.

What did the ancient Egyptians consider the ankh representation? There are two ancient Egyptian references to the ankh representation, and both agree. The round oval or loop represented the Sun rising above, but not yet above the horizon; in the desert that makes the Sun elongate next to the horizon, making a loop like affair. The crossbar represents the horizon. The vertical section below the crossbar is the "Path of the Sun", which would be the light casting a path across the Nile. Hence, the Ankh represents Life because it represents the Path across the Nile (life blood of Egypt, but oddly enough the Nile is either male or hermaphrodite) past the horizon to the Sun which, depending on the tradition of Egypt can be either male or female, though usually male.

The most ancient ankhs cross bar was actually the symbol of the two mountains of sunrise and sunset (life and death, east and west), and also consisted of papyrus (or some other plant tied together). Taken such, the ankh then represents the path of birth, life, and death. It never had male or female attributes, but as the path of birth, life and death, represents both.

Daily Life In Ancient Egypt

The daily life in ancient Egypt was actually much different than the vision that commonly comes to mind. Relics found in archeological digs as well as paintings and drawings on pyramid and tomb walls depict images of life in ancient Egypt that was, in some regards, not that much different than life in Egypt today.

Life in ancient Egypt was primarily centered toward a polytheistic religion, the pharaoh and the importance of family. In ancient Egypt family life began early. Men and women tended to marry quite young in ancient Egypt and everyday life reflected their commitment to the sanctity of the family unit. Divorce was known to have existed but does not appear to have been that prevalent or common. Marriages were generally polygamous; at least in the royal and noble circles, with the husband having several wives. In most cases there was usually a senior wife or chief wife; however it is apparent that husbands were quite fond of all their wives.

Children were a very important component of life in Egypt and were considered to be a great blessing from the gods. Also in the noble and royal families, children were highly regarded. Paintings of King Akhenaten and his wife, Queen Nefertiti, indicate they had a very close and loving bond with their six daughters.

The role of women in ancient Egyptian society is often a surprise. It is usually assumed that women were relegated to the role of a second class citizen, when actually the opposite was true. Women were allowed to own property, testify in court and conduct business dealings. More than one woman even ruled the Egyptian land as pharaoh. While women were highly regarded and given rights that most of their contemporaries in other lands could only dream of, daily life in ancient Egypt for women also involved responsibilities for most of the duties of the home. It was the woman's responsibility to raise the children, see to the home and prepare the meals.
The daily life of people of ancient Egypt was very involved with the various gods and goddesses who ruled Egyptian mythology. It was quite acceptable to worship more than one deity and most towns and villages throughout Egypt did so, although a city would normally claim a patron god. Temples were built and scattered throughout Egypt, reflecting a religion that involved frequent rites, rituals and practices.

Peasant life in ancient Egypt was not always pleasant. Most peasants made their living off the land through agricultural means. Grain, particularly wheat, was a staple crop of life in ancient Egypt. As a result of few grazing lands and the expense of meat, most peasants subsisted off a diet of ground wheat foods, subsidized with meager vegetables. The Egyptians were one of the first people to introduce the use of the ox-drawn plow; however the work of plowing, planting and harvesting would have still been very difficult. Taxes were also imposed on the crops, which would have also made it difficult for most peasant families to move beyond their poor means.

Modern views on slave life in ancient Egypt are largely contradictory. Many scholars theorize that slaves in ancient Egypt actually performed more in the role of servant than actual slave; while other others have contended that those who were less fortunate in ancient Egyptian society were forced to work in humiliating and degrading positions. A long held theory indicates that the great pyramids of ancient Egypt were built upon slave labor, although this theory has been open to much conjecture.

Life in Egypt today is a reflective blend of a modern society who still appreciates a rich and cultured past. In many ways, not much has changed. The Egyptian people still have a very strong regard for family and children and feel very bonded to the land.

