THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF LIFE
Symbolism of Ancient Egyptian Temple and Tomb Art

MELISSA LITTLEFIELD APPLEGATE

INTRODUCTION

Life, death and what follows death fascinated the ancient Egyptians more than any other themes. Whether living or deceased, much effort was undertaken to insure that each person was protected, nurtured, surrounded by loved ones, entertained, and supplied with the bounty and joy of heaven and earth.  Spend the day merrily!  Put ointment and fine oil to your nostrils and lotus flowers on the body of your beloved ... Spend the day merrily and weary not therein.¹  These words inscribed on a wall of an ancient Egyptian tomb express the common Egyptian sentiment to enjoy life to its fullest, even in the midst of tragedy.  They lived simply and entertained themselves with singing, dancing, hunting, boating, poetry, board games, banquets, beer and wine.  In every household, elaborate rituals and spiritual disciplines were employed to ensure that the ka (one’s personality or spirit) did not become mired in inferior realms of behavior that might detract from personal happiness and well-being.

To this end, it’s evident that the ancient Egyptians did indeed enjoy a high quality of life.  Herodotus, the Greek historian of 500 BC who became known as “The Father of History” stated, “Of all the nations of the world, the Egyptians are the happiest, healthiest and most religious.” ²

At first glance, one might make the assumption that the Egyptians were polytheistic (or believed in more than one god).  Hundreds of tombs and temples are dedicated to a pantheon of “gods” and “goddesses” such as Ra, Osiris, Isis, Hathor, Horus and Thoth.  In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.  The Egyptians perceived the ultimate Divinity as having both manifest and non-manifest components.  That which was non-manifest was formless, nameless and beyond mortal description.  It was out of this self-aware formlessness that all form arose --- the sky, the stars, the earth, water, humans, animals, vegetation, and so on and so forth.  Furthermore, according to ancient Egyptian cosmology, form itself has certain systematic and predictable archetypal principles called neteroo. Unfortunately, the word neteroo was mistranslated in modern  times as “gods and goddesses” resulting in a great deal of misunderstanding regarding the Egyptians’ beliefs and practices.  For example, over the ages the neter Ra has become personified as the Egyptian “sun god” rather than solar force, a natural element of nature.

A UNIFIED ONE

Today through modern physics we know that the world is held together by various forces or archetypal principles such as gravity, electromagnetism, a strong force and a weak force.  Unified Field Theory attempts to unite these forces as one.  The ancient Egyptians’ concept of neteroo was similar in that they, too, recognized primordial forces that govern all matter and can be unified as One.  Parable and myth helped simplify these complex teachings so that all the people could comprehend the universal laws and principles that govern life and pass these teachings on to their children and their children’s children.

In fact, the Egyptian creation myths parallel recent discoveries made by scientists of today.  About 15 billion years ago, the universe was tightly packed together in a dense neutron soup.  The Egyptians called this soup the “primordial waters of Nun” and described it as a dark, chaotic, and infinite watery abyss in which there was no “up” nor “down” nor direction of any kind.

Atum, a neter of primordial light, emerged from the dark sea of Nun through an act of self-awareness and the first ray of Atum’s light fell upon the primordial mound.  The primordial mound is described as “the place where the sun first rose”, a heap of sand or rock that emerged from the primordial waters and was composed of Atum’s children, four ordered pairs of neteroo, both male and female.   Although the exact location of the original mound was never determined, pyramidal-shaped shrines symbolic of the sacred mound and obelisks representing the first ray of light were erected and venerated in various locations throughout ancient Egypt. 

The four pairs of neteroo (Atum’s “children) were named as follows:

NETER (masculine)

NETERT (feminine)

Having said this, I somewhat hesitantly elect to use the terms “gods” and “goddesses” interchangeably with neter, netert and neteroo throughout the course of this book.  The introduction of “deified” beings such as Osiris and Isis over the course of time may demonstrate a cultural need to personalize the impersonal in order to make it intellectually more accessible.  As an example, in our own culture the archetype Santa Clause is a beneficent being who generously distributes gifts to good boys and girls and symbolizes the very real,  albeit impersonal forces (neteroo) of love and karma. Whether Osiris, Isis, or Santa Clause actually existed historically is far less significant than the qualities they represent.  And frankly, perhaps the myth of Santa might be far less memorable if expressed in generic terms of “good deeds result in good rewards” rather than the colorful imagery of jolly old Saint Nick sailing the night sky in his miniature sleigh led by eight tiny reindeer.

Perhaps it is for this very reason that Egyptian myth presents dramatic imagery that defies logic (such as "gods" and "goddesses" with human bodies and animal heads) and contradicts itself from story to story.  And yet, as the larger picture unfolds, these contradictions become less defined and take on the shape of an amazing tapestry that reflects the beauty and mystery of life itself!

So with no further ado, let us review the legacy left by the ancient Egyptians for future generations to reflect upon, known simple as The Egyptian Book of Life.   

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