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

Chapter 1:  before the beginning

     How did life begin?  What was before the beginning? Is there life after death?  In the larger scheme of things, what role do we humans play?  These perplexing questions were carefully pondered by the ancient Egyptians thousands of years ago, and their answers painstakingly recorded in art, architecture, papyrus scrolls and other mediums.  Perhaps the most accessible of these mediums is the art on the walls of the ancient Egyptians' temples and tombs as it is prolific and largely intact despite the passage of time.  Monuments rivaling some of the most spectacular in the world reveal subtle clues camouflaged in the language of symbolism that respond to these age-old, universal inquiries.

    Specifically, what does Egyptian art tell us about our origin?  It tells us that the Egyptians had more than one theory as to how it all began.  Just as we, today, debate whether we "evolved" or were "created," the Egyptians proposed various themes of origination.  Scene 1-A is one such theme but it's certainly not the final word on the subject; however, it's a good place to begin.  It reveals what the Egyptians believed was before the beginning as well as the beginning itself.  In this scene, the neter Atum is depicted in his "watery" state (or in other words as an aspect of Nun-- the sea of neutron soup), his body entirely composed of waves.  As the neter who "came into being of himself," he displays both male and female attributes for purposes of autogenesis.  This is accentuated by his masculine beard and pendent feminine breast.  He holds the uas scepter in his right hand, denoting his status as neteroo (only neteroo carry this particular type of scepter), as well as an offering tray upon which hang three ankhs, the symbol of life.

Fig. 1-A, Atum in Watery State

Placing "Atum in Watery State" and "Atum in Dualistic Form" in your home or office enhances creativity and the manifestation of intentions and goals.  It brings unity to various factions of self and the inhabitants of the dwelling in which it is hung.  It may also help reveal one's true nature and spiritual purpose.  If there are no lakes, rivers or other bodies of water nearby, or if the element of water is scarce (i.e., no fish tanks, lily or fish ponds, water fountains, etc.), it can establish more water energy and bring  balance to the basic elements of your structure.  It may also increase fertility.

    To the casual observer, it may seem peculiar that Atum's left arm is conspicuously missing.  As neteroo represent the perfection of nature, a birth defect or casualty would indeed be highly unusual.  Whenever an oddity such as this appears in Egyptian art, you can rest assured it's not by chance circumstance or mistake.  To the contrary, a significant point is being raised.  In this instance, the left arm is considered an instrument for "receiving" and the right arm an instrument for "giving."  Therefore, with right arm extended and left arm noticeably absent, the point being emphasized is that Atum is a giver of life as evidenced by the three ankhs (symbols of life) on the offering tray.

     But why three anks?  Why not one, or four or five?

     In order to answer this question, some knowledge of sacred geometry is required.  As you probably know, all matter in the universe can be reduced to mathematics or numbers.  Although many of us have difficulty understanding mathematical concepts, sacred geometry was one of the most valued arts in the Egyptian Mystery Schools.  Therefore, having a basic comprehension of it is intrinsic to understanding Egyptian cosmology.  Although these concepts may be difficult to grasp at first, once you do, the rest is easy.  And if you don't, don't be discouraged.  Just skip over it and come back later.  Rereading it has the potential to affect learning in subtle ways.  Eventually, you'll get it!

    As previously stated, all matter reduces to numbers.  For example, computer language is based solely on the numbers 0 and 1.  We use letters and numbers today to express ideas and concepts in written form.  Remember Einstein and his theory of relativity, E=mc²?  The ancient Egyptians utilized more than seven hundred geometric symbols and pictographs called hieroglyphs to express conceptual thought.  The circle, square, ovoid, triangle, cross and straight line all had specific meaning and function to the ancient Egyptians.  Some of these basic concepts have carried forth into our own language and numeric systems.  For example, the ovoid was equated with an egg, a symbol representing fertility, creation and the beginning.  In geometry today, the ovoid is the numeric equivalent of zero -- or nothing -- the void.  Similarly, the ancient Egyptians view Nun (pronounced "none," a word we equate with zero) as the abyss of nothingness.  According to the Egyptians, it was out of this nothingness that all form (Atum) was born.

     In the world of physics, an atom is so small that when we look at it with the physical eye, we see nothing.  It is energy, a force that appears as a small circle or zero when magnified.  If we draw a small point (like the dot above an "i" for example) and hold a pencil upon this dot and move the lead in a linear fashion away from the dot forming a straight line, two dots are formed connected by a singular straight line.

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     In a similar fashion, formlessness (symbolically represented by the one small point your pencil is placed upon) moves into form through motion (moving the lead in a linear fashion) and becomes two points or dualistic (see the diagram above).  This is known as yin and yang.  

    All physical matter is governed by properties of yin and yang (such as birth/death, male/female, day/night, good/evil, cold/hot, wet/dry, etc.).  We have two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two arms, two legs, left brain + right brain, etc.  This is due to the law of duality.  However, in becoming physical (or dualistic), the formless remains inherently contained within the form.  Thereby, 1 + 2 = 3, or a trinity.  It is this concept of sacred geometry that is expressed by the three ankhs of Atum representing the union of spirit (formlessness) with matter (form).

     Nearly all traditions make reference to this triune aspect of being.  For example, in the Christian religion, Divine manifestation is represented as: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost; in the Hindu tradition: Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu; and within the Egyptian pantheon triads such as Osiris, Isis and Horus express this fundamental concept of "becoming."

Fig. 1-B, Atum in Dualistic Form

     In figure 1-B, Atum moves from formlessness into form, thereby completing the Divine Triad.  Upon assuming material form, his body becomes flesh and bone and is no longer watery.  Furthermore, because form is dualistic in nature, he is simultaneously represented as a female wearing only a jeweled collar with uas scepter and three ankhs in her right hand and as a male with beard, loincloth, uas scepter and the three ankhs in his right hand.  Altogether there are nine ankhs, representing the Divine Ennead.

    The ankh itself also serves to express sacred geometry.  It is comprised of an ovoid perched on top of a "T."  On a macrocosmic level, the ovoid denotes the formlessness out of which all life is born.  The "T" has three points symbolizing the triune manifestation of matter (time, space and consciousness).  On a microcosmic level, the ovoid represents the female genitalia and the "T" the male genitalia.  The union of the ovoid and the "T," either macrocosmically or microcosmically, results in life, and to this end, the ankh is depicted in nearly every scene of Egyptian art and text as it is considered the most sacred of all symbols.

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