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were considered to be both divine deities as well as mortal rulers. Throughout the 30+ dynasties in ancient Egyptian history, it is speculated that some 170 or more rulers reigned over the great land of Egypt during a three thousand year time span. The throne of Egypt was primarily intended to be succeeded from father to son, however in many cases this line of kingship was interrupted by murder, mayhem and mysterious disappearances. Each time a new family took control of the throne, a new kingdom began in the history of this fascinating nation. While rulers often intermarried with daughters, granddaughters, sisters and brothers to keep the throne within the family the throne still managed to shift hands multiple times; creating a dynamic, and often, complex ancient pharonic history.

Not all of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs were men and Hatshepsut proves that even in an ancient culture dominated by men, women were capable of making their own mark on the world. Taking control of the throne following the death of her father Hatshepsut ruled for 20 years and during that time proceeded to expand trade relations and build a number of impressive temples, including the shrine in Deir-al-Bahari. Her prosperous reign was cut short when she mysteriously disappeared. It is speculated that she might have been murdered by her own nephew in order for him to gain access to the throne.

Commonly referred to as the last of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs before the nation tumbled into the hands of the Roman Empire, Cleopatra has been the subject of many novels and movies and is often portrayed as extremely beautiful and seductive. While her affair with Mark Anthony has become legendary, Cleopatra's intelligence and political astuteness may be the most interesting pieces of information of all regarding this female pharaoh.

The queens of Egypt, for the most part, have been relegated to less fame behind their regal husbands, however, many have quite interesting histories in their own right.

The queens of Egypt include a woman who dressed as a man, another who is still famed today for her beauty and many who stand out in the history of Egypt for their unique contributions.

Cleopatre, the most famous queen of Egypt, has become a legend. Queen Cleopatra of Egypt is well regarded as holding the title of the last pharaoh of Egypt, before the land fell into the hands of the aggressive Roman Empire. Like some of the other queens of Egypt, she inherited the throne at the death of her father, when she was only 18 years old, along with her brother, younger than the new queen by six years. Like many other queens of Egypt, Cleopatra married her brother, however it is believed this marriage was only a salute to Egyptian tradition. Cleopatra immediately took hold of the throne and proceeded to lead the nation on her own. One of the more interesting facts about Cleopatra is that she was the first ruler of her dynasty, consisting of the Ptolemy family, to actually be able to speak the Egyptian language, along with eight others. She was known to be extremely intelligent and cunning. The end for Cleopatra came when supporters of her younger brother and husband decided she was far too independent and exiled her to Syria. It was through her attempts to regain control of the throne that she met both Julius Ceasar and Mark Anthony, both of whom became her lovers.

Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics
The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics are a fascination to many people. The term hieroglyphics refers to a system of writing using ancient Egyptian symbols. The hieroglyphics involved a series of 'picture' words. Consisting of several hundred words, this system of writing was intensely complex and very labor intensive. The first hieroglyphics were used on buildings and tombs. It is believed that the Egyptians first began developing this system of writing about 3000 BC.
Facts about Hieroglyphics
There are some facts about hieroglyphics that are quite interesting to note:

This system of writing involved absolutely no vowels, consisting only of consonants.
The Egyptians also did not use any form of punctuation or spacing.
With over 700 ancient Egyptian symbols representing actual words and thousands of others used for individual sounds, some quite intricate, it took quite a long time to learn to write in hieroglyphics.
Egyptian hieroglyphics were written both vertically in rows and horizontally in columns.
The placement of the Egyptian hieroglyphics alphabet letters into an eye pleasing layout was extremely important. Empty spaces were avoided as much as possible and to that end symbols Egyptian art were usually formed into squares instead of straight lines.
Unlike most forms of modern language, which is typically read from right or left; ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics could be read either from right to left or from left to right . In order to know which direction to begin reading, the scribe would position the figures so that they faced in the correct direction.
Egyptian Symbols
Not all symbols represented single letters; some pictures represented words. The symbols that make up the alphabet in Egyptian hieroglyphics are sub-divided into categories including phonograms and ideograms.
Ideograms were used to write the words they represented. An example of an ideogram would be a picture of a woman that actually looked like a woman and represented the word 'woman'.
Phonograms were used to spell out the sound out the words they represented and they usually had no relation to the word they were sounding out. As a result, symbols could be both ideograms and phonograms and the reader would need to determine the context of the 'sentence' in order to find out which word was intended. To indicate whether a symbol represented a complete word or merely a sound scribes would place a straight line after the word.

