TheBookof:

TheHiddenChamber
ca.1426BCE
or:

theTwelveHoursoftheNight
and

theMidnightMystery
Section1
HistoryoftheMidnightMystery

BookoftheHiddenChamberSixthHour
Thefiveheadedserpent"TailinMouth":
"themysteriousimageoftheDuat,unknownandunseen"
TombofPharaohTuthmosisIII(ca.14791426BCE)
byWimvandenDungen

Section2
PataphysicsofCreation
Section3
TheSummaryoftheAmduat
TheTwelveHours:ACommentary
Introduction:ArsObscuraandsacredtimelessness
1AncientEgyptianRoyalFuneraryIdeas.

1.1FromEarlyDynastictombstothePyramidTexts.
1.1.1Predynasticgraves&mounds.
1.1.2Theadventofthedualkingship.
1.1.3Theroyaltombs.
1.1.4Osiris&thestellarfunctionofthepyramid.
1.1.5Majorchanges:thereligionofRe.
1.1.6Majorchanges:thetitulary.
1.1.7ThepyramidofUnisandthePyramidTexts.

1.2FunerarylogicofthetombofUnis.
1.2.1Spatialsemantics.
1.2.2Readingatomb?
1.2.3Pharaoh'sgreatspeech.
1.2.4TheEgyptianpsycheandfuneraryrituals.

1.3TheCoffinTexts&theBookoftheDead.
1.3.1Political&economicalplayers.
1.3.2Aradicalchangeofperspective.
1.3.3The"democratization"ofthehereafter.
1.3.4TheCoffinTexts.
1.3.5TheBookoftheTwoWays.
1.3.6TheBookoftheDead.

1.4TheroyalNewKingdomBooksoftheNetherworld.
1.4.1Thearchetypalformsofrenewal.
1.4.2Anewroyalprerogative.
1.4.3TheNewSolarTheology.

1.5ThePharaohsoftheBookoftheHiddenChamber.
1.5.1Thetextualbasis.
1.5.2TheMidnightPharaohs.
2TheMidnightMysteryorArsObscura...

Introduction
ArsObscura
andsacredtimelessness...

CirquedeGavarniePyrenees

Palaeolithiccavemysteries
Whydidprehistorichumanity,bewilderedbypristinenaturalenvironments,atonceterribleand
fascinating, put in the effort to paint the shapes of real and fabulous animals in deep, dark
undergroundcaves(cf.thePalaeolithiccavesinFrance)orcarvemysteriousimagesonremote,
shadedrocks(cf.theNeolithicpetroglypsoftheEasternDesertofUpperEgypt)?
ThePalaeolithicAgecomprisesahugetimeinterval.TheLowerPalaeolithicAge(OldStoneAge,
ca.1.5million100.000BCE)beginswiththeappearanceofthefirststonetools.Atfirst,these
are simple implements, like flaked cobbles (found in Africa). The latter are associated with
fossils of the oldest human species known, Homohabilis, a predecessor of Homo erectus, the
firsthominidtoentertheEurasiancontinent.Stonetoolsdatedtomorethan1.5millionyears
agoareonrecordinPortugal.Duringthisepoch,coldandwarmclimaticconditionsalternated.
The Middle Palaeolithic, Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age (ca. 100.000 40.000 BCE) is defined
by its flake tools. Their production frequently involved extracting blanks from rawmaterial
cobbles. This technique made it possible to obtain flakes with predetermined shapes (ovoid,
triangular or rectangular), retouched into tools. The Homo sapiens Neanderthalensis is
associatedwiththisperiod.
In the Upper Palaeolithic (ca. 40.000 10.000 BCE), a whole range of novelties appear :
projectile points made from materials like bone, ivory or deer antler, the use of personal
adornments (animal teeth and shells pierced to be used as pendants), art and its mythical
symbolism. These evidence a cognitive jump, a crucial advance in problemsolving capacities
and symbolization (the association of a set of phenomena to a fixed glyph). Important social
changesareonrecord.Wewitnesstheformationofsociety.Primitivecommunitiesappearand
trytoadapttothehardlifeduringglaciation.
Theirnewcognitivesymbolizationsofnature(albeitmythicalandarchaic),stimulatethebelief
in"higher"powers,thespiritworldandtheafterlife.Thisistheeraofthecavemysteries:the
secretoflifeanddeathsymbolizedasthemythicalpatternofthevanishing,mystificationand
reappearance of light. The mystery play of the cave as a way to touch the higher powers of
natureandharvesttheirblessings.
The"human"brainisabletocomputethespiritualpotentialofconsciousnesssincethetimeof
HomosapiensNeanderthalensis(ca.500.00029.000BCE).Theneuronalwiringneededtodo
sowasprobablyabsentinHomoerectus(ca.1.6million27.000BCE),especiallyintheLower
Palaeolithic.
The"fourth"statenexttowaking,dreamingandthedreamlesssleep,liesoutsidethecyclesof
"nominal" spacetime and involves the emancipation of the brain (cf. "turya" the "fourth" in
Hinduism).Thisconsciousnessescapesthetragicomic,quaternioofelementalconditionsofthe

naturalorder.
Thefreedomgainedbymeasuringwithadditionaldimensions,entailsculturalformsinteracting
withandtransformingnature.
Australopithecus:450520cc,whoroughlyhadourteethandfeet
Homohabilis:600800cc,whomadesimplestonetools
Homoerectus:9001000cc,largerbrainandaskeletonlikeourown
HomoNeanderthalensis:1.0331.681cc,largerButfrontallobeslesscomplex
Homosapienssapiens:1.6001.681cc,largebrain,developedfrontallobe.
A complex neurological circuit is necessary to compute and process spiritual experiences. An
upgraded version of the neuronal equipment to do this was at work in the CroMagnon brain,
namelytheabilitytosymbolizetheseexperiences(cf.angulargyrus).Butatfirst,theoriginal
software had been uploaded in the cortical hardware of the Neanderthals (cf. the right
amygdala,the"God"spotinthebrain).
Althoughscholarsstilldebatewhetherthelatterhadreligioussensefromthestart(ca.500.000
BCE), it is clear the late Neanderthals performed funerary rituals (awareness of mortality
presupposingimmortalityandviceversa).

PechMerleca.16000BCE

Before reaching the gigantic underground rock cathedral within the holy mound, the Cro
Magnon, or Homo sapiens sapiens (from 100.000 till ca. 10.000 BCE), crawls a considerable
distancethroughatwisting,narrrowing,pitchblacktunnelunderneathtonesofsolidrock.The
heartofthemountainisoneorseveralcaveslitwithfires, with a variety of known, unknown
andphantasticanimalspaintedonhighwallsandmaybeanimatedbytheresoundingechoesof
the fierce rhythms of beated stalactites ... Are strangemen running around in unseenoutfits,
shouting, dancing or otherwise occupied ? The Dancing Sorcerer of Trois Frres perhaps,
directing, in this grand natural galleries within the sacred mound, the secret dance of the
powers that be, i.e. the supernatural spirits of the ancestors and the deities. Why do these
Palaeolithicritualistsseekthesamedarknessofdeep,dreamlesssleepanddeathasthestage
fortheiractivities?

LascauxtheGreatHalloftheBulls

The underlying purpose of this drama of darkness is religious and magical. The former
reconnectsthearchaic,mythicallayerofconsciousness,predominantinUpperPalaeolithicand
Neolithichumanity,withtheprimordial,archetypalpowersordifferentialsofnature,thetypes
representing the Nature of the natural order. The latter protects against the dark, dangerous
side of the natural order, and aims at its successful manipulation by means of the Nature of
natures. Prehistoric consciousness projects this outwards, and perceives it as the living,
animated existence of ceaseless repetitions and constant types. The latter are only "typical
coordinations"withinitspsychomorphyperceptionsofthenaturalenvironment,particularlythe
"psychophysics" of water (food) and light (darkness). Over time, mythical notions of these
psychomorphexperiencestakeform.Theseeventuallybecomenatural"stereotypes",thegods
andgoddessesofarchaicpolytheism.Thesedeitiesrepresenttheunchangingintheconstantly
changing,thestabilityofchangeinthelifeofwanderersandfarmersalike.
Upper Palaeolithic humanity had no local horizon. Unable to plot the natural cycle of the Sun,
thisslowlyemergingintelligentconsciousnesshasonlytheMoontorelyon,foronlythisswift
LightpresentsitseverchangingfacealwaysthesametotheentireEarth,nomatterwhereone
wanders. The horns of the consort of this great goddess, the "Great Moon Bull", are the two
crescents of the Moon. Fertility, sexuality and the mystery of the uterus rule supreme. The
greatfertilitygoddessandherconsortremaincrucialanddominantarchetypalrepresentations
until the end of the Neolithic. But as soon as village life commences, a local horizon is
established,andtheannualcycleoftheSunpairedwiththeLunarmonth.

theLunarPhases:astronomical

The Moon was and is used to measure time. The unchanging Lunar phases were charted on
deerantlersandtighbonesbecauseofthevitalinformationtheyrepresent.Apurelynomadic
lifestyle obscures the daily and annual cycles of the Sun (apparent and seasonal). So the
nearestfixedpointoforientationistheeverchangingfaceoftheMoon.TheLunarcycleof29.5
daysstartswhentheMoonis"invisible",standingbetweentheEarthandtheSun,ontheSun
sideoftheEarth(i.e.NewMoonorSunMoon=0).Duringtheperiodofincreasedlightthat
follows(itsfaceforminga"p"),theHalfMoonmidpointisreachedattheendoftheFirstQuater
(Sun Moon = 90). Before this First Quater Moon, the Moon is crescent, after it, her
movementisgibbous(approachingFullMoon)orwaxing.AFullMoonrisesintheEastatabout
thesametimeastheSunsetsintheWest.AftertheFullMoon,thefaceofthesatelliteformsa
"d". The Waning Moon. After the Last Quater Moon, the Old Moon is visible. These fixed
temporalintervals of theLunarcycle, and their corelative dual phenomenology of light versus
darkness,weresymbolizedinmyths.Thisstablecalendarofthewanderersassuredfertility,but
offerednoseasonalplan.
Are there, besides the mystical quest for the radical altered state of consciousness, other
religious and magical purposes for entering the Palaeolithic "cave of darkness" ? In order to
steer his environment and himself, the wanderer, caught in the Lunar cycle of light and
darkness, of plenty and want, seeks, in a mythical mode of cognition and by sympathetic
imitation(bymagicalmirroring),tounitewiththeprojected"types"ofnature.Themountainis
theultimatenaturaltype,representingstability,strength and the will of the deities. Likewise,
theheartofthemountainisitssecret,andbecomesthesanctumorsacreduterusofthegreat

goddess.Thisholyspaceprotectsandfeedsspiritualgrowth.
ThreestagescharacterizetheUpperPalaeolithiccavemysteries:
1. "theentry":thetunnel:theprocessofdifferentiationfromlighttodarkness
2. "thesanctum":thecathedral:thesecludedplaceofthemysteryofthehiddenlight
3. "theexit":thereturn:theprocessofintegrationfromdarknesstolight.
Lightanddarknessarethephysicalunderpinningofthecavemysteries.Thecaveisaprotected
mediating area were the human and the archetypes of nature touch. Its heart is an uterus, a
placeofnewbirth.Thetunnelisacrawlorpassagewaybetweenstages&stationsoflifeand
the otherworld (the beforelife and the afterlife), the path of the seed to the ovary. In the
naturaldarknessofthesanctum,eventssuchasthedeathofahuntercouldberelivedandthe
causescombattedinasymbolical,allegoricalway.Initiationscouldhappen.Thewombwasthe
templeofthegreatgoddess,shewhoenfoldsnatureasawhole.

LascauxtheShaftoftheDeadMan

The CroMagnon were the first to use grand rock cathedrals and their difficult entrances to
invoke the experience of symbolical death and the subsequent initiation into a new, more
powerful,rejuvenatedstateofconsciousness,enablingonetomovetoahigher,strongermode
of beingandawareness of being.Perhaps a better hunter, healer and leader of others. These
superior hominids were able to artistically symbolize their religious and magical experiences,
and thus shape spiritual traditions and eventually develop notions like heaven, hell, god and
goddess, as well as shamanism (the conscious control of trance) and later priesthood (the
specializationofmagicoreligiousactivitiesinmorecentralizedvillagesocieties).Theircommon
experiencesshapedtheearliestmyths.

LesTroisFrresDancingSorcererca.10.000BCE.

This 30inch tall figure of a shaman is carved into a ceiling chamber of Trois Frres, a
Palaeolithic hunter's initiation cave in southern France (Pyrenees). His is an image of
sympatheticmagic,withtheearsandhornsofastag,theeyesandbeakofanowl,thebearded
face of an old man, the tail of a wolf, the paws of a bear and the legs of a dancing shaman.
Near him are painted hunting murals. The assumption of these animal forms allowed the
shamantoenterhistranceand"understand"theanimalsinasymbolicalway.Hecouldtransfer
this "knowledge" or commune with these powers and serve his group, reducing fear and
openingupthebarrierbetweenthenaturalanditsNature,the feminine powers of the"Great
Mother"andthesteadyrunoftheenergyofher"Bull",theMoon.
Egyptinprehistory
"All the data at our disposal suggest that the process of Nilotic adaptation favoured partial
sedentism and encouraged food storage. It was therefore part of the beginning of a long
evolutionary process through which the people of the Nile valley embarked on the Neolithic
period."
MidantReynes,2000,p.59.

On the basis of the evidence to date, the majority of scholars subdivide Egypt's unwritten
history(ca.50003000BCE)inthreemajorphases:
1. thepreNeolithicPeriod(ca.7000andearlier):earlysettlersintheNileValleyandinthe
western desert contributing to the historic Egyptian reality the "process of
Neolithicization"(MidantReynes,2002)
2. theNeolithic Period (ca. 5000 4000 BCE) : the first traces of village settlement on the
banks of the Nile. The crucial myths of these Nilotic cultures are dominated by Lunar
ideationalfeatures.However, because of the fixed horizon, awareness of the Solar cycle,
andtheseasonalchangesbroughtaboutbyit,rose
3. thePredynasticPeriod(ca.4000BCE3000BCE):incipientstagesofthecentralizationof
power go hand in hand with the "Solarization" of the old Lunar myths. This new, fixed
referencepoint,allowspsychomorphprojectionsofstability,authorityandcontinuity.The
enduringorderofthesedentaryfarmerisguaranteedbysacredkingship,andthelatteris
engenderedbythegreatgoddessherself.Theperiodcomestoaclosewhenthemaleking
assimilatesthesacredpowerofthegreatgoddessandinitiatesSolarideation.
Upper Palaeolithic rock art and its magicoreligious sense reflect the spirituality of the free
wanderers,thegathererhunterswhoroamalargeterritory,identifying(sanctifying)important
landmarks,suchasmountainsandrivers(duringtheday),aswellasthephasesoftheMoon
(at night). These sacred waymarks represent the great goddess and her consort. She is the
spacetimecontinuumembeddingthepowerful,ongoingdriveofthelifeforceofherconsort,the
Bull, at maximum strength when the Moon is Full (Sun Moon = 180, with a brightness of
magnitude12.7).
"But while the true tendency of scientific, analyticalcritical thinking is toward liberation from
this substantial approach, it is characteristic of myth that despite all the 'spirituality' of its
objectsandcontents,its'logic'theformofitscontentsclingstobodies."
Cassirer,E.:ThePhilosophyofSymbolicForms,YaleUniversityPressYale,1955,vol.2.,p.59.

theSolarcycle:seasonal
anddailymagicoreligioussense

When the Neolithic dawned, this picture could be slowly completed. Farmers work out change
within a local horizon, and so identify the overarching, allencompassing natural, primordial
typeoflife:theannualcycleoftheSun.Thechangesmarkedbythiscycle are seasonal and
horizonrelatedrelationshipsbetweentheEarthandthestars.Thehorizonofthenomadtravels
beside him unfixed, with no reference to a stable element of the environment. Wherever he
stops,theretheSunsets,andthemovingcelestialvaultremainsunmeasurable.Thesynodic
movement is detected, the sidereal remains unknown. Neolithic seminomads and farmers
experienced the annual cycle of events in a fixed number of places. Small changes could be
observed and logged. Finding an efficient balance between both approaches (the dominant
LunarandtheemergingSolar)preoccupiedhumanityduringtheNeolithicasawhole.
The study of Predynastic Egypt started with Petrie in 1895 (sequence dating by ordering
ceramicswithrespecttodecoration&manifactureatthesitesatNaqada,AbydosandHu).In
1923, the Badarian culture was discovered (cf. Badari in Upper Egypt). The first major
synthesis was by Kantor in 1944 and 1952. In 1960, Butlzer initiated the study of Nile floods
and otherelementsof the palaeoenvironmental record of Egypt. Through the 1970s and into
the1980s,studiesbyHassanfocusedonenviromentalreconstruction,subsistence,settlement
&demographicinvestigations.HealsoinvestigatedthecognitiveschemaofPredynasticpeoples
through their rock art and the mythogenesis of the early Egyptian state. A general synthesis
wasformulatedbyMidantReynes(1992).
"ThebroadscopeofEgyptianreligiongrewoutofthemostancientsurvivingrootsofourworld
and time. They were among the few surving inheritors of humanity's oldest religious
philosophies,andrepresentacontinuityofthoughtandreligioustrainingthatgoesbacktothe
days of the great cathedrals of cave art. The earliest images of their philosophy are more
intensely skyrelated, demonstrating the widespread geography which was the natural
environment out of which the images grew. These images are the iconography of the Divine
evolvedbythenomadicplainspeoplesofNeolithicAfrica."
Wheeler,2002,p.20.

The earliest examples of stone monuments are found at Nabta, a site in the western desert
datingca.7000BCE.Thereisevidencethattheseinhabitantsalignedtheirstoneconstructions
tothecardinalpointsandtothesolstice(theequinoxpointsoftheSun).Nearthese"calendar
circles"astheyhavebeencalled,burialsofcattlehavebeenfound.Thefirstpotterymakingin
Egypt is also very old, dating to the ninth millennium ! At Tushka, North of Abu Simbel, two
humanswerefoundburied,theirgravessurmountedbythebucraniaofwildbulls(Wendorf &
Schild,1980).Theseelementsindicatethatthesecommunitieswerealready
"... moving towards an ordered social structure, perhaps with some form of hierarchy and
evidently with individuals who practiced special occupations and others who directed the

communaleffortsin respect of them. It might be said that the whole fabric of later historical
Egyptmightbeseenbytheevidencefromtheseremotesettlements."
Rice,2003,p.23.

ThefollowingchronologyofEgyptianprehistoryprevails:
Neolithicperiod:theintervalbetweentheemergenceoffarmingvillagesonthebanksof
the Nile and the initiation of the Egyptian nationstate. The earliest evidence of Neolithic
village communities in the Nile Valley dates between 5000 and 4100 BCE (cf. Merimda
BeniSalama).Thesecommunitieswerenotmoreatbestthanafewhundred.Theysettled
onlittlehillocksorraisedland,mostlikelytoavoidtheflood.
TheBadarians (cf. elBadari, Upper Egypt on the East bank) were a farming and herding
community.Thesesettlersraisedcattle,sheep,goatsandpigs.Theycultivatedbarleyand
wheatandagriculturewassupplementedbyfishingandfowling.Pottery,glass,copperand
glazedstaetitewerefoundatsomesites.ThewallsofearlyBadarianvesselsarefiredtoa
hardness which approaches that of metal although often eggshellthin. Exceptional
crafsmanshipalreadypresent.

fineBadarianblacktoppedredware
Badariancultureca.4200BCEMetropolitan

The Badarians provided their dead with food and placed female figurines in the graves.
Theyhadestablishedreligiouscults,inwhichthegreatgoddessplacedanimportantrole.
Socialstatusevidences in funerary cults. Religious activity around female deities such as
Hathor.Gravenimagesfoundintombs,headofdeceasedpointingSouth,lookingWest
Middle Predynastic period (ca. 4000 3600 BCE) : with Amratian culture (cf. site of el
Amra, Sohag Naqada I) agriculture inceased, hunting deceased and a marked
technological change took place. However, their culture may be seen as an advanced
phaseoftheBadarian.Pottery, mostly in red fabric scored with designs and filled with a
white finish, not yet diffused from Mesopotamia was created with geometrical and
naturalistic designs, yet unstructured in layout. Draughtmanship appeared. Decorated
textilesinvividnaturalisticstyle.

paintedbowlofamanharpooningahippopotamus
Amratiancultureca.3800BCEMetropolitan

Concentration and centralization of power in its incipient stages with the formation of a
managerialclass.TransportationofgoodsalongtheNile
LatePredynasticperiod(ca.36003300BCE):inGerzeanculture (cf. site of elGerza,
Fayum Naqada II), fundamantal changes, techniques were improved. Contacts with
Mesopotamia. Cult centers and urban centers emerged, associated with chiefdoms,
principalities, provincial states and village corporations united into regional kingdoms.
Trade continued to flourish and wealth distinctions became more salient. Whole burial
treasures.CowgoddessHathorisstillrevered.

decoratedivorycomb
Gerzeancultureca.3500BCEMetropolitan

"Infact,theNaqadaIIorGerzeanphasepresentsanaturalsuccessionfromitsimmediate
predecessor,withtheimportantdifferencethatitwasresponsivetoamuchmorepowerful
and, it would appear, more sustained alien influence then either of those which it
followed."
Rice,2003,p.23.

The influence of Mesopotamia on this crucial and sensitive phase is unmistaken, but did
not change the Egyptian way of life, already very much in evidence. The differences
betweentheculturalformofbothcultures(politicalandreligious)existedalreadyforsome
time now and it is fair to assume the foreign influence only helped the native Egyptian
cultural form to become historical. The role of Sumerian citybuilding and writing on
Gerzeancultureprevailsintechnology,scopeandvision,buttheEgyptiansreadaptedand
foundwaysoftheirown.
"Consideredinanotherway,theNaqadaIIphaseisanintermission (though an intensely
creativeone)betweenthelateNeolithicstagesoftheValleysociety'sdevelopmentandthe
comingofthegreatdynastswhoweretounitetheTwoLandsintotheDualKingdomand
thuscreatethehistoricEgyptianstate."
Rice,2003,p.35.

TerminalPredynasticperiod(ca.33003000BCENaqadaIII):TheriseoftheEgyptian
statewastheresultofwarsandallianceshandinhandwiththe risingimportance ofthe
archetypeofthe"greatindividual",themaleking.Atfirst,heistheconsortoftheUpper
Pelaeolithic and Neolithic great goddess, but slowly the Predynastic king assimilates her
powers,andtherebyjustifieshis own male divinity(independent ofher Hassan,1992).
In the first 250 years of this phase, fragmentation and reunification occurred (perhaps
several times). In Upper Egypt, the kings of Naqada and Hierakonpolis ruled, and in the
Delta,thepetty kingdoms of Buto, Sais, Tell elBalamoun, etc. divided Lower Egypt. The

first major power emerged when the two southern kingdoms of Hierakonpolis (Nekhen)
andNaqadaunitedbecausethekingsfromHierakonpolis,laterknownasthe"Followersof
Horus", conquered and annexed the kingdom of Naqada (Seth), and later those of the
northernDelta.
A few important Predynastic realizations should be noted. These were completed before the
grandDynasticPeriod(ca.300030BCE)started!
aspokenlanguage
administrativeorganizationofprovinces,groupsofnomes
chieftainsaccumulatingpower and prestige and foundingthe mythof kingshipleading to
theunificationofUpperEgypt
commercialandartisticactivities
thewishtounitytheNilevalleyintoonestate(conqueringMiddleEgyptandtheDelta)
atraditionalnotionofthesacred,whichisrootedintheworshipofthegreatgoddess
oral tradition of mythologies, stories, legends, charms, songs, hymns & funerary rituals
assuringtheafterlifeofthedeceased
artistic works in clay and ivory stone increasingly becoming the preferred material to
eternalizetheafterlife
Gerzeanwaredesignschematarevealthelesseningimportanceofthefeminineinreligion
andtheconcomittantincreaseinmasculinereligiousprinciples
thefirst"mnemonic"symbols and semicursive hieroglyphs appear on labels of recipient,
palettes, etc. The first hieratic (the cursive form of hieroglyphic writing) is Terminal
Predynasticandalreadythenineverydayuse(cf.PaletteofNarmer,Dynasty0,ca.3050
BCE).
There is no room for doubt : Dynastic Egypt did not emerge "ex nihilo", but the decisive
featuresoftheEgyptianwayoflife(theownformoftheculturalform)wehaveonrecordare
alreadyestablishedamillenniumearlier,whereastheemergenceofregionalkingship(ca.3600
BCE)buildsonthemanagerialapproachoftheBadarians(ca.4000BCE).Thegreatchangeat
thebeginningofhistoryisthetheopoliticalnotionofdivinekingship:TwoLandsunitedbythe
incarnationof asingle, reincarnating skygod,descendinginamalebody,formingadynasty
ofdivinekings,rulingaunitedstateofdivisions.
"ThekingswhocraftedtheEgyptianstatefromthecompetingpowersofthePredynasticperiod
succeededinformulatingaconceptofrulewhichguaranteedanabsolutelypivotalroleforthe
monarchy. The institution of kingship was projected as the sole force which held the country
together, and the dual nature of the monarchy was expressed in the king's regalia, in his
titulary, and in royal rituals and festivals. This concept the harmony of opposites, a totality
embracing paired contrasts chimes so effectively with the Egyptian worldview that the
institution of kingship acquired what has been called 'transcendental significance' (Frankfort,
1948)."
Wilkinson,2001,p.185.

The Predynastic kings of Nekhen identified with Horus, "the distant one" (did he originate in
Arabia ?), the overseer with the horizon of horizons. The kings of the first dynasties (Early
Dynastic Period) consolidated this major change. It also implied the cognitive leap from
mythical to prerational organizations, from notions to preconcepts. Aided by writing, the
cultural form developed rapidly and exteriorized its "canon". This Old Kingdom canon would
dominateEgyptianthoughtuntiltheend.Quacontents, thismultilayered texture returnedto
commonPredynasticthemesandanother,newlayer,wasputonthemythicalfoundation.
thegreatMoongoddessofprehistory

IntheNeolithic&Predynasticmind,atworkinthemythicalmodeofcognition,naturalcycles
like the Lunar, were very entrenched. Its phases represented the divine feminine as the truly
enduringpartofnatureoutsideman,andpsychomorphprojectionsontheLunarstationswere
common.Cyclesrelatedtobirth,growth,death&rebirth(healing),aswellasplants,domestic
animals and hunting were associated with this great goddess of the sacred. In Ancient Egypt,
weseeherappearca.4000BCE.

theLunarPhases:magicoreligious

Her important and enduring role of the sacred feminine is confirmed by the frequent
representationsoffemalefiguresinlateNaqadaIIiconography.Thecomplex,compositenature
of some of the Predynastic female deities (like Hathor, both Cow and Skygoddess) is a
manifestationoftheUpperPaleolithicandNeolithicgreatgoddess,whocombinedmanyofthe
functions later assigned to other deities. The crucial role of the sacred feminine persisted
though, but when history dawned, the great goddess had lost her dominant position. She did
not disappear. This is demonstrated by the prominent role played by goddesses in the later
pantheon,bytheequalstatuswomenenjoyedinEarlyDynasticsocietyandbythelinkbetween
womenandthesacreddomainsofexistence(birth,fertility,creation,death,healing,rebirth).
Indeed, in the Old Kingdom, the mother of the royal heir was his official consort and on the
PalermoStone,thenameofthedivinekingwasdirectlyfollowedbythatofhismother.Women
played a crucial role in dynastic changes, and man had his "heart" from his mother. Neither
werethetombsofsomeoftheearlyqueensessentiallydifferentfromthoseoftheking.During
his life, the latter was permanently protected by the "Two Ladies", the goddess Nekhbet a
vultureandWadjetacobra,representing Upper and Lower Egypt respectively. In the tomb
ofPepiI(ca.23162284BCE),weread:
"YouareasonoftheGreatWildCow.Sheconceivesyou,shebearsyou,sheputsyouwithin
herwing."
PyramidTexts,utterance554(1370).

So in Egypt, the unorganized, Lunar religious culture of the Neolithic hunters (5th millenium
and earlier), Predynastic seminomads and settlers (4th millenium) had remained dominant
untiltheendofprehistory(ca.3000BCE).DuringtheLateandTerminalPredynasticPeriod,i.e.
between ca. 3600 and 3000 BCE, the archetypal representation of male power and kingship
steadilybecamemoreimportantandheraldedtheemergenceofhistory.
Indeed, although Neolithic agriculture was the decisive economical factor responsible for the
rise of Egyptian civilization, other, mythoideological elements played their role. According to
Hassan(1992),mythogeneticchangeswereanessentialingredientintheriseofthetheocreatic
stateandtheywerenotmerelyaconsequenceofeconomicorpoliticaldevelopments.Indeed,
the surplus created assisted the refinement of culture, both religious and political. The
Egyptians proved to foster a highly intelligent canon of meaningful relationships, and
eternalizeditinart,literature,religion,ritualandthepersuitofwisdom.
"Ritual and myth provided individuals with a matrix of sacred meaning in which economic,
social, and political developments were grounded and reinforced. Similarly, economic and
politicaldevelopmentsprovidedaframeworkforthetransformationofritualandmythalonga

coevolutionarycourse."
Hassan,1992,p.307.

Forthisauthor,ideationcallsfortheincompleteassimilationbythekingofthesacredpowerof
the great goddess and her deities. The control he had over others was legitimated by sacred
myths,linkinghimwithsecretnaturalforces,inparticularthoseofthegreatgoddess.
With the unification of the country and the start of history, all power was centralized in the
divine king, a "Follower of Horus". The skygod Horus, represented by a falcon, incarnated
again and again. The king was his earthly embodiment. The "Followers of Horus" present the
notionofroyalancestorworshipasalegitimizationofmalepower,forallkingsweresomany
incarnationsofthesamemaleskygod.Eachrulerbecamepartofthisuponhisdeath.
Long intervals of time (consecutive years) become fixed by filling them up with mythical
images, names and sacred events. This forms the apex of the Neolithic approach of the Solar
cycle : mark the past with the symbols of the present, and oversee annual intervals along a
fixedbutlocalhorizon.Palaeolithicnomadsneverkeeprecordsandhavenosurplus.Eachishis
ownhorizon(cf.solipsism).PredynasticEgyptianswereawareoftwo and morelocal horizons
atthesametime(cf.UpperandLowerEgyptplusthenomes),andsucceedinunitingtheTwo
Lands.AtthestartoftheDynasticPeriod,the"objective"perspectiveoftheannualcycleofthe
Sun and his everlasting (fixed) horizon dominates the "subjective" vision granted by the
monthly(eternal)cycleoftheMoonandherfugalwanderings.Thekingmanifeststheunityof
theTwoLands.Hisembodimentandresidenceisthe"horizonofhorizons",i.e.thehorizonof
thegreatwitness,theskygodHorus,the"Iam"oridentityofconsciousness.
The king is witness of the exclusive point of view, the horizon of the divine on Earth. Divine
kingship emerged when this legitimate descent was coupled with the image (myth) of divine
power, and the acquisition of such power was achieved by partly assimilating preexistent
goddesscultsandtheirsacreddomains,i.e.thesacredfeminineofthegreatgoddess.
Thedivinekingbecametheson,brotherandhusbandoftheskygoddess(Hathor).Assuch,he
is divine. This assimilation was incomplete, and so goddesses continued to play their part as
mothers, sisters and wives. Marriage with a sister was considered a sacred marriage,
reaffirmingthedivinityofPharaoh.
"TheEnneadandtheOsirianmythsprovedtobedurableschemata(organizingformats)forthe
cosmogonyofdivinekingship.Themythsconservethepoweroffemaledeities,butatthesame
time provide a cosmic rationale for the rule of a male king and hereditary succession. The
struggle between Seth and Horus and the triumph of Horus, as well as the judgement of the
godsinfavorofHorus,establishedtheruleofLaw(Ma'at)andresolvesthepotentialconflicts
betweenclansoverkingshipandsuccession."
Hassan,1992,p.319.

WiththeemergenceofaunifiedEgypt(ca.3000BCE),theprocessbywhichtheNeolithicand
Predynastic cults of the great goddess of the Moon (ca. 5000 3000 BCE) had been slowly
assimilatedbythecultoftheking,incarnatingthemaledominanceoftheoverseeing"eye"of
theHorusfalconand the brilliant light of the Sun, culminated. The two main cycles of nature
hadbeensuccessfullycoupled,andthedominantroleoftheLunartyperelinquished.Onlythe
king,the"BullofhisMother",themaleincarnationofthemaleskygodHorus,guaranteedthe
unityoftheDualKingdom,beingtheultimateWitnessoftheroyalhorizon.
The light of the Sun, grasped as the ultimate symbol of vitality, plenty and divinity, may be
associated with the awareness made free by the surplus of food and a stable economy (or
household)enablingthedevelopmentofaninnerlife(consciousnessperceivingitspropermode
of being) and the blossoming of culture. This "Solarization" of the Lunar fertility myths goes
handinhandwithastrongercentralizedcontrol.
theadventofhistory:writinginMesopotamiaandEgypt
Historiansdistinguishprehistoryfromhistorybythepresenceofwrittensources.Themoment
people solidify their thoughts in logograms and keep the record for posterity, a historical link
between the past and the present can be intersubjectively established and a continuity of

culture (as well as its development) is made possible. The rise of religion, science and
philosophy is assisted by this difference between "la langue" (the linguistic system) and "la
parole" (the use of "la langue" cf. De Saussure), between the spoken language and the
logocentric presence of written sentences (cf. Derrida). Writing fixates the fluid stream of
consciousness. The glyphs of "la langue", i.e. the unity of acoustic image ("signifiant") and
concept("signifi"),revealthecomplexityoftheconventialattributions(ofimagetoconcept),
and the latter tell something about the mode of cognition at hand as well as the texture of
thought.Thisisrelatedtothelevelofculturalsophistication.
"Whether we are probing into the civilization of the Maya, the Egyptians, the Sumerians, the
Chinese, or the Indians, we encounter a worldview and ethos that is suffused with a deep
symbolisminwhichHeavenandEarthareconnectedthroughmultiplecorrelations."Feuerstein,
Kak&Frawley,1995,p.11.

