In the second in a series of articles exploring myths and tales from ancient Egypt, Dr Joyce Tyldesley visits Egypt at a time when the land was ruled by the god-king Ra, and the people rebelled.
The tale of the Destruction of Mankind forms the opening section of a text known as the Book of the Cow of Heaven, a collection of spells preserved on the walls and furnishings of the tombs of Tutankhamun, Sety I, Rameses II, Rameses III and Rameses VI in the Valley of the Kings. This gives the story a firm New Kingdom context, although linguists believe that it was composed during the Middle Kingdom. The story, which starts with the earthly reign of the sun god Ra and ends with Ra’s ascent into the sky, may be equated with the rebirth and ascension of the dead pharaoh.
Divine Vengeance
Ra’s reign is a golden age when mortals and gods live together. This is the Egyptian equivalent of the Garden of Eden and life should be idyllic. But, for no apparent reason, the people are rebelling against their king. It may simply be that Ra is considered too old to rule effectively. Egypt would always be wary of aged kings, and would require all long-standing monarchs to complete the heb-sed jubilee rituals after thirty years on the throne, and more frequently thereafter.
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