A large majority of the ancient Egyptian culture were not able to read or write. Instead they depended on scribes and priests. Young boys from wealthy families usually entered schools around age six or seven, in order to learn to write in hieroglyphics. Their training normally took several years to complete.

Although the training for the position of scribe was very intense and lengthy, there were benefits that made it worthwhile. Scribes were considered to servants of the royal household and as such were exempt from taxes. They were also not required to enter the military and were often revered with portraits on the sides of buildings.

Over several thousand years, the system of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics developed by Egyptian civilization evolved and developed into an even more complex system consisting of varying forms of formality. Hieroglyphics were first employed on buildings and tombs, such as the Tutankhamen sarcophagus symbols. Eventually the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics were used to decorate jewelry, record events on papyrus and to form a kind of signature for royalty and deities on oval stones known as cartouche.

The Nile River produced an abundance of fish, which could be incorporated into a number of ancient Egyptian food recipes. Due to the desert geography of the Egyptian nation, it was extremely difficult for the ancient Egyptian peoples to raise livestock, therefore meats such as pork and beef were not often seen in ancient Egyptian food preparations. Fish likely provided the bulk of meat to the Egyptian diet.

Besides fish, bread and beer contributed to the majority of the ancient Egyptian food and drink diet. The fertile soil deposited by the Nile River allowed the ancient Egyptians to grow wheat in abundance. The wheat could be fermented into beer or prepared in a variety of manners such as bread and cakes. Typical ancient Egyptian foods included recipes made from the wheat and often sweetened with honey. The Egyptian food recipe and preparation of bread seems to have been quite labor intensive, as the wheat would have had to be ground by hand and then baked in archaic ovens.

Vegetables were also common ancient Egyptian foods and a number of recipes featured the use of tomatoes, peas and beans. Onions were also a widespread ancient Egyptian food. In addition, garlic was very well liked. Records indicate that leeks, lettuce, cabbages and turnips were also staples in the typical ancient Egyptian diet.

Figs and dates have always been extremely popular and sensible food crops in the arid Egyptian climate. Grapes were a well liked ancient Egyptian food, both as a fruit and in the form of wine; for those who could afford it.

The menus served by the wealthy and the common families in ancient Egypt, seems to have varied greatly. Some types of ancient Egyptian food could only be afforded by the very wealthy, such as coconuts and olives. As it was difficult to raise livestock on the Egyptian deserts, meat was a luxury ancient Egyptian food and fairly unknown by the commoner. The poorer ancient Egyptian families seemed to have existed solely on whatever vegetables they could grow in a garden, supplemented mainly by wheat dishes; at best.

Ancient Egypt Fashion

Ancient Egypt fashion consisted of a variety of colors and was generally adorned with precious gems and jewels. While ancient Egyptian fashions were primarily constructed for the purpose of comfort, this apparently did not mean that ancient Egyptians felt they should sacrifice beauty for comfort.

Most ancient Egypt fashion, regardless of the gender or society level for which it was intended, was constructed for the purposes of keeping cool in the hot, dry desert.

Fabric was generally constructed of linen, made of the flax plant, which allowed the wearer to remain comfortable in the hot climate. Most ancient Egyptian fashion costumes usually included a kilt. The kilt could server a variety of purposes, including indicating the respected age of its wearer or social position.