Writtenlanguageistheproductofanagrariansociety,fortomaketheeconomywork,records
are necessary. Two early civilization stand out : the Mesopotamian (ca. 3100 539 BCE) and
theEgyptian(ca.300030BCE).
TheearliestSumerianwritingpredatesthefirsthieroglyphsbyacenturyandmore.Duringthe
TerminalPredynasticPeriod(ca.33003000BCENaqadaIII),therewerecontactsbetween
Egypt and Mesopotamia. A pictographic system, similar in appearance and structure to the
hieroglyphic script, was used to write the earliest Sumerian and protoElamite languages (cf.
ProtoElamiteTablet,Louvre).TheEgyptiansignarywasfromindigenoussources.Theformof
various artistic designs and motifs (for example the felines on the reverse of the "Palette of
Narmer")indeedevidencetheculturaltransmissionsbetweenbothcultures.
Unmistaken differences refute the thesis of a direct borrowing by the Egyptians of this early
Sumerianscript:
intheearliestformofSumerian,logographypredominates(awordisdirectlyrepresented
byitspicture)andphonography(awordisrepresentedbyaseriesofsignsforthespoken
sounds)islimited.Thelattertookseveralcenturiestofullydevelop
intheearliestEgyptian,asubstantial(ifnotcomplete)phonographyispresent
theearliestSumerianissyllabicanddefinesthevowel(eachsignisasyllableconsistingof
eitheravoweloraconsonant+avowel)
theearliestEgyptianisconsonantalwithunstablevowelswhicharenotrecorded
Sumerianhasnodeterminativesandnodevelopedpictoralideography(avarietyofsigns
representingidea,context,category,modalityornuance)
the earliest Sumerian quicklybecamecuneiform, whereas Egyptian hieroglyphs remained
pictoraluntilthelastinscription(TempleofPhil394CE).
Indirect borrowing of the Sumerian is likely (cf. "stimulus diffusion"). But the differences
indicatethatthestrongSumerianexamplewasadaptedtothecultureofPredynasticEgypt,its
iconographyandthegrammarofitsartisticstyles.ItispossiblethatinLatePredynastictimes,
the population of the Delta was in contact with southwestern Asia, and settlers may have
enteredtheregionandmingledwiththelocalpopulation,butthiswas(againstDerryandthe
theoryofthe"DynasticRace")incidentaltotheculturaldevelopmentofEgypt.
"... it is the Sumerian legend of the Paradise Land and not the Egyptian which has underlain
thisuniversalmyth.Sumerianmythsarethefirsttodescribethatplaceofprimevalinnocence
and joy, which has informed the beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which to a
substantial extent are the inheritors of the Sumerian mythologues and those of their
successors, the Akkadians and Babylonians. The Egyptiand did not look back to times past as
ideal, for they knew that their existence, the perpetual 'now' of the Valley, could not be
bettered."Rice,2003,p.6.
In historical times, borrowings from some Semitic languages are well attested. ButinAncient

Egyptian,thereisnoevidenceforan"Africansubstratum"(anindentifiable,specificallyAfrican
language).Infact,scholarsconjecturethatmanyofthesesimilaritiesarenotborrowingsatall,
but prove that both the Egyptian and the Semitic languages were derived from a common
ancestor,theAfroAsiaticorHamitoSemiticlanguagefamily...
In only six centuries (between ca. 3000 & 2400 BCE), the Egyptians developed their writing
system as well as a series of literary forms (like the testament, the offering list, the
autobiography,butalsospells,prayers,hymns&wisdominstructions).Theyalreadypossessed
a rich mythical treasurehouse of images, the latest being that of the divine king. When the
floodwasgood,abundancewastheirsandsosufficientleisuretimewasavailabletotheeliteto
write down religious and funerary thoughts, and to develop theologies (of Heliopolitan,
Hermopolitan&Osirianinspiration).Around1938BCE(thebeginningoftheXIIthDynasty),the
Classical Period started and new forms emerged, entailing a first person singular, deep
interiorizationsandtheinitiationofroyalThebantheology(AmunReasthe"kingofthegods").
TherecordshowshowmuchtheEgyptianslovedtalking,inventingstories,doingartandwrite.
Thankstothisoutstandingverbalinclinationofthisremarkablepeople,theeffortandprecedent
ofPharaohUnis(ca.23782348BCE)andtheclimateofEgypt,wepossessthePyramidTexts,
theoldestcorpusofreligiousliteratureontheplanet.
"Anditisimportanttonotethat,inspiteofthevastquantityofSumerianinscriptionalmaterial
excavatedtodate,onlysomethreethousandtabletsandfragments,nomorethanonepercent,
areinscribedwithSumerianliterarycompositions."Kramer,1972,p.11,datingthemca.1750BCE.
Onacognitivelevel,remarkablechangestookplace.Ontopofmythicalthought,anewlayer
formed. The preconcept had a stability enabling the articulation of thought, as well as its
fixationintheOldEgyptian"recordstyle".Prerationalinteriorizationisatworkintheliterature
oftheOldKingdom,withitsconsolidationofdivinekingshipandtheadventofthetheologiesof
Re&Osiris.
LetusbrieflycomparethissituationwiththehistoryofChinesewriting.Theearliestexamples
ofChinesewritingarefrom the Shang period (ca. 1500 1027 BCE). These are the socalled
"Oracle Inscriptions" found at the site near presentday Anyang, in Henan province. They are
inscribedontortoiseshellsandshoulderblades.Digsmadeatthesitebroughttolightatotalof
more than 100.000 pieces of bones and shells carved with words. About 4.500 different
charactershavebeen counted, and 1.700 of them deciphered (one needs 3.000 characters to
readaChinesenewspaper).Suchacomplexscriptcertainlyhasahistory,butsofarnotraces
ofitspredecessor(s)havebeenfound,andnowisdomliteratureisavailable.
theSothicrhythmoftheNileandtheunpredictablelifeofHapy
"TheNileisahuge,perpetuallymovingroad,thesupremeconveyorofhistoricalexperience:it
isalsoastupendoustheatre.Notonlywasthelongestofallrecordedhistoriesplayedoutalong
its banks, with actors and settings of colossal proportions, it was ever capable of remarkable
coupsdetheatre,ofwonderfuleffectsoflightanddrama:sucheffectsitcanstillproduce,with
thesplendidprodigalityofanEdwardianactormanager."Rice,2003,p.11.
StudiesofrockandsedimentsinNorthAfricauncoveredasurprisingfact:inthelast10.000to
20.000 years, the Sahara desert has alternated between wetter and drier phases (Butzler,
2001). Between 6000 and 3500 BCE, the current desert received enough rainfall to support
animalandhumanlifeonaseasonalbasisandwasasavannah.Onlywiththebeginningofthe
shiftofthe rainbeltsouthwards, around 3500 BCE, did the grassland to the West and East of
theNileValleyslowlystarttodryout.Thedryphasewewitnesstodaybecameapparent4.500
yearsago.ItmayhavecontributedtothedownfalloftheOldKingdom.The"cosmicorder"of
thingshadbeenscatteredandanewconceptofoverallequilibriumhadtobefound...

theriverNilenearLuxor

So three thousand years before the dawn of the Pharaonic Age (ca. 6000 BCE), Egypt looked
ratherdifferentfromwhatweseetoday.WhatisnowdesertborderingtheNileValleyonboth
sides,wouldhavebeengrasslandresemblingthegreatplanesofEastAfrica.TotheWestofthe
Nile,thehighplateauaswellasthebroadeasternwadiswouldhavesupportedlarge,roaming
herds of game animals. For Middle Predynastic seminomads wandering through these
savannah lands between 4000 and 3500 BCE, elephants, giraffes, gazelles, ostriches, zebras
andrhinoceroswouldhavebeenfamiliar.
The Egyptian rhythm of life, in both Predynastic and Pharaonic Periods, largely depended on
climatoNiloticcircumstances.Inthesummer,aftertherains,thedrygrasslandtotheEastwas
transformed into lush grazing land, attracting seminomadic herders from the Nile Valley with
theircattle.Thisgrasslandwasabundantbutdangerous,forsnakesandscorpionslurked.Why
theymovedaway?AfterthesummerrainscametheinundationoftheNile,asurgeofwater
startingbeyondthesouthernhorizonandgraduallyswellingoveraperiodofdaysuntiltheNile
bankswereflooded,aswellasthelowlyinglandoneithersideoftheriver,makingitunusable
foragricultureandpasturage.ThispromptedtheEgyptianstoleavetheNileValleyandmoveto
the eastern savannah. This pattern was probably already part of the culture of the Neolithic
peoples.
"FlintarrowheadsarecommonintheBadariansettlementsthathavebeenexcavated,bothNile
ValleyvillagesandthesavannahsettlementatLaqeita.Inotherwords,thepatternoflifethat
socharacterizedthefollowingNaqadaIperiodwasalreadyestablishedathousandyearsearlier
bytheBadarians.(...)Initsessentialcharacteristics,theNagadaIperiodshowsagreatdealof
continuityfromthe preceding phase. There is no sudden break, either in the way of life orin
the products which have survived in the archeological record. People still combined cattle
herding with limited agriculture, dividing their time between the valley and the savannah."
Wilkinson,2003,pp.184185.

Before the inundation, the Predynastic Egyptians, practicing agriculture on a small scale, dug
channelstodistributethefloodwateroveralargerarea,assuringirrigationchannelsanddykes,
serving as flood defences, were ready for the flood. Too little and too much water were
catastrophicandcauseoffamine.ThefloodbeganaroundmidJuly,coveredtheNileValleyand
the Delta for about three months. The ideal height was about 20 cubits (10m) at Aswan, 12
cubits(6m)nearMemphisandabout7cubits(3.5m)intheDelta.

Nilotic(Sothic)cycle

When the waters recede, a layer of silt is deposited over the land, giving new fertility to the
soil. Then, it is time to sow in this newly watered and fertilized land. During the winter and
spring, crops grew until they were ready to be harvested in early summer, and, after the
comingofthesummerrains,thecyclestartedagain...
ThankstotheDogStar,theNiloticcyclecouldbetimed.Byitsannualappearanceatdawn,i.e.
together with the Sun, hence "heliacal rising", Sirius, associated with Isis, heralded the
inundationoftheNile.DidtheEgyptiansofprehistoryalreadynoticethattheheliacalrisingof
Sirius,afteraperiodofseventydaysofinvisibility,alwayscameafewdaysbeforethestartof
theannualinundation?ThegodessSopdetwasdepictedasasacredcowbearingthesymbolof
theyear(ayoungplant)betweenherhorns.Astheagriculturalcalendarbeganwiththeriseof
the Nile, Sirius was also called "bringer of the New Year". Sirius was known to the Greeks as
"Sothis",derivedfromtheEgyptian"Sopdet"("spdt").
A link was forged between the diurnal movement of the Sun, the appearance of the bright
Sirius and the beginning of the civil calendar. The latter was designed to meet the
administrative demands of the nation. It had three seasons of four months, related to three
important agricultural events : inundation, recession (of the water) and dehydration (of the
land). The civil year had 12 months of 30 days, three seasons of four months and was
inaccurate.Itwasrevisedbyadding5daysattheendoftheyear.Sointhiscalendar,Sirius
arrived around the 19th of July (the end of modern, Gregorian August). The first month was
called "Akhet" or "inundation". It is the season when the Nile was in flood (mid July to mid
November). "Proyet" or "springing forth" was the time in which land emerged to be planted
(midNovembertomidMarch),andduring"Shomu"("deficiency")thelanddriedupandharvest
wasnecessary(midMarchtomidJuly).
TheSothicyearisnearly6hoursshorterthantheequinoxalSolaryear(aboutadayeveryfour
years,ornearlyamontheverycentury).Astheyearswentbyandbecamecenturies,thecivil
calendar moved out of alignment with agricultural & cultic events. To return to its beginning,
theSothiccycleneeds1460years.TheEgyptiansinventedtwomorecalendarstocorrectthis,
butkeptrecordsoftheSothicyearanyway.
Danger(crocodiles,waterserpents,hippo's)andprosperity(fishandtheannualsiltbroughtin
bytheinundation,causeofrichharvests)lurkbeneaththedarksurfaceoftheNile.Itdepthis
suggestive of the primordial waters of precreation. Fish, both of the sea and the Nile, was
forbiddentothepriests(aswasswine),thoughgenerallyeatenbytherest.TheApisBullwas
not allowed to drink the water of the Nile, for the god Hapy had a fattening property. The
HymnstotheNile,composedandchantedbythepriestsofthegod,expressintunewiththe
overall dualistic approach of life the double nature of the Nile, for Hapy "the good Nile" is

praised for the plenty he gives (represented by the Lotus and the Ankh), while feared for his
caprices. Both were of crucial influence on the Egyptian state. The reproaches were in
conformitywiththechaoticnatureoftheNilefloods,towit:Hapycould"plunder"(toomuch
flooding)orbe"sluggish"and"heavy"(insufficientwater).
"HailtoYou,Hapy!SprungfromEarth!CometonourishEgypt!Ofsecretways,adarknessby
day, to whom his followers sing ! Who floods the fields that Re has made, to nourish all who
thirst, lets drink the waterless desert his dew descending from the sky. (...) When he
plunders,thewhole land rages, great and small roar, people change according to his coming.
(...) Entering the cavern, coming out above, he wants his coming secret. If he is heavy, the
people dwindle, a year's food supply is lost. The rich man looks concerned, everyone is seen
withweapons,frienddoesnotattendtofriend,clothiswantingforone'sclothes,noblechildren
lacktheirfinery,thereisnoeyepainttobehad,nooneisanointed."
GreatHymntotheNile,Lichtheim,1975,vol.1.,pp.205207.

Hapy'sextrememoodshadadecisiveinfluenceonthewellfareoftheEgyptianstate.Toomuch
waterdestroyedthechannelsandthedykes.Notenoughwaterreducedcrop.Withoutreserves,
the outcome was famine. Despite Nilometers and centuries of observation, the Egyptians
remainedunabletopredictthedateoftheinundationand/orthequantityofwaterdisplaced.In
general,extremeNilefloodsparallelperiodsofculturaldisruption.Socloseisthisrelationship,
thatonemayseeAncientEgyptiancivilizationasthechildoftheNile.

ThetombofNianchchnoemVthDynastyca.2380BCE.
themenpulllongnetstocatchvariouskindsoffish

Thereasonsfortheirinabilitytopredictthisvitalvariableweremathematical.Theinundationof
the Nile is chaotical (caused by more than three independent variables). The function can be
plotted (in phasespace), but an individual prediction cannot be made. A "strange attractor"
maydrivetheoutcomeofthefunctionintocertainprobablepathways,butatnopointintime
can a solution be derived. This determination of Egypt's vital resources by Hapy's chaotic
process, may have contributed to the conception of order (creation) surrounded by chaos
(precreation). The presence of selfcreation within this chaos (namely "Atum") compares with
the"higherorder"exitprovidedbythestrangeattractorinchaoticphasespace(cf.myChaos,
1996).This is nothing less than the return of order after chaos, the dawn of a newSunafter
darkness,andthepreexistent,precreationalpotentialtorejuvenate.
theNile,theprimordialwaters,thechaosgodNun...
To the eyes of the Horus falcon, floating in the sky high above the striking contrast between
richcultivationandparchedaridity,the"BelovedLand"("tameri"),asEgyptwascalledbythe
Egyptians(theword"Egypt"comesfrom"Hikuptah",thenativenameofthetempleofPtah),is

astretchoffertilelandalongtheNile,surroundedbydeserts.Theriverbanksandfieldsarethe
"Black Land" ("kemmet"), bordered by the "Red Land" or "deshert", a sandstone desolation
called"desert"tothisday.Thissituationalsoofferedunseenprotectionandisolation.

TheNileisthemainarteryofthisgeography,andthetwobankstheresultofthedivide:the
domainoftheliving(Eastbank)versusthelandofthedead(Westbank).Duringtheday,the
NileisthegodHapy,andatnight,theMilkyWayofthestarlitsky.Duringlife,boatswerethe
essence of Egypt's cultural exchange and civil unity. When deceased, they bring one "to the
othershore"oftheNile,theafterlife.Arrivinginthenetherworld,onehopestoexistintheField
ofReedsofOsiris.TravellingtotheskyonthenetherwordlyNileintheSolarBarkofRe,one
enterstheFieldofOffering.
The"FourPillars"ofcreationreflectthesacredgeographyofthelanditself:ontheonehand,
Upper (upstream) versus Lower (downstream) Egypt (South/North) and, on the other hand,
dawnversusdusk,lifeversusafterlife(East/West).
"TheNileisthefirstandgreatestofallrivers.TotheEgyptiansitwas,simply,TheRiverall
otherriverswerecounterfeit,pretendersneverwhollytobetrusted.(...)TheNileisthemost
paradoxicalofriversforitflowsimperturbablythroughagreatdesert,itswatersrichwith life
rushing through a landscape that is mostly barren and scoured, typical desert terrain." Rice,
2003,p.9.

WadiBarramiyaBoatandhumanfigureca.4.000BCE,afterWilkinson,2003.

The deep, black darkness underneath the surface of the Nile is the great hidden secret upon
which the boat navigated. This deep represented the best one could receive from the river :
abundant gifts of life, prosperity and the luxury of time, the foundation of all grand cultures.
However, nobody could look the Nile "in the face", for the gods never reveal the name
"unknowntothosebelow",namelythesecretofthe"AllLordwhosustainstheshores!".
Again,ashadbeenthecaseintheUpperPalaeolithiccavemysteriesandtheremoteNeolithic
petroglyphs,the undifferentiated nature of darkness, the pitchblack deep of the river Nile, is
invoked to step outside the natural cycle, as it were transporting consciousness into a realm
before and after creation, outside the created universe, in a mythical placeofnoplace, ruled
by atimeofnotime.The Egyptiansidentify the deep of the Nile with the primordial, endless
and undifferentiated "waters" of precreation. This is a "time before time" written down as a
virtual adverb clause, meaning "before he has (had)" ("n SDmt.f"). In the Old Kingdom, this
preexistent realm was spatiotemporally defined ("without" and "before"), but in the Late New
Kingdom(Amenism),itwillalsobeunderstoodasanontologicalsegragation,arealmdwelling
everywhere in creation "behind" the screen of an infinite number of forms. This precreational
transcendenceisthusspatiotemporalandsacred.

NunliftstheBarkoftheRisingSun
afterthePapyrusofAnhaiLateNewKingdom
"Nounatconsidercommelepred'AtoumHermopolis.Surlessarcophages,unevignette
rappelelarenaissancedusoleil,mergeantduNoun,destinquelemortesprepourluimme.
Mourir tait plonger dans le Noun et mme le sommeil tait assimil cette tape vers la
rgnerescence,laquellerappellelavieprnatale,l'existenceprotgedansl'universaquatique
du sein maternal, d'o merge le nouveaun comme le soleil 'entre les cuisses de Nout', le
desseduciel.Cetteforceuniversellesediffusepartout,aussiledieusoleilatiltappelle
BadeNoun."Rossini&SchumannAntelme,1992,p.143.
The Egyptians personified the undifferentiated, primordial realm of "water" as the god "Nun",
the"fatherofthegods",passiveineverlastingness.Hiddeninthisundifferentiatedmatrix,lay
the virtual, primordial "egg", the sheer possibility of autogenesis (Atum as Ba of Nun is "xpr
Ds.f" : "who came into being of himself", the Greek "autogennetos" cf. Hermes and
Hermetism). Hatching at the "first time" of creation ("zep tepi"), the dynamical autogenetor
called"Atum"("tm","becomplete")andrepresentedbyasledge,initiatesthemythicalera."In
thebeginning",thebinarydeitiesandcreationspringoutofthisprimordial,selfcreatedAtum
(the atom of being), the truly, sole, unique and "Great God" of creation ("nTr aA" and "nTr
wr"),suggestiveoftotalityandcompleteness.Heisthe"fatherofthegods",activeaseternity
ineverlastingness.
If Nun is the Nile, then Atum is the "first bark", the condition of light itself, the container
allowing the fire of the Sun to be separated from the waters of precreation, making creation
come into being. Atum is the soul ("bA") of Nun. On the sledge of Atum, creation moves in
eternal, sacred cycles. The cyles of life, birth, death and resurrection, befalling the gods,
humanity and all living, sentient beings alike, occur, because of the primordial autogenesis
hiddeninthedeepestdarkness.Thebarkistheuterusinwhichcreationunfolds.TheNileisthe
eternalcycleofthepreexistentchaos...Adeitytravellinginabark,istheimageofatype,an
anterational conceptualization of a natural differential part within a local context of
interpretation.
Theprimordialstateofprecreation,theundifferentiatedNunoutofwhichthecreatorgodAtum
selfmanifested,islikeapreexistentocean,aprecreationalNile.Wereitnotforthepowersof
the deities, in the first place Atum, all of creation would return to these chaotic waters,
eliminatingalldifferencesandequalizingeverydivision(reductingtheenergypotential,i.e.the
differentials between existing points, or disproportions between higher and lower levels of
being,tozero).Simultaneously,thesewaters,indicativeofthecollective unconscious, are the
source of all disruption, dispersion and annihilation, as well as the origin of regeneration,
rejuvenation and (re)creation. They hold the mystery of autogenesis, the power of the
autogenetor,thecompletionoftheAllitself.

remoteNeolithicpetroglyphsinEgypt
TheNeolithicEgyptiansoftheearlyfourthmilleniumBCEhadnocaves,but,usingthemythical
modeofcognition,carvedremotepetroglyphs,thusmakingaselectednumberofmeaningful,
sacred forms permanent and ensuring the survival of the ancestral record of particular
differentialtypesofnatureandtheircorelativemythicalstatesofmind.

WadiAbuWasilHuntersandaDogtrappinganIbexca.4.000BCE,afterWilkinson,2003.

"The scenes which appear on the Egyptian rock surfaces reveal many elements of continuity
between the late Neolithic period, to which the early works belong and the long sequence of
royalrulewhichwastofollowthem.AlthoughEgyptianrockartsharestraditionswithboththe
Sahara and Arabia even at its earliest it is recognizably Egyptian, powerful and assured in
techniqueandcontent."Rice,2003,p.41.
These petroglyphs were inscribed to eternalize and control a series of important natural
stereotypes related to herding, Nilotic life and the phases of the Moon. Much later, the same
intention would trigger divine, Solar kingship, hieroglyphic writing, tombbuilding and the
familiar scenes on the walls of Egyptian temples. A double aim is at work : on the one hand,
religious eternalization (the fixation of one's relationship with nature and its "Natur"), on the
other hand, magical initiation (the beginning of a new, more protected and rejuvenated
consciousawareness).
In the functional aspect of the process, darkness and remoteness again came to the fore ...
Thesewererequiredbecause,likeintheUpperPalaeolithiccavemysteries,thesamespiritual
process involving the secret of darkness is at work. Differentiation, mystery and integration
beingexpressedintermsoflighttodarkness,hiddenlightanddarknesstolight.Inthebright
SunofEgypt,shadeoffersastarkcontrast...
"InisnocoincidencethatsomeofthegreatestconcentrationsofrockartintheEasternDesert
occur in shadedand partially hidden places : cliffs overhangs, rockshelters, and the like. Not
onlydotheseplacesafoordsomeprotection from theheat ofthesun,which musthavebeen
intenseduringthemiddleoftheday,eveninprehistorictimestheyalso,andperhapsmore
importantly, offer seclusion. They are places where people would withdraw, at least partially,
from the natural world, to commune with the supernatural. In other words, they are places
were a spiritually charged atmosphere was more easily invoked. While we shall never know
exactelywhomadethepetroglyphsintheEasternDesert,norinwhatcircumstances,itseems
verylikelythattheyweremadeduringthecourseofmagicalorreligiousceremonies.Theymay
evenhavebeencreatedbyshamansinastateoftrance,oratleastbyeldersofthecommunity
with some degree of spiritual authority. (...) They express an idealized view of the cosmos,
where supernatural forces assisted humans in overcoming natural forces." Wilkinson, 2003,
pp.138139.

Amongthepetroglyphs,wefindaconsiderablenumberofboats.Amongthesearehighprowed
boats, including standing figures of superhuman scale, nude or wearing short tunics or long
caftanlike robes, with plumes or feathers in their hair. In one petroglyph at Wadi Mineh, a

falcon stands in the prow of the vessel. In other glyphs, part of the royal regalia are shown
(crown,crook,flail).

WadiQashUpperEgyptianrulerwithRedCrown?ca.4.000BCE,afterWilkinson,2003.

"The parallels between the rock art of 4000 BC and the tomb scenes of 1500 BC are indeed
striking.Thediscoveryoftheboatpetroglyphsfacesuswithtwoastonishingrevelations.First,
thefamiliarancientEgyptianconceptoftheafterlifeoriginatedattheverydawnofcivilization
in the Nile Valley, among the seminomadic cattleherders whose domain encompassed both
valley and savannah. Second, this concept was so powerful and so resonant that it remained
unchanged throughout the succeeding thirty centuries. The longevity of Egyptian culture is as
ramarkableasitsantiquity."Wilkinson,2003,p.189.
thebark:ancestralconceptofbalance,momentumandlimitation
"Thearcherscompletetheaim,
asonewhoholdstherudderuntill(it)touchesland."
Ptahhotep,maxim25LateOldKingdomca.2200BCE.

Forcrocodilesandhippos,aboatisalengthyfloatingpieceofwood.Egyptianfishermenuseit
asameansoftransportontheNileandtocatchitsrichesinnets.ForPharaoh,theflotillawas
thebestmobilewaytotourEgyptandpropagatehisglory.Fordeities,barksarethevehicleof
theirmysticaljourneytoandfromthebeyond.Forthedeceased,ananticipatedplace,sideby
sidewiththesoulofRe,thecreatorgod.
"TheNaqadaIIpeopleseemtohavebeenmuchimpressedbyboats.Whetherthisimpliesthat
theywereoriginallyfromaregionwherewatertransportwasevenmoreimportantthanitwas
inEgypt,isnotcertainitmaysimplyhavebeenasensiblereponsetotheirproximitytothe
river.Butanextraordinarynumberoftheirproductions,paintedonpotteryandcarvedinoron
slateandschist,representboats.Clearlytheseareoftensacredvesselsandassuchwerethe
ancestorsofthesacredbarquesinwhichEgyptiandivinities,liketheirSumeriancounterparts,
wereaccustomedtotravel."Rice,2003,p.33.
As in a womb or cradle, the boat, bark or ship enables all to travel safely, steering life in a
balancedway.Butcapsized,itbringsdeath.Canourphenomenologyexceedthenotionofthe
boatasasolidconcepttransmittedfromgenerationtogeneration,assuggested?
"Psychologically, the ship can be understood as a symbolforasolidmentalconceptbasedon
theknowledgeandexperienceoftheancestors."Abt&Hornung,2003,p.25.
In the Early Predynastic Period, the petroglyphs of the Eastern Desert profile the boat as
alreadyofconsiderableimportance.TheassimilationofthecrescentMoonwiththeimageofthe

barkwastobeexpected.Bothwerecrucialinstrumentsofnavigation.IntheUpperPalaeolithic
andNeolithicperiods,thebarkprotectedagainstthedeepofthewatersinthesamewayasthe
Moonlitsupthedarknessofthenightandtransformsitintoakingdomofshades.

WadiBarramiyaFlotillaofboatsca.4.000BCE,afterWilkinson,2003.

Withtheirglyphsofbarks,flotillaofbarges,orprocessionofboats,thePredynasticEgyptians
expressed the enduring quality of their mythical mindset, able to distinguish between the
undifferentiated waters (or primordial origin of consciousness) and creation, while actively
identifying "divine powers" (i.e. natural differentials) to move along the arrow of time and
encompass the "Two Lands" by means of the river. A company of boats is hence a family of
successful evolutionary histories, a metaphor of cooperation and mutual respect between the
Egyptians themselves, and between their way of life and their natural environments ruled by
naturaldifferentials.Thisistheimageofatriumphoverchaossharedwithall.Thisnaturalistic
andtypologicalviewonthedeitieswasalsoquiteoriginal.
"Thereislittlesimilarity,equally,betweenthewaytheEgyptiansandtheSumeriansvisualized
andpersonifiedtheirgods.Sumeriandivinitieswereessentiallyhumaninappearance,andtheir
attributesandtheirbehaviourweremerelythecharacteristicsofhumankindwrittenlarge.The
Egyptian gods were a great deal more complex and diverse. It appears that the earliest
divinitieswereabstractions,representedbyobjectswhichhadacquiredaspecialsanctity.The
most ancient sign for 'god', netjer, is abstract it is thought that it represents 'a staff bound
withcloth'".Rice,2003,p.50.
IntheOldKingdom,thespiritsor"Akhu"(ofthenobleancestorsandthedeities)werebelieved
to live in the light of the circumpolar stars. These socalled "indestructibles" never disappear
fromeyesightandweredeemedtobetheultimatedestinationofthedeceasedPharaoh,who
sailsonthecelestialNiletotheskyofRe.

WadiHammamatBoatwithStarabovetheprowca.4.000BCE,afterWilkinson,2003.

A tall being, with arms raised, steers a boat starwise. Another giant wears two plumes. In
Egypt,deitiestravelbyboat.ReandOsirishavebarks.PtahandAmunaswell.Mostbarksare
floating temples, fronted by miniature obelisks, flagstaffs and ordained cabins. On feast days,
gods like Khonsu and Min sailed their own barks, with priests rowing the vessels on sacred
lakesordirectlyontheNile,visitingotherdeities...
The deities, the best, most efficient part of the natural cycle symbolized by the Nile, must
protect themselves from the Nun too. Their barks shield their fire from being extinguished by
these waters. In this they succeed, ex hypothesi, by knowing how to harvest the secret of
darkness,theautogenicpotentialoftheundifferentiated,ofAtumhiddeninNun.Themetaphor
of the "Two Lands" illustrates how within creation, division and duality are deemed common.
Atum, the Nature of natures, transcends creation because he emerged before the spacetime
continuum,whereasinthecontinuumthedivine(onEarth)isPharaoh,thegreatmagician,who
isabletosimultaneously"exist"inprecreationandcreation.Withincreation,nothingelsereally
endures. All other gods & goddesses are born, die and resurrect, as Hornung (1986) has so
brilliantly demonstrated. They are like differential quantum equations of probable states of
nature. Only Atum is fugally transcendent. Of course, compared with the power of mortals,
theirdivinelifepotentialisenormous.Nevertheless,thiscollectiveenergyofthedivineremains
finite (within creation) and contained by Nun, the infinite chaotic waters, everlastingly
surroundingcreationinallpossibledirections.
"LemondemergeaduUn,pourlesgyptians,carlenonexistantestUn.Danssonuvrede
cration,ledieucrateurdiffrencianonseulementlemondemaisencoreluimme.DuUnest
issueladualitde'deuxchoses'etladiversitdes'millions'deformescres. Dieu divisa, la
cration est division seul l'homme embrouille nouveau tout. Les lments diviss dont
interdpendants, mais demeurent diviss tant qu'ils sont existant. Seul le retour la non
existencefondcequiestdivisetannulenouveauladiffrenciation."Hornung,1986,p.232.
Thepermanentfeaturesofcreation,i.e.aseriesof"laws"ofnature,embodiedbythedivinelife
ofthepantheon,cannotberootedinthesedifferentialsthemselves,fortheytooarecaught in
theeternalcycleinitiatedbyAtum.Thedeitieshavetheircausenotinthemselves,butinthe
"zeptepy"or"firsttime",thebeginningoftimenotyet"in"time,mythicallystartingwith the
autogenesisofAtum.
AtumwithinNun:potentialtoautogenerate
Atumas"ba"ofNun:autogeneration,firsttime,pantheon,creation
NunasNun:undifferentiated,chaotic,passive,dark,empty.
In which way, beside the remoteness of the art, is the petroglyphic theme of the bark
associatedwiththeautogeneticsecretofdarknessanddoesitcontributetoourunderstanding
oftheconstructiveroleoftheabsenceoflight&themysteriesofthenight?
The funerary implications of these barks have recently been underlined again by Wilkinson,
1993 and Rice, 1993. Not only in Predynastic Egypt was the boat endowed with mystical
significancetranscendingtheirpurelyfunctionalrole.
"Ships of the type portrayed on the Wadi Hammamat walls, on countless pots and other
objects, are to be found in many early Mesopotamian and Elamite or Susian media. They are
represented widely for example on late fourth/early third millennium cylinder seals found in
large numbers on western Asiatic sites whose use persisted throughout most of the third
millennium.Theyarerepresented,too,ontheroundstampsealsoftheArabianGulf,whichare
datedtotheendofthethirdmillenniumandthebeginningofthesecond."Rice,2003,p.41.
The Egyptians reshaped the mystery faced in the deep, dark caves of France into the Nilotic
spiritualityofthenetherworld,the"BeautifulWest"ofthe"landofthedead"reachedbymeans
ofaboat.Inthisinnerworld,thepotentialofautogenesiscouldbetapped.Thedeitiesandthe
nobledeadalike,drinkfromthissourceanditisthe"hiddenlight"sought.

WadiAbuWasilfragmentofanimpressiverockarttableauxca.4.000BCE,afterWilkinson,2003.

In pointing to the West, the place were the Sun set, these petroglyphs support a funerary
interpretation.In many scenes, there are human figures with upraised, curved arms. We find
this feature in three dimensional clay figurines deposited in Predynastic graves. The posture
figures on Nagada II pottery, and is rarer in settlements than in cemeteries. Although early
egyptologistssawthegestureofcurvingthearmsasmimickingcowhorns(cf.Hathorandthe
cultofthegreatMoongoddess),Wilkinsonrightlypointsout"thatitmayhaverepresentedan
attitudeofmourning" (2003, p.155). Indeed, often there is a central cabin, which, from later
parallels,mayrepresentadeadperson,accompaniedbyamourningcrewandwatchedoverby
apresidingdeity(representedbyatallfigurewithtwoplumes).

WadiBarramiya&FuneraryBoatnearKanaisca.4.000BCE,afterWilkinson,2003.

ThethemeofajourneybyboatremainedcentraltotheEgyptianconceptoftheafterlife,and
returned in the Pharaonic Period. Not only did Pharaohs place these sacred boats near their
tombs,eitherinminiatureformorfullsize,ornearthe"naos"intheirtemples,butthetheme
becamefundamentalintheNewKingdomBooksoftheNetherworldandtheirrichiconography.
ThesevesselsaccentuatedthenurturingroleoftheNile,andpointtothespiritualizationofthe
river,whichcarriedthedeadtothevariouslevelsoftheeternalafterlife.ThespiritualNileled
the deceased out of the mortal world of time, if they were deemed worthy, into the timeless
eternityoftheafterlifeanditsparadise.

WadiAbuWasilBoatbeingdraggedca.4.000BCE,afterWilkinson,2003.

In Predynastic Egypt, the image of the bark of a deity dragged by attendants was carved on
rock.Threemillenialater,thejourneyoftheSolarBarkadornedthewallsofmostroyaltombs.
These continuities provide backing for the hypothesis that the founding elements of Dynastic

EgyptarerootedintheculturesofthePredynasticPeriod.WiththeGerzean(ca.3600BCE),a
decisive turn was taken, culminating in the unification of Egypt and the start of history (ca.
3.000 BCE). The "canon" established in the Old Kingdom bears the traces of its Predynastic
origin,asdoesthefirstreligiouscorpusofhumanity,thePyramidTexts.

TheTwelfthHourMiddleRegister
TombofPharaohTuthmosisIIIca.1426BCE.

balancingeternalrhythms:theroleofprecreation
IntheLatePredynasticPeriod(ca.3600BCE),theinfluenceoftheSolarcycle(recorded since
the Neolithic) on the old Lunar faith (going back to the Upper Palaeolithic) becomes clearly
traceable. The process of theopolitical centralization of power in male rulership, whereby the
sacredforcesofthegreatgoddesswereassimilatedbymalechiefs,hadalreadybeenatwork
ca. 4000 BCE and before (cf. the stone calendar circles of Nabta ca. 7000 BCE and, around
5000 BCE, the start of the Neolithic in Egypt, with the presence of small village communities
withalocalhorizon).
Rhythms defined Ancient Egyptian culture. On a terrestrial, microcosmic level, there was the
Nile with its annual inundation, bringing economical abundance or famine (the Sothic or
agrarianrhythm).Onacosmic,macrocosmiclevel,therewerethecyclesoftheMoon,theSun
and other stars, representing the fundamental divine powers of nature : Re (Sun) and Osiris
(Moon).Bothrhythmshadtobebalancedout.Theplummetofthisbalance,offeredbyPharaoh
to his father, was set in motion by the "two scales" : the human (the heart, weighed in the
Osirian mysteries) and the divine (the feather of Maat, daughter of AtumRe, the celestial
creatorgod). Maat (also written as "Ma'at") being the true, just and real equilibrium, the
proper,hierarchical(pyramidal)andnaturalorderofthings.

ScalesAmarnaHouseU36.41XVIIIthDynasty.

The dynamical, natural equilibrium represented by Maat is not easy to realize, for a constant
struggle between, on the one hand, the created order (divine, in particular Re and Osiris, as
well as human, in particular the king) and, on the other hand, destructive chaos (i.e. the
untamed natural world, especially wild animals, unsettling Nile floods, the primordial Nun and
Seth's "isefet") animates life as a whole and is fundamental to it. The notion of the "Dual
Kingdom"reflectsafundamentaldualisticapproachofreality,atworkinallpartsofthecultural
form. Creation has no inherent harmony and left to its own will return to a state of
undifferentiatedchaos.

"TheideaoftheDualKingdomalwaysappealedgreatlytotheemergingEgyptianconsciousness
as giving evidence of the most exalted example of what constituted virtually a national
obsession, the expression of all the most important characteristics of the society divinity,
beliefs, customs, the very order of the universe as being bounded by a duality : for the one
therewasalwaystheother,inking,gods,natureandthewaysofmen."Rice,2003,p.95.
The deities do sustain creation, but they get exhausted doing so. At dusk, even Re seeks
rejuvenation.Creationisabletoendure,becauseit,paradoxically,isrejuvenatedbyreturning
to the eternal moment of the beginning before creation, the autogenesis of Atum and the
pantheoninafirstmomenthappeningoutsidecreation,butwithintheabyssofNun!Creation
endures,becausethedeepestdarknessconcealesthestrongestlight.Thepathtoandfromthis
hiddenlight,isthemidnightmysteryofAncientEgyptianspirituality,thecoreofitsteaching.
Toeternallyrejuvenate,the"netjeru",i.e.thesuperpowers,divinenatures,primordialtypesor
naturaldifferentialsofN*t*r(Nature),needtoharvestthestrongestpowerpossible,envisaged
as ultimately one, absolute and precreational, i.e. outside the natural cycle. Only Atum, the
"undifferentiatedone"mayautogeneratehimselfandthedeitiesanew.Inthefirsttime,Atum,
asBaofNun,doespreciselythisforallofeternity.Inthiseternalmoment,hesimultaneously
splitsinShuandTefnut,andtheEnneadcomesintobeingandwithitthecompletedpowerof
thenewcreation,thenewday.
themysteryofdarkness:bark,templeandtomb
The darkness of the undifferentiated waters is inimical to life and order. A direct contact
betweenorderandchaosannihilatestheformer.Complexity,heterogeneityandthemultiplicity
operating the Two Lands point to a pyramidal hierarchy of divisions. To endure, these
organizations need to remain separated from Nun. The deities guarantee the endurance of
creation, but invest their power while doing so. They compensate this by retrieving the
everlastingsurplusofpoweravailableinthe"zeptepy".
The Bark of AtumRe protects the fire of the creatorgod against the primordial waters. It is
there to assure consciousness is not possessed by the collective unconscious. It protects
againstthepowerfulforcesofthedeep.Inpsychologicalterms,thebarkistheborderoredge
of consciousness, defining the capacity of the cargo. AtumRe is the light and brightness of
consciousness,itsabilitytobeawareofitselfanditsexistence.TheSolarBarkisthedomainof
Re'sconsciousness,abletotransportmillionsofsoulsformillionsofyears.TheimageofRein
his Solar Bark travelling day and night, points to an optimized steering capacity, a Self fully
individuatedandinabalancedwayintouch,afterdusk,withthepowerful,rejuvenatingforces
oftheriver.Inthedark,theyallowconsciousnesstorejuvenateitselfandhealfromthevarious
attacksitsuffersduringtheday...
"...thepaththatfollowsthetemple'sstraightcentralaxisleadsupwardalongagradualincline
ofstepsandrampsatthesametimetheceilingbecomesincreasinglylower,theroomsdarker
and narrower. When the Nile overflowed its banks, it flooded the column rooms of many
temples,andtherebyreifiedtheillusionoftheprimordialswamp."Hornung,1992,pp.123124.
So the Egyptian temple served the secret procedure of reducing light, creating a narrowing
darkness in order to approach the "holy of holies" and its shielded "naos". This sanctum
sanctorumwaswithdrawnfromtheworldoflightandhadtobeapproachedbyseriesofcourts,
hallsandgates.Onlyinthisremoteplaceoutsidephenomenaltime,couldahiddenalchemyor
mysterious conjunction take place, namely between, on the one hand, the cultstatue of the
presidingdeitywho'sspiritenjoyedthesublime,stellarlife,joinedwiththefollowersofAtum
Re, and, on the other hand, the officiating high priest, representing Pharaoh. This crucial
activity took place at dawn, and so the Egyptian Temple is a diurnal instrument of
transformation (the tomb, by contrast, is a nocturnal ritual tool). But again, and despite the
morning,darknessplaysacentralrole.

ThetempleofHorusEdfuPtolemaicPeriod(afterOldKingdomexamples)
itscentralaxisrunsparalleltotheNile

"The conclusion may be drawn that temple building and religion in ancient Egypt shared a
universallyvalidframeworkinwhichthereweremanyindividualvariations,andwhichitselfdid
notremainunchangedbutwasconstantlyexpandedbydevelopmentswithinthereligion."
Kurth,2004,p.12.

Onceaday,atdawn,thehighpriestenteredtheinnersanctum.Thedarknesstherewasdeep.
ThecandlelitthepreviousMorningRitualhadconsumeduntilonlydarknessremained.Inthis
sacredarea,withcarvedandbrightlypaintedwalls,stoodthesacredbarqueonitspedestal,in
the back was the naos with its cult statue, an altar with offerings and a wooden coffer with
ritualimplements.Thedoorofthenaoswasclaysealed.AttheveryinstantwhentheSunrose
onthehorizon,withthefirstwordsoftheMorningSong,thesealwasbrokenandthetwodoor
leavesweredrawntowardsthehighpriest,whofacedthecultstatue,sawitandidentifiedwith
it.
"Iwaspresentedbeforethegod,beinganexcellentyoungmanwhileIwasintroducedintothe
horizonofheaven(...)IemergedfromNun,andIwaspurifiedofwhatillhadbeeninmeI
removed my clothing and ointments, as Horus and Seth were purified. I advanced before the
godinthe holy of holies, filled with fear before his power." Sauneron, 2000, p.48 statue Cairo
museum42230.

Thisassumptionofthegodform,thesingularclimaxofalltempleceremoniesinAncientEgypt,
causes a conjunction between (Pharaoh's) consciousness and the archetypal representation of
the deity, between the "son" of Re (or his representative) and Re (or one of his family
members).ItisaMorningRitual,opposingduskandtheBeautifulWest.Egyptiantemplesare
always Morning Temples. They have a celebrational function, not a funerary. They do not
excludefunerarythemes(liketheOsirisdrama),butfocusontheactualpresenceofthedeity
in the naos during the day. This sacral actuality is the numen prsens, the presence of its
many"doubles"and"souls",i.e.outerandinneroperational(andintermediate)statesofdivine
consciousness. As the tomb allows the deceased to ascend and descend, so does the temple
allowthedeitytobeeffectiveonEarthornot.Afterdusk,togetherwithReasdescribedinthe
BooksoftheNetherworld,thedeitiesmeetthemidnightmysteryoftheDuattoberegenerated
andreturntheirsoulsanddoublestoEgyptthenextmorning.
At the end of the elaborate Morning Ritual, the face of the deity was concealed again by
shutting its double door, sliding the doorbolt slut and locking it with a clay seal to bar access
untilthefollowingmorning.Foranunknownduration,acandlewasleftburning.IntheMidday
RitualandtheEveningRitual,thesanctuaryremainedclosedandthedeitiesreceivednomore
fooduntildusk.TheEveningRitualwasarepetitionoftheMorningRitual,exceptthatallrituals
took place in the side chapels surrounding the inner sanctum. This daily cult took place
simultaneously in almost exactely the same form, in every Egyptian temple. Of course, in
smaller temples with only one or two priests, there would have been no pomp and certain
adaptationsnecessary.

NaosofPharaohNectaneboII(ca.350BCE)withaltarforSacredBark.
InnerSanctumoftheTempleofHorusatEdfu

Becauseoftheenduringofferingsmadetothestatueduringtheday(theMiddayRitualandthe
EveningRitual),theKaor"double"ofthedeitywasfedandenergized.TheBaor"soul"ofthe
deitywouldthenbegratifiedandsoblessthetemplebyitspresence(whileitsAkhor"spirit"
abided in the sky). The Akh was hidden, secret and remote, of name unknown, but the souls
anddoublesofthedeitiescouldcomedownbymeansofthepropersacrificialconsecration.On
Earth,the gods and goddesses had to be "nourished" by offerings and voiceofferings(cf.the
noun"nTr"as"god"andtheverb"snTr"meaning"toconsecrate,tocense"thelatterbeing
thecausativederivationofthephoneticroot"nTr").TheEgyptianconceptof"god"istherefore
morelikeadifferentialequation,aseriesofrelationshipsdescribingthefunctionalbehaviourof
a particular, well described natural phenomenon (whether material, psychic or spiritual).
Ritualismisthenlike"solving"theequation,i.e.applyingtheformula(cf."senetjer").

MiniatureshrineXVIIIthDynastyca.1325BCE.
Thedarknessofthenaoshidingthedeity.

"Commel'obscuritetlesilence,levideestunengation:elleexcluttouteprsenceconcrte
detellesortequele'toutautre'seraliseenacte."Otto,R.:LeSacr,PayotParis,1995,p.109.
The parallel of the diurnal temple (feeding the presences of the deity during the day) is the
nocturnal tomb (the joining of the deities in the afterlife and the return to the tomb). The
Egyptiantombisaspaceconsecratedbythepresenceofamummy,aritualcorpseallowingthe

intermediatestatesofconsciousnesstoascendanddescendtheladderbetweenlife"onEarth"
and "the sky" (cf. the steppyramid). The "false door" of the tomb works both ways. The
deceased rise to the sky, but are free to descend and enter our physical, coarser plane of
existence.
As the subtle stellar light of consciousness reflects down and solidifies in coarser modes of
consciousbeing,funerarymagicaimstocontrolallconsciousstatesandpossibilities,andtodo
so, conjectures various intermediary states of consciousness and its expression, such as the
"shadow" ("Khaibit"), "heart" ("Ab"), the "double" ("Ka"), the "soul" ("Ba"), "name" ("Ren"),
"spirit" ("Akh") ... If the aim of the Egyptian tomb was to guarantee the deceased a good
Egyptianlifeintheafterlife,thenthislifeisoneofparticipationwiththeliving.Thissideofthe
funeraryequationhasbeenoftenoverlooked.Thedeceaseddidnot(aswouldtheGreeksand
theLevantinereligions)trytoescapethisworldtoneverreturn.Theywantedthebestofboth
visible and invisible realms, in short : the whole of creation, living and death. As death is
another way of living, the deceased familymember of today is to be expected tomorrow and
canevenbewrittento.
The liberated ones "true of voice", justified & blessed, are able to return to all their previous
statesandstations (cf. the role of the mummy in the formation of the ritual "sah", the noble
body of resurrection). They may enter the physical world and commune with those still
incarnated in the "net of the body". This materialization of their spirit is the result of a
completely successful spiritualization of matter. Hence, the spiritual ideal of the religion of
Kemet was a liberated, free, light, radiant, sublime and effective (creative) state of conscious
awareness. The life of the Akhspirit flows over and adds reality to the real. The magician
makes monumental voiceofferings to glorify these differentials of N*T*R, to attract their
attentionandblessing(astheeffectivepresenceoftheirinnerandouterpowers).
Pharaoh'stimeandsacredtimelessness

PharaohIuputasHorustheChild
adaptedfromfaienceplaqueXXIIIthDynasty

A new day does not being with the emergence of light. The day is born at midnight, and
emergesasachildatdawn(cf.Harpocrates,touchinghislipswithafinger).Wemaywellsee
thisdawningasthebeginning,butthe origin of its glorious power lies hidden in the secret of
the night (as birth results from conception). This secret is ipso facto the great silence, the
midnightmysteryofcreation.Dawnishencetheendresultoftheprocessofintegrationofthe
surplusacquiredbyRewhenunitedwiththemummyofOsiris(cf.themysteriesofSokarand
Amduat, 6th Hour). Thanks to this singular conjunction, the nocturnal, hidden light becomes
effective, repolarizing the cycle of Re, which then moves from differentiation to integration
(instead of vice versa). At midnight, the roots of the Lotus of Creation are fed by precreation

andrisesfromtheprimevalwaters.Itsfloweropensatdawn.
TheappearanceofPharaohonpublicoccasions,islikethefirstdiurnalmanifestationoflightat
dawn,likethefacetofaceencounterofthehighpriestwiththecultstatueduringtheMorning
Ritual. To behold a perfect godman, is to share in his being. Seeing is being. Blindness (the
destructionoftheeyes)isannihilation(ofidentitycf.theEyeofHorus).
HewhoseesthedeadOsiriswillneverdie.
BookoftheTwoWays,CoffinTexts,Spell1050.

When Pharaoh is enthroned and coronated, a profound change occurs. Pharaoh "appears"
before the protective divinities of the lands of Egypt. The king is always crowned twice. The
coronation marked, on each occasion, a new beginning and a renewal of time. The Egyptians
countedtimefromthecoronoationofeachPharaoh.Theritewaspostponeduntilanewcycleof
Naturebegan.Hence,phenomenologicaltimeismeasuredbyadivinestandard.Timeisalways
sacredandthussubjecttoeternalrenewal.TimeisPharaoh'stime.
Cyclicalrhythmsdefinethedynamicalfeaturesofphenomenaltime,itsrepetitiveongoingness.
Enduringstatesreflectthearchitectureoftimeitself.Sotwometacyclesconcerningtimeitself
areconceptualizedandmadetoworkintheverbalsystemoftheEgyptianlanguage("aspect"
orkind of action indicated by a verb vorm), namely completion versus repetition. The former
indicatesafinished,thelatterarecurrentaction.
"Pharaoh'slifetimeiseternalrepetition.
Hislimitiseternalduration."
CannibalHymn,Unis,Utterance274.

TheEgyptianshadtwowordsforthetimeless,spiritual,precreationalmodeoftime:"djedet"
or "everlastingness" (eternal duration) and "neheh" or "eternity" (eternal repetition). These
transposetheaspectoftimeasstation(passive,static)versustimeasstate(active,dynamic)
on the spiritual dimensions outside the natural order. This distinction thus incorporates the
mythsofNunandAtum(thelatterhatchinghimselfoutoftheprimordialegghiddenwithinthe
former). "Nehehtime" is the sacred timelessness lived by the Ennead in eternity, i.e. the
eternal repetition of the divine cycle of Atum's creation. "Djedettime" is the notime of the
undifferentiatedNun,theprimordial,homogeneous,everlastingchaosinwhichnehehtimelay
dormant and began as the "first time" of the autogenerated Atum, the Ba (or inner
effectiveness)ofNun.
The"timeofeternity"or"nehehtime"isthefirstmomentoftime,notyettime(thefirst"At"of
the timeline), the first instance of the "first time" ("zep tepy"). Eternity is always "in the
beginning" and is brought into existence by AtumRe, who raised creation out of the dark
everlastingnessofchaosintotheeverbrightfuleternalrepetitionsandrepetitivemovementsof
nehehtime,whichisthebeginningofphenomenaltime,thefirstinstanceofPharaoh'stime(cf.
Atumcreatingwhilemasturbating).
Ontheonehand,djedettimeis,mythologically,areckoningbeforenehehtime(fortherewas
atimewhenAtumwasonlypotential).ThisaspectreferstoNun,thenight,andtheJudgement
of Osiris, which is precisely the answer to the question : "Does the deceased need to be
forsakentotheeverlastingoblivionofdjedettime?"
"ToseetheraysoftheSunforonlyoneinstant,
isworthmorethantoruleforallofeternityoverthenetherworld."
onthestatueofapriestoftheXXIIthDynastyKarnak

On the other hand, nehehtime, this timeless instant born out of eternal repetitions (the
recurrence of the same natural cycles), coexists with Atum hatching out of his egg and
immediatelysplittingintoShuandTefnut.Inthe"zeptepy",thepantheonofconsciousdivine
spirits come into being. As an Ennead, the Akhplane of unmixed and unsullied, pure lights
emerges out of the One God of nehehtime : AtumRe. This dynamical mode of eternal time
"happens"ineverlastingness,forthefirsttimeisnotyetcreation.
"Neheh is often associated with the day and the sun god, Re correspondingly, djet tends to

occurinreferencetothenightandtotherulerofdeath,Osiris.Nehehisoftencharacterizedas
dynamic, djet as static and as the etymology of the terms reveals, they connote 'flow' and
'duration'oftime,respectively."Hornung,1992,p.68.
So nehehtime refers to the eternal repetition of the path of AtumRe and the pantheon, the
differentialsofNature,Pharaohincluded.BecauseitoccursinNun,nehehtime is an eternity
ineverlastingness. Djedettime reflects the static aspect of sacred timelessness, the eternal
duration of the passive and undifferentiated (primordial) Nun, i.e. everlastingness tout court.
Clearlydjedettimetranscendscreationandnehehtimeupholdsit(eternallyrepeatsit).

SummaryoftheAncientEgyptianviewontime
PhenomenalTime"ofmenonEarth"
at
("At")

moment,instant
smallportionoftime,culminationtime

unitof
phenomenaltime

ahau
("aHaw")

period,spaceoftime
lifetime,man'sage

collection
oftimeunits

Eternaltime:therepetitionandduration"ofthegods"
neheh
("nHH")

timelessnessfirsttimeeternity,
eternalandunendingrepetitions

AtumRe,thedeities
andtheblessed
dynamical,cyclic

djedet
("Ddt")

notime,tobepermanent,stable,
enduring,everlasting

Nun,theOgdoadandthe
mysteriesofOsiris
static,linear

thenightortheopportunity,artandmagicofinstantaneousrenewal
By wearing the horns of gazelle and ibex, the Predynastic hunters of the eastern savannah
practiced sympathetic magic. While the psyche identifies and assimilates the features of the
sacredobject,consciousnesstakesonitsformandastrongautosuggestionisreleasedintothe
unconscious. This deliberate, conscious disequilibration prompts a reaction (to allow for
reequilibration,cf.themechanismsofpsychicequilibriumdiscoveredbyJung).However,asthe
injected seed has universal symbolical connotations, the reaction stems from the collective
unconscious,triggeringtheemergenceofanarchetypalrepresentation.Thesplittingoffofthe
outershellofthearchetypeproducesabipolarizationofthearchetype(cf.thepsychodnature
ofarchetypes)andtheeventuationofsynchronicitiesandparapsychologicaleffects(telepathy&
telekines).The"magical"and"supernatural"phenomenaaccompanyingsuccessfulsympathetic
magic are unique, not repeatable, immediate, direct, but not hallucinatoric, for inter
subjectivelyvalid.
These sympathetic identifications of the prehistoric Homo sapiens sapiens would benefit the
hunt(reducingone'sfearofdeath),butalsoanexistentialnearnesswiththenaturalcycle.By
imaginingtheirdeitiesandassumingtheirpowers,thechaoticworldcouldbeorderedaswellas
dominated.Thepracticeenvolvedamovementawayfromphenomenaltime"onEarth",intoa
sacred(setapart)timelessness"ofthegods".
Byreducingthepresenceofthenaturalcycle,bydampeningtherhythmsofthenaturalcycles
of"below",byopeningthedoorsofthedark"naos"afterwide,spaceouscourts,hallsandinner
sanctuaries, by placing the magical mummy in the protected space of the sarcophagus in the
burialchamber, by imagining Re and the deities to be reborn at midnight, the original Upper
Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Predynastic "shamanistic trajectory" was refined. Having become
quitecomplexbythetimeoftheOldKingdom,thebasicprinciplehadremainedthesame:a
movefromprofanetosacred,fromconsciousness(viathecollectiveunconscious),toahigher,
moreawarestate(cf."turya"the"fourth",superconsciousstateinHinduism,besideswaking,

dreaming and the dreamless sleep). This envolved the daily repetition of the same process of
rejuvenationinvolvingthemidnightmysteryandthesecretofdarkness.
This interiorizing trajectory, or Ars Obscura, involves the voluntary stimulation of the neural
"Godspot"intherightamygdala(fortherighthanded),whichispartofthelimbicsystem.In
itscompleteform,thistrajectorywasatworkintheHomosapienssapiensandleads,inoptima
forma, to a positive, evolutive & constructive frontallimbic spirituality (characterized by the
doublebalanceofhemispheralsynchronizationandfrontallimbicequilibrium),involvingasetof
complexproceduresto:
reduced sensoric input : bracketing/changing the sensoric input in parts of the brain
(deafferentiation,tosetarangetoafferentiation),callingfordarknessandnarrowness
atmosphere: steering the limbic system, especially these parts which are "normally" not
under voluntary, cortical control (such as hypothalamic status aroused versus relaxed,
amygdaloidmonitoringsensitivityandhippocampalretrievalofstrongemotionalimages),
byflickeringcandles,music,danceandincense
gnosis:experiencingtheDivinebytravellingalongwiththeReinhisbarkof"millionsof
years"intheDuat,confrontationwiththecultstatueinthe"naos"orjustificationbyOsiris
intheafterlife
agape : make a "safe return" to waking consciousness able to symbolize the experience
linguistically&artisticallyandafterwardsfunctioninsociety,hencerejuvenationatdawn,
the blessing of the deity sending its doubles and souls, spiritualization of matter into the
Akhspiritandsafereturntothetombatwill.
Thegoalofthistrajectoryhasbeenconstantoverthemillenia:
consciousnessescapesthe"onedimensionality"ofthephenomenalworld
isofferedadirectexperienceoftheDivine
whiletheresultingstatedeepensthemeaningoflife.
The cycle of waking and sleep (dreamless or not) is a microcosmic expression of the vaster
cycleoflifeanddeath.Atdusk,Reisoldandweary.Thenightrejuvenateshimandallowshim
to come to emerge renewed at dawn. Entering the cold of the night along with Re, is to
confronttheMoonofOsiris,whoisamummy,i.e.asacralizedphysicalbody.Deathloosensthe
net of the physical body, and the intermediate states of consciousness can now escape : the
shadow,doubleandsoulneedanewvehicletotravel.Thisisthe"sah",thegloriousandnoble
body of resurrection, with as prototype the mummified corpse of Osiris, the "seal" of
everlastingness.Indeed,everyentombedmummyinitssarcophagus("eaterofflesh")orcoffin
is"anOsiris"andundergoesthesameprocedureasthemythical"kingofthenetherworld".

TombofSimut(Kyky),officialofPharaohRamessesIIca.12791213BCE.
FuneraryvoyagebyflotillaofKykytoAbydos.

Thecoreofconsciousnessisbelievedtobethelightoftheimperishabestars,andtheultimate
expressionofconsciousnesswasthestationofthe"Akh"orlightspirit,thespiritsofthegods,
goddesses,ancestorsandblesseddeceased,thecompanyofstars.Thereturntothisultimate
abode of the enlightened ones was the funerary goal of Egyptian religion. The core of
consciousnessisawareness,thecapacityofconsciousnesstobeawareofitself.
AtumRe:theawarenessofconsciousnessofitself:What?
BarkofRe:theextensionofconsciousness:Howmuch?
Horus:theidentityofconsciousness:Who?
Pharaohthemagician,HorusandsonofRe,isultimatelyprotected(asthesailoronhisbark),
because he is able to go to and return from eternityineverlastingness, i.e. the eternal
repetition associated with his father Atum, the soul of Nun "WhoboreAtum". He returns to
nehehtime without loosing consciousness (avoiding the drop to merg with the ocean by
representingtheoceaninthedrop).Thisdialecticbetweenheterogeneity(consciousness)and
homogeneity(unconscious),betweenorder("maat")andchaos(cosmicas"Nun"andmoralas
"isefet"), between a "good Nile" and social ruptures, is fundamental to understand Ancient
Egyptiancivilizationinallitsaspects.
"TOBECOMEAMAGICIAN.
OyounobleswhoareinthepresenceofLordAtum,behold,Ihavecometoyou!
Fearmeinproportionwithwhatyouknow!
ItisIwhomtheSoleLandmadebeforetherecameintobeingthetwomealsonEarthwhen
he sent forth his sole eye when he was alone, going forth from his own mouth when his
million Kas were there, the protection of his companions when he spoke with Khepri, with
him,overwhomheruleswhenhetookHuuponhisspeech.
ItisIwhoamtheverysonofWhoboreAtum,bornbeforehehadamother.
IamundertheprotectionofthecommandoftheSoleLord.
ItisIwhogivelifetotheEnnead.
ItisIwhoactashepleases,fatherofgods,loftyofstandard,whomakethegodseffectivein
accordancewiththecommandofWhoboreAtum.
Theaugustgodwhoeatsandspeakswithhismouth.
Ihavekeptsilence,Ihaveboweddown,Ihavecomeshod,OBullsoftheSky,Ihaveseated
myself,OBullsofNut,inthismydignityof'GreatestofLordsofKas'.
HeirofAtum!
Ihavecome,sothatImaytakepossessionofmythroneandthatImaygather unto me my
dignity,forallwasminebeforeyoucameintobeing,yougods.Godownuponyourhaunches!
ForIamamagician!"
Coffin Texts, spell 261 (III, 382 389), Middle Kingdom (ca. 1938 1759 BCE) text in coffin of Asyut (Cairo
36444)andininnercoffinofMsht(Cairo28118)hieroglyphictextinBuck19351961,myitalics.

Psychologically,witheverydaythatgoesby,consciousnessgrowsmorecomplex.Tosustainits
evolutionary momentum, total oblivion (as it were merging with the collective unconscious)
shouldbeavoided.Awareness,identityandextensionneedtobevigorous,strongandhealthy.
Rerejuvenatesbecauseheuniteswiththeprincipleofhisownphysicalexistence,thebeingof
consciousness,representedbyOsiris,theoneresurrectinginhismummy,inthematerial,outer
formofhissubtle,invisible,inner"noblebody"ofresurrection,the"sah".
At this point, in the Sixth Hour of the Duat, the soul of Re enters this "sah" of Osiris, and a
remarkablerejuvenatingsingularityisestablished:thedrop(thesoulofRe)containstheocean
(the"sah"ofOsiris,the"kingofthenetherworld",neverleavingthenight).Beforethispoint,
theforcesofthenetherworldweredepletedandjoyfulltoberejuvenatedbyRe'scoming.Ina
way,thisagedReevenmore,whoenterstotalsilence(differentiationofRe'spower).Afterthe
point of singular conjunction of the awareness of consciousness (Re) with the divine being of
Natureitself(Osiris),asitwereallowingRetoharvesttheinfinite,autogeneticpowerofAtum
outside the natural order, the deities receive "new clothes" and may participate in the

regenerativepoweracquiredbyRe(integrationofRe'spower).
SointheSixthHouroftheDuat,whenthedeepestanddarkestpointofthenightis reached,
Re (conscious awareness) steps outside of his normal habitat (the natural realm of conscious
awareness)andbecomesonewiththeunconsciousabodeoftheMoongod,whorepresentsthe
unaware being of Nature itself (consciousness included). This conjunction of Re and Osiris
causes new forces to pour into conscious existence, whereby new vigour is granted and
rejuvenationinitiated.
This point of singular conjunction, achieved by entering the "Cave of Sokar" (Fifth Hour) and
being encircled by the fiveheaded serpent "TailinMouth" (Sixth Hour) preludes a creative,
vitalizingmovement.Thismaybestoppedbythemightyserpentofevil,Apep,whogulpsdown
thespiritualNileandleavestheSolarBarkonthesand(SeventhHour).InthisHour,allcould
belost,andthedawningofthenew,rejuvenatedawarenesscouldbehindered,bringingeternal
darkness (the disruption of the eternal repetition of dawn). But because the principle of evil
(representedbySet)hasbeenvanquished(cf.theOsiriancycle),the"EldestSorcerer"himself
iscalledintocanceltheforcesofevil,givingnewimpetustothemovementoftheSolarBark
(for(1)x(1)=+1),integratingalldivinitiesbeforehefinallydawns.
Inwhatfollows,theBookoftheHiddenChamberwillbestudiedfromvariousperspectives.
In Section 1, the historical, philological, schematic, thematic and lexicographic features are
considered.RelevantpassagesoftheAmduatwillbetranslated.
In Section 2, the paraphysics of creation comes to the fore. The Ancient Egyptian view is
confrontedwithcontemporarycosmology,quantumphysicsandchaostheory.
In Section 3, a Jungian approach clarifies the meaning of the process of the Duat in terms of
the dynamics of the psyche, in particular the equilibrium between conscious and unconscious.
How can consciousness complexify (individuate and acquire superconsciousness) thanks to a
healthydailyapproachofthearchetypes?Themagicalinterpretationwillfocusontheroleof
the instantaneous instant of conjunction and the way this projects consciousness outside the
naturalcycleofeventstoswingbackintophenomenalrealityempowerdbyasharpincreased
of one's awareness and creative energypotential, to be used with regard to every thing
created.Thepracticalapplicationsofthisknowledgetobe"amanofeternity"("snnHH")oran
"immortal".EveryHour and/or series of Hours contains ritual information, depthpsychological
individuating insights and spiritual techniques to be used in healing, balancingout, enduring
creativeprocessandunendingspiritualgrowth.
Thecentralthemeofthiswork,theMidnightMystery,exceedstheboundariesofegyptologyas
well as the philosophical study of Ancient Egyptian thought. For to fully circumambulate it,
speculativethought(metaphysics)hastobecalledin.Carehasbeentakentobackthepresent
attemptatreconstructionofAncientEgyptianthoughtwithhistoricaldataandtotranslatethe
preceivedEgyptianpatternorcanontothebestofmyabilities.Althoughanterationalthought
has a wide span, it lacks decontextualized categorization. So the rational reconstructions
involved are mine alone. Were such abstraction and theoretical constructs are used, the
broader context and scope of my philosophical investigations are presupposed, in particular,
postmodernlogic,methodologyandneurotheology.

1AshorthistoryofAncientEgyptianroyalfuneraryideas.
It took Lehner (2001) many decades to finish his study on the complete pyramids of Egypt.
Were all mysteries solved ? Certainly not. Their daring architecture continues to baffle us.
Moreover,thefundamentaltextonthehistoryofthearchitectureofprehistoricEgypthasyetto
bewritten!Inmostcases,itswouldbeauthorswouldhavetolimitthemselvestotheresults
ofcontradictingarcheologicalstudies.Indirectsourceswouldbethebestgrounddataavailable.
Butthereisreasonforoptimism.
"TheincredibleamountofqualityexcavationandsurveyovertheNileValleyhasallowedavery

good picture of predynastic material life to emerge. With aid from hieroglyphic writing, early
Dynasticreligion,andotherhistoricalsources,cognitiveinterpretationsmustbemadeusingthe
sameartifactswhichhavebeenusedforonlymaterialendsinthepast.Asmentionedearlier,
thisisbeginningtotakeplaceinEgyptianarcheology."Czerwinski,1995,p.39,myitalics.
ThepresentoutlineisasummaryoftheevolutionofAncientEgyptianfunerary ideas put into
evidencebyroyalburials,startingintheEarlyDynasticPeriodandleadinguptothedecoration
oftheburialchamberwiththeBookoftheHiddenChamber,"presented in the form of a huge
papyrus unrolled on the walls" (Lamy, 1981, p.89). In the course of this long period, we
witness:
1. athinkingtradition:Pharaoniccivilizationwasverbal(letitbesaid)andtextual(letitbe
written). Although writing, as in Mesopotamia, developed hand in hand with economical
and administrative persuits, the deification of hieroglyphic script (and its corelative
eternalization of spoken words carved in stone or painted on the walls of dark tombs)
contributedtothesurvivalofimportantliterarytexts.
"... the primary purpose of literary composition was to maintain life, whether that of the
gods,oftheking,orofmankindgenerally."Gardiner,1938,p.168.
These (and how many are lost ?) reflect the multilayered approach of Egyptian ante
rationality and the thinking tradition of the scribes & the priests of the House of Life, an
institutionofknowledgeinitiatedintheOldKingdom.Asdeathwasviewedasthedoorto
morelife,arichfuneraryliteratureensued,stretchingfromthesimpleOfferingList,tothe
elaboratedHeliopolitanPyramidTexts,followedbytheCoffinTexts,theBookoftheDead
andtheNewKingdomBooksoftheNetherworld
2. interiority:atfirst,intheOldKingdom,Pharaohwastheonlypersonwithan"innerlife"
(a"Ba").EthicswasdefinedintermsofproximitytoPharaohandhisresidence(intheOld
Kingdom, only the Memphis area exemplified the "canon"). Ordinary humans hid in the
Beautiful West of the Netherworld, while Pharaoh flew to the sky ! This notion was left
behind,aswasthePyramidAge,itselfembroideredwithmyth.IntheMiddleKingdom,the
feudal monarchs hoped to become "an Osiris" in the afterlife. Everybody had a soul !
Funerary rituals called for the correct spell to master the trials awaiting each particular
deceased.Ethicswasrepresentedintermsoftheweightofone'sheart,i.e.mentalstates,
conscious intentions, acts of will. These are to balance the feather of truth and justice
(Maat),ornojustificationbeforeOsirisispossible,noresurrection.Withoutthelatter(by
Osiris)therecanbenoascension(toRe).Theheartiseatenandone'spersonalidentityis
for ever lost. In the New Kingdom, with the advent of internationalism, imperialism and
theNewSolarTheology,personalspiritualityisaddedtothepicture.Everybodycouldtake
"godintheheart".HadAkhenatennotforcedthemtodoso?Amunlistenedtoallprayers
andhisdivinewilldecides,nothingelse
3. centralization:theunificationofEgyptunderthe"FollowersofHorus"endedcenturiesof
Predynasticdivisions.Thispoliticaleventwastranslatedintheologicaltermsandalthough
Pharaoh was the institution of Egypt's unity, AmunRe would become the "king of the
gods"andeventually,attheendoftheNewKingdomandlater,thetruePharaoh.

1.1FromEarlyDynastictombstothePyramidTexts.
On the one hand, shamanism regards the human skeleton as the enduring within man. Of a
deceasedhumanbeing,anarchitectureofdeadbonesisleft.Fossilized,theyaretraceablefor
millionsofyears,nearlyeverlasting.Theskeletonistheultimatefixationofindividualimprint.
Takeawaytheskeleton,andnoidentificationispossible(ofage,gender,physicalhealth,cause
ofdeath).Ontheotherhand,whenthetransitionalnatureoftheskeletonisemphasized,this
staticapproachissuperceded.Representingadoortotheafterlife,theeverlaughingskeleton
detains the secret of death, the hidden knowledge of things beyond our current, physical
situation. By contrast, it points to the spiritual dimensions of existence, to a better world
beyondthetomb.Byextension,theskullitselfbecameametaphorofperennialwisdomandthe
dark,deepsecretsofthehighestinitiations.Thisknowledgealsoimpliesdanger,forwhowants
to know and die before his or her time has come ? Is there something after death ? Nobody
escapestheinevitablenatureofthisquestion.Theskeletonremindsusthatinthelasthourof

life we are all equal. Even the Egyptians, passionate with life, realized the futility of trying to
escapedeath:
"Followyouheartandyourhappiness.
DoyourthingsonEarthasyourheartcommands!
WhentherecomestoYouthatdayofmourning,
theWearyhearted{Osiris}hearsnottheirmourning,
wailingsavesnomanfromthepit!
Makeholiday,
donotwearyofit!
Lo,noneisallowedtotakehisgoodswithhim!
Lo,nonewhodepartscomesbackagain!"
SongfromthetombofIntef,MiddleKingdom.

The Neanderthals probably performed the first funerary rituals. Flowers were placed on the
corpsebeforeitwasenterred.Thesenseofdesolationandthehorribleemotionsthelossofa
loved one entails, was accommodated by rituals. To those left behind, they gave meaning to
theeventbeyondtheseveringofallphysicalties.Theyalsoassistedthedeceasedtocrossthe
limbo and reach the afterlife well protected. Once arrived, the spirit was liberated and could
intercede for the community it had left. Especially the CroMagnon developed a rich funerary
symbolism. It was believed the deceased would benefit from the presence of grave goods.
Thesewerephysicalsymbolsoftheexpectedafterlife.
Indeed, the discussion whether the Homo Neanderthalensis had religious awareness,
circumambulates the status of entombed objects other than the actual physical body of the
deceased. Distinct floral offerings have been found in late Neanderthal graves, and other
evidencesuggestiveoftheirreligiousawarenessofdeath.InthebrainofthelateHomosapiens
(ca. 500.000 30.000 BCE), so neurotheology suggests, an exclusively limbic spiritual sense
may have been computed. But, elaborated symbolism is typically CroMagnon (ca. 100.000
10.000BCE),requiringanangulargyrusandadevelopedprefrontalcortextoprocessthemore
abstractvariables.
ThesedatapointtothehighpotentialofhumansoftheUpperPalaeolithic.Theywereequipped
withhundredsoftools,livedincomplexsocialnetworks,spokeacommonlanguageandshared
crucial symbols, covering agricultural, procreational, magical and religious issues. The way of
the paleontologists who identify the start of history with the presence of cultural forms gains
ground.Writingisnotthefirstsignalofsymbolizedcognitiveactivity.Nevertheless,asDerrida
hasrecentlyagainunderlined,thebeginningoflogocentrismanditsadjacentmummificationof
the spoken language in writing is fundamental to objectify knowledge (and detrimental to
understand thought). As such, the simultaneous rise of hieroglyphic writing and Egyptian
kingshipistobenoted.
Predynasticgraves&mounds
In Egyptian funerary rituals, the tomb was a dark, underground structure, dug out in desert
sandorrockandcompletedwithofferingstoaccompanythedead.Throughouthumanhistory
andnexttoburial,variousmethodstodisposeofthecorpsehavebeeninventedexposureto
thesea,aVikingritualspracticedontheopenseas,dismembermentpracticedbytheTibetans
and burning common in India. But in Homo sapiens sapiens burials, offerings are a cultural
constant.ThiswouldremainsoduringtheNeolithicandPredynasticPeriods.
InthePredynasticmillenium(ca.40003000BCE)precedingthePharaonicPeriod(ca.3000
30 BCE), the tombs were simple holes in the ground, with wooden walls and mats. Little is
knownofwhatwasontopofthem,andsoscholarshesitatetocategorizetheseconstructions
as funerary architecture. On the outside, a mound of sand or gravel or perhaps a simple
woodenconstructionmayhaveservedasamarker.MostPredynasticcorpseswerecompletely
dried out because of the desert sand. Was this a prefiguration of the Pharaonic practice of
removingallfluidswithnatron(duringmummification)?
From Naqada II (ca. 3600 3300 BCE) onwards, highly differentiated burials are found in
cemeteriesinUpperEgypt.Theseliteburials contained large quantities of grave goods, with
exotic materials such as gold and lapis lazuli. These burials point to an increasing hierarchical

societyandthewishofthedeceasedtokeeptheirstatusintheafterlife!

NaqadaIIItombMinsjatAbuOmarEasternDeltaca.3300BCE.

FirstseenintheAmratianculture,therewas,duringthesecondphaseoftheGerzeanculture,a
distinct acceleration of the funerary trend, whereby a few individuals were buried in larger,
elaborate tombs, containing richer and more abundant offerings (cf. the Painted Tomb at
Naqada). These Gerzean cemeteries develop a wide range of grave types, ranging from small
ovalorroundpits,poorlyprovided,toburialsinpotteryvesselsandrectangularpitssubdivided
inpartitions(toputthefuneraryofferings).Therewerecoffinsofwoodorairdriedpottery,and
indications of the wrapping of the body in strips of (expensive) linen (cf. the Double Tomb at
Adama near Hierakonpolis). Various burialsites appear, and also the richer tombs of the
chieftains,thepredecessorsofthePharaohs.
"In the Neolithic period the dead were desposited in oval graves in foetal position, with the
head at the south. In Lower Egypt the deceased was placed on his right side, his face turned
towardstheeast,whileinUpperEgypt,asallalongtheupperNile,thedeadpersonwasplaced
on his left side, looking west. Often the body was wrapped in a cloth or an animal skin, the
headrestingonacushion."Lamy,1981,p.27.
On the treshold of the First Dynasty (ca. 3000 2900 BCE), the graves of the rulers and the
lite consisted of neat mudbrick boxes, sunk in the desert and divided, like a house or an
imitationpalace,intoseveralrooms.ThetombsofthefirstPharaohsfollowedthispattern,but
with increased complexity. Situated far out in the desert near the cliffs at Abydos, they were
markedbyapairoflargestelandcoveredbyamound.Thesemoundsofsandandgravelcan
be traced back to the modest pit graves. The pyramid form is deemed an elaboration of this
architecture, itself rooted in the myth of the primordial hill emerging out of the eternal "zep
tepy".This"risenland"isthe"firstland"tocomeintobeing(inphenomenaltime).

PalacefaadestylemudbricktombQueenNeithhotepFirstDynastyca.3000BCE
TheburialchamberswereincorparatedatgroundlevelWilkinson(1999).

theadventofthedualkingship
AtNaqada,AbydosandHierakonpolis,theendoftheNaqadaIIphasebringsseparatepolitical
centrestothefore.AttheendofNaqadaIII,wewitnessanewstyleof"royal"burial.Thefirst
hieroglyphsappear.

PredynasticnamesofkingsNamesnottosamescaleWilkinson(1999),p.53.

Egyptian kingship expressed a unique feature : the harmony or equilibrium of opposites. The
dual nature of the monarchy was allcomprehensive and reflected in the regalia, in the royal
titulary,intheroyalritualsandfestivals.Frankfort(1948)called thepresenceof Pharaoh and
hisinstitutionof"transcendentsignificance".Itwasauniquephenomenonintheregion,ifnot
in the world. Other civilizations of Antiquity had remained fragmented and political unity was
foreigntothem.Centuriesofpoliticalcentralization, administration & economy were unknown
to them. The crucial outstanding feature of the Egyptian solution was to institutionalize
Pharaoh's dual nature : he was the Lord of Upper and Lower Egypt, as well as human and
divine. At first, in the Early Dynastic Period, the Falconprinciple inherent in Horus (the sky
god)wasdeemedtoincarnateineachking.Later,intheOldKingdom,Pharaohwasthesonof
Re,i.e.thesoledivinebeingabidinginfullonEarth(theAkhuorspiritsofthedeitiesremainin
theskyandonlysendtheirdoublesandsouls).HismythicalcounterpartwasOsiris,the"king
ofthenetherworld".
This crucial witnessing quality of the "great house" ("prAa" or Pharaoh), associated with the
imagesofthewatchfulandsurgingFalconandthemightyandfertileBull(cf.theconsortofthe
great goddess), help to explain the centrality of the institution to Egyptian culture and the
longevityandenduranceofPharaonicprinciple,formandcanon.Theendofthefragmentation
of prehistory, the "chaos" to which no return was possible, and the advent of hieroglyphic
writing, would eternalize the new Pharaonic, political ideology : the king oversees the "Two
Lands",isthesoleLordoftheDualKingdom,andthisinordertokeepUpperandLowerEgypt
together and united while always defining them as distinct. This activity keeps the balance of
MaatinequilibriumthedailyvoiceofferofPharaohtothecreatorgodRe(forlikePtah,what
Pharaohsays,isdonecf.theMemphistheology).Thisoffermaintainscreationandcausesa
"goodNile".ThisEgyptiansymmetryorplayofequilbria,verbal,visualandwritten,utilizesthe
dualityofoppositesaspartofacarefulstrategytomasterthewhole.Thepowerofpairinglies
inthecombinationdemarcatingandunderliningagreaterunity.
ThankstothepresenceofPharaoh,thecycleofthenaturalordermaybetranscendedthrough
awitnessingconsciousness,aSelfparticipatingby:
the use of its inherent overseeing capacities (in the sky) to keep dynamical divisions
unitedand
a strong, creative output (on Earth), to engage other people in communitybuilding
activities. These works make the natural order and its dynamical equilibria endure for
"millionsofyears"...

LatePredynasticandEarlyDynasticChronology

theroyaltombs
Withthearrivaloftheinstitutionofkingship,a"royal"funerarycultcameinto existence. The
PharaohsoftheFirstDynastywereburiedatAbydos(thecultplaceofOsiris),anindicationof
the Upper Egyptian origin of the Egyptian state. From these beginnings, the institution of
kingshipwasstrong&powerful.
The superstructures of the first royal tombs at Abydos were simple mounds of sand held in
place by a mudbrick revetment. Scholars conjecture the burial mound recalls the primeval
moundwhichemergedfromthewatersatthetimeofcreation.ThemoundisSolar,andrefers
tothefirstrayofReshiningonthefirstdayafterthewatersreceded.InthetombsofPharaohs
Den and Adjib (First Dynasty, ca. 3000 2800 BCE), the entrance stairway approaches the
burialchamber from the East and the rising Sun. The symbolism speaks for itself. Like the
risingSun,thekingwillriseuptothesky.
In the tomb of Pharaoh Qaa, who closes this dynasty, a change to a northerly orientation is
effectuated (and maintained thereafter). The entrance corridor is a large ramp pointing
northwardstowardthecircumpolarstars("ixmwsk"or"theonesthatknownotdestruction").
Funeraryideologybecamestellar.Thepyramidsreflectastellarideologymadepossiblebythe
localhorizondelimitingthecycleoftheSun.TheyaremadetoassistPharaohonhiscelestial
voyagetothestars.
Intheseideologicalconsiderations,thechangefrommastabatosteppyramid,fromprimordial
mound (of the Sun) to celestial ladder (to the stars), reflects the increased importance of the
celestial, stellar terminus of Pharaoh, the divine king. The influence of Re rose and a pre
rational and Heliopolitan henotheism saw the light. Its core consisted of Re and his son the
king, ruling the pantheon and creation. But by the end of the Vth Dynasty (ca. 2487 2348

BCE), Osiris had become the "second player" in funerary theology and the unsettling tension
between the "duat", the netherworld, and "pet", the sky, was left unresolved. In some
mysteriousway,Osiris'FieldofReedsandRe'sFieldofOfferingwereadjacentsalvicconditions
withconflictingontologicalfeatures(prefiguratingtheChristiandistinctionbetween"purgatory"
and"heaven"?).
AlthoughthetombsleftbythekingsoftheEarlyDynasticPeriodaremonumentalinsize,they
do not approach the scale suddenly emerging in the IIIth Dynasty (ca. 2670 2600 BCE),
underPharaohNetjerikhetor"Djoser"(ca.26542635BCE)andhisgrandarchitectImhotep.

PyramidofDjoserandpartofitssurroundingenclosurewall.

"The Step Pyramid of Djoser heralded the classic pyramid age, the 4th to 6th dynasties, also
knownastheOldKingdom.DuringthesecenturiestheEgyptiansbuiltpyramidsfortheir god
kingsina72km(45mile)spanofdesert,betweenAbuRoash,northwestofGiza,toMeidum
inthesouth,neartheentranceoftheFayum.ExcludingthepyramidsofDjedefreatAbuRoash
andSneferuatMeidumasoutliers,the21majorOldKingdompyramidsstandlikesentinelsina
20km (12mile) stretch west of the capital the 'White Walls', later known as Memphis,
clusteringatGiza,ZawiyetelAryan,Abusir,SaqqaraandDahshur."Lehner,2001,pp.1415.
The Step Pyramid represents a significant leap in architectural size and sophistication. A
limestonewall,10.5mhighand1.644mlong,containedanareaof15ha(thenthesizeofa
large town). This is the barrier between the outer world and the domain of the god. The
complex, with functional and dummy buildings, large terraces, faades, columns, stairways,
platforms,shrinesand lifeseized statues, reflected the dual nature of the afterlife : the half
submergingdummybuildings"musthavesignifiedthechthonic,underworldaspectofexistence
afterdeath"(Lehner,2001,p.84),whiletheStepPyramiditself,risinginsixstepstoaheight
of ca. 60 m, reflects the route of celestial (stellar) ascension/descension taken by the Solar
Pharaohafterhedied,wasmummifiedandentombed.Evenafterdeath,Pharaohwasstill"at
work"inhistomb,whichisastairwaytothesky.Thisdepictedthefundamentaldualityofthe
afterlife:ontheonehand,theLunarunderworld("Dwt","Duat")and,ontheotherhand,the
Solarsky("pt","pet"),the"imperishable"circumpolarstars(AlphaDraconisratherthanAlpha
Polaris),about26to30abovethenorthernhorizonintheareaofthepyramids.
Lehner,2001,p.19

DJOSERtype

MEIDUMTYPE

Orientation

NorthSouth

EastWest

Parts

NSsequence

EWaxialsymmetry

Enclosurewall

niched,
noinnerwall

smoothouterwall,
attimesnichedinnerwall

Entrance

SouthendofEastside

CentreEastside

Katomb

Southtomb,nosatellite
pyramid

SatellitePyramid

Temple

NorStemple

Etemple,Nentrancechapel

InthereignofPharaohSneferu(ca.26002571BCE),thefirstPharaohoftheIVthDynasty,
radicalchangesintheoverallplanofthePyramidcomplexhappened.Anewformwassought.
Theroyaltombalteredtoatruepyramid.Aneworientationwasapplied(themainaxisofthe
complexwasnowfromEasttoWestinsteadasthepreviouslyNorthSouthdirection),andthe
mortuarytemplewasbuiltagainsttheEasternfaceofthePyramid(Djoser'sistotheNorth).It
waslinkedbyacausewaytoavalleytemple,closetotheedgeofthecultivatedareafurtherto
the East, which provided a monumental entrance to the complex as a whole ... This standard
socalled Meidumtype arrangement was amplified by the gigantic Giza complex of Pharaoh
Khufu, and remained unchanged throughout the Old Kingdom. Only in the Middle Kingdom,
when the earliest Meidumtype were fading into ruin, did pyramidbuilders return to the basic
elements of Djoser's complex, with a long North South rectangular enclosure, defined by a
decoratedwallwithasingleentranceatthefarSouthendoftheEastside.
During his reign, Pharaoh Sneferu finished in half a century three giant pyramids at Meidum
andDahshur.Butthelargest pyramid, 146.59 m high, would be built by his son Khnumkhuf
("Khnumishisprotector").Theonlyknownfigureofhimisatinyfigurinearound7.6cmhigh
withhisnameonitsthrone!

Plan of the Pyramidcomplex of Pharaoh Khufu (ca. 2571 2548 BCE). The northern ventilation shaft pointed
directly to Alpha Draconis, the Pole Star. But once every 24 hours, the three stars in Orion's belt passed at
culmination above the southern ventilation shaft of the burialchamber a combination of the myths of Re and
Osiris.

EvenifweallowPharaohKhufu(ca.25712548BCE),areignof30to32years,hisworkers
and builderswould hadtoset in place 230 m of stone per day, i.e. a rate of 1 averagesize
blockof2.5tonsevery4or6minutes(workingindayandnightshifts),tofinishhispyramid,
causeway, two temples, sattelite pyramids, three queens' pyramids and official's mastabas (a
combinedmassofca.2.700.000m).Althoughthiskingdidnotequalhisfather'stotalmassof

monuments, he surpassed his pyramids in sheer size and accuracy. After a few failures, the
principle of pyramidbuilding had been mastered and the building of the king's tomb become
statepolicy.
The base of the Great Pyramid (containing about 2.300.000 blocks of stone weighing on
averageca2.5tons)islevelwithin2.5cm(290.33m)withanangleofslopeof5150'40",the
average deviation of the sides from the cardinal points is 003'06" degrees of arc and the
greatest difference in length of the sides is 4.4 cm. The pyramid alone covers 5.3 ha. The
finishedpyramidwassurroundedbya8mTurahlimestonewall.
TheGreatPyramidhasthreechambers.:aKing'sChamberforthesarcophagusandtheroyal
mummy, near the western wall a Ka chamber with the statue of the king, the socalled
"Queen'sChamber",neverintendedfortheburialofthequeenandtheSubterraneanChamber,
30 m below the plateau surface, reached by a Descending Passage cut straight into natural
rock.Somethinkthelowerchamberswere"mistakes",whilethisseemsunlikely(inviewofthe
triunearchitectureofroyaltombs,withburialchamber,antechamberandKachamber).Whatis
typical for these "Stellar" pyramids of Sneferu (Bent Pyramid as well as North Pyramid) and
KhufuistheelevatedpositionoftheKing'sChamber.Inboth,thefunerarysymbolismisclearly
celestial. The expanse of the sky was celestial Nile, with banks on the West and on the East.
The Milky Way was called "the beaten path of stars" and paradise was invisioned as the Nile
Valleyatinundation:theFieldofReeds(Osiris)ontheeasternedgeandtheFieldofOffering
(Re)furtherNorth.
By elevating the King's Chamber, the architects of the Great Pyramid underlined the celestial
goals of Solar Kingship, and, by doing so, made it possible for him, the "son" of Re, to unite
with the celestial, stellar corpse of Osiris, associated with the Orion constellation and the star
Sirius(theSouthernshafts).BythebrightappearanceoftheDogstarinthedawnskyinJuly,
theannualNileinundationwasheralded.Thisstar,associatedwithIsis,wascalled"theBringer
oftheNewYearandtheNileflood".Osiris,thebrotherandhusbandofIsis,wasidentifiedwith
Orion : the announced renewal of life by the heliacal rising of Sirius, entails the blessing of
Osiris,thevegetationgod.Moreover,theBaofPharaohKhufu,sonofRe,couldriseinits"sah"
("sAH", "noble") and be transformed into an "Akh" ("spirit") helped by Osiris and Isis in their
stellar,celestialform(intheSouth),andsorisetohisfinaldestiny:theImperishableStars.

TheGreatPyramidwithSphinx

In this remarkable architecture, we may "read" the same ambiguity, apparent in the Pyramid
Texts, between the sky of Re ("pet"), creator of the deities and the universe, and the
netherworld ("duat") of Osiris, its king hidden in the darkness of the subterranean world
between, on the one hand, the royal Solar/Stellar prerogative and, on the other hand, the
influenceofthepopular(LunarandPredynastic?)Osiris,withwhomeventually(intheMiddle
Kingdom),everydeceasedwouldidentify.ThePharaohsoftheIVthDynasty(ca.26002487
BCE)emphasizedtheSolarcomponentofdivinekingship,thedirectmanifestationofadeityon
Earth, but Heliopolitan theologytolerated(evenincorporated)Osirianthematics,albeitinsofar

as these notions help to secure the celestial terminus of the deceased king, a son of Re
returningtohisfather.
Osirisandthestellarfunctionofthepyramid
Since time immemorial, Osiris and funerary ritual were linked. Although the origins of Osiris
remainunclear,wespeculatehewasa"tribalancestor".PredynasticEgyptwasamultiverseof
deitiesandtheircommunities.Ineachsmalltown,thesphereofactivityofthe"divineinmate"
ofthearea(or"nomes")encompassedtheentirerangeofcommunalintrests.Thekingdomof
Osiris represented, ex hypothesi, the mythical "golden age" of Egypt, before writing and the
advent of kings who alienated their divine power by patrilineal transmission. In the mythical
ageofOsiris,theruleofthegreatLunargoddesswasabsolute,asithadbeenintheNeolithic
andbefore(cf.theCroMagnonoftheUpperPalaeolithic).InPredynasticEgypt,therulersand
kings received their power directly through the great goddess. The king was her consort.
Because of this connection, the "Bull of his mother" evidenced male power, fertility and
abundance. In the Osiris myth, the role of Isis is crucial. She brings the scattered parts of
Osiris'bodytogether,isabletotrickRe,receivestheassistanceoftheLunarThoth,conceives
Horus,isabletoraise&protecthimetc.
Theadventofhistorychangedthissituation.IntheEarlyDynasticPeriod,thekingfiguresasan
incarnationoftheskygodHorus.Theroyalnationstateisgivenadministrativebody.IntheOld
Kingdom,thedivinekingaffirmsthedivinestatusofhis"Ba"bypartlyassimilatingtheLunar
deities.Apatrilinealsystemisinvented,lastingformorethanthreemilleniaandbasedonSolar
and stellar considerations. Nevertheless, in the Egyptian cultural form, the Lunar,
contextualized, wandering, matriarchal line of transmission (of which the original is rooted in
the Upper Palaeolithic) is never relinquished. Without the female side of Nature, no balanced
equationisdeemedpossible.Pharaohisnurturedbythemilkofthegoddessesandinallmajor
dynasticturns,theroleofwomenwasofextremeimportance.
Pharaonic Egypt remembered the mythical family of (Lunar) Osiris, his wife Isis andtheirson
Horus. People identified and played the dramatic episodes of their lives, including in their
musings his assassination, dismemberment, restoration, resurrection and rejuvenation. The
mysteryofhisbecomingthe"kingofthenetherworld"completedthepicture.WhetherOsirian
faithwasalreadypopularintheEarlyDynasticremainsdisputed,althoughaPredynasticorigin
ofOsirianfaithconcurswiththefertilitycultsoftheNeolithic(the"BullofhisMother"pointing
to his role as consort of the great Neolithic fertility goddess), both agrarian (grain, flood) as
communal(justruler).

TombofNeferrenpetThebesXIXthDynastyca.1250BCE.
OsirisasDjedPillarwithAnubisandThoth(asIbis).

The "djed" (or "djet", "tjet") may point to a crucial link between history and prehistory : this
backbone of Osiris serves as a mortuary amulet of stability and everlastingness. It is a

necessaryaidinthetransformationofthehumanbodyintothespiritualbodyofgloryassumed
bythedeadintheafterlife.Withit,theshamanisticbeliefsofoldaremaintained but refined.
The divine dead bone is there to transmute. The restoration of the body of Osiris and his
"resurrection" in the noble, spiritualized, beautified and stellar body ("sAH"), given by Isis
thankstoReandThoth,iscompletedwhenOsirisreceivestheEyeofWellness(theLeft Eye)
from Horus, the Lunar Eye of Re. Restored, resurrected and resuscitated, Osiris is then the
"kingofthenetherworld".
The"djed" Pillar Festival was held annually. It was a time of enthusiasm and rejuvenationfor
the people. On the first day of Shomu, the season of harvesting, the priests raised up the
"djed" Pillar, and all payed homage to the symbol. People conducted mock battles between
goodandevil.OxenweredrivenaroundthewallsofMemphis...
"Although the god Osiris is not attested by name until the Fifth Dynasty Pyramid Texts, the
probable antiquity of many of these texts makes it not unlikely that he was recognized at an
earlier period, perhaps under the name Khentiamentiu. A central element of the later Osiris
myth, the pairing of Horus and Seth, is attested from the middle of the First Dynasty."
Wilkinson,1999,p.292.

ThemajorityofcemeteriesweresituatedtotheWestoftheNile,theregionwheretheSunset.
Already in the Neolithic, the West was the principal mortuary direction. Deceased Badarians
facedWest(ca.50004000BCE).TheSolarhorizonhadbeenassimilated.Thesteadyriseof
kingship and piecemeal centralizations followed. Dating to the Late Predynastic Period,
Khentiamentiu, "the Foremost of the Westeners", the god of the Abydos necropolis, was
depictedasajackal.HealsonavigatedRe'snightlyvoyageintheDuat.Hiscultwaspopularin
the First Dynasty (cf. seals of Pharaohs Den and Qaa) and in the Old Kingdom, Heliopolitan
theologyassociatedhimwithOsiris,whoalsoboretheepithet"theForemostoftheWesteners".
We have to wait until the First Intermediate Period before Abydos has become a cult centre
explicitlydedicatedtoOsiris.
In the Heliopolitan account, Osiris belonged to the last generation of deities, those sustaining
themythicalkingdomofplentyofAtumRe,thesole,uniquecreatorofitall.Osiris,Isis,Seth
andNephthysarethedifferentialsornaturaltypescoveringtheidealstateofaffairsforhuman
beings.Osirianfaithappealedtothecommonmajority.
"The four children of Geb and Nut are not involved in this description of the universe. They
establishabridgebetweennatureandman,andthatintheonlymannerinwhichtheEgyptians
could conceive such a bond through kingship. Osiris was the mythological form of the dead
rulerforeversucceededbyhissonHorus."Frankfort,1978,p.182.
Asthe"Bullofhismother",herepresentedthemythofthe"perfectking",empowerednotby
patrilineallogic,butbytheselfpossessedandunalienatedpowerofthegreatgoddessandher
darksecretsofresurrection,rejuvenationandrebirth(associatedwiththeDuatratherthanthe
sky). His assassination by Seth evokes the discontinuum of moral evil ("isefet"), rooted in a
naturaldivinewilltoharm,hurtandcausesufferingforthesakeofdominion,loveofpowerand
the persistent gratification of perverse desires (cf. the Isis & Horus cycles of the Delta). It
underlines the power of evil and destruction, and invokes the fragility of life and order, in all
directionsunderseigebyevil,annihilation,deathandchaos.Thetragedy ofevil's power does
notleadtopessimism,forinEgyptianthought,thesoulofchaosistheauthoroflight,lifeand
order.Ifchaositselfittobeavoided,notsoitsefficient,autogenerativepotential.Thelatter
regeneratesthedeitiesandsustainscreation.
"ButitwillbediscernedatoncethattheOsirismythexpressedthosehopesandaspirationsand
ideals which were closest to the life and the affections of this great people. (...) In the Osiris
myththeinstitution of the family found its earliest and most exalted expression in religion, a
glorifiedreflectionofearthlytiesamongthegods."Breasted,1972,p.37.
Paradoxicallyperhaps,apyramidtombisnotanexpressionofOsirianfaithasprofoundasthe
"Heb Sed" or "Sed Festival", in which Pharaoh assumed the costume and insignia of Osiris,
enjoyingthesameresuscitationbyIsisandHorus.Thisdoesnot(asEgyptianthoughtteaches)
excludeOsiriancomponents,connotations or assimilations (such as a subterranean chamber).
ButthePyramidAgewasofHeliopolitaninspiration.Pharaohfinallyadherestohisowndivinity

("son of Re") and evidences his authority on a gigantic scale. In the Pyramid Texts, Osiris is
presentbutattimesavoided.PharaohpassesbyOsiris(andis,asthelatter,resurrectedinthe
Duat),butdoesnotstayintheDuat.Asabird,hefliesawaytobetransformedintoastellar
spirit,joininghisfatherReinthesky.Astrangedivisionis,attimes,maintainedbetweenOsiris
intheDuatandReinthesky.Intheprerationalmodeofcognition,suchconceptualtensions
areleftunresolved.
"MayYou(Pharaoh)splitopenyourplaceintheskyamongthestarsofthesky,forYouarethe
Lone Star, the companion of Hu (authorative speech). Look down upon Osiris when he
commandsthespirits,forYou stand far off from him. You are not among them and You shall
notbeamongthem(thespiritsofOsiris)."
PyramidTexts,251,utterance245.

"MayOsirisnotcomewithhisevilcoming.Donotopenyourarmstohim..."
PyramidTexts,1267,utterance534.

Morethantwothousandyearslater,weread:
"ThegodsareintheirchapelsandtheDivineEnneadintheirhalltheHiddenOne(Osiris)is
hiddenintheHiddenSeat(Edfuascrypt),andthegodsofheavenareintheirplaceabovehis
horizon."Kurth,2004,pp.5657.
ApyramidwasthetombofadivinekingofEgypt,andsothefocusofatemplecomplex,witha
dedicated priesthood and regular priests, daily maintaining the Ka of the deceased king to
gratify its Ba or soul and clearing a safe passage from and to the tomb. As such, a royal
mortuarytemplewasanspiritoeconomicmotor,employingpeopleandredistributinggoodsfor
thesakeofaspiritualeconomyoftransformationofmaterialofferingsinto"food"fortheKaof
theking,whowouldblessEgypt.Afunerarycomplexwasalsoa"falsedoor"or"gate"allowing
the enlightened spirit of the deceased (justified to realize the station of the Akhspirits) to
returnasBaand/orKa.ThisdivinepresenceofthespiritinitstombonEarth,isalwaysindirect
(neverabsolute).Ithappensthroughtheintermediatestatesofconsciousness,suchastheBa
andKaofthedivinesonofRe.
ThepyramidensuredMaat,theturningofdaysandseasons,aswellasa"goodNile".How?It
allowed Pharaoh to "transform" ("kheperu") into an "Akh", a glorified spiritbeing of light,
effectiveandequippedintheafterlife.Thepyramidwashiswaytoascend.Arrivedinheavenas
anAkh,Pharaohallowedhisdivineincarnationtopasstohisson(fromOsiristoHorus)andthe
pyramid"is better understood as the meeting point of life and light with death and darkness"
(Lehner, 2001, p. 20). It was a "cosmic engine" set in motion after mummification and the
appropriate funerary rituals, bringing the glorified body ("sah") into being (cf. the ritual of
"OpeningtheMouth").AsanAkhspirit,thedeceasedkingcouldchoosetobringdownhissouls
anddoubles on Earth. If so, he would use his tomb and mummy as a point of entry into the
physical plane of existence. In this way, the presence of the ancestor could continue to
influence the living. The names given to the pyramids or associated with them, reflect the
crucialspiritoeconomicalroleofroyaltombs:"horizon","radiantplace","endures","flourish",
"established","pure","divine","perfect"etc.
Indeed,thefocusofanytomb,includingtheking's,wasthe"falsedoor"andadjacent"offering
place". This imaginal gate was the point of departure to or return from the netherworld. The
successofthisbidirectionalityofthejustified,blesseddeceasedintheafterlife(fromthetomb
totheskyandback)dependedonthefuneraryrituals,aswellasontheofferingsplacedinthe
tomb.Duringtheirdailyrituals,thepriests(endowedbytheson)fedtheKaofhisfatherand
placed the sacrifices near the "false door". In this way, the "lowest" point of the
transformational chain would be kept active. The subtle energy (or "Ka") of the offerings
gratifies the Ba and attracts the attention of the Akh, who returns in the tomb with its "sah",
completingthecyclebyunitingwiththemummy.ThisidealofEgyptianreligiouslifewasonly
attainedbythedeitiesandthejustifieddead.Pharaohascended,whilecommonmenhid...
Inshort,theroyalfuneraryritualshadtwomaingoals:
thetransformationintoanAkhspirit,withenduringascending/descendingfunctionsand

thetransferofkingshipfromthedeceasedtothelivingking.
majorchanges:thehenotheistreligionofRe
AsPapyrusWestcarputsintoevidence,thebeginningoftheVthDynastysawmajorchangesin
Egyptian religion. The powerful influence of Re made the first Pharaoh of the Vth Dynasty
(PharaohUserkafca.24872480BCE)highpriestofReandbegottenbyRehimself.Rehad
visitedthewifeofUserra,ahighpriestofRe.Theresultwasthebirthofadivinechild.
"In the royal and state temple theology, Osiris is lifted to the sky, and while he is there
Solarized,wehavejustshownhowhealsotincturestheSolarteachingofthecelestialkingdom
ofthedeadwithOsirian doctrines. The result was thus inevitable confusion, as the two faiths
interpenetrated."Breasted,1972,p.160.
ThepopularOsirisandthecrucialbattlebetweenhissonHorusandSeth,wereapparentlynot
ousted from the royal mindset. On the contrary, his divine familydrama became part of the
cycle of the "Great Re", the overarching & overseeing deity. Osiris became the "Sun of the
night",althoughanessentialtensionbetweenbothmythscontinuedtoexistthroughouttheOld
Kingdom.
"Fromthe3thDynastywehavetheevidenceforanewemphasisonasinglecreator,eclipsing
thebalancebetweenthegoodHorusandtheanarchicSeth.ThebattlesofHorusandSethdo
nodisappearinthenew,classicalEgyptianarrangementofdivinepowers,buttheybecomea
smallerpartwithinthegeneralschemeofasingleallpowerfulcreator."Quirke,2001,p.83.
ThepyramidofPharaohUserkafwasbuiltatNorthSaqqara,closetothenortheastern corner
ofDjoser'senclosure.Itevidencesatrulysubstantialreevaluationoftherigidmonumentality
of the previous Dynasty (cf. its small size : side = 73.5m and height = 49m) and less
painstakingmethodsofconstruction.
Themainsurvivingarchitecturalachievement of Pharaoh Userkafwas his temple dedicated to
Re,theSungod.SixofthesevenPharaoh'softhisVthDynastywoulddothesameinthenext
eightyyears.RebecameastategodandPharaohthesonofRe.Thesetempleswerepersonal
monumentstoeachPharaoh'scontinuedrelationshipwithReduringlifeandintheafterlife.The
qualities of Pharaoh were transferred to Re. The latter became a celestial reflection of the
earthly sovereign, a notion to be developed in the Middle Kingdom, when AmunRe would be
called"thekingofthegods"and"lordofthethronesofthetwolands".
The funerary ritual was also elaborated, and in the Vth Dynasty, the Lectorpriest, or "Kheri
heb"appearsinscenes.Hewasaspecialist,andmasterofthemortuaryritualsfortheroyals.
He was attended by the "Herishesheta", the "Head of Mysteries". These developments
evidence an increased interiority. This involves writing to realize its first internal structure :
wordsjoinedtogetherinsimplesentences.Internalizationledtotheformationofpreconcepts,
i.e. wordimages created through imagination and the interplay of meaningful objective
relationalcontexts.Subjectivitywasexpressedasafunctionofanobjectivestate.Theactions
of the "I"form are objective states which are not yet (self) reflective. The opacity of the
materialsideofpresenceprevailed.Thesubjecthasnotransparancyofitsown.
However, two central natural types emerge : on the one hand, Pharaoh, his residence and
magicalpowertoassurea"goodNile",and,ontheotherhand,thecreatorgodRe,the"father
of the gods", the giver of life. This is Atum, the "Ba of Nun", the potential to autogenerate
floatingintheinertwatersofchaos.Pharaoh,beingthesonofRe,returnsthe"rightorder"to
hisfather(asthesolegodonEarth,heistheonlyoneabletodoso).Becauseheworshipshis
fatherproperly (effectively), he is blessed by the latter and receives a "good Nile". Thanks to
the tomb, his father may descend from the sky and assist his son. The dead would thus
continuetoruleandEgyptwouldlastformillionsofyears...
Because of this emphasis on Re, a constellational henotheism ensued. To evidence unity,
multiplicity is not eliminated. To operate the multiple, the original unity of the divine is not
eclipsed. The various natural types work together under the overarching order of Re, who is
their beginning and end. Every night they are reborn with him. Likewise, his son Pharaoh is

presentinmorethanhundredtemplessimultaneouslyandhealone effectuates the necessary

ritualstomakethegodfindhisshrinepleasantandbecomeunitedwithhisstatue.Deitiesonly
communicatewithotherdeities.Ahumancomingfacetofacewiththegoddies.
majorchanges:thetitulary
Changes in the royal funerary rituals had already been monumentally expressed by Pharaohs
SneferuandKhufu,butunderKhufu'sson,PharaohRadjedef(ca.25482540BCE),thesigns
offarreachingreligiouschangearevisible.Resurpassedallotherdeities,evenHorus,thesky
godandemblemofthe"FollowersofHorus".PharaohRadjedef,whoprovidedhimselfwiththe
name"belongstothefirmament",isthefirsttobearthename"sonofRe"("sARa").
HisbrotherorhalfbrotherPharaohKhephren(ca.25402514BCE)incorporatedtheroyaltitle
"son of Re" in his official, royal titulary. This titulary ("nxb.t") consisted of 5 titles or "rn
wr","great names". Each of these express a specific viewpoint on kingship. As the name of
someoneorsomethingwascrucialandallimportantforitssurvivalandeffectiveness,theroyal
namewasthe"nameofnames".ToknowandunderstandPharaoh'snamesrevealedhispower
inlifeandtohaveone'sownnamewrittennexttohis,guaranteedsuccessintheafterlife.
As the "son of Re", Pharaoh Khephren added a fifth name to his four other titulary names,
thereby expressing the idea of Pharaoh being the human form of Re at birth, i.e. Re begets
Pharaoh,whorulesoverEgyptintheformer'sname.

"From this time onward every king of Egypt, whether of Egyptian origin or not, called himself
the'sonofR'.Inlaterdays,when Amen, or AmenR, became the King of the Gods, it was
assertedbyhispriesthoodthatthegodassumedthehumanformofamanandbegottheking
ofEgypt."Budge,1989,p.33,myitalics.
The definitive form of the royal titulary was attained : it began with the Horus Name of the
EarlyDynasticPeriodandendedwiththenameofPharaohatbirth(asaprince),precededby
"sonofRe".Whenenthroned,Pharaohreceiveda"prenomen",adivinenamereferringtoRe.
Both names were enclosed by an oval ring (suggestive of the Solar cycle), a cartouche. The
"nomen"nameisphenomenal.The"prenomen"nameisforallofeternity.Thisenclosuremay
be compared with the wall surrounding the temple. Thus it reflects the Solar horizon of the
Sundiskandassuresthecleardistinctionbetweenthedivineandtheprofane.
Justasthe"sah"istheresultof"senetjer"orritualconsecration,Pharaohbecomesthe"sonof
Re"inactuexercitoonlyafterhavingreceivedhisthronename.Asaprince,hewasthesonof
a divine father, as Pharaoh he is a Lone Star, the son of the unique creatorgod and god of
light,Re,the star of stars. By adding "son of Re" to the birth name, the divine birth (not yet
divine right) of the royal prince was underlined. At his coronation, he received the "form" of
kingshipritually,buthisdivinenaturewasalreadypresentatbirth,forhewasconceivedbyRe
himself.
Thefivenamesoftheroyaltitulary,atemporalaswellasaspiritualdeclarationofdivinerule,
are:
1. theHorusname,BannernameorKaname:designatingPharaohasthemanifestationof
Horus,theelderskygod(Horusinthepalace,notyetHorus,sonofOsiris,althoughboth
wereconfused),thedivineprototypeandpatronoftheEgyptiankings.Theearliestdivine
kings, the "Followers of Horus", ruled with this Horus name alone. In the Early Dynastic
Period, the perched falcon of Horus was part of the name of the king. King Aha, for
instance,was"HorusAha",or"Horuswhofights".IntheNewKingdom,"MightyBull"was
added at the beginning of the name, but it was usually quite variable. Althoughitwould
continue to be used throughout the entire Ancient Egyptian history, it lost itsimportance
totheprenomenennomenfromtheendoftheOldKingdomon.Thisnamewasnotthe
birthnameoftheking,butitwasgiventohimwhenheascendedthethrone.Duringthe
EarlyDynasticPeriodandtheearlyOldKingdom,itwasthekingsofficialname.Hisname
ofbirthwouldnotappearinofficialdocuments.

This name is often written within a rectangular frame, at the bottom of which is seen a

designofrecessedpanelling,suchaswefindinthefacadesofearlytombsandinthefalse
doors of many private tombs. The Ancient Egyptian name for this facade was "serekh".
Whenspeakingofthe(palace)facade,thisnameisoftenusedinmoderntextsaswell.On
topofthis"serekh"isperchedthefalconofHorus,hencetheappellation"Horusname".In
more elaborate New Kingdom examples, Horus is wearing the double crown and is
accompaniedbytheSunandanUraeus

2. theNebtinameor"TwoLadies"title:firstmetinthereignofPharaohAha,Nekhbetand
Uadjit("wADiit")weretheprotectivegoddessesofUpperandLowerEgyptrespectively(a
vulture&acobra,eachatopthebasketfor"Lady").Thesetworefertothedualkingdom
Pharaoh unites as "Lord of the Two Lands". The "Two Ladies" correspond to these "Two
Lords",andtotheroyalgodsHorusandSeth(LowerandUpperEgyptrespectively). The
concept that the king embodied both goddesses highlights the reconciliation of opposites
tomaintainthebalance,hereonageographicallevel

3. theGoldname,GoldenHorusnameorFalconofGoldname:thisnameofgold,afalcon
atop a beaded collar (meaning "gold"), is first attested in the IVth Dynasty and is
representedbyaHorusfalconatopabeadedcollar("nbw"gold).Thenamemightrefer
tothewealthandsplendourofPharaoh'sdivinity,aswellastohisenduringqualities(gold
was consideredto betheuntarnished"flesh"ofthedeities).ThePapyrusofAni (chapter
77)makestheFalconofGoldrefertotheSekhetHetep,theFieldofPeace.Thenotionof
"gold"maythusbelinkedtonehehtime&itseternalrepetition.Theburialchamberinthe
royaltombsoftheNewKingdomwasoftencalledthe"goldenroom",not(only)becauseof
the presence of actual gold, but because it was there for all of eternity. The gold name
may convey the same notion of eternity, expressing the wish that the king may be an
eternalHorus,i.e.heandhiskingdomendure

4. theThronename(prenomen):isprecededbythe"nswtbitii"title,whichtranslatesas"he
of the sedge and bee", "King of Upper and Lower Egypt" or "Dual Kingdom" and is
enclosed (in a cartouche). The first known example of this title is dated to the reign of
PharaohDen,whenitwasoftencombinedwiththeNebtiname.Itwouldtakeuntiltheend
of the IIIth Dynasty before it came into use and eventually replaced the Horusname as
themostimportantofficialroyalname.ThesystematicpresenceofthenameofReinthe
prenomen (starting with Pharaoh Khephren) indicates it was given to the king when he
ascended the throne. It put him in a narrow relationship with the universal Solar god
Re. More recent scholarship conjectures the name to be a statement regarding Pharaoh
and his policies (instead of a theological statement concerning the god). It was
compoundedwiththenameoftheSungodRe(includingthehieroglyphofthediskofthe
Sun),writtenfirst(cf.honorifictransposition)

5. the personal name of Pharaoh (nomen our familyname) : always preceded by the
epithet"sonofRe".Itisthenamegiventotheprinceatbirth.Aftercoronation,itwasalso
enclosed in a cartouche. It affirmed Pharaoh was by birthright a god. A "cartouche" or
"royal ring" depicts a loop formed by a rope, the ends tied together. This conveys the
notionsof"eternity"and"encompassingtheentirecreation".Theloopcanbeseenasthe
cycleoftheSunitself,thecelestialecliptic(inreality,theellipticalmovementoftheEarth
aroundtheSun).Thecrucialroleof"TailinMouth"intheVIthHouroftheAmduatrefers
tothis"encirclingofcreation".
Onasingleroyalmonument,allfivenamesseldomappeartogether.Whenonlyonenamewas
used, the Throne name was the most common. Usually, it was also used when the king had
died, avoiding the necessity to add numbers to the personal names, amethod in vogue since
the time of Manetho, an Egyptian priest of the third century BCE, who wrote a history of the
Dynasties (of which only fragments have survived). For example, by his contemporaries,
PharaohAmenhotepIIIwasnamed"Nebmaatre",hisThronename,or"ReistheLordofMaat"
andnot"Amenhotep",or"Amunispleased",thenamegiventotheroyalprinceatbirth.
The complexity of the titulary tries to encompass the supernatural effectivity of Pharaoh's

presence on Earth. He is a human being with a personal name, but also a divine being. This
nomenunderlineshisdivinevocation.Althoughinthetitulary,theprinceisbecalled"theson
ofRe",hedoesnotusethisepithetaslongashisfatherrules.Thekingsofoldwerenamedby
their Horus name, suggestive of the overseeing qualities of the Falcon flying over the "Two
Lands".AfterthetheologicalchangesbroughtaboutbytheOldKingdom,thethronenamewas
preferred.

thecompletetitularyofPharaohAmenemhetIII(ca.18181773BCE)
MiddleKingdom,XIIth(Theban)Dynasty:

MightyHorus
GreatofMight
HeoftheTwoLadies
TakingpossessionoftheinheritanceoftheTwoLands
HorusofGold
PermanentofLife
KingofUpperandLowerEgypt
MaatofRe(Nimaatre).
SonofRe
AmunattheHead
The king dies, long live the king ! Crowned, Pharaoh is no longer called by his nomen name.
Whenthisnameisused,itisprecededby"sonofRe".Asaking,onlyhisthronenameisheard.
As his father, justified by Osiris, had become an Akhspirit (with Re), i.e. a deity, his former
son, nowPharaoh,ishimselfbecomeamanifestation of Re.Thistheprenomenspecifies.The
transformation is completed between the moment the old king died and Pharaoh was
enthroned.

TheroyaltitularyarrangedaroundN14("sbA"or"star"),aPentagram.

The royal titulary reflects the unity of the spiritual (eternal) and political (temporal) rule of
Pharaoh. It identifies the five parts of his "name" ("rn"). Together, they constitute the
fundamental "formula" of his rule, both religiously (magically) as politically (his program for

Egypt).Toknowthisname,confersthenatureandgoalofthe"greathouse"oflivingEgypt,a
dualking,human(bybirth)anddivine(bynature).Thefirsttwopartsofthetitulary,theHorus
nameandtheNebtyname,refertotheEarlyDynasticPeriod,whentheruleofthe"Followers
ofHorus"unitedthe"TwoLands" of Upper and LowerEgypt. Duality has beentranscended in
theruleofharmony,truthandjustice(cf.Maat).ThelasttwonamesreflectthetheologyofRe,
in particular the fact the Pharaoh is the son of the creatorgod. The Golden Horus name,
standing inbetween, adds panache, like the flamboyant monumentality of the Great Pyramid
dazzling in the Sunlight. It affirms the king was headed to paradise, a state associated with
nourishment and peace. Like gold, Pharaoh's reign endures. Like the flesh of the deities, he
livesforever!
thepyramidofUnisandthePyramidTexts
PharaohUnis(ca.23782348BCE)wasthelastPharaohoftheVthDynasty.Hispyramidat
Saqqara is at the Southwestern corner of Djoser's enclosure. The complex, a model for
subsequent rulers, is almost diagionally opposed to the pyramid of Userkaf (ca. 2487 2480
BCE),thefounderofthisHeliopolitanDynasty.PharaohUnisisthefirsttoincludehieroglyphic
inscriptionsinthetomb,namelyinthecorridor,antechamber,passagewayandburialchamber
(notintheKachamber).

CartoucheofPharaohWenis.

Theinscriptionscarvedandfilledwithbluepigmentonmostwallsoftheroyaltombunderneath
the pyramid of Unis (or Wenis), contain, in 234 of the more than 700 known utterances, the
firsthistoricalaccountofthe(Heliopolitan)religionoftheOldKingdom.Nearlythreecenturies
aftertheOldKingdombegan,theseimportant"spells"wererecordedandentombedforthefirst
timebyPharaohsUnis,Teti,PepiI,Merenre&PepiII.This"eternalized"bodyoftextsincludes
drama, hymns, litanies, glorifications, magical texts, offerings rituals, prayers, charms, divine
offerings, the ascension of Pharaoh, the arrival of Pharaoh in heaven, Pharaoh settled in
heaven,andmiscellaneous texts. It is the oldest body of theology in the world, and precedes
thetextualizationoftheVedas(ca.1900BCE).
"...frominternalreferencesintheVedicliteraturewecan now state with some certainty that
theRigVedawasnotcomposed,asmaintainedbymanyscholarsunderthespelloftheAryan
invasion model, around 1200 BC, but at least more than eight centuries earlier. The hymn
composers knew of an environment that simply ceased to exist around 1900 BC. What more
concreteevidencecouldanyonewishfor?"Feuerstein,Kak&Frawley,1995,p.105.
ThetextsfromthetombofUnisareavailableonlineaswellasSethe'sstandardeditionofthe
Pyramid Texts (1910). This exclusively royal funerary corpus consists of a series of
"utterances", so called because the expression "djed medu" ("Dd" = "words" "mdw" =
"speech") or "words to be said", i.e. "to recite" is, as a rule, at the head of most. In Sethe's
edition,714Utterancesaregiven,whereasFaulkner(1969)bringsthetotalto759.

PlanofthePyramidcomplexofUnis(ca.23782348BCE).
ThePyramidwas57.75m,43mhigh,withaslopeof56.

ThecausewaytothepyramidofUniswas750mlongandwasequaltoPharaohKhufu's.Inits
roof, a slit was left open, so a shaft of light could illuminate the gallery of brightly painted
reliefs,ofwhichonlyfragmentssurvived.Awidearrayofscenesoncecoveredthewall:boats
transportinggranitepalmcolumns,craftsmenworkinggold&copper,harvestingscenes(grain,
figs & honey), offering bearers, battles with enemies, bearded "Aziatics" ... Two boat graves
(each45mlong)laysidebysideSouthofit.BytheNewKingdom,thecomplexhadfalleninto
ruins.
Theantechamberofthepyramidtombliesdirectlyunderthecentreaxisofthepyramid.Inthe
East,adoorwayopenstotheuninscribedKachamberwiththreerecesses.Themiddlerecessof
thisKachapel(intendedforsittingstatuesofPharaohUnis?),liesexactlybehindthefalsedoor
ofthemortuarytemple.
ThesittingstatueisattestedinthefunerarydomainfromtheEarlyDynasticPeriodonwards.It
isthethreedimensionalrealizationofthepictureoftheSlabstela,representingtheenthroned
tombownerinfrontofanofferingtable,towhichheisstretchingoutonehand.Thestretched
(mostly right) hand is shown resting on the thigh, the left hand often on the breast (but
variantsingestureandgarmentexist).DuringtheIVthDynasty,thesittingstatueisaformal
part of the Giza cemetery. It was placed in a closed "serdab" (the Arabic for "cellar"). In this
"inner" cult place dedicated to the provision cult for the deceased the Kastatue is the
"double" of the tomb owner, representing the latter as corporally intact, provided and able to
receiveprovisionsbywayofthemummyenshrinedinthesarcophagus,andbywayoftheKa
and/orBavisitingthetombandrecognizingitsownimageintheKastatue.
On the ceiling of the tomb, golden, pentagramlike stars were carved in relief on a skyblue
background. The tomb is made of Tura limestone, except for the West wall of the burial
chamberandthewesternhalvesofitsNorthandSouthwalls,oppositetheendsofthegranite
sarcophagus, which are in albaster, cised and painted to represent a reedmat and a wood
frameenclosure(cf.theEarlyDynasticPeriodandearlier).Sunkinthefloortotheleftofthe
footofthesarcophaguswasthecanopicchest(neartheSouthWall).

BurialchamberpyramidofPharaohUnis.
SarcophagusWest,westernhalfofNorth&Southwallsinalbaster.
Canopicchesttotheleft(South)ofthefootofthesarcophagusPiankoff(1968).

These texts constitute, together with those on the walls of the tombs of Pharaoh Unis' VIth
Dynasty successors (Teti, Pepi I, Merenre & Pepi II), the oldest corpus of Ancient Egyptian
religious, funerary & theological literature. Moreover, Pharaoh Teti's pyramid followed the
prototypeestablishedbyPharaohUnis.Itsdimensionsarepracticallyidenticalwiththoseofthe
pyramidsofPepiI,Merenre&PepiII.
When Pharaoh Unis decided to adorn his tomb with sacred hieroglyphs, in order to assure for
himselfthroughthemagicofhisgreatspeechhisultimaterealizationintheafterlife,Osirian
faith was already popular and its incorporation in the Pharaonic funerary rituals had already
begun.Sothename"Osiris"isinsertedbeforePharaoh'snamewhereveritstandsatthehead
oftheutterance.Thisisomittedinallcaseswhenitoccursinthetext(exceptinUtterances25
& 38). Breasted (1912) concluded the editor must have been "Osirian", working hastily and
mechanically...
"While there is some effort here to correlate the functions of Re and Osiris, it can hardly be
called an attempt at harmonization of conflicting doctrines. This is practically unknown in the
Pyramid Texts. (...) But the fact that both Re and Osiris appear as supreme king of the
hereaftercannotbereconciled,andsuchmutuallyirreconcilablebeliefscausedtheEgyptianno
more discomfort than was felt by any early civilization in the maintenance of a group of
religious teachings side by side with others involving varying and totally inconsistent
suppositions. Even Christianity itself has not escaped this experience." Breasted, 1972, pp.163
164.

TextfragmentinthetombofUnisPiankoff(1968).

Although historical traces of Osirian faith predating the Pyramid Texts are sparse, popular
Osirian beliefs had, during the previous Dynasties, already slowly infiltrated the Solar state
religion.HadpredynasticreligionidentifiedOsiriswiththefertilewatersoftheinundation,with
soilandvegetation(cf.OrionandtheDogStarintheSouth,thedirectionoftheinundation)?
TheeverwaningandeverrevivinglifeofEgypt's soil through the Nile was entrenched by the
storyofthemurder&resurrectionofOsirisandthetriumphofhissonHorusoverSeth,theevil
uncle. As a result, and despite its popular origin, Osirian faith entered into the most intimate
relationshipwiththeideologyofdivinekingship,causingafundamentaltensiontoberesolved
later, when Osiris, as god of the dead and king of the netherworld, was increasingly seen as
thenocturnalaspectofRe(cf.theNewKingdomSolartheology).
So,althoughthereligionofthestatewasaSolarfaithfocusedonPharaoh,thePyramidTexts
evidence an ambiguous relationship with Osiris, the god of the common people and popular
beliefs. The Predynastic Osiris cult, probably local to the Delta, involved a forbidding, stern &
repellenthereafter.OsiriswasaNilegodandaspiritofvegetablelife,aharvestgod.But,asa
kingofEgypt,hehad been killed by his brother Seth, recovered and restored by his wife Isis
(withthe help of the secret name of Re) and resurrected by his son Horus, who avenged his
fatherbyovercomingSethinabattlepresidedbyThoth.WhenOsirismigrateduptheNilefrom
the Delta, he was identified with the old mortuary jackalgod of the South, "the First of the
Westeners" (Abydos, Assiut). His kingdom was conceived as situated below the western
horizon, where it merged into the netherworld. He became the king of the dead below the
earth,the"LordoftheDuat",monarchofasubterraneankingdom.
"...intheSolarfaithwehaveastatetheology,withallthesplendorandtheprestigeofitsroyal
patronsbehinditwhileinthatofOsirisweareconfrontedbyareligionofthepeople,which
made a strong appeal to the individual believer. (...) In the mergence of these two faiths we
discernforthefirsttimeinhistorytheageoldstrugglebetweenthestateformofreligionand
thepopularfaithofthemasses."Breasted,1972,pp.140141.
According to Breasted, nothing in these primordial myths proved Osiris to have a celestial
afterlife. Indeed, the Pyramid Texts evidence survivals from a period when Osiris was even
hostiletotheSolardead.ThereareexorcismsintendedtoretainOsiristoentertheSolartomb
withevilintent(cf.supra).However,thepopularityofOsirisamongthecommonpeopleforced
thetheologianstoincorporatehimintotheSolarcreed.Inthisway,HeliopolitanSolartheology
gotslowlyOsirianized.
TheresurrectionofOsirisbyHorusandtherestorationofhisbodywasaffirmedtobePharaoh's
privilege. The Osirian hereafter was celestialized. Osiris was nowcalled"Lord of the sky" (PT,
964,966a)andPharaohwasannouncedtoOsirisintheskypreciselyinthesamewayashe
hadbeenannouncedtoReintheSolartheology.Hence,wefindPharaohascendingtothesky

and then descending among the dwellers in the netherworld (PT, 1164), implying that the
Duat became somehow accessible from the sky. In the Osirian cult, the netherworld became
the lower region of the sky, in the vincinity of the horizon, below which it is also extended
(Breasted).Animportant link between Re and Osiris was the former's death every day in the
West,theplaceofthedead.ThedeadPharaohandthedyingSuncorrespondedwell,asdidthe
resurrection of Osiris (as king of the dead) and the dawning of the Sun (as the child
Harpocrates,whoisthefatherofthekingoftheliving).
"The fact remains, then, that the celestial doctrines of the hereafter dominate the Pyramid
Textsthroughout,andthelatersubterraneankingdomofOsirisandRe'svoyagethroughitare
stillentirelyinthebackgroundintheseroyalmortuaryteachings.AmongthepeopleReislater,
as it were, dragged into the Nether World to illumine there the subjects of Osiris in his
mortuary kingdom, and this is one of the most convincing evidences of the power of Osiris
amongthelowerclasses.Intheroyalandstatetempletheology,Osirisisliftedtothesky,and
while he is there Solarized, we have just shown he also tinctures the Solar teaching of the
celestialkingdomofthedeadwithOsiriandoctrines.Theresultwasthusinevitableconfusion,
asthetwofaithsinterpenetrated."Breasted,1972,pp.159160.
ThePyramidTextsevidencetheemergenceofacompositemortuarydoctrine.Butwhatusedto
be viewed as a separate "Osirian" destiny of the king "has more recently been recognized as
oneaspectofhiscelestialcycletheregenerativephasethroughwhichhepassesbefore'rising
intheeasternsideofskyliketheSun'(Pyr.1465de)."(Allen,1989,p.1).
Intheca.650yearsbetweenca.3000BCE(thebeginningoftheDynasticPeriod)andca.2348
BCE (the death of Pharaoh Unis), the written language had considerably developed. But
although words could be joined together in simple sentences and the latter in pragmatical
groups (dealing with honors & gifts, offices, legacies, inventories, testaments, transfers,
endowments,etc.),theadditive,archaicqualityoftheliterarystylewaspronounced.
In the Old Egyptian of the PyramidTexts, the composition between semantic groups is loose.
Subjectivity is still objectified. Preoperatoric activity is limited by the immediate material
context.Olderstructuresweremingledwithnewonesandmanytracesofearlierperiodswere
left over. The extent of this layeredness has been called in to reject the possibility of Ancient
Egyptianphilosophy.Thelanguage,whichhasthestyleofthe"records"oftheOldKingdom,is
often additive and offers little selfreflection (which starts with the literature of the First
Intermediate Period). Didactic poetry (precepts) and lyrics in which personal emotions &
experiencesarehighlightedarenearlyabsent.
Various types of parallelism occur : synonymous (doubling or by repetition), symmetrical,
combined, grammatical, antithetic, of contrast, of constraint, of analogy, of purpose and of
identity.Metricalschemesoftwo,three,four,five,six,sevenoreightlinesoccur(thefourfold
beingthemostpopular).Theplayofwordsisthecommonestliteraryfeatureanddependson
the consonantal roots of the words. Alliteration, metathesis, metaphors, ellipses,
anthropomorphismsandpicturesqueexpressionsarealsofound.
The Pyramid Texts have their own particular problems and difficulties. They are a set of
symbolical "heraldic" spells which mainly deal with the promotion of Pharaoh's welfare in the
afterlife. These spells were recited at various ceremonies, mostly religious and especially in
connection with the birth, death, resurrection and ascension of Pharaoh. These texts are to a
largeextentacomposition,acompilationandjoiningofearliertextswhichmusthavecirculated
orallyorwerewrittendownonpapyrusmanycenturiesearlier.Someofthesegobacktothe
oraltraditionofthePredynasticPeriod,fortheysuggestthepoliticalcontextofEgyptbeforeits
final unification (as Sethe pointed out). Others, although the archeological record is limited,
wereusedinthisliferituals,andhaveinitiatoricconnotations.Therelativerarityofcorruptions
isanotherimportantfactwhichmakestheirstudyrewarding.
"The Pyramid Texts were not the work of a single man or of a single age. They are entirely
anonymous and of uncertain date. And they are religious literature which reflect more or less
clearly the conditions of religious thought in ancient Egypt previous to the Seventh Dynasty
morelikethePsalmsthananyotherbookoftheOldTestament."Mercer,1956,p.2.

Thecontemporaryschoolofegyptologicalliteralismequates the earliest temporal layer of any

textwithitshistoricaldateofcomposition,mistrustingthepresenceofliteraryantecedents.In
the case of the Pyramid Texts, they would agree to push the date of inception with a few
centuries(themarginoferrorforthisperiodbeingca.100years)buttrytoavoidaPredynastic
figure.Indeed,comparisonswiththearchitecturallanguageoftheperiod, makes it likely that
under Pharaoh Djoser, the Egyptians had the conceptual framework of the Pyramid Texts at
their disposal. King Djoser, the "inventor of stone" and his Leonardo da Vinci, Imhotep, the
"great seer" (or prophet) of Re at Iunu, "the Pillar", 40km northeast of Memphis (the Greek
Heliopolis, the Coptic area of contemporary Cairo), layed the foundations of the Old Kingdom
"canon"whichruledallaspectsofthelifeoftheAncientEgyptianelite,includingwriting,art&
religion.

1.2FunerarylogicofthetombofUnis.
spatialsemantics
In Ancient Egyptian thought, measurements and spatial relationships between parts of a
building were considered significant from a religious and ceremonial point of view. Spatial
semanticsplayedaroleinthearrangementoftextsonpapyri&stel(cf.theShabakaStone).
SurelyidenticalconsiderationsanimatedthearchitectureofPharaoh'stomb?
ThetextsinthetombofUnisdonotprovideuswithastraightforwardnarrativeoftheirritual
performance.Thelatterisneverdecontextualized,butwaspartlyiconified in architecture and
architectural decoration. Both antechamber and burialchamber have as central theme the
resurrection of the king and his ascent to heaven. Offering rituals, one of the instruments of
resurrection, accompany the presentation of offerings. But, on the East gable of the burial
chamber,thekingestablisheshisindependenceoffoodsupply.
"Exploitation of a narrative coherence in representation of the ritual falls far behind symbolic
and spatial ordering as a principle of decoration : the ordering of the ritual material is to a
considerableextentdefinedbygeneralprinciplesofalargelysymbolicnature,modifiedbythe
adhocresolutionsnecessarytofillthespaceavailable."Eyre,2002,p.44.
Thissymbolicomagicalusebetraysthedeeperintentionofthehieroglyphs:thewisehasseen
how the Ka of former Pharaohs had no longer been fed and they introduced written food
offerings and voiceofferings as a magical alternative (Sethe, 1908). The inscriptions served
this magical purpose. To the subtle body of the Ka, the sacred script represented the subtle
energiesofwhatwasrepresented.It"read"thesacredwordsandwas"fed"evenifthepriests
forgot to perform the offering ritual. If the script contained images of dangerous animals, the
signwascrippled...
readingatomb?
For Sethe (1908), the texts found in these pyramids were a free collection of magical
utterances, which, by virtue of their presence, assisted Pharaoh de opere operato in his
resurrection & ascension, dispensing with the need for daily priestly offerings to his Ka. The
presence of texts of offering fed the subtle bodies of the deceased. Sacred words not only
describe objects but embody their double (cf. the Lascaux pictures and the Eastern desert
petroglyphs). Hence, once properly recited (by the dead), they became efficient (for all of
eternity). These are the deified elements of Egyptian anterational epistemology : "Sia"
(understanding), "Hu" (authorative speech) and "Heka" (efficient power or magic). These
naturaltypesofcognitioninanEgyptianmode,formthecoreofthementalspiritualityofthe
Egyptians. The hidden, secret, dark potential of hieroglyphs was evidenced by the sacrificial
rituals found in mortuary literature. The Ba of the deceased read the words and manifested
theirmeaning.
"Wehavealreadypointedoutthatthespellsofthesocalledsacrificialritual,i.e.thetextsused
intheprovisionofsupplies,wereinscribedinaprominentplacewheretheycouldbeseen by
the dead person resting in his sarcophagus. (...) In other words, texts were written down so
thatthedeadthemselvescould'proclaimtheprovisionofsupplies'("nisdbHtHtp")insteadof
thisbeingdonebyunreliablepriests.Thiswasthenucleusaroundwhichthetextscrystallized."

Morenz,1996,p.229.
Schott(1945)&Ricke(1950)advancedthethesisthatatthetimeofthefuneral,thesetexts
wererecitedinthevariouschambers,corridorsandcourtsthroughwhichtheprocessionpassed
on its way to the pyramid. But it was not easy to identify which spell was recited were ! For
Spiegel (1953 & 1971) the texts were an integral part of the funerary ritual performed in the
tomb and hence were recited in the area were they were inscribed. They reflected the royal
burialritual.Thishypothesiswascriticized.In1960,Morenzwrote:
"Thisbold,learnedandingeniousinterpretationcanproperlybeaccessedonlybyonewhohas
examineditintermsofthevastanddiversematerial.Whenthisisdone,itappearsthatquite
serious objections may be levelled against numerous points in the argumentation and thus
againstthethesisassuch."Morenz,1996,p.228229.
Nevertheless, Altenmller (1972) agrees with Schott & Ricke that these texts were recited in
the mortuary temple, as well as in the pyramid, involving priests assuming the godforms of
Re, Horus, Seth and Thoth. Eyre (2002) suggests the training and initiation of these priests
pointstothisliferituals.
"The promise of divine assistance, resurrection, and safe passage to the afterlife is not,
however, a concern purely of funerary ritual, and the markedly initiatory form of parts of the
mortuaryliteraturemustbetakenasapointertocontemporary'thislife'ritualthatisotherwise
lostfromthearchaeologicalrecord."Eyre,2002,p.72.
In"ReadingaPyramid",Allen(1988)comparedthelocationofthetextswithinthetombofUnis
with other Old Kingdom pyramids and tombs (cf. Morenz, 1960). He was able to establish a
coherentmodeldescribingthefuneraryideologyoftheseroyaltombs.Thepositionofparticular
groupsoftextswithinUnis'pyramidcorrespondswiththeplacementofthesametextsinother
pyramids. Spells recited during the burial ritual were also eternalized as divine words on the
walls,furthercomplementingthesymbolism ofthe general layoutof the mortuarycomplexin
generalandtheroyaltombinparticular.Assmann(1983,1989)notes:
"The Egyptian describes this function of the spoken word with the causative derivation of the
phoneticroot(i)Ax,thusarrivingatsAx'totransfigure')."Assmann,1989,p.137.
Recently,Naydler (2005) has suspended the funerary presupposition, and considers, together
withQuirke (1992), the use of the word "mortuary temple" mistaken. The texts also reflect a
thislifespiritualityandsorepresentavarietyofritesperformedbythekingduringhislife.As
they involved regeneration, they were also useful to him in the afterlife. Indeed, most kings
started to erect their temple shortly after their coronation and most probably celebrated Sed
Festivalsthere.
TheoverallEgyptianmentalityseemstofavouranenduringcanonofbroadschemesadaptable
toimmediatecircumstances.AseachPharaohhadhisowntitulary,hehadhisownroyalritual,
reflectingavarietyoflocal(nomic)traditionsatworkaroundhim.Theyexistedbythegraceof
the"goodNile"healone,beingdivine,couldguarantee.Hisdeathwasthusamajorcalamity,
and could perturbate the agricultural cycle, leading to famine, conflicts and death. His burial
provided him with a ladder between heaven and Earth, and so the first thing he would do,
arrivingintheFieldofOffering,wastoprovideEgyptwithanewkinganda"goodNile".
Thereciprocalfunctionofthetombhastobeemphasized.TheBareturnedandtheKacouldbe
reanimated. The liberated "Akh" has freedom of movement and time. It is bright, light and
radiant.Whileitstaysinthesky,thespiritsmaketheirsoulsanddoublescomedownandunite
with their statues. The destruction of a tomb, implies the end of its role as "interphase" with
"theotherside"ofthefalsedoor.

PlanoftheroyaltombunderneaththepyramidofUnis.

"Allen'sanalysisofthesequenceofspellsinthepyramidofUnisdefinesthearchitectureasa
material representation of the passage of the king through death to resurrection, exploiting
themesfamiliarintheUnderworldBooksoftheNewKingdom.Fromthedarknessoftheearth
he passes to life in the light of the sky, progressing from the burial chamber as underworld
(duat) through the antechamber as horizon (akht) where he becomes Akh, through the
doorway leading to the corridor ascending by ladder to heaven (pet), or passing like the
settingsunfromthewesttohisrisingfromthemouthofthehorizonintheeast,orexploiting
the image of the king passing from his sarcophagus the womb of Nut through her vulva to
birth at the door of the horizon. (...) Allen's analysis focuses on the principle whereby the
positionofdiscreteunitsofritualtextassertsafunctionalidentitybetweenthetheologyofthe
text and the architectural symbolism of the pyramid substructure, and so the reality of the
king'spassagetoresurrection".Eyre,2002,p.4445&47.
Thedirectionofthetextswasthusidenticalwiththesoul'spaththroughthetomb,movingfrom
theinnermostpartsoftheburialchamber(the"Duat"intheWest), through the antechamber
(theEasternhorizonor"Akhet"),totheoutsideofthepyramidviathesecondnortherntunnel,
flyingtotheNorthernstars,reachingtheFieldofOffering.
the Duat (burialchamber) : though a part of the world, but neither Earth or sky, the
underworld is inaccessible to the living and outside normal human experience. It is
separate from the sky and reached prior to it. This Field of Reeds is the realm of the
deceased and the deities and the mystery of Osiris. Pharaoh has perpetuated offerings,
andstandsatthedoorofthehorizontoemergefromtheDuatandstarthisspiritualization

theHorizon(antechamber):"Axt"("Akhet"),translatedas"horizon",isboththejunction
of sky and Earth and a place in the sky underneath this point (before eastern dawn and
afterwesterndusk),asecretinterstitialzonereachedandcrossedbyboat.Itisazoneof
transition and a "radiant place", the "land of the blessed". The horizon is the place of
becoming effective, the locus of the becoming "Ax" ("Akh"), an effective spirit. Note (as
did Allen, 1988), that the Cannibal Hymn, thematically belongs in its place (the East
gable). It summarized Pharaoh's passage through the night sky to the Sun at dawn. The
process of spiritualization ends with the emergence of the new light. In this hymn to
Pharaoh,thekingpreparesthedeitiesforhismeal
the Imperishable Sky (northern tunnels) : the process of transfiguration (ultimate
spiritualization) being completed, the Akhspirit leaves the tomb and ascends to the
northernstars.

BaofAnirejoiningthemummyBaleavingthetomb
PapyrusofAnica.1250BCENewKingdom.

Pharaoh'sgreatspeech
If we understand theseutterances as magical devices, and realize eachmonarch had his own
preferences,thenitseemslikelyeachPharaohmadehisownchoiceoutoftheavailablebodyof
religiousliterature,maybeaddingafewspellsofhisown.Bydoingso,helefttoposterityan
elaborated theoliterary testament. This was his magical "great speech", exclusively serving
Pharaoh'swelfareintheafterlife,elevatinghimaboveallpossiblebeingsandmakinghimeven
riseabovethedeitiesthemselves(cf.theCannibalHymn).

thesymbolismofthecompasspoints

"In each instance maat is in concrete forms undoubtedly the divenelyestablished pattern of
government, and the pharaoh, by virtue of his divine nature, receives it substantially like a
sacrament.Itwillatoncebeclearthatinthisprocessthekingisnotregardedasanindividual
person but as the bearer of the royal office. One must assume that the maat at work in the
rulerwasthoughttobeofbenefittoeachindividualEgyptian."Morenz,1996,p.121.
Sothe"djedmedu"ortherecitativeuseofthesetextsshouldnotbesurprising.Withthetomb
ascosmos,thematerialimageofthetextsmagicallyassistedtheprocessofthePharaonicrite
of passage, transforming the king into a spirit efficient enough to bless his son with a "good
Nile",guaranteeoftheunityofEgypt.

Thefourcompasspoints
andtheHeliopolitanritual.
EAST
dawn

TheriseofRe'srebirthatdawn,theplaceoflight,rebirthandtheKastatue
(thefalsedoor)."Khepri",theendresultofthenocturnalregenerationofthe
deitiesthankstoReandhis(re)unionwithOsirisHorusasachild

SOUTH
zenith

The culmination of Re at noon, the heat of Seth, the place of birth of the
Egyptian state, the slaying of Osiris, the mourning of Isis, the fierce battle
betweenHorusandSethandthejustificationoftheformerasthe"avengerof
hisfather"Horusasking

WEST
dusk

Re at dusk and his entry into the netherworld to regenerate. Thanks to the
magicofIsisandThoth,Osirisroseintherealmofthedead.WhenPharaoh
Horus brought his restored eye to his father, Osiris was pulled out of his
slumberandbecamethekingofthe"beautifulWest"

NORTH
nadir

During the twelve hours of the night of the netherworld, Re travels (and
countless Ba's with him) on his Bark of Millions of Years. At midnight, the
darkest point is reached. The stars shining in Osiris' netherworld are in the
upper sky, the abode of the Imperishable Stars, the spirits of Re, the
pantheon,thesonsofHorusandPharaoh.

TheEgyptianpsycheandfuneraryrituals
Antiquityviewsmatterassubdividedingross&subtlestrata,allowingfordifferentaggregates,
ondifferentmateriallayersorsheets,rangingfromgross&physicaltosubtleandspiritual.So
grossmatteristhelowestdegreeofspiritandsubtlespiritthehighestdegreeofmatter.Such
anonticpluralismisfoundintheVedas,inYoga(Hinduism)aswellasinAncientEgypt.Inthe
West, it would return in Pythagorism, Hermeticism, neoPlatonism, Gnosticism, the Qabalah,
Sufism and Hermeticism (Renaissance Hermetism). In the East, it would influence Yoga,
psychology and cosmology. In his Ochma of 1954, Poortman suggested the term "hylic
pluralism"inorder:
"(...) to give expression to the fact that it is not in the first place a question of matter as a
philosophical point of view, as in 'materialism', but rather a question of several forms or
subdivisionsofmatter.(...)Theviewthatthesouldoesnotpossessoneochmaorvehicle,but
several ochmata or vehicles of matter, of decreasing density, is sometimes encountered, for
example,inthecaseoftheneoPlatonistProclus."Poortman,1954,p.8.
According to hylic pluralism, the entities existing in the house of the living body operate on
differentlevelsofmaterialdensityorvibration.Oneachlevel,agivenstateofconsciousnessis
housedbyitsadjacentmaterialvibration.Asaresult,theirfunctionsvary.
InAncientEgypt,ajargonwasdevelopedtodescribethisfamilyofthepsychecaughtinthenet
ofthelivingbody.Astheyweredeemedtoescapethebodyatdeath,theywereessentialinthe
descriptionofwhathappenedtothedeceased.Theseentitiesalsoplayedaconsiderablerolein
the spiritual mechanics of the temples (for the presence of the deities is through their double
and souls), in the tomb (cf. the Kachapels, the sitting statues) and at night (Re enters the
Duat as a soul). Egyptologists have had a very difficult time explaining these, especially
becauseitseems that the Ancient Egyptians themselves did not always understand themand
somisusedthem.
"Theunconsciousisthelandofdreams,andaccordingtotheprimitiveviewthelandofdreams
isalsothelandofthedeadandoftheancestors.Fromallweknowaboutit,theunconscious
does in fact seem to be relatively independent of space and time, nor is there anything
objectionableintheideathatconsciousnessissurroundedbytheseaoftheunconscious..."
Jung,1977,vol18,754,pp.315316.

The dawn of the masculine, Pharaonic order heralds awareness of conscious unity, a divine,
Solar witnessing, transcending the dualities of prehistorical, Lunar myth. In Pharaonic Egypt,
adheringtoaSolarhenotheismfromthestart,theLunarcomponentwaspartlyassimilatedby
the divine king, partly retained in the Osirian beliefs. The celestial Nile, the hidden naos, the
subterraneantomb,theMidnightMysteryoftheDuatandthedarknessofdreamanddreamless
sleep all refer to the primordial myths, the first time and the Lunar unconscious from which
consciousnessescapes,returnandescapesagain.
"Es ist klar, dass uns der Gang in die Tiefe mitten in die Bildwelt und Traumwelt des

Unbewussten fhrt. Wie bei der Schpfung, ist die Sonne auch im Jenseits das ordnende
Prinzip,dasschaffendeBewusstsein,deminderBerhrungmitdemUnbewusstenneueKrfte
undneueLebendigkeitzuwachsen."Hornung,1998,p.8.
Re, the Solar component, represents the active, luminous & creative awareness of
consciousness. Osiris, the Lunar component, is the passive, (re)generative beingassuch of
consciousness.Horus,concludingtheEnnead,isthedivinePharaohandrepresentstheidentity
of consciousness, its "Iamness". The field of consciousness, the edge or frontier of this
awarenessofSelfistheBarkofRe,thevehicleassuringResafepassagetravellingontheNun,
thegreatwaters.
At the end of the day, conscious awareness is weary. The force is depleted and needs to be
renewed. In the morning, energy celebrates the day. The power to do things is optimal and
effortlessactivityispossible.AtnoonthepowerofRereachesitszenith.Atmidnight,reaching
thenadir,thepointofultimatedepletionisapproached.Butbeforethedeathofawareness is
reached,asurplusfromoutsidecreationisaddedtocreation,consciousnessanditsawareness
arerejuvenatedand"existenceisextended".Eachnight,Re,thedeceasedandthosewhosleep
arerebornthankstothisMidnightMystery.
This mythical "outside" is nothing other than the first time, the time of eternal repetition, the
nehehtimeofAtum,theEnneadandHorus,Pharaoh.TheseprimordialAkhspirits(orspiritsof
Re)arerealizedwhenthepowerofconsciousawareness(atitslowest)mergeswiththeground
ofconsciousness, i.e. with the divine, luminous stuff out of which it is made. This merging of
awareness(thereflectionofconsciousnesstoconsciousnessorsoulofconsciousness)withthe
being or body of consciousness itself, this conjunction of the effective power of conscious
awareness (the Ba of Re) with the noble, ritual body of Osiris, this secret singularity between
soulandbodyofconsciousness,betweenwhatitreflectsandwhatitis,allowsconsciousnessto
reinitialize and realize its primordial origin, ascend to its ultimate cause. This autogenic
capacity,outsideNature,isforalltimes.Butwhentheorboftheconjunctionisnolongerzero,
integration occurs, and soul and body split. Both have harvested the surplus from the
primordialoriginRerealizedhisbodyandOsirisrealizedhissoul.
"TheEgyptianswerethefirsttopracticeaJungianpsychologyof archetypes and torecognize
thefundamentalrestorativepoweroftheunconscious.Theyrealizedthatinsleepanddreams,
one experiences the depts as a psychic reality in which one may encounters gods and the
deceasedalike."Hornung,1992,p.95.
AtumfloatingintheinertwatersofNun,thedeityunitingwithitsstatueinthehiddennaosof
thetemple,thesubterraneantombofthemortuarycomplex,theMidnightMysteryoftheDuat,
the darkness of the dreamworld and dreamless sleep, etc. all refer to the capacity of
consciousness to harvest an energysurplus and regenerate. Darkness is absence of response
andheraldofradicalchange.
Whenthepowerofconsciousawarenessnolongerinvestsintheresponsesitcaused,i.e.stops
differentiating and projecting out (cf. the 2th, 3th & 4th Hours of the Amduat), it is able to
witnessitsownsubstance(thestuffitismadefrom)andunitewithit(cf.5th&6thHours).It
is this spatiotemporal witnessing of and fusion with the own lightstuff (micro) which
spiritualizesconsciousnesstothepointofrealizing(becoming)theuncreatedcondition(macro)
ofitsowncreatedexistence(autogenesis).Thiswitnessing(orawareness)ofone'smindstuff,
makes the soul of consciousness enter its body or lightstuff, the driver with the vehicle, the
active with the passive, the Solar with the Lunar. It is this alchemy of singularity which
producestheregenerativeenergysurplus.
"One of the most important aspects of the Egyptian conception of the body is that its
resurrection does not occur only on Judgment Day at the end of time. Rejuvenation and
resurrectiontakeplaceeverynightinthedepthsoftheunderworld,wherethedeceasedonce
again exercise full power over their bodies. Human being enjoyed a continuous existence
interruptedonlytemporarilybythedissolutionofdeath."Hornung,1992,p.172.
The Egyptians saw the physical body ("khat") as a magical vessel. It housed a variety of
entities,amongwhichadivinesoul("Ba").ThecontainercarryingtheSelfandtherestof the

psyche had to be kept elegant and healthy. So during life, the physical body was a temple
clean and ready to serve the deity. Obesity was a terrible weakness. Especially when it died,
the body was treated with respect, reverence and awe. For royal burials, expensive,
complicatedandlongfuneraryprocedureswerecommonpractice.Thefirstthingtodowasto
changethephysicalbodyintoamummy.Thelatter,whenproperlyactivated,allowedthe"sah"
toaccommodatethesoul.
"Unlikeancientartistswhoconcentratedonaperson'sindividualityorbeauty,Egyptianartists
wished to present the enduring, suprapersonal part of the human being that, removed from
time,livesoninthehereafter.Whilenotignoringthephysicalsideofexistence,theEgyptians
realized that the human being had a variety of spiritual or mental components as well."
Hornung,1992,pp.174175.

Themostimportantelementofanindividualwashisorhername("ren").Thiswasmorethana
portrait or a way to identify someone. It represented the "power" ("sekhem") of an human
being,inparticularthatofunifyingthevariousentitiesofthepsyche.ThisEgyptianapproachis
consistentwithnamemagic.
"Wordandnamemagicare,likeimagemagic,anintegralpartofthemagicalworldview.Butin
all this the basic presupposition is that word and name do not merely have a function of
describingorportrayingbutcontainwithinthemtheobjectanditsrealpowers.Wordandname
donotdesignateandsignify,theyareanact."Cassirer,1955,vol.2,p.40.
TheAncientEgyptiansintroducedthreeonticlevels,overarchedbytheperson'sname:
1. theAkhlevel:spiritual:Reandthestationofthespirit
2. theBalevel:transitional:Osirisandthestationofthesoul
3. theAblevel:incarnational:thestationofthebody.
Thestationofthebody("khat")isrepresentedbytheheart("ab"),theLunar"ego"or"Ihave"
of consciousness. Here we have the inner, lower focus of consciousness, the presence of a
functional"I"incommand.Thisheartislinkedwiththevitalpowersurroundingthebodyasan
aura or double ("ka"). This vitality is the outside of the person, and represents the particular
vibration of another, subtle layer of matter (cf. "prn" in Yoga, "chi" in Taoism, "etheric
double"inTheosophy)accompanyingthephysicalvehicle.Theroleoftheshadow("khaibit")is
indoubt.Physicalbody,heart,vitalforceandshadowarethefirstonticlayer.
Thestationofthesoul("ba")representstheSolar"Self"or"Iam"ofconsciousness.Thisisthe
effective (creative) focus of consciousness and proximity to the spiritual. Happiness on Earth
seemstobethehopeofthesoul.ButinitiatespreparefortheireventualmeetingwithOsirisin
theafterlife.SotheirsoulmayhavebeenatworkwiththemwhileonEarth.Afterhavingfaced
Osiris, they are ready to rise and be transfigurated. After death, the soul received a vehicle
calledthe"sah",thenoblebody.Thesoulanditsnoblebodyarethesecondonticlevel.
Thestationofthespirit("akh")representsthestellar,transcendingsuperconsciousnessofthe
One(Atum)andtheEnnead.Itsbodywasthelightofthestars("khabs").Thisistheonticlevel
oftheultimatecause.ThesoultransfiguratesintoanAkhspirit.Incarnate,nobodycouldattain
this spiritual level of existence consciously. Pharaoh was the only embodied divine Akh. All
ordinary deceased could hope to be justified by Osiris and become a spirit of Osiris (Field of
Reeds).OnlyPharaohandhisroyalsflewtothesky(FieldofOffering).Thespiritanditsstar
bodyarethethirdonticlevel.
Onlywhenthephysicalvehicledies,dodouble,heart,shadow&soulduringEarthlylifebound
togetherbythenameescapeandtemporarilyentertainindependentstatus. Each component
isaddressed.Thedoubleandthenoblebody("sah")aredealtwithduringmummificationand
in elaborated funerary rituals. The heart is activated (after the mummy) and weighed in the
afterlife.When justified, the soul enters its noble body (Osiris) and transfigurates intoaspirit
(Re). The Akhspiritsenters the "sah" when it likes. Thesoul is able to return to the mummy
andblessthephysicalplanebywayofan overwhelming divine presence and breath of life ...
Ordinary humans hope for the netherworldly Field of Reeds (the spirits of Osiris). Re, the

Ennead and Pharaoh (the primordial Akhspirits) live in the Field of Offering, in the northern
sky.

REN:THECOMPONENTSOFTHEEGYPTIANNAME:REN

HIGHEST
SUBTLEST
ETERNAL
ReandOsiris

HIGHER
SUBTLE
TRANSITIONAL
thesoul
Osiris

LOWER
GROSS
TEMPORAL
theTwoLands
abodeof
Pharaoh

akh
(spirit)

the essence of every thing is the divine, luminous

radiance (of Atum), i.e. cosmic consciousness achieved
through ritual transfiguration : the Akhsphere of Re (in
the sky) and the Akhsphere of the transfigurated &
justifieddeceased(spiritsofOsirisintheDuat)

khab
(spirit
body)

thebodiesorvehiclesoftheAkhspiritsaremadeoutof
thelightofthestars(aroundReorintheDuat)

ba
(soul)

witness at judgement, justified by Osiris, freely existing

in its sahbody and gratified by the offerings to the Ka,
theeffective,inner,intimatesideoftheindividual,hisor
her true soulpower (of change), reunited every night
with the body in de depths of the underworld, the
experience of yourself as yourself, the Self as a
complete, living, conscious being, higher states of
consciousness

sah
(soul
body)

liberated as the result of mummification and funerary

rituals, the result of ritual work and so charged as a
functionofdedication,devotionandoffering

ab
(mind)

restored and weighed only the truth is light enough,

free will, conscience, mental frame, memory, waking
stateofconsciousness

ka
(personal
lifeforce)

free to move, the double remains near the mummy and

isfedbyofferingsorimagesitbelongstotheuniversal
vitality of life and is the outer, public side of the
individual,hisorhervitalforce

khaibit
(shadow)

freetomove,butlinkedtotheEarth,containsrepressed
emotionsandfrustrations?

khat
(corpse)

the mummy does not decay mummy and tomb are a

magicospiritual symbolization of eternal existence, a
talisman celebrating the enduring nature of the eternal
cycleofspiritualizationsandmaterializations

1.3TheCoffinTexts&theBookoftheDead.
political&economicalplayers
AttheendoftheOldKingdom,whathadbeenastablePharaonicsystem,slowlybrokedown.
DuringtheninedecadesofthereignofthelastPharaohoftheVIthDynasty,PepiII(ca.2246
2152BC)thelongestreigninhistorythewaywaspavedforthecollapseoftheOldKingdom
under the pressure of internal weakening. No serious dangers threatened Egypt from western
AsiaorNubia,althoughattacksonEgyptianexpeditionsseemstohavebeenmorefrequent.For
thiscollapseonlyinternalreasonsprevail.Oneimportantfactorwastheincreaseinthenumber
ofcultsfreedbyroyaldecreefromtaxesandotherobligations,placing a burden onthe royal
treasury,diminishingispowerandmajesty(cf.thenumberofbuildingsbuilt).LowNilefloods
arealsotobenoted,aswellasaclimatechangeca.2200BCE(probablyaworldwidesmallice

age).Thecombination(lowreserves)provedfatal.
"Butthedecisivefactorwasthatthearchaic,patriarchalstructureoftheadminstrationwasno
longer adequate to meet the more specialized demands of the era and thus not suited in all
respectstothetenorofthetimes."Hornung,1999,p.41.
Economic need occupied the center of attention in biographical inscriptions which emerged in
this period. After Pharaoh Pepi II, the construction of pyramids stopped and in rapid
successionsatleastadozenkingsresidedinMemphis.Egyptwasdividedbetweenthe"kings"
oftwomajor nomes : Heracleopolis in the North (IXth & Xth Dynasty) & Thebes in the South
(XIthDynasty).Theunitybrokeupandgreatmonumentswerenolongererectedtoconsolidate
thepowerofaunifiedstate.ThesefactsinitiatedtheFirstIntermediatePeriod(ca.2200BCE).
Aroundca.1980BCE,afteracenturyofdisunity,HerakleopolisfellandallofEgyptwasagain
undertheruleofasingleThebanPharaoh,namelyMentuhotpeIII(ca.19451938BCE),who
tookthetitleof"KingofUpperand Lower Egypt" and who's death marks the end of the First
IntermediatePeriod.
Pharaoh Amenemhet I ("Amun is preeminent" ca. 1938 1909 BCE), initiating the XIIth
Dynasty and with it the Middle Kingdom (ca. 1938 1759 BCE), moved the royal residence
away from Thebes to the North, thus removing the centre of activity elsewhere. Thebes lost
much of its political power but became the home of Amun, the "king of the gods". Pharaoh
Amenemhetreturnedtotheoldforms,butinvestedwithnewmeaning.Moremodestandless
enduringthanthoseoftheOldKingdom,theMiddleKingdompyramidsevidencethereturnto
thetraditionalformoftheroyaltomb.
With this XIIth Dynasty, the "Feudal Age" started. It was a thousand years since the first
pyramid had been built. The priesthood, left without support, had forsaken the immense
monuments and temples. The cemeteries lay encumbered with sand, hiding the ruins of
massivearchitectures.Nodoubtthissolidwastelandimpressedthedescendantsofitsbuilders.
Around 2000 BCE, they must have been struck with awe before the transient nature of
existence,thecolossalfutilityoftheseruinsandthegiganticancestralaccomplishments...The
MiddleKingdomwasprovincial.Thenomarchsreinterpreteddivinekingship(itsexclusivityand
enduring"goodNile").Thekingsgavethedeitiestheirking(AmunRe).Thelattermovewould
accomodatetheblossomingofhenotheismandprotorationalmonotheismintheNewKingdom
(cf.SolarworshipintheXVIIIthDynasty:Re,theAten,PtahandAmunafterAmarna).
aradicalchangeofperspective
ThecollapseoftheOldKingdom(fromPharaohDjosertoPepiII,aperiodofca.430years)and
the subsequent decentralization which eventuated, put Egyptian culture in a state ofcrisis.In
the population as well as in the organs of state, this triggered a most rewarding re
equilibration. An internal "prise de conscience" regarding good (Maat) & evil (Nun, Seth &
"isefet")andtheimportanceoftheroleoftheprovincialindividualinthestatecameintoeffect.
From the First Intermediate Period (ca. 2198 1938 BCE) onwards, and especially in the
Classical Age (or Middle Kingdom), Pharaoh was no longer the absolute, sole justification &
justificator.ThecollapseoftheOldKingdomheraldedthebeginningofEgyptianindividualism.
Before,moralityhadbeenbasedonone'splaceinthePharaonicstateandthejustactionsone
hadperformedasamemberofit.Itscollapsecausedruminationontheconditionofmanand
theEgyptianstate.Howtoguaranteetheorderofcreation?
The morality of the individual was deemed more important than belonging to the retinue of
Pharaoh.Asthelatterhadfailed,peopleturneddirectlytotheirdeitiesandsoughttodevelopa
personal morality. Later, in the Book of the Dead, both themes animated the socalled
"JudgementbeforeOsiris",or"JudgementoftheDead",thejustificationofthedeceasedbefore
the throne of the king of the dead. This theme would become very important in the funerary
rituals of the New Kingdom and was influencial on Mediterranean spirtuality as a whole
(Armstrong,1989).

TheWeighingoftheHeart
PapyrusofAni,Plate3earlyXIXthDynastyFaulkner(1998).

