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Post by kandace on Jan 21, 2024 13:44:34 GMT -5
Black History Month will soon be upon us. As has been the Sunspot custom, I, Kandace, Sunspot Afrocentrist, will create a Black History Thread. This year's Black History thread will be about the Worthies of Old Africa. The Worthies being the great personalities who shaped the destiny of the African content and the world at large before the onslaught of Caucasian Supremacy. In other words, the good old days for the Mamaland. Comments, especially from the usual Suspects, are welcome and will be much appreciated.
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Post by kandace on Jan 31, 2024 20:35:44 GMT -5
African WorthiesAnd so it begins. The African continent is vast, with hundreds of kingdoms and empires rising, falling, and being reborn over vast territories spanning thousands of years. Obviously, a single thread cannot realistically cover all the notables of the Motherland. But I can begin to scratch the surface, and others may be inspired to begin their own personal research. In fact, I encourage such undertakings. Including research done by non-AAs. Oh stop, I do encourage it. Let us begin with our first African Worthy: Narmer, First Pharaoh of Unified Kemet (Egypt)(circa 32nd century B.C.) tse4.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.VGC4VSf5u5n7QWNUtkDuJAHaFO?pid=ImgDet&w=179.00552486187846&h=180&c=7Here is the background for Narmer -- The silent artillery of time, to borrow a phrase from our 16th president, levels and lays waste even the most splendid mortal achievements. The works of the great men and women of yesteryear all too quickly fare into obscurity, with only the barest outlines of their achievements being remembered by succeeding generations. It is not surprising that the memory of Narmer, the first Pharaoh of Unified Upper and Lower Kemet (Egypt), should be obscure in Our Times. The Pharaoh most familiar to modern people is Cleopatra, a Greek appropriator of Pharaonic royalty. Cleopatra VII flourished during the lid to earl second half of the first century B.C. Narmer’s glory days were the middle of the 32nd century B.C. Basically, Cleopatra was more removed from Narmer on the historical timeline (~3,000 years) than Cleopatra is distant from us on the time (~2100 years)/ Narmer was ancient to those we call the ancients. He is so remote that even his true name is not known. Narmer, which means ”stinging kingfish,” is a Horus name, or name taken upon ascent to the throne. His birth name is thought to have been Mene, which means “he who endures.” Namer hailed from Upper Egypt, which, following the northward flow of the Nile River, was in southern Egypt. There was a rival kingdom to the north, called Lower Egypt, which is in northern Egypt. tse1.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.XRGF8tMUEpouhqJXtrox5gAAAA?pid=ImgDet&w=109.55431754874651&h=180&c=7 Upper Egypt bordered Lower Nubia, and for millennia was the heart and source of Kemetian culture. The earliest symbols associated with Nile Valley kingship have been fund in Qustul, lower Nubia. The Qustul Incense Burner, with numerous inscribed Kemetian symbols, is a prime example. The Qustul Incense Burner | Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (uchicago.edu) By the 4th millennium B.C., predynastic, small kinglets had sprung up along the Nile in Lower and Upper Egypt. Thes small kingdoms, called “Nomes,” were ruled by Nomarchs and were city-states similar to the realms of ancient Sumeria. As the centuries wore on, the Names began to unify into kingdoms, and by the early 32nd century B.C., there were two Nile Kemetian Kingdoms: Upper and Lower Egypt. Egypt was comprised of Two Lands.Upper Egypt had the advantage over Lower Egypt. Although Lower Nubia had a milder cclimate and more fertile lads, Upper Egypt It had easier access to the wealth from Nubia and inner Africa, as well as the treasures of Old Arabia (which was less desertified than it is today). Most likely, the people of Upper Egypt were more aggressive and hardy tan their Lower Egyptian counterparts. It is not surprising that Set (who symbolized war, storms, chaos) worship was most prominent in Upper Egypt, while Horus (who symbolized kingship, order, and balance) worship was most common in Lower Egypt.
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Post by kandace on Jan 31, 2024 20:40:01 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 1, 2024 20:39:37 GMT -5
More on Narmer (circa 3150 B.C.) Upper Egypt had several large, prosperous cities, the chief of which were Thinis, Abydos, and Nekhen. Thinis was the political capital of the unified Upper Egypt, whereas Abydos was its religious capital. Narmer was the ruler of Thinnis and became the leader of the Upper Egyptian "Thinnite Confederacy." Narmer rallied the Thinnite Confederacy to wage war upon Lower Egypt, and was victorious. Upon his conquest of Lower Egypt, Narmer moved the capital of the new, unified kingdom to the Upper Egyptian city of Memphis. To solidify his rule, he married a Lower Egyptian princess, Neithhotep, who became his queen and mother to his heir, Hor-Aha. Narmer popularized several symbols which would become associated with ancient Egypt: the Ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life, and the Djed, a four tiered pillar symbolizing Osiris’ spine, the Serekh, the palace façade which represented the royal dynasty, and the Double Crown of the Two Lands. Narmer, under his birth name, Menes, was credited by Hellenistic historians millennia later as having established the Egyptian rites of pagan worship and sacrifices, as well as having also introduced hieroglyphic writing, and to have altered the course of Nile tributaries for public works purposes. Although the details of his life are sparse, Narmer did leave behind some of the earliest recorded written documents in human history. The Narmer Palette describes its namesake’s conquest of Lower Egypt. The Narmer Palette stone is approximately two feet tall, carved from a single piece of flat, soft dark gray-green siltstone. It portrays Narmer as the victorious conqueror of Lower Egypt and Unifier of the Two Lands. On the front side of the palette, Narmer is depicted wearing the white war crown of upper Egypt (Hedjet) combined with red wicker crown of Lower Egypt which signifies that Lower Egypt fell to him in conquest. He is portrayed as divinely tall, shown marching in procession, with dead decapitated enemies in his wake, their heads placed between their legs. Beneath this scene is the largest engraving on the palette of two men entwining the serpentine necks of unknown beasts. The precise meaning of this symbolism is unknown