The ancient Egyptian fashion for woman typically included a straight caftan or shift. This changed very little throughout the history of Egypt. The sleeves might either be short or long sleeved, although it was quite common for the caftan to simply be constructed with strap sleeves to best benefit the heat. In addition, the length of the skirt worn by women might vary depending on the point in history as well as the woman's social status.

Ancient Egypt Games

The formal statues and pharonic headdresses found in Egyptian ruins might indicate that the ancient Egyptian people were quite solemn, however further evidence indicates that in ancient Egypt games and other forms of entertainment were enjoyed by adults and children alike. In ancient Egypt games and other forms of entertainment were comprised of physical activities, board games and toys.

Egyptian games and fun included both indoor and outdoor activities. Ancient Egypt games and sporting events were enjoyed year around, however inside activities were just as popular, possibly as a way to escape the oppressive heat.

Children in ancient Egypt seem to have been very highly regarded. Paintings indicate that at least some of the pharaohs enjoyed close relationships with their children. Toys and games of Egypt included hand carved wooden and stone figurines. Many such items have been discovered in the tombs of wealthy Egyptian children.

While wood was a scarce commodity in ancient Egypt, it is probable that children from poorer families would have enjoyed similar toys made instead from cheaper pottery and baked clay. Animal figurines seem to have been a popular choice among children, such as crocodiles, cats and lions. Some of these toys were even cleverly crafted so as to have moving parts, which must have delighted Egyptian children.

Even thousands of years ago, dolls made well liked toys for little girls. Rag dolls and carved wooden dolls have been found, indicating they were very much a part of ancient Egyptian toys and games.

Children games from ancient Egypt were fairly universal to children around the world and involved many physical activities such as running, hopping, dancing and jumping. Egyptian games and fun for children also included many ball game versions, usually with balls formed from papyrus and using sticks from palm trees. Team games played in ancient Egypt were also quite popular, regardless of whether the event involved the use of a ball or other types of games.

Not all ancient Egypt games were intended for children. While toys were no doubt intended only for the use of the younger generations, adults enjoyed a number of popular board games for entertainment.

Ancient Egyptian Board Games
In ancient Egypt board games were extremely popular and many different kinds existed, both for two players at a time and multiple players. One of the most popular ancient Egyptian games, a version of which is still practiced in modern day Egypt today, was senet. Similar to checkers or draught, the purpose of this game was to move pieces around on a multi-colored board. Very elaborate senet sets were discovered in the tomb of King Tut, among many other treasures. Other ancient Egypt games that were popular included Dogs and Jackals and Seega. Expensive sets, made of precious materials such as ivory and ebony, have been discovered in tombs throughout Egypt. Dice carved from stone and ivory were typical components of many ancient Egypt games.

While ancient Egypt is usually associated with pharaohs, mummies and pyramids; a great number of ancient Egyptian inventions are used in our everyday lives. It would be quite difficult to conveniently and comfortably handle our everyday affairs without most of these early Egyptian inventions.

The history of the Egyptian nation spans thousands of years. Even before they were eventually ruled by one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world, the Romans, the Egyptians were already quite handy at making their own contributions to their part of the globe. Some of the inventions of ancient Egypt are quite well known while other ancient Egyptian inventions are hardly known at all, or at the very least, often credited to other peoples.
List of Inventions in Ancient Egypt

Black Ink
First Ox-Drawn Plows
365 Day Calendar and Leap Year
Paper
First Triangular Shaped Pyramids
Organized labor
Hieroglyphics as an early system of writing
Sails

One of the inventions before Christ in Egypt was surprisingly black ink. The Egyptian people were very talented at creating not only black ink, but many multi-colored types of ink and dye. The process and depth of color utilized in the Egyptian invention of ink and dye was so marvelous that these brilliant hued colors can still be seen today, thousands of years later.