Thisfinalbreakdownoftheprerational,preconceptualvaluesystemoftheOldKingdomcame
asashockwhichalsocausedtheriseofpessimistic,scepticaltones(cf.DiscourseofaManwith
hisBa).These,however,didnotcarrywiththemanylargebodyoftheEgyptianpeople,butare
remarkabletestimonies.
Asaresultofthiscollapse,threemajorchangesintheculturalformofEgyptensued:
political&economical:localpotentatesacquiredthenecessarygoodsforthemselvesand
their subjects. Raids on neighboring regions and the peasants were common. The latter
thereforeformedarmed bands. Safety was lost. Art sank to a provincial level. But in the
walled homes of the rulers of the nomes (the nomarchs), an urban middle class was
formed, focused on the accumulation of private property. These "nedjes" (a pejorative
word for "small") designated these new "bourgeois" who made the cities into political
centers.Somebecamepowerfulenoughtoclaimkingshipforthemselves,albeitnominally,
forthedivisionoftheTwoLandsremainedapoliticalfact
psychological, intersubjective, social : the struggle against the return of the banished
chaosoftheprePharaonicera,triggeredafloweringofliteraturesuchasEgypthadnever
produced before. With the decline of the monarchy, the identification of Maat with the
Great Speech of Pharaoh broke up. So the questions : What is good ? What is evil ?
became all important. For the intellectual elite of the First Intermediate, the divine
shepherd had forsaken his human flock. Even the blessed afterlife was questioned. New
ways to formulate thoughts were sought, especially to break away from the formulaic &
archaic literary style of the mortuary cults. For the first time, individuality was truly
expressed
theological&spiritual:theculticimportanceofPharaohassolemediatorbetweenthesky
and the Earth became less important than the deities themselves. They stepped into the
foregroundandtheirtemples&culticrequirementsincreased.EspeciallyOsiris, the "king
ofthedead",AmunRe,"thekingofthegods",andthePharaonicPtahofMemphisgained
in worship from the Middle Kingdom onward. Osiris & Re were harmonized in ways no
mythorprerationalconstructionhadeverdonebefore.Thesole"sonofRe"onEarthhad
not been enough to continue the glorious tradition of the Old Kingdom. The latter was
idealizedandcanonized.Butindividualrighteousnesshadbecomethepathtojustification
(resurrection in the "sah"), automatically leading up to the state of the Akhspirits.
Everybodyhadasoulandcouldbecome"anOsiris",butonlyPharaohrosetothesky.
The intellectual elite, like senior priests, scribes & top administrators, aware of recent history
and the futility of the brontausoric building projects (for order had been disrupted anyway),
were forced to fashion, out of their shared memories of past sorrows (not shunning
exaggeration and caricature), new cultural forms. Egypt posed the "great question" of order
versus chaos, initiating the Classical Age of Egyptian literature, and developing a "standard"
hieroglyphicsystemforwritingtheology,namelyMiddleEgyptian.
Thisnewformwasmadepossiblebytheemancipationofcognitionfromtheprerationaltothe

protorational mode, i.e. from the preconcept to the concept, albeit contextual & preformal.
Theconcreteoperatoricoperatorcameintobeing(cf.thestandardizationoftheverbformsin
Middle Egyptian). The Old Kingdom became an ideal charged with nostalgia. It had been
construedexclusivelyaroundPharaohandMemphis.Itrepresentedthe"old"mythicalandpre
rational mode, not shunned, but deemed responsible for the "canon" of the Egyptian cultural
formassuch.
IntheFeudalAge,Pharaohleftexisting"dynasties"inplaceandcreatednewones.Inthisway,
a "provincial" geosentimental approach to power rose, and Pharaoh had to maneuver to
maintainhisbynowforemostpoliticalroleas"kingofUpperandLowerEgypt"andmaintainer
of the cult. His presence as such became institutionalized (no longer the original power he
representedintheAgeofthePyramids).IntheOldKingdom,theMemphisareahadbeenthe
soleplaceofpowerandmonumentalprestige.Thesetimeswereover.Thestatewasnolonger
a "unit" (although unity was not lost), but "federal". The temples could become and became
powerful states within the state. Pharaonic exclusivity of power, both spiritual and temporal,
wouldonly reemerge in the New Kingdom, when monarchism was again very strong (cf. the
necessityofastrongmilitarytoeradicatetheHyksosandthebordersofanimperialEgypt).
TheOldKingdomhadproducedanadmirableprerationalform,rootedinmythicalthought.Its
destruction triggered a decentration, a crisis. Ancient Egyptian civilization entered the proto
rationalstagewhenitdiscoveredastablefirstpersonsingularandwasabletoharmonizethe
unresolved tensions between Solar and Osirian theology, namely through syncretism. The
advanceofa single deity is to be noted, a movement rooted in the Old Kingdom (cf. Re and
Pharaoh). Osiris is Re of the Duat. AmunRe is made "king of the gods". Preconcepts were
abandonned and contextualized concepts emerged. The great leap forward in language was
taken,andMiddleEgyptianwasputinaction.Newtheologiescouldbedeveloped(cf.theNew
SolarTheologyoftheNewKingdomAssmann,1995).
the"democratization"ofthehereafter
In the Old Kingdom, a revered, justified person, deemed "true of voice", was a moral being
survivingintheBeautifulWestthankstoatombnearPharaoh.AlivinggodlikePharaoh,was
animmortalbeing.Hisdeathonlyimpliedatransition,notachangeinessence,forhealready
wasagodonEarthandhealonecouldresurrect&risetoreachtheabodeofhisAkhaswellas
theAkhsofAtumandhisEnnead.
AfterthecollapseoftheOldkingdom,thecommonerscouldalsoattainimmortality,butnotas
ahumanbeing,butasalivinggod!Althoughpeoplelongedforimmortality,theywouldnever
attainthisasahumanbeing.Hence,achangeofessencehadtohappen,foramortalhuman
hadtobetransformedintoanimmortaldeity,intoanAkhspiritintheretinueofOsiris.
WiththecomingoftheCoffinTextsoftheMiddleKingdom,theepithet"justified"gotappended
to the name of every dead person. In the Pyramid Text, this procedure had been exclusively
usedforPharaohandhisroyalty.
In funerary literature, this important transition was conceptualized by naming every deceased
"Osiris". The deceased was a king. Even in burials of simple people, royal insignia were laid
beside the mummy or painted on the inside of the coffin. As the felicity of the departed was
democratized, the masses took up and continued the mortuary practices of old, in which the
cultofOsirishadplayedaconsiderable,ifnotdominant,role.Butcontrarytothecommonersof
the Old Kingdom, these individuals were aware of their individual resurrection, securing for
their souls a way to exist in the afterlife among the blessed, in the company of the spirits of
Osiris.
New funerary practices emerged. Magical utterances were adapted to the needs of common
people. They were written on the inner surfaces of heavy cedar coffins. Before put together,
scribes filled their inner surface with penandink, with great carelessness and inaccuracy.
Apparently, at times, the surface had to be filled up as quickly as possible and so the same
chapterwaswrittenovertwiceorthreetimesinthesamecoffin(inoneinstancethesametext
is copied five times in the same coffin). About half of these collections were taken from the
PyramidTexts.Butnewtextswereinvented.Textualcriticismandeditingexistinthesetexts.

Indeed,changeswerecommon,and:
"theunderlyingreasonmighthavebeenthatawellreadnoblemanhadpersonalpreferencesas
tohowaspellshouldberecordedonhiscoffin"Silverman,1989,p.44.
theCoffinTexts
ThesocalledCoffinTextssupercededthePyramidTextsasearlyastheVIIIthDynasty.Their
principalsourceisthecedarcoffinsfoundinthecemeteriesofthenomarchsofMiddleKingdom
Egypt (XIIth Dynasty). The largest number was found in Deir elBersha, the cemetery of
Hermopolis, the city of the god of writing, Thoth (who, in the Late Period, was identified with
Hermes"Trismegistus",thefatherofHermetism).AlthoughclusteringinMiddleEgypt,theycan
befoundaswellinsitesintheNorthandSouth.Thesespells(1.185ofthem)mainlyappearon
coffins of officials and their subordinates, but also on tomb walls, stel, canoptic chests,
mummy masks and papyri. The deceased was almost always spoken of in the first person
singular. Red ink was used for emphasis and to indicate divisions. Important spells were
entirelyinred.
ThecompletecorpuswaspublishedbyDeBuck(19351961).Presentdaydivisionsarebased
onthisedition,althoughnewfindshaveincreasedthematerial.Thefirstcompletetranslationin
EnglishwasrealizedbyFaulkner(19731978)andinFrenchbyBarguet(1986).Butwiththe
discovery (in 1986) of Coffin Texts on a shroud of the VIth Dynasty tomb of Medunefer in
Saqqara, the temporal stretch became vaster, spanning the late Old Kingdom through the
MiddleKingdom.
IntheFeudalAge,massivetombsandextensivematerialequipmentforthedeadweretreated
by some with scepticism. But the common people continued the old mortuary practices. The
tombs of feudal nobles were scattered in the nomes throughout the land. The power of the
word and its effectiveness on behalf of the dead developed enormously. The Coffin Texts
eliminate the royal exclusivity of resurrection and transfiguration. Every deceased was an
"OsirisNN",althoughtheprincipalgroupofpeopletomakeuseofthemwerethenomarchsof
theMiddleKingdomandtheirfamilies.ThetraditionoftheseCoffinTextscametoacloseatthe
endoftheMiddleKingdom,ca.1759BCE.IntheXVIIthDynasty(SecondIntermediatePeriod,
betweenca.17591539BCE),theyweretransformedinto the new Book of the Dead.Some
importantspellssurvivedandwereusedintheNewKingdom.
In the Coffin texts, we find the mingling of Solar and Osirian beliefs, which now completely
coalesce (instead of standing next to each other as in the Pyramid Texts). As a result, Re is
projected in the subterranean hereafter of the Duat and lights up the kingdom of Osiris. The
hereafterisstillcelestialandSolar,buttheOsiriansubterraneanDuatisintegrated.
"The course of events may be stated in somewhat exaggerated form if we say that in the
PyramidTextsOsiriswasliftedskywards,whileintheCoffinTexts and the Book of the Dead,
Reisdraggedearthward."Breasted,1972,p.277.
theBookoftheTwoWays
TheBookoftheTwoWays(CoffinTexts,Spells1029to1185)in two extant versions, "isthe
earliest example of a cosmography, through it still lacks the clear arrangement of the later
Books of the Netherworld" (Hornung, 1999, p.11). Piankoff (1974) made the first full
translation,anditwasstudiedbyLesko(1972),Hermsen(1991)andHornung(1999).Thereis
nocoherentaccountofthefunerarybeliefsembodiedbythesespells.Thebestintroductionis
byKees(1956).AccordingtoBraguet(1986),thetextmaybeinitiatoricandlinkedtotheplan
ofthetemple.
TheBook of the Two Ways does not begin at dusk, but at dawn. On the easternhorizon,the
placewhereRerises,thesacredjourneyofthedeceasedcommences.Itisthefirstattemptat
anorganizeddescriptionoftheafterlife.The Solar element is predominant, but it is crucial to
healOsiris.Remarkabletheological concepts arise : located in the middle of the description is
theregionofRosetau.Itisthefirstgoalor"way".ThesecondwayisthesuperabundantField
ofOffering,andinthemiddleofthetwo,theLakeofFlamesarises,anambivalentplacefilled

withaconsumingfirewhichhasregenerativepowers.ThesethemesrecurintheBooksofthe
Duat,andhelptounderstandthecomplexityoftheAmduatortheBookofGates.
THEBOOKOFTHETWOWAYS
(spells1029to1185)
"TremblingfallsontheeasternhorizonoftheskyatthevoiceofNut,andsheclearsthepaths
ofRebeforetheGreatOnewhenhegoesaround."
CoffinTexts,Spell1029,openinglinesofthebook.

"SPELLFORBEINGAGODFOROSIRIS.
HewhoseesthedeadOsiriswillneverdie.
Thegatekeeperisonewhowillgainthroughrobbery."
CoffinTexts,Spell1050.

"Itsnameis'TheLakeofFireoftheKnifeWielders'.
Thereisnoonewhoknownhowtoenterthefire,forheisturnedbackfromit
itmeansthatheinheritsthepath.SPELLFORTHETRUELAKE."
CoffinTexts,Spell1054.

"IhavecomeherefromtheliftingupofthehorizonthatImayshowReatthegatesofthesky
and that the gods may be joyful at meeting me. The perfume of a god is on me, and the
destroyerswillnotattackme,norwillthegatekeepersexcludeme,forIamheofthechapelof
thegodatthepropertimetowhichIhaveattained,whoisinchargeofthechapelofhimwho
isbound,forthisistheshrinewhichIhavereachedinthelandofthetombs."
CoffinTexts,Spell1060.

"SPELLFORTHEPATHSOFROSTAU.
Thesepathshereareinconfusion.Everyoneofthemisopposedtoitsfellow.Itisthosewho
knowthemwhowillfindtheirpaths.TheyarehighontheflintwallswhichareinRostau,which
isbothonwaterandonland."
CoffinTexts,Spell1072.

"(...)IhaveopenedupRostauthatImayeasethesufferingofOsiris..."
CoffinTexts,Spell1079.

"This is the sealed thing which is in darkness, with fire about it, which contains the efflux of
Osiris, and it is put in Rostau. It has been hidden since it fell from him, and it is what came
down from him on to the desert of sand. It meant that what belonged to him was put in
Rostau."
CoffinTexts,Spell1080.

ThecollapseoftheOldKingdomideal(eternalorderbyvirtueofthedivineking,thesolesonof
Re), and the redefinition of kingship as the institution of unity of a decentralized, provincial
society, of the king as the "Lord of Lords" of a Feudal State, "democratized" Re and his
Heliopolitantheology.IntheMiddleKingdom,ReandOsirisbecamethetwofacesofonedeity,
Re the diurnal and Osiris the nocturnal. Re was the "soul" of Osiris, and Osiris the "body"
reflectingdownhisradianceuponsublunarEarth.Rewastoday,thelightoftheSun.Osiriswas
yesterday,thepalelightoftheMoon.Re,theradiant,litstheeternityofthenetherworld,butis
eternityineverlastingness(AtumwithinNun).Osiris,thesublunar,terrestialandsubterrestial,
represents the fertility in darkness, the order rising out of chaos, the resurrection after the
annihilation of dismemberment, life after death, the eternity of the divine cycle itself ....
SamenessisthebackboneoftheOsirianmyth,andreferstothestabilityoftheeverlastingness
ofabsoluteequipose.
SOLARREDIURNAL

LUNAROSIRISNOCTURNAL

theeternalcycleofdawn/dusk/dawn
("neheh")

theperpetuityofdarkness("djedet")

AtumReishiddeninNun

OsirisiscreatedbyAtumRe

AtumReisselfcreated

reassembledbyIsis(helpedbySobek)
healedbytheEyeofHorus

RethronestheAkhsphere

Osiristhronesthenetherworld

AtumRebelongstoprecreation

Osirisisboundtocreation

Reisthespiritofmatterortheawareness
ofconsciousness

Osirisisthematterofspiritorthebeingof
consciousness(itsownstuff)

Rereferstoeternityineverlastingness:
theOnehatchingwithinNun

Osirisreferstoeverlastingnessandthe
enduranceofabsolutesameness,the
backboneofbeingitself

theBookoftheDead:comingoutbyday
The"BookoftheDead",isagroupofmortuaryspells,mostlywrittenonpapyrus.Theearliest
werefoundonmummyclothsandcoffinsoftheearlyNewKingdom(ca.15391075BCE).The
collection circulated throughout Egypt, with Thebes at the head. Beginning with the reign of
Pharaoh Tuthmosis III (ca. 1479 1426 BCE), spells began to be used by officials. In 1842,
Lepsius published the Turin Ptolemaic papyrus as "Totenbuch" and the numbering of the
chaptersinusetothisday.Theeverchangingandrecombinedsectionsofthecollectionwere
originally called "Book of Coming Out by Day", the heading of chapter 1, preferred at the
beginning(cf."peretemheru").
"Herebeginthepraisesandglorifications,
goingoutandinthedomainofgod,
havingbenefitinthebeautifulWest,
comingoutbyday,
takinganyshapehelikes,
playingatSenet,sittinginabooth,
andcomingoutasalivingsoul.
Afterhehasarrivedinport,
Osiris,thescribeAni,said:
Itisbeneficialtohim
whodoesitonEarth.'"
BookoftheDead,Chapter17(Ani&Nebseni).

Atfirst,thevignette,orasymbolicrepresentationsummarizingtheintentorcontentofaspell
inconcisepictoralform,wasusedforemphasis.BytheRammesidePeriod,onlyfewspellshad
no vignette. In the Late Period, the vignette was used as abbreviation for an entire spell,
without accompanying text. These spells are a continuation of the Coffin Texts, available to
everyone who was someone. They remained also in use in royal tombs, namely on tomb
furnishings.
Thebookprovisionedandprotectedthedeceased.The"JudgementoftheDead"orjustification
by the tribunal of the gods (of Osiris) is its central theme. As nobody entered the next world
spotless, some spells magically purged the deceased of his or her sin. Most magical spells
affirm the deceased to be "true of voice", i.e. found worthy at the Weighing of the Heart.
Damnationbeingtheresultofthosewho'sheartwastooheavy.
"Asforhimwhoknowsthischapter,hewillbeaworthyspiritinthedomainofgod,andhewill
notdieagainintherealmofthedead,andhewilleatinthepresenceofOsiris.Asforhimwho
knowsitonEarth,hewillbelikeThoth,hewillbeworshippedbytheliving,hewillnotfallto
thepowerofthekingorthehotrageofBastet,andhewillproceedtoaveryhappyoldage."
BookoftheDead,chapter135.

As with the PyramidTexts, we cannot excludethisliferitualsentering the collection. The fact

thatthesespellsare"beneficialtohimwhodoesitonEarth"shouldperhapsbetakenliterally.
In the course of their lifetime preparation for their meeting face to face with Osiris, the
Egyptianpriestsmusthavegonethroughvariousdegreesofinitiation(reflectedintheareasof

the temple they could access). These envolved "seeing" Osiris in his tomb (cf. the Osireon of
SetiIandseeing=being).
"Followthegodasfarashisplace,
inhistombwhichisfoundattheentranceofthecavern.
AnubissanctifiesthehiddenmysteryofOsiris,
(in)thesacredvalleyoftheLordofLife.
ThemysteriousinitiationoftheLordofAbydos!"
Griffith,tombI,238,lines238239,ca.XIIthDynasty.

IftheyknewthebookonEarth,theywerelikeThoth,worshippedbytheliving,andenjoyinga
happyoldage.
"Iamapriestknowledgableofthemystery,
who'schestneverletsgowhathehasseen!"
Chassinat,1966,pp.1112.

1.4TheroyalNewKingdomBooksoftheNetherworld.
thearchetypalformsofrenewal
"This nocturnal journey of the sun is the focus of all the Books of the Netherworld, and
consistent with this, it also furnishes the ordering and creative principle for the spaces in the
hereafter. This nocturnal regeneration of the sun demonstrates, by way of example, that
powersofrenewalareatworkonthefarsideofdeath.Atthesametime,thejourneyoccursin
thespacesofthehumansoul,inwhicharenewalfromthedeptsbecomepossible.Thatitisan
odyssey of the soul is emphazised by the Egyptians through the indication that the sun god
descendsintothedepthsasa basoul (and thus is ramheaded, since baisalso the word for
ram)hereinliesignificantantecedentsofmodernpsychotherapy."
Hornung,1999,p.27.

Recently, Abt and Hornung (2003) have underlined the psychological importance of the
Amduat.ThisBookofWhatisintheDuat("dwAt",netherworld,"Unterwelt","mondeinfrieur"
orRilke's"Weltinnenraum"),togetherwiththeBookofGates,theSpelloftheTwelveCaverns,
theEnigmaticBookoftheNetherworld,theBookofCaverns,theBookoftheEarth,theBookof
Nut,theBookoftheDay,theBookoftheNight,theLitanyofRe,andtheBookoftheHeavenly
Cowwerethenewguidestothehereafter."Amduat"wasthenamegivenbytheEgyptiansto
these"BooksoftheNetherworld".Contemporaryegyptologistsonlyusethisnametodesignate
thefirstbookofthecollection,theBookoftheHiddenChamber.
ContrarytotheBookoftheDead,whichwasadevelopmentoftheCoffinTexts,itwasanew,
foremost royal literary genre (even absent from the tombs of the queens). The Book of the
Deadcontinuedtobeaneverchangingcollectionsofspells(cf.thedifferentpapyri),butthese
religiousbookshadapermanentcontent.
As depthpsychology has put forward, the human psyche has a certain order and movement.
The former entails a topography of the psyche (involving mind, affect and volition), begun by
Freud, expanded by Jung and completed by Assagioli. Cognition, emotionality, action and
spiritualemancipationarenotrandom,buthave(liketheneuronalpathwaysprocessingthem),
architecture(thebackboneorhighlyprobablefeaturesofstabilizedevolution)andprocess(the
movementswithinthevariouspartsofthewhole).Thetopographytogetherwiththediagrams
ofprocessyieldametaculturalaccountofthehumanpsyche.
The outstanding feature of the topography is the distinction between the conscious and the
unconsciouspsyche.InviewofthelimitedneocorticalareainvolvedtoprocessoursenseofI
ness (namely the prefrontal lobes), we may speculate about the span of the unconscious
(covering the dominated hemisphere, large parts of the limbic system and the reptile brain).
The subliminal region of the unconscious is called "the personal unconscious". It is "near" the
conscious and contains its repressed contents, those the ego and its own refuse to confront.
Beingsubliminal,this"shadow"maybeintegrated.Thecollectivestrandofthepsyche,theso
called "collective unconscious", introduced by Jung, cannot be made conscious. If parts of it
emerge in consciousness over a long period of time, drastic changes take place, altering the

state of conscious awareness radically and irreversibly. These universal patterns of

psychological functioning or archetypes influence the conscious mind through myths, dreams,
visions, intense events and altered states of consciousness (meditation, prayer, trance, etc.).
Assagioli forsaw an area bordering the collective unconscious representing the spiritual
experience of the individual as a soul, the superconscious. This area would allow for a finer
representationofthepsychologyofmystics,saintsandextraordinarycreativeindividuals.
ArchetypescanbetracedbacktoPythagoras(ca.580500BCE),forwhomthenaturalword
was based on archetypal laws. The latter can be expressed as mathematical patterns such as
numerical ratios and harmonic differentiation. The "kosmos" is a dynamic harmony of
opposites, a set of complementary forces, giving rise to unity and multiplicity. Singularity
(numberone)wasnotanumber,buttheessenceofnumberoutofwhichthenumbersystem
emerges.TheEgyptianinspirationofthesethoughtshavebeenstudiedelsewhere.
TheBooksoftheDuatfocusontherenewalofconsciousness,representedbythepower,glory
and brilliance of the Sun and the other stars. In a psychomorph way, the natural cyle of
consciousness(waking,dreaming,dreamlesssleep)isassociatedwiththerisingandsettingof
theSun.ThepresenceofbeingandsenseofInessrepresentedbythese,maybeinjured,for
thecoreoftheSun(theeye)ispermanentlythreatenedbythepowersofdarkness.Thelatter
trytostop the cyclic flow of the Solar force, visualized as the Solar Bark stranding on land &
sand.Rosetau,the"LandofSokar,whousuponhissand"(Amduat,FourthHour)isthecentral
theme of the nocturnal journey of Re. In this and consecutive temporal areas of the
netherworld,themidnightmysteryoccursandanewdayisborn.IntheAmduat,thisprocess
takes four hours (IV VII), a third of the completenocturnal arc. Consciousness rejuvenates,
andSokar,anaspectofOsiris,holdsthekeys.Itsremarkableteachingisthatdarkness,lossof
orientation and isolation prelude the moment of reversal, i.e. the start of rejuvenation. This
central theme is much more refined than in the Book of the Two Ways, which probably
belongedtoanearlier,MiddleKingdomliteratureinitiatingsuchreflectionsonthepositiveuse
ofdarkness,silenceandequipose.
anewroyalprerogative
Royaltombscommandexclusivity.IntheOldKingdom,amonumentalarchitecturewasagrand
storycastinstone.Theresurrectionandascensionofthedivinekingwerethetwowaysofthe
afterlife.ThefirstwaywasofOsirisandassociatedwithhisrestorationbyhissonHorus.The
secondwaywasofReandanentryintotheFieldofOffering,theskyoftheAkhspiritsofRe.
AttheendoftheOldKingdom,themagicalpowerofthewrittenwordwasimplementedinthe
royaltombs.ThePyramidTextsare silentvoiceofferings enablingPharaoh safe passage from
the "duat" or netherworld of the western burialchamber to the "akhet" or horizon of the
eastern antechamber, ascending to the "pet" or heaven of the northern passage. These texts
areonlyusedinroyaltombs.
In the Middle Kingdom, the effectiveness of magic and the Osirian cult rose, although Re
remainedveryimportant(cf.AmunRe).AnewsynthesisbetweenReandOsiriswasfound(cf.
theBookoftheTwoWays),andtheroyalPyramidTextsgavewaytothepopularCoffin Texts
andtheBookoftheDead.
TheNewKingdomstatefundedresearchinthenetherworld,combinedthetheologyofReand
Osiris with a temporal device (the 12 Hours). These books also express the changed view on
kingship : the divine king is expected to gather with Re in his "Bark of Millions of Years" and
participate in the Midnight Mystery for all of eternity. As Pharaoh follows Re, the righteous
follow Pharaoh, whose power is no longer "sui generis" (as it had been in the Old Kingdom).
TheskyofReisprojectedinthecourseofRe.Duringtheday,theFieldofOfferingisguarded
bygatesoffire(BookoftheTwoWays)andduringthenight,therejuvenationrepresentedby
theFieldofReeds,isrealizedinthe"CavernofSokar"(the6thHour).BothReandOsirisare
combinedtorealizethisbirthofanewdayinthedarkesthour.
theNewSolarTheology
AtthebeginningoftheXIIIthDynasty(ca.1759BCE),EgyptwithdrewfromNubiaandentered
aperiodofgreatconfusion.ThisisalsothebeginningoftheSecondIntermediatePeriod,when

the country was divided for a second time. If the first time, the causes of division had been
internal, this time, Egypt was invaded from the outside, namely by the socalled "Hyksos"
ransackingtheNorth.
IntheSouth,Kush(foundedonKerma,UpperNubia)hadbecomethemostimportantstatein
Nubia.TheKushiteexpansionintoLowerNubia&beyond(i.e.UpperEgypt)couldbegin.They
managedtopenetratetheouterdefencesofBuhenandcapture&burntheinnerfort.Extensive
destruction followed. The Egyptians in command gave the Kushite kings access to both the
desertroadsandtheriverroutetoUpperEgypt.Theytradeddirectlywiththenewrulersofthe
Delta,theHyksoskingsofAvaris(LowerEgypt).ThepresenceofEgyptiansatBuhenandother
fortspointstoaconsiderableegyptianizationofKermaculture.
TheThebanprinces,trappedbetweentheHyksosintheNorthandtheKushiteintheSouth(the
latterseekingalliancesagainstThebes)movedtoreuniteEgyptundertheirownrule.Kamose
(Wadjkheperre), with whom the Second Intermediate Period ends (ca. 1539 BCE), regained
controloverthe2thcataractandreoccupiedthefortressatBuhen.HisbrotherPharaohAhmose
(Nebpehtire,ca.15391514BCE)wasvictoriousagainstboththeHyksosandtheKushitesand
initiatedtheXVIIIthDynastyandwithitthe"imperialage"ofEgypt,theNewKingdom...
Again, the victorious Theban dynasty choose Amun as their national god. Its priests tried to
formulate a theology of AmunRe which would be comprehensive enough to include the
traditionsofbothAmunandRe.Byaccumulationandjuxtaposition,theirvariousfeatureswere
combined, and Amun was worshipped in the same way as the Heliopolitan Re. The Theban
theology of the XVIIIth Dynasty (ca. 1539 1292 BCE) may be called a continuation of the
successfulsearchforamoreunifiedarticulationofthedivine,initiatedintheMiddleKingdom.
Itisalsothestartingpointofthequestforabrandnewconceptofthedivine,fortheSungod
existedoutsidetheconstellationsofthepantheon.

"OYou,theGreatGod,whosenameisunknown."
PharaohUnis(PT276cca.2350BCE)

InAmenism,thetranscendentnatureofAtumisemphasized.Reisthepowerofpowers,and
where he is (i.e. in the Nun), there is no other with him ... This realization is not yet a real
monotheism. The New Solar Theology is a henotheism finally accepting one deity at the
pyramidionofthehierarchy,beyondthehierarchyandineverypartofthehierarchy.Thereis
onesupremedeity,hiddenandmanifestinthe"millions"(ofgodsandgoddesses).
In the course of the XVIIIth Dynasty, the Sun god Re was thus turned into an allembracing
creatorgod,manifestinghimselfundervariousnames&forms.InhisEgyptianSolarReligionin
theNewKingdom(1995)andTheSearchforGodinAncientEgypt(2001)Assmanndefinedthe
"NewSolarTheology"as:
"... the explication and representation of the course of the sun in the nonconstellative
categories of explicit theology. (...) The New Solar Theology arose as a cognitive iconoclasm
thatrejectedtheentiremythic,pictoralworldofpolytheisticthought.Allitsbasicprinciplescan
be understood as theological explications of cosmic phenomena, specifically the sun, its light,
anditsmovement."Assmann,2001,p.201.
AssmannpointsoutthatthephraseologyofMiddleKingdombiographiesrevealstheemergence
of a new concept of man, i.e. the invention of an inner universe of virtues. Likewise, the
phraseology of the "eulogies" (or predications in the nominal style of the specific nature of
AmunRe),whichwereaddedasextensionsoftheOfferingFormula,revealtheemergenceofa
newconceptofgod,andalso:
"... a conscious conceptual elaboration of certains semantic complexes and problems, such as
the 'oneness' of the divine, the relationship of the 'one' and the 'many', the relationship
between mythical and historical, celestial and terrestial kingdom, between creation and

preservationandbetweencosmicandlocalrule."
Assmann,1995,p.108.

SolarTheologyinAncientEgypt
FORM
oftheONE

Syncretic
Result

ANTIFORM
oftheONE

TerminalPredynasticPeriodandEarlyDynasticPeriod
HORUS

SETH

PHARAOH

CONFLICTBETWEENHORUS&SETHSOLVEDBYDIVINEKING
restproblem:justificationofkingship?
result:thesolarizationofPharaoh
ThedualmonarchywasbornoutoftheconflictbetweenSouth(Sethflail,whip)and
North(Horussheperd'scrook).Theunificationcameaboutwhenthefierce,Nilebound
kingdoms of Upper Egypt unified and afterwards annexed Lower Egypt and its open,
dangerous marshes (in the Delta) giving way to the sea. The foundation of Memphis
showstheimportanceoflinkingupUpperandLowerEgypttomaintainthestabilityof
Egypt(asawhole).TheoverseeingqualityofPharaoh,associatedwiththe"Lordofthe
sky", are the earliest trace of a powerful transcendent element in Ancient Egyptian
cultureandthisrightatthestartofthePharaonicPeriod.Thepreparationsleadingupto
suchatremendousleapforwardsweremadeinthePredynasticPeriod.Theimportance
of the dual monarchy, makes it likely that the Predynastic kings already envisaged
themselvesas"divine"monarchs,incarnationsofeitherHorusorSeth.Theconnection
betweenHorus,theskygod,andtheSun,stimulatedthesolarizationofthe"followers
ofHorus",thefirstdivinekings.

OldKingdom
RE

OSIRIS

CONFLICTBETWEENREPHARAOHANDOSIRISUNSOLVED?
restproblem:areOsirisandReidentical?
result:slowundermining,erosion&finalcollapseofthe"old"order
AlongsidethedeificationofPharaoh,weseearecuperation,bytheSolargodReandhis
Heliopolitancult,ofthepowerofdirectactionincreationattheexpenseoftheruleof
thedivineking,who,byserving&honouringhisfatherRe(byoffering"Maat"),keptthe
TwoLandsunited.TheOldKingdomfashionedamythical,prerational&henotheistpre
concept:thedivinegodPharaohas(the)institutionofMaat(justice&truth),abovebut
never against the pantheon. This henotheism is prerational, and preconceptual.
Godhead is not a single deity, but a mandala of transnomic gods and their consorts
(Re,Ptah,Thoth,Khnum).Themonotheistelementremainsconstellational.
InHeliopolis("Iunu"),theSolargodtookontheformof"Atum",anamewhichcarries
theideaoftotality.Atumwaslinkedwiththeprimordialworldofprecreation("Nun"),
selfcreation("kheper"),themythicalfirsttime("zeptepi"),theprimordialhillormound
("tatenen")andthemanifestationofShuandTefnutoutofAtum,whoisforeverrising
outoftheprimordialocean("Nun").PharaohwaslinkedwiththisSolarmythology,for
hereturnedtohisheavenlyfatherintheafterlife.
The popularity of Osiris (the everlasting "king of the netherworld") created confusion
and introduced a (prerational) conceptual tension traceable in the Pyramid Texts and
their Osirified Solar cult & Solarized Osiris theology. The former is evidenced by the

combinationofresurrectionandascensionatworkintheroyalfunerarybeliefs.

