It must have been very frustrating for early astronomers living in a country with constant cloud obscuring the motions of a revolving cosmos. In Britain the night sky is unobservable for most of the year. The great burial chamber in New Grange, Ireland is aligned to the sunrise on the winter solstice. For just three days of the year a beam of light shines through an aperture and along a narrow corridor to illuminate a central chamber. The dramatic effect of such a special moment is sublime. I can imagine the gathered spirits of the dearly departed climbing onto this sun of god and catching a lift to the hereafter.
Rain clouds and overcast skies were hardly ever a problem in Egypt. Almost every night sky was soft black velvet strewn with the jewels of the firmament. The Egyptians built similar directional architecture designed to line up to a particular moment of cosmic time. Humans share this common theme in their spiritual endeavours: The night sky is just too awe-inspiring to ignore. The link between the earth and the sky was constantly debated by these mysterious astronomers who gathered to share their knowledge. A streak of light from a meteor burning out in the atmosphere would have caused the same gasp that it causes today. Occasionally they would see a meteorite actually landing in the vast desert that surrounded them.
Not ones to miss out on divine contact, these objects were collected and used for a very specific holy purpose. Meteorites have varying components (depending on which corner of the universe they come from) but the Egyptians were primarily interested in their metallic content. They melted it down and used it on the interior edge of a ceremonial adze. This was an odd looking tool used by priests to awaken their Gods.
There is often a point in religious ceremony where the divine spark enters a host. Christians use a wafer which is afterwards eaten as the body of Christ. In Egyptian ritual this point is reached when the statue of the God is reborn in an Opening of the Mouth ceremony.
Sacred verse was read aloud from a special scroll before touching the adze to the lips of the God and He or She would then enter their temple. Offerings placed on tables would be divinely accepted and symbolically consumed before they engaged in communion with the congregation.
Separated by such a great distance of time it is so easy to misunderstand the intentions of ancient cultures. The population of ancient Egypt remained a cohesive society for thousands of years. There is certainly a distinct beauty about their way of life which apparently provided a satisfying and fulfilling experience on many different levels.
Read about this and many other fascinating aspects of Egyptian culture in Nile God, a paperback novel and ebook. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A4COHJO The author, Garth Meaney has a background in antiques and restoration. He is also a collector of ancient artifacts. His interest in ancient history provides an informed background for this thrilling tale of romance, secrets and magic.
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