Tag: bible

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Five-Pointed Egyptian Star

The star 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 design is one of my absolute favorites to see. As someone who has always been fascinated by space and astronomy, I love how the Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ incorporated astronomical concepts not just into their language and religion, but into their art as well. I even have this star 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 design as my phone case!Β 

This design appears on the ceilings of tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“ͺ (Seti I’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“£π“‡Œπ“ŒΈπ“ˆ– tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰ comes to mind), temples π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰π“ͺ (Hatshepsut’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŽΉπ“π“„‚π“π“€Όπ“ͺ temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦π“₯𓉐) and even on funerary objects π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‹΄π“π“π“Š­ like canopic jar cases! The star hieroglyphic π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ symbol 𓇼 was used very frequently in words as well and there are different variations of star symbols (𓇻, 𓇽). 

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ I chose to highlight the star 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 design because a five 𓏾 pointed star 𓇼, just like the hieroglyphic π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ symbol, appeared over the manger in Bethlehem when Jesus was born and guided the Wise Men to his birthplace. Known as the β€œChristmas Star” or the β€œStar of Bethlehem,” this star 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼 was seen as a sign that the Messiah had been born. I have always loved Nativity scenes, and the symbolism behind the star 𓇼 shining above the Nativity. The star is even mentioned in The Bible: 

Matthew 2:9-10 : …and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

I love this verse because I too feel overjoyed when I see stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼π“ͺ – whether it’s the stars in the sky 𓆼𓅑𓋴𓇼𓇼𓇼, stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼π“ͺ on top of Christmas Trees, stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼π“ͺ on Egyptian art or in hieroglyphic π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯. Stars 𓋴𓃀𓄿𓇼π“ͺ are the light in the darkness – and I hope your holidays are filled with light and love. 

Merry Christmas Everyone / Buon Natale a Tutti!

πŸŽ„β­οΈπŸŽ„

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Egyptian Artifacts

Foundation Deposit Brick of Rameses II

Foundation Deposit Brick of Rameses II at The MET

This beautiful π“„€ faience π“‹£π“ˆ–π“π“Έπ“Ό piece is a foundation deposit brick with the cartouche of pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– written on it (19th Dynasty, c. 1279–1213 B.C.E.). I chose this piece for today, because Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– is thought to possibly be the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the Exodus – there are many theories as to who the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was that is mentioned in The Bible by Moses. The pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the Exodus is only referred to as β€œthe pharaoh” in The Bible and not by name π“‚‹π“ˆ–, so historians and religious scholars can only make inferences based on The Bible and archaeological evidence.

It is all so fascinating and based on my research, I believe that the evidence lines up to Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– being the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the Exodus. Some of the specific references made in the text of Exodus seems to line up really well with the 19th Dynasty time period. Some scholars disagree and think the Exodus happened at a later time period, some believe it happened earlier.

Why would there be no historical record of the Exodus in writings π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ from Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–? Egyptian writing was full of propaganda and only the good stuff was mentioned. Something like the Exodus would have been kept on the down-low.

Foundation deposit bricks were ceremonial offerings that were placed at the corners of buildings, courts, temples π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰π“¦ , tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦, and pretty much the foundation of any building. They can almost be thought of as the ancient version of a ground-breaking ceremony. The foundation deposit bricks usually contained the cartouche of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 that the building was constructed under on it! I’m the early dynastic times, foundation deposits took the form of pottery, but later evolved into different versions of what you see pictured 𓏏𓅱𓏏!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Was Anubis Mentioned in the Bible?

As we all know, Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is the Egyptian god π“ŠΉ of embalming and tombs/cemeteries. This means that Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 was the main protector π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ of the recently deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱! During the New Kingdom, more specifically the 18th Dynasty, it became common for statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 to be placed in tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦ as a sort of protection π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ for the dead! The most famous example is the β€œAnubis Shrine 𓃣” that was found in Tutankhamun’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ tomb π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰! The statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ in this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is from the Late Period.

Since I am in the process of reading the Bible, here’s something very interesting about Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 I just learned recently! Did you know that some Bible/religious scholars believe that Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 is actually mentioned in Exodus!? When I was reading Exodus, and I caught what I thought was a reference to Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣, I was shocked and immediately had to start researching!

β€œBut not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” (Exodus 11:7, English Standard Version) Another translation is “But against all the Israelites, whether man or beast, not even a dog will snarl.”

The plagues of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– can be interpreted as the Egyptian gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ being powerless against God himself – such as when God blocked the Sun 𓇳𓏺 for three 𓏼 days during the ninth plague, Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 was powerless to stop it. So, the mention of Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 can be interpreted as Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 having no power over life and death 𓅓𓏏𓏱, or that Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 will have no power over the death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 of the people of Israel (Canaan π“‘π“„Ώπ“‰”π“ˆŠπ“­ in The Bible). It can also be taken as God (not Anubis) would bring death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, but not Israel π“‘π“„Ώπ“‰”π“ˆŠπ“­.

Again, these are interpretations of the Bible (including some of my own), and I’m sure many scholars and other readers have their own interpretations that are different and just as valid!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Frogs and the Exodus

I’m going to talk about the Second Plague of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– today: Frogs π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“†π“¦! Many Biblical/religious scholars believe that the 10 Plagues of Egypt were not only directed by God against the Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻/people of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, but the Egyptian π“†Žπ“π“€€π“ deities π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ as well.

These frog π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“† figures are dated to the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3000-2675 B.C.E.) so these are quite old! Frogs π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“†π“¦ were not really written about at all during these predynastic times, and these statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ predate a lot of religious writing π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ and iconography , however, they are mentioned in Exodus (starting at 8:1).

The Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ believed the frog π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“† to be a symbol of fertility because they would appear after the flooding of the Nile River π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί, so they were associated with life π“‹Ή/the regenerative qualities of water π“ˆ—. The frog π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“† is also associated with the fertility goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Heqet π“Ž›π“ˆŽπ“π“† who is represented as a woman with a frog π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“† head.

Heqet π“Ž›π“ˆŽπ“π“† also had the task of controlling the population of frogs π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“†π“¦ in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– by protecting the frog-eating crocodiles. Without Heqet π“Ž›π“ˆŽπ“π“†, the frog π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“† population would grow out of control! During the Second Plague, God overwhelmed Heqet π“Ž›π“ˆŽπ“π“† hence the large amount of frogs π“ˆŽπ“‚‹π“‚‹π“†π“¦ that appeared in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–! It is God who controls fertility, not Heqet π“Ž›π“ˆŽπ“π“† because The Lord is all powerful!