While not thought of in quite the same aspects as the technology we know today, the first ox-draws plows that appeared in Egypt as early as 2500 B.C. were; nevertheless ancient Egypt technological inventions. Skilled metal working would have been required in order to form a workable plow, as well as animal husbandry. One might wonder why the ancient Egyptians would have even needed ox-drawn plows when the majority of the Egyptian nation consists of deserts. While there certainly is a great amount of sweeping desert land in Egypt, the nation is also the home of extremely fertile black soil along the banks of the Nile River. This soil makes a very hospitable environment for growing crops such as wheat, in addition to a multitude of vegetables. Ancient Egyptian inventions, such as the ox-drawn plow, would have made farming much easier and more profitable.

The ancient Egyptians also have the distinct honor of having invented not only the modern 365 day calendar but the leap year system as well. Ancient civilizations recorded and marked time using a lunar calendar system. A solar system established calendar, based on twelve months of 30 days each, with five extra days, was first conceived of by the ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians also devised the leap year calendar of adding an extra day every fourth year in the year 238 B.C.

One of the many ancient Egyptian inventions was an early system of writing, now recognized around the world, known as hieroglyphics. Not only did the ancient Egyptians invent a system of writing, but they also invented the paper on which to place it. Taken from the fibers of the papyrus plant, Egyptian paper was the first of its kind.

While there remains speculation regarding how the ancient pyramids were constructed, it is obvious the Egyptians were the first to invent and employ organized labor on a massive scale in order to construct these magnificent stone structures. When one takes into consideration that the construction of just one pyramid often lasted several decades, the magnitude of the organized labor required becomes enormous. The first truly triangular shaped pyramids are also counted among the many ancient Egyptian inventions; although it took them several tries in order to achieve an idea model.

Egyptian inventions also include sails. Living in such close proximity to the Nile River, it would have been imperative for the Egyptians to devise efficient methods of water transportation.

Ancient Egypt inventions in some cases revolutionized the way the world lived and in other cases, they were merely the forerunner to the technologies we enjoy today. In all cases however, ancient Egyptian inventions were truly a marvel of ancient ingenuity.

The ancient Egypt mummies have fascinated the modern world since Howard Carter uncovered the tomb of King Tut. When one takes the time to investigate the culture, beliefs and mythology of the ancient Egyptian world, it becomes quite apparent that the subject of death played a tremendous role in the everyday lives of Egyptian citizens.

Almost everywhere you turn; there is a reference to death and the afterlife in Egyptian cultures. Pyramids were reputedly built to guard the bodies of the dead; the Book of the Dead has become a Hollywood legend and an entire host of ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses each had a role the lives, deaths and afterlives of the Egyptian people. There is even a god dedicated solely to death. It is no great surprise that ancient Egypt mummies are just one part of a very complex culture dedicated to the subject of death.

The ancient Egyptian people took great care to insure that the bodies of their deceased would be well preserved for the afterlife. Simply placing a body inside a coffin and lowering into the ground was not sufficient for the ancient Egyptians, especially not for the royalty.

Egyptian Mummy Facts

Canopic Jars

The ancient Egyptian mummification process is quite lengthy; usually lasting seventy days and first begins by removing all the organs from within the body. The organs would be washed and dried, then placed inside containers known as canopic jars and eventually buried with the body. A salt mixture commonly found along the Nile River is most often used to aid in the drying process of both the body and the organs. The next step in the mummification process of ancient Egypt mummies involved wrapping the body using yards and yards of linen fabric. Some estimates indicate that the amount of yardage required for a single mummification amounted in the hundreds.

A number of funery rites and practices would be performed over ancient Egypt mummies, as well as the preparation of the tomb. In most cases, when a family was able to afford it, the body of a loved one would be placed in not one but several coffins. This was the situation when the tomb of King Tut was uncovered. The well preserved body of the 'Boy King' was found to be encased inside three coffins.

The ancient Egypt mummies have contributed more than a simple morbid fascination to our modern world. While it is quite certain the ancient Egyptians never intended the mummification ancient Egyptian mummies to have this side benefit; it cannot be denied that we have learned a great deal about this ancient culture through the well preserved bodies of ancient Egypt mummies.

Exploring Ancient Egypt Houses

Mud House

For the most part ancient Egypt houses were constructed using materials that were handy and plentiful. This meant that the design of houses in ancient Egypt varied little, even among the wealthy. This makes it very easy to imagine what Egyptian houses look like.

Wood was extremely scarce, almost non-existent in ancient Egypt. The two construction materials that the ancient land of Egypt seemed capable of producing in multitude was sand and papyrus reeds; with some stone quarries. Therefore, for the most part, the majority of ancient Egyptian houses were constructed of mud brick. Ancient mudd houses in Egypt were made by first mixing a compound of mud and straw. The mixture could then be formed into bricks that were allowed to bake and dry under the hot Egyptian sun. While the mud might be plentiful, it was not particularly sturdy. In a very short amount of time, usually just a few years, an ancient Egyptian house constructed of mud brick would begin to deteriorate and crumble. Ancient mudd houses in Egypt were primarily constructed and lived in by the commoners on the lowest social strata in Egypt, who could afford little else.

In Egypt ancient houses constructed by the wealthy nobles were much different than those built by commoners. Those who could afford to do so built their ancient Egypt house of stone taken from stone quarries. Ancient Egypt houses constructed of stone were much sturdier and solidly built. The wealthy could afford to fill their homes with far more luxuries than poorer families. In Egypt ancient houses built by wealthy families, were likely to contain tiled floors and beautifully painted walls.

While ancient Egypt houses built by commoners and nobles might have differed in many respects, in many others, they were quite similar in order to survive the burning heat of the Egyptian climate as comfortably as possible. Almost all ancient Egypt houses were constructed with a flat roof. Not only did this most likely make the construction process simpler, but the flat roofs also offered a welcome respite from the burning Egyptian sun. Families often lounged, ate and slept on the roofs of ancient Egypt houses.

Another similarity in a typical ancient Egyptian home and houses was the presence of a hearth. Even in wealthy ancient Egypt houses, there was a need for a hearth in order to prepare food. Due to the arid climate of the Egyptian nation, it is not likely the hearth of a house of ancient Egypt, although quite common, would have been needed for heating.

The abundance of furniture was not common in most ancient Egyptian houses, due to the lack of wood. The most common furnishings were three legged stools and chests; even in wealthier Egyptian homes.

Homework Exercises

Lesson 10 Egyptology

1) What are the Three aspects of the Egyptian religion and culture?

2) Why were Egyptians called People of the Circle?

3) Every Egyptian temple had 2 types of staff. What were they and why were they?

4) All families had a family shrine. A family member who was initiated as a priest or priestess would preside over the shrine. If no family member was an initiate, who presided?

5) To the Egyptian, while man is an example of ALL the powers of all the god/desses; ________ manifest specific powers, and manifest them more than man.

6-10) The material body: the spirits of the heart is called ____. Of hearing, Setem; of sight, Maa; of taste, Hu; of touch, Saa; of the material body, ____. The astral or Inner Self: Setem, compassion, the ability to feel rightly. Maa, justice, the ability to perceive rightly. Hu, command, divine utterance. Saa, perception, knowledge, understanding. ____, magic. Ab, the seat of life, source of will and intentions. ____, the astral body; principle of the body and protective genius. ___, the intellect; low form ___, highest intellect. Then we have the Khaibit, or Dweller; the Shadow, the part before, at and after the Dweller of the Threshold. Higher up, the __, soul, sublime, and multi-leveled. Next comes the Sahu, part of the spiritual self and is the spiritual body. There is also the sekem; lower force; the power of forms, names, and life. There is also the __, the higher force, essential energy of all.

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