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.
Denne historien er fra Issue 98-utgaven av Ancient Egypt.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 98-utgaven av Ancient Egypt.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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INSIDE THE STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER
Sean McLachlan explores the recently reopened interior of this iconic Third Dynasty Saqqara monument.
PER MESUT: for younger readers
She Who Loves Silence
Highlights of the Manchester Museum 29: An Offering by Queen Tiye for her Husband
Campbell Price describes an offering table with a touching significance.
Highlights Of The Manchester Museum 28: Busts Of Jesse And Marianne Haworth
Campbell Price describes the significance of two statue busts on display in the Museum.
TAKABUTI, the Belfast Mummy
Rosalie David and Eileen Murphy explain how scientific examination of the ‘Belfast Mummy’ is revealing much new information about her life and times.
Lost Golden City
An Egyptian Mission searching for the mortuary temple of Tutankhamun has discovered a settlement – “The Dazzling of Aten” – described as the largest city ever found in Egypt (see above). Finds bearing the cartouches of Amenhotep III (see opposite, top) date the settlement to his reign, c. 1390-1352 BC – making it about 3400 years old.
Jerusalem's Survival, Sennacharib's Departure and the Kushite Role in 701 BCE: An Examination of Henry Aubin's Rescue of Jerusalem
BOOK REVIEWS
Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period by Campbell Price
BOOK REVIEWS
Old And New Kingdom Discoveries At Saqqara
An Egyptian team working on a Sixth Dynasty pyramid complex near the Teti pyramid at Saqqara has made a series of important discoveries.
Map Of Egypt
What’s in a name? It is easy for us to forget that the names we associate with the pyramids – such as the Meidum Pyramid, the Bent Pyramid or the Black Pyramid – would have been meaningless to their builders.