FirstIntermediatePeriodandMiddleKingdom
RE

OSIRIS

AMUNRE

The collapse of the Old Kingdom must have been traumatic. The "old" order had been
broken. The original notion of Pharaoh as a unifier was not lost, nor was his claim to
divinity (the nomen name). The instability of Pharaonic rule (associated with Re),
brought Osiris to the fore, and with him magic, the netherworld and funerary
preoccupations. Scepticism is also recorded. The question 'Who really knows what
happensafterdeath?'becameapoeticaltheme,aswassuicide.Individualismwasborn
andifintheOldKingdomnonroyalscouldhopetobewithOsiris,theynowclaimedto
beOsiris!
TheunificationoftheTwoLandsbytherulersofThebesheraldedthebreakthroughof
their god Amun, whose exact origin is lost (in the First Intermediate Period, the god
Montu was also worshipped in the Theban area). Advancements in protorational
cognitionareevidencedbytheexplosionofliteratureinthe"classical"MiddleKingdom
and the stabilization of the Egyptian language in its "canon" format (socalled "Middle
Egyptian").
These cognitive advancements produced a more satisfactory thoughtform regarding
syncretism. Re was assimilated by Amun. The basic tensions between Osiris and Re
were also done with, for Osiris was seen as the Sun of the netherworld. The first
occurrence of AmunRe as "king of the gods" is to be found in the White Chapel of
Pharaoh Senwosret I of the XIIth Dynasty (Karnak, found in pieces within the Third
Pylon). At that time, AmunRe already had his dedicated temples in the Theban area.
ThedepartureofPharaohAmenemhatIfortheNorth,hadmeantthatThebeslostmuch
ofitspoliticalpower.Butinreturn,AmunRewaspromotedtoprincipalstatedeity.
HisnameissparseinboththePyramidTexts & the CoffinTexts, although mentioned.
The Middle Kingdom thus fashioned an early protorational henotheism : AmunRe as
the king of the pantheon and divine judge. The active (Re) and passive, hidden &
mysteriousside(Amun)oftheonecreativeprinciplewasdividedandunited in and by
AmunRe, who like a feudal lord (king and judge) allowed each and every divinity
(especiallyOsirisinfunerarymatter)itsuniqueness.
The conflict between Re and Osiris, which can be clearly felt at work in the Osirified
Pyramid Texts (with their Solarized Osiris !), was solved by interpreting Osiris as the
netherworldcounterpartoftheSungod.Bothembracedeachotherandbecame"Twin
Souls".ResupervisedOsiris'funeralceremoniesanditsaugustmagic.Attheendofthe
MiddleKingdom,AmunRe wasfirmly established in Thebes, which, during the Second
Intermediate Period, became the stronghold of national resistance. The Theban
DynastiesreunitedEgyptandinitiatedtheNewKingdom.

NewKingdom
AMUNRE

ATEN

AMUNRE

IntheNewKingdom,acompletelydifferentoutlooktookover.TheNewSolarTheology,
withitsnaturalism,disenchantmentandmonotheism(Reaboveandattimesagainst
all other deities), was initiated as a "religious movement" in and around the court of
Pharaoh.Itwasacceptedbythelatter,butasthereignofAmenhotepIII,theDazzling
Sun,proved, it never acquired state approval against the other deities, except in the
shortreignofAkhenatenandhis,inprinciple,exclusiveAtenmonotheism.

TheAtentheologyopposedandoppressedallotherdeities,the Osirian netherworld as

well as magic. This was revolutionary ! It envisioned a return of the Old Kingdom
splendourofRe.Atenism'sarchfiend was Amun, the hidden, whose name was erased
fromtherecords(damnatiomemori).Butthisattempttoimposemonotheismdidnot
last. The Egyptian mind never relinquished the pantheon. It is not monotheist, but
henotheist. Texts continued to mention the deities collectively as "the gods", which is
probablywhyAkhenatenattackedthe"plural"useofthewordtoo.
Amun was restored by Pharaoh Tutankhamun (ca. 1333 1323 BCE), and the Solar
theologypickedupwereithadbeeninterruptedbeforeAmarna.Theologicalspeculation
was intense. AmunRe was the again the "king of the gods" and mysteriously hid in
every divinity (one and millions). Theban, Heliopolitan and Memphite schools were
revivedandveryactive.TopThebantheologianscompletedthetheologyofAmunRe.A
stress on his hidden unity "in" as distinct from "before" multiplicity (Assmann, 1998)
wasadded.Moreover,AmunRecouldbetakenintheheartofthe commoners and he
listenedtotheprayersofthepoor(theageofpersonalpietyBreasted,1912).Hewas
apersonalsaviour,onewhocouldinterveneandchangeaperson'slifeifhesowilled.
The intellectual elite, i.e. the theologians, high priests and scholars of Thebes (and
Memphis),developedahenotheisttheologywithhadalevelofabstractionhighenough
toplaceAmunResidebysidewiththeemergingmonotheistMosaictheologyof"YHVH
ALHYM"(YahwehElohim).ContrarytotheauthorsoftheMemphitetheology,whoused
archaismstoconveyasenseoftraditionandendurance(cf.theimportanceofMemphis
intheEarlyDynasticPeriod),theseelitistauthors&theiraudiencesplayedwithwords
andcomposedoriginalsongs,revealingastonishingstructureandmeaning.
Hence,theseXIXthDynastyAmunRe"mysteries"explainthestoryof a mature, even
rational henotheist concept of God. Written at the time of the Exodus of the Jews,
Ramesside AmunRe theology predates the JudeoChristian tradition. The latter
cherishedarational&monotheistcultureofGodbasedonrevelation.InAncientEgypt,
this concept of AmunRe as the "One Great God" belonged to the "secret of secrets".
JustasinBrahmanismtoday,theworshippersofAmunneverrelinquishedtheidea(as
did the religions "of the book", namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam) that the One
Creatorhasmillionsofforms&transformations.
Contrary to these monotheist religions, the Theban cult of AmunRe was not directed
againstallotherdeities,foreachandeverygod&goddessisalightmanifestation(Re)
ofAmun.TheyaretheophaniesofHisnamesorattributes.Moreover,Heisnotopposed
to the use of images in the cult (no iconical ban). And finally, everybody who invokes
Amun could be sure he listened. No prophetic (Moses and the kings & prophets of
Israel) or Divine Filiation (Christ, unique son of God) is invoked to cross the gap
betweenEarthandheaven.OnlyAmunreignsandheishiddenaswellasnear(cf.pan
entheism,alsofoundinQabalah,Christianmysticism,andSufism).

1.5ThePharaohsoftheBookoftheHiddenChamber.
thetextualbasis
The first fragments of the Amduat or "Sat im Dwat" ("Document of what is in the Duat") are
fromthetombofPharaohTuthmosisI(ca.14931482BCE).Altenmller(1959)reckonswith
"stagesofcomposition",leadingbacktotheOldKingdom.Hornung(1999)considersadetailed
description of the netherworld "entirely unimaginable" for the Old Kingdom. We know the
AmduatisthematicallyakintotheBookoftheTwoWays,partoftheCoffinTexts. This dates
theearliesttextuallayerinthelateMiddleKingdom(ca.1759BCE).
Beforehedied,PharaohTuthmosisII(ca.14821479BCE)andhusbandofHatshepsut,chose
hissonTuthmosis,thesonofaharemwife,ashisheir.WhenPharaohTuthmosisIIdied,the
newkingwasstillquiteyoungandsohisqueenHatshepsutstoodasregent.Duringthisperiod,
shestillusedthetitlesasshewasusedtoasqueenofthedeceasedPharaohTuthmosisII(cf.
"King'sDaughter","King'sSister","God'sWife"and"King'sGreatWife").Afterabouttwoyears

of"helping"him,Hatshepsutmadeaboldmove.ShedeclaredherselfPharaoh,beingtheking,
notthequeen!ThisputTuthmosisoutofthepicture,althoughhedidjointhearmyasayoung
man.

BurialchamberofthetombofPharaohTuthmosisIIIca.1426BCE.
Onthewalls,theTwelveHoursoftheBookoftheHiddenChamber.

RoyalkingshiprevertedtoPharaohTuthmosisIII(ca.14791426BCE)alonesometimeinthe
20th or 21th year of queen Hatshepsut's reign (ca. 1479 1458 BCE). Now he wanted to
establishhisreputation,bothforhimselfandforEgypt.Hedidnotdishonourthemonumentsof
Hatchepsut until the last year of his reign, and his monuments are extremely difficult to
distinguish from those of the "great royal wife" ... He established Egyptian dominance in
Palestine and southern Syria. He was active at the farthest southern point in Nubia and
establishednumerousmonuments.
ThefirstknowncompleteversionsoftheLitanyofReandtheAmduatbelongtothisperiod(ca.
1426 BCE). Only in the tomb of Pharaoh Tuthmosis III are the directions regarding the
orientation of the 12 hours, given in the text and envisaged as an ideal rectangle, strictly
implemented.HisvizierUseramunattemptedtofollowtheroyalexample,butthewallsurfaces
ofhistombcouldnotaccomodatethis.

planofthetombofPharaohTuthmosisIII

The orientation of the royal tomb has the entrance in the North, while the burialchamber
deviatestotheEast,atraditionoriginatingwiththeMiddleKingdompyramidofSesostrisII.As
in the Old Kingdom subterranean tombs, this complex path symbolized the regions of the
hereafter, reflecting both Osirian and Solar concerns. The tomb begins with a stairway, a
corridor, a second stairway and a second corridor before reaching the ritual chamber. The
ceilingofthischamberispaintedwithablueskyandyellowstars.Aftertheritualchamber,like
mosttombsofthisperiod,thereisa90turnintotheantechamber,whichisthenfollowedby

theburialchamberwith its four lateral annexes. While the passages are not decorated, other
areaswereplasteredandpaintedforthefirsttime.Theritualbodyofthedeceased(the"sah")
leaves the tomb in the other sense (Allen, 1988). The burialchamber is the "duat", the
netherworld. The antechamber is the "horizon" of dawn and the ritual chamber and corridors
are the stairway to the northern circumpolars. The funerary ritual is sequenced : first the
resurrectionofOsirisandthentheascensiontoRe.
The (upper) antechamber to the burialchamber has two pillars, and is decorated with the
divinitiesoftheAmduat,withtheexceptionoftheenemiesofRe.Aflightofstairsleadsdirectly
from there to the burialchamber, which is oval and also has two pillars. The cartouchelikel
burialchamberiscommonalsotothetombsofPharaohsThutmosisIandThutmosisII.

BurialchamberofthetombofPharaohAmenhotepIIca.1400BCE.

Hisson,PharaohAmenhotepII(ca.14261400BCE),wouldignoretheprescribeddistribution,
initiating a sequential order. He placed the short version of the Amduat at the end of the
chamber.Aboutthisversion,Hornungwrites:"DiesesAmduatExemplaristdasvollstndigste
von allen erhaltenen und wird in der vorliegenden Edition in extenso gegeben." (Hornung,
1963,p.XIV).
Pharaoh Tuthmosis IV (ca. 1400 1390 BCE) left his burialchamber empty and Pharaoh
Amenhotep III (ca. 1390 1353 BCE) again had the complete book decorate his burial
chamber.

BurialchamberofthetombofPharaohAmenhotepIIca.1400BCE.
onthelefttheendofthe12thHour,andontherightthe1thHour
theshortversionaboveandrightofoneoftheentrances

AfterAkhenaten(ca.13531336BCE),theFirstHouralonewasrepresentedinthetombsof
Tutankhamun (ca. 1333 1323 BCE) and Aya (ca. 1323 1319 BCE). Horemheb (ca. 1319
1292BCE)replaceditwiththenewBookofGatesasdidPharaohRamessesI(ca.12921290
BCE).
WithPharaohSetiI(ca.12901279BCE),raisedreliefwasextendedallovertheroyaltomb
andtheAmduatwasusedpartlyintheburialchamberandtherestincorridorsandsubsidiary
chambers.PharaohRamessesII(ca.1279 1213 BCE) reserved for the short version of the
Amduatasubsidiarychamberofitsown,andhastwoversionsofthe12thHour,ofwhichoneis
without parallel (in subsequent tombs, the short version was omitted). From Pharaoh
Merneptah (ca. 1213 1203 BCE) on, the Amduat was no longer in the burialchamber and
down through Pharaoh Ramesses III (ca. 1186 1155 BCE), the 4th and 5th Hours had a
permanentplaceinthethirdcorridor,whiletheplaceoftheremaininghoursvaried.Fromthe
time of Pharaoh Ramesses III until Pharaoh Ramesses IX (ca. 1127 1108 BCE), the only
relatively complete exemplar is found in the tomb of Ramesses VI (ca. 1143 1135 BCE),
translated by Piankoff (1954). The hours are in sequential order in the fourth and fifth
corridors. The 7th through the 11th Hours are abbreviated and the important 12th Hour is
missing (these lacking parts were perhaps represented on the lost tomb furniture). There are
noNewKingdompapyricontainingtheAmduat,andthefirstappearintheXXIthDynasty(ca.
1075945BCE).
theMidnightPharaohs
Assmann (2002, p.207) characterized the Egyptian concept of the cosmos as "an indefinitely
repeated cosmogony", intimately linked with Re and the divine king. On the one hand, the
apparentmotionoftheformeraroundtheEarth,ajourneybytwobarks,oneforday,another
for night, called into being almost all the important deities, and allowed for a complex
delineationorspeculativeinterpretationofthiscircuitintermsoftheoriginofcreationaswell
as its frailty (order relapsing into the original chaos). On the other hand, Pharaoh knew the
scenic and constellational arrangements to be able to intervene in the cosmic process
effectively. He keeps the salvational (not redemptive) knowledge present, renews and "keeps
thingsgoing".Maninterpretscreationbyinvestingitwithhisown.

There is no supernatural, eschatological interpretation of life (as in JudeoChristianity), but a

"naturalscience",a"speculativeidentification"(p.211),aworshipoftheeffectivepowersofthe
cosmos,mobilizingorderwithinman.ThecultoftheSunplayesacrucialroleasan"interface"
(p.208) coupling Earth and sky, establishing a link between above and below (between
macrocosmosandmicrocosmos,asHermetismwouldhaveit).
Note that this crucial distinction, between the supernaturalredemptive and the natural
cosmotheistapproachofbeing,isaclearcutdividinglineseparatingthereligiousspeculations
of Antiquity from Greek rationality and the later monotheist religions. The longing to be
liberated out of this world (Greek thought), redeemed from it (JudeoChristian thought), or
changing it into something radically different and better (eschatological thought) is absent in
Egyptian thought. Instead, incorporation into creation and the unending reconciliation of the
humanandthedivinearefocused.
"Salvation is the overcoming of the forces of stasis and dissolution. (...) The mystery of solar
rebirthisinfactthecentralsalvationalelementinEgyptianreligion.WhereastheGreekswere
fascinatedbytheharmonyofthewhole,theEgyptiansfixedtheirattentionupontheprocessof
ongoingvindicationandrebirth.Tothemthecosmosappearsasthequintessenceofthedeath
defyingfullnessoflife,aswellachaosbanishingforceoforder."Assmann,2002,p.209.
These cosmotheist speculations were at work in Egyptian civilization from the start, but
acquiredfullnessinstages:
Old Kingdom : Pharaoh knows the mysterious speech enabling him to address the
constellational, collective pantheon of divine roles. This is a fraternity of the deities
overarchedbyRe.AllthedeitiesparticipateintheSolarcircuit.TheimportanceofOsirisis
acknowledged,butthePharaohicidealisSolar
Middle Kingdom : The justified, and "Osiris NN" has been taught the correct names (of
deitiesandgatekeepers)andknowsthespellstopassthenetherworldofOsirissafelyand
thus reach the Field of Reeds. Darkness (Rosetau) and the restoration of Osiris become
fundamental.Osirisisthe"nightSun"andresurrection(thehealingofOsiris)isnecessary
beforetransfiguration(becomingandAkhspiritofOsiris)
NewKingdom:intheNewSolarTheology,theSolarcircuitisthe"lifegivingdeedofthe
oneandonlysungod,performedaneweachday"(Assmann,2002,p.212).
In the Amduat, the pantheon is redefined : the concerted polytheism of the constellational
pantheon (with unity before creation), makes way for a protorational henotheism, in which
one,uniquegodheadisatworkinnature:Re.Allthedeities(aswellastheenemiesofRe)are
circumambulating the "Ba of Re", who navigates the Solar Bark. As a function of the major
transformationalstatesgonethroughbythisgreatestofsouls,the"BaofRe",representedbya
man with the head of a ram, is standing alone in the cabin, or surrounded by the Mehen
serpent,orcrownedwithorwithoutSolarDisk,ormissing...ThealonenessofReisunderlined,
butnotagainstthe otherdeities.Thelatter are functional differentiations ofthesubprocesses
sustainingthegrandcircuitoftheSun,thevisiblepresenceoftheOnethemaindifferentialof
ongoingdepletionandrenewal.
TheMidnightPharaohs,namelyTuthmosisIII,AmenhotepII&III,decoratingthewallsaround
their sarcophagus with the Amduat, envisaged a closeness to the "Ba of Re", an enduring
presence on the "Bark of Millions of Years", and were convinced the Amduat, as a unity of
pictureandtext,wouldprovidethis.Indeed,onhisbark,Reisneverwithoutcompanyandat
notimesistheBarkofRewithoutretinue.Pharaohwishedtobewithhisfatherandparticipate
in the mystery of Re's rejuvenation, the great secret of the hidden chamber. Pharaoh was no
longer (as in the Old Kingdom), the guarantee of order in creation, only Re was. But as the
king,beingthesonofRe,existednearRe,thoseguidedbythekingweresafe.
In the tomb of Pharaoh Tuthmosis III, references to the the king are numerous and inserted
intothetext.ThistombhasauniquecatalogueofAmduatdeities.Thelasthourliespreciselyin
theEast,andtheentrancetothesarcophaguschamberparallelstherealmofSokar.Our"main
text" of the Amduat follows the complete extant directional version of Pharaoh Tuthmosis III

(Bucher,1932).

2TheArsObscuraoftheMidnightMystery...
In Egyptian spirituality, the "hidden light" of the secret of darkness, fundamental to human
spiritualitysince the Upper Palaeolithic, is an autoregenerative, divine power from before and
aftercreation,eternalthroughendlessrepetition.Itsnumenprsensshinesinthedarkofthe
deepNile,intheblacknessofthesacredlake,intheclosedtemplenaos,inthehidden,remote
tombandsarcophagus,representingtheskygoddessNut,inourdreamsanddreamlesssleep
andinthepitofthenightofthehiddenchamber,ReenteringNut'smouthatduskandleaving
her vulva at dawn ... In all these manifestations of the mystery of darkness, the obscure is
approachedinanartisticway.Butbesidesbeauty,procedurespeaks.
Atthe6thHouroftheAmduat,thejourneyofReinhisSolarBarkarrivesattheplaceofthe
Midnight Mystery. This mystery of mysteries involves a movement to and fro : from creation
(differentiation, loss of focus) to preexistence and from the latter to a renewed creation
(integration,theallencompassinghorizonofhorizons).Resustainstheorderofcreationeven
if this means loss of energy and low returns. He differentiates his energy by bestowal and in
accordancewithMaat(Amduat, Hours 2 5). Eventually, at the point of the midnight Sun of
death, Re's "voice" makes his Ba enter the mummy of Osiris, forming one living spiritualized
body (6th Hour). The mysterious image of the Duat, TailinMouth, represents the uterus,
matrixorvesselinwhichthesupreme,conjunctivemomentunfolds.

"(By)thisvoiceofRecomes,thattheimageswhoareinhimadvance."
Amduat,6thHourtextofTailinMouthscene.

This single and unique singularity between Osiris (the being of consciousness) and Re (the
awareness of being) enables the autogenic transcendence of Re's Akhspirit, Atum and his
Ennead,tobecomeeffectiveincreationandthenetherworldlypantheon.Indeed,atthesame
moment,Osirisrealizes(ismomentarilyawareof)hisownground(as"body"or"flesh"ofRe)
andtheirsingularity makes way again for the division between Re (awareness without being)
and Osiris (being without awareness). As "king of the Duat", Osiris remembers his refound
spiritual sense and sustains Re's integration before dawn, but is left behind in the Duat. The
deities themselves are all renewed by the merge. Re, dawning as a child, integrates all of
creationinhisenergy,clothesnaturewiththegiftsofthegrandencounter(Hours812).Heis
sureofagloriousreturn(untilnoon)andpowerfulenoughtodefeathisenemies.

thecycleofReintheNewKingdomSolartheology

ThisnetherworldlyprocessisalsoPharaonic,forthedivinekingrejuvenatesinthesameway.
As the foremost Akh of the Akhs of the ancestors, Pharaoh is immanent, and represents the
traditionofthosewhohaverealizedthemysterioussingularitywhilepartofcreation.TheAkhs
of the deities, in the heavens of Osiris or AtumRe, never incarnate. The Midnight Mystery
involves the replenishment of Re's efficient consciousness (Ba), not of his spirit (on the
contrary,forthelatteristheautogenic,precreationalandultimatecauseofrejuvenation).
The Egyptian mysteries, in harmony with Predynastic, Neolithic and Upper Palaeolithic
spirituality,alwaysinvolveda"regressusaduterum"(Assmann,1989,p.139).Byreturningto
the place of conception, the allencompassing nature of the great goddess is called in. She is
the matrix of life itself and takes care for it all. Her contribution is represented by the
mummified Osiris, the fact of the divine nature of material substrates and ritual vehicles of
consciousness(inotherwords,thepowerofthoughtforms).Thepathleadingtothesingularity
is the vaginal tube, the narrow passageway before entering the rockcathedral of the new
conception hidden in the deepest darkness. Re (the soul) enters Osiris (the body). When Re
autogenerates,Osirisbecomesawareandbothdepart.
Each time, Nile, temple, tomb, sleep and the "mysterious image" offer a "coincidentio
oppositorum" (Nicolas of Cusa, Jung), i.e. access to crucial eternal instants outside the
phenomenal cycle of nature. These sacred, timeless moments of nehehtime are themselves
submergedineverlastingness(Nunanddjedettime).TheybelongtothepotentialofAtumRe,
to eternityineverlastingness and his capacity to autocreate (cf. Section 2). This singular
conjunctionispivotaltothelivingorderasawhole,andsustainsitscyclicmovementsofdawn,
upperculmination(zenith),duskandlowerculmination(nadir).Thankstotheconjunctionofa
ritualizedbodywithamaterializedspirit,takingplaceinamysterious,ancestral"oval","womb"
or "matrix", magic becomes possible : the immanent rejuvenated by the transcendent, the
infinitecaughtbythefinite(cf.Kierkegaardonthe"absurdleap"ofreligion).
InJungianterms,theMidnightMysteryinvolvestheindividuationofconsciousnessbeyondthe
personal unconscious. The archetypes are faced. The first are a pair, a bipolarity (Re versus
Osiris)leadinguptoaselfcreativeunity(Atum).InAncientEgyptianspirituality,the"animus"
likeSolarreligion,uniteswiththe"anima"ofOsirian,Lunarfaith.Thematerializedspirit(orBa)
enters the spiritualized body (or Sah). At the end of the daily cycle, the Ba of Re, as the
operationalsideofhiscreativeconsciousawareness,isdepletedbutremains,inthefirsthours
oftheDuat,radiant.
Osiris, the rule of the passive but restored and everlasting "king of the dead", exists in the
eternityoftheDuat,andisrootedintheeverlastingNun.ThePillarofStabilityishis,butthere
is no awareness (he never leaves the Duat). The movement from light to darkness (the
netherworldyvoyageofRe'sBastartingatdusk)isfinalizedasamovementfromdarknessto
light(atdawn). The cycle remains "eternal" if and only if the midnight singularity is realized.
Thisistherealizationofoneentity:the"BaofRe"andthe"corpseofOsiris":totalactivityand
completed passivity instantaneously merging. After this, the dual archetypes split (as Atum
splits in Shu and Tefnut) and both Osiris and Re are rewarded : Re's Ba has, as it were,
autogenetically "recharged his batteries" for another day of activity (of which the first 6 are
nocturnal), and Osiris travels with Re till the end of the 12th Hour, remaining in darkness to
awaitthereturnofRe,hissoul,andtheoccassiontobeawareofhisowndivinenature.
Insomemysteriousway,thismidnightconjunctiontapsintotheinfinitepowerbaseoutsidethe
natural order. It involves the deepest layer of the Egyptian concept of reality, the everlasting
primordialocean(Nun)anditsautogeneticcapacities(theBaofNun).Thisultimatelayerlies
outside the sphere of creation, and is described in the Heliopolitan myths as Atum hatching
himselfbyhimselfinNun,theinertwatersinwhichAtumfloats.Nuniseverythingoutsidewhat
isdeemednecessaryforcreationandorder.Nunandabsolutechaos,isotropic(inalldirections)
andhomogeneous(uniform),areidentical.Nunisinimicaltolifeitselfanddissolveseverything.
But, uniting with Osiris, his corpse, the Ba of Re is rekindled by Atum, the Ba of Nun, and so
theendbecomesanewbeginning.
In Egyptian thought, the magical barrier lies between creation (existence) and precreation
(preexistence).Pharaohistheonlyoneabletocrossit.Heisthegreatmagician who knows

how to step outside the natural order and return to it. Pharaoh is the foremost of the divine
spirits existing in the light of the stars (the summum of creation). In creation, he is the sole
witnessofwitnesses,thearchetypeofaperfectgodman,anindividuatedconsciousness.Inthe
OldKingdom,healonehadaBa,anoperativeconsciousawareness.Although Pharaoh knows
how to transcend the universe, he represents an immanence. Just as Osiris never leaves the
netherworld,Pharaohneverleavestheworld.
Precreation features three dimensions and a double opposition, namely between, on the one
hand, undifferentiation and creation (or Nun), and, on the other hand, between potential and
actuality(orAtum,theBaofNun).
1. Atumaspotential(orBa)ofNun:thesheercapacitytoautogeneratehiddeninchaos
2. Atumasactuality(orAkh):Atum,BaofNun,creatinginthe"zeptepi":himselfandthe
Ennead(completedbyHorus,Pharaoh)
3. Nun:theundifferentiatedwaters,ogdoadic,inimicaltolifeandeverlasting.
When the Ba of Re enters the corpse of Osiris, Re's power is rejuvenated, while Osiris
simultaneouslyexperienceshisownsoul,i.e.awarenessofhimselfasdivine"groundofbeing".
Thanks to Osiris and the everlastingness of his spine, Re, the light or awareness of
consciousness,revealstheautogenicrootcauseofconsciousnesstoconsciousness.Thesoulof
Re animates a mummified (ritualized, Osirified) form to "exist" with Atum and the Ennead (in
the sky and its eternal beginning). The Ba of Re does not merge with the everlastingness of
darknessandthelackofdifferentiationperse(Nun),butwithitsautogenicpotential,i.e.with
anotherBa. Indeed, this singular moment (or point) steps outside creation, and exists as the
eternalrepetitionoftheselfcreatedpotentialitself,i.e.existsasaneternalcycle(wave)inthe
hiddentreasureofthetimelessinstantofeternityineverlastingness,thefirsttimeofmyth.
A mummified corpse is a "sacralized" state of matter, a material substrate or vehicle of
consciousness(athoughtform)gonethroughtheprocessof"senetjer"andbecomea"sah"or
a"bodyofnobility".AtthehourofmidnightofthedeadSun,thisbodyofresurrection(Osiris),
is transformed (cf. "xpr" or "kheper") to house the soul ("Ba") travelling to its spirit ("Akh").
ThemummifiedOsirisisthedivinebeingofmatter,forthemummybecomesfleshatthepoint
ofhisawarenessofhimself.Osirishasnoawarenessofhisowndivineground,andneedsReto
beawareofhisownnature.Bothdeitiesarerejuvenated,butReisoftomorrowandOsirisisof
yesterday.Heneverleavesthenight.
InthemysteriousconjunctionofSunandMoon,theundifferentiatedvastnessoftheprimordial
waters,ofeverlastinghomogeneityandchaos,arenotbypassedorcircumvened.Neitherdoes
theAkhofReseekdissolution.Nun'sfundamentalnature(zeroing)doesnotexcluderepetitive
creation, cannot annihilate it own soul, cannot eliminate the potential to create itself. Nun
representstheultimatechaossurroundingcreation.Atumisnot"outside"Nun,butthelatter's
efficient power of selfcreation. Absolute absence of differentiation is the natural state into
whichorder,wereitnotforAtum,theBaofNun,andtheotherAkhs,wouldrelapse.
Nunshouldbevisualizedas encompassing creation andthe "zep tepi" in all directions.Thisis
preciselythestateofaffairsbanishedbyeternalrepetition(initiatedbyAtum).This"zeptepi"
points(isinitiatedby)theultimatepotentialofwholenesshiddeninultimatechaos.Notcreated
or generated by chaos, thispotentialisautogenetic. The potentiality of consciousness creates
itself.LikeNun,Atum,the"BaofNun", is outside the natural cycleof time andeternity (pre
existent). Atum autogenitor exists mysteriously hidden in Nun before anything comes into
being, before Atum, generating himself, split into Shu and Tefnut, before spatial division and
themoist.
The singular conjunction of the soul of Re (the operational side of conscious awareness) with
thebodyofOsiris(theeverlasting,divine"ground"or"stuff"ofconsciousness)inthe"oval"of
ancestralknowledge(cf.TailinMouth),makesthedroprepresenttheocean.Indoingso,Re's
ownoriginal cause istouched(Atum) and an eternal, luminous, one and differentiating divine
autogenicessenceineverlastingness(eternityineverlastingness)ismadetoadditssurplusto
realityandrejuvenatecreation.

Without the Pharaohs, representing the tradition of those Akhs and noble dead who have
attainedthesingularconjunctionofmidnight,allwouldbelostandthedarknessofchaoswould
completelydestroycreation,returninglifetotheeverlastingnessofNunandAtum,selfcreating
everything all over again ... The same can be said of Osiris, but with this difference : Osiris
resurrects in the netherworld, in nehehtime. His is an Akhspirit efficient in a glorified body
restinginthenetherworld,not,likePharaoh,anAkhatworkonEarthandascendingtothesky
ofRe.WithoutOsiris,a"seconddeath"islikely,fornodivineintermediarystationwouldexist
(betweentheEarthandtheheavens).
Osiris harbors the night Sun. His netherworldly paradise, the Field of Reeds, is the best of
eternity, while Atum's bliss, eternal selfcreation in sheer everlastingness, is harvested by
Pharaoh's experience of singularity. Pharaoh is the kingdom of thislife, Osiris the eternal
bountyoftheafterlifeoftheimmortalsontheAkhplaneofcreation,theskyofOsiris.Atumis
the highest, an represents the selfcreative nature of consciousness, containing itself in
everlastingness.
Akhspirits of Re : exist in the first time as eternal repetition in everlastingness : Atum,
theEnneadandthePharaohs
Akhspirits of Osiris : the blessed deceased and noble dead or spirits of Osiris in the
netherworld
Osiris as "king of the netherworld" : an Akhspirit embodied in a divine "sah", providing
"safepassage"toalljustifieddeceased
Pharaohas"kingofEgypt":anAkhspiritembodiedinadivinebodyonEarth,establishing
enduringkingship,andsoestablishingMaat.
Theeffective nature of Pharaoh liesinhisstationary access to the midnight singularity. When
he dies, his tomb and sarcophagus (later coffin) are his crucial spiritual tools to resurrect
(Osiris)andfly to Re. They are part of his eternalizing perspective on the afterlife and reflect
the singularity of spirit and matter on a permanent basis (the interior of the lid of the
sarcophagus,asasimulacrumofthesky,wassacredtotheskygoddessNut).
"YouaregiventheyourmotherNut,inheridentityofthecoffin.
ShehasgatheredYouup,inheridentityofthesarcophagus.
Youareascendedtoher,inheridentityofthetomb.
PyramidTexts,Utterance364,616df.

Moreover,inPharaoh,eternityineverlastingness(thesupremequalityofAtumRe,hisfather)
isincarnatewhileonEarth.Heisapermanentfountainofrejuvenation,regeneration,creation,
recreationandongoingequilibratinggrowth.Heguaranteesa"goodNile"andlushgreenfields.
Thisbecausehealone,assupreme"Falcon",istheultimatewitness,andable,onadailybasis,
to sustain the process to and fro the conjunction, the unity between the "Ba of Re" and the
"sah"(ormummy,i.e.aphysicalbodyempoweredthroughritual)ofOsiris.Reautogenerates
andOsirisrealizesthatReishissoul,allowinghimtobeawareofhisdivinenature.Thisiswhy
intheAmduat,Pharaohonlyappearsinthe6thHour.
Thesupernatural,"magical"powerofPharaohaskshimtoembodythedualkingdomandoffer
truthandjustice(tohisfather,Re).Inreturn,AtumRegrantshissonallheneeds...andat
theNewMoon,repeatedeachmidnight,anewcyclebegins.

FertilefieldsnearLuxor.

Beingtotallyinharmonywithlifeitself,Pharaohconstantlymanifeststhesurplusproducedby
his divine momentum to move from phenomena to their singular origin on the Akhplane of
creation and from there to the eternityineverlastingness (of Atum) outside the natural cycle
(initsbeginning).Whenhereturnswithintheboundariesofcreation,Pharaoh,liketheBaofRe
after midnight, selfcreates a stronger world, a more fruitful order, a more profound peace.
Pharaohharveststhesurplusofenergyavailableoutsidethenaturalorderandcollectsitonthe
Akhplane of creation, distributing it to its spirits. The fact Pharaoh is able to constantly
rejuvenate,makesthedivinekingastable,enduring,immortal&singulargodman,aneternal
witnessabletostandstillamidconstantmovement(asthefalcon,abletofixhisheadwhilehis
wholebodymoves).

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