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Reading Hieroglyphs

“Eternity” in Hieroglyphs

When we last went to the MET on my birthday, I was so excited because my sister π“Œ’π“ˆ–π“ pointed to this relief and said that these symbols meant β€œeternity 𓆖” and I felt so proud! My sister π“Œ’π“ˆ–π“ always reads my posts and has always been my biggest supporter (besides Nonno) in my study of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– and hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Eternity 𓆖 was a concept central to ancient Egyptian π“†Žπ“π“€€π“ religion and culture. Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ believed that β€œdeath 𓅓𓏏𓏱 is only the beginning” and it was the start of their journey to eternal 𓆖 life π“‹Ή. The Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ believed that once they reached the Field of Reeds π“‡π“π“ˆ…π“‡‹π“„Ώπ“‚‹π“…±π“†°π“Š–, they were going to live the rest of eternity 𓆖 in paradise.

In the Old Kingdom, tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“ͺ (a pit, tomb shaft or structure made of mudbrick [mastaba]) were starting to be referred to as the β€œHouse of Eternity 𓉐𓆖.” Tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“ͺ made of rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™ were considered the best due to the durability of stone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“Šͺ: so stone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“Šͺ was also a representation of eternity 𓆖!

The word β€œeternity π“†–β€œ appears frequently in so many inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ – if you can recognize the word, you will be able to pick it out in any museum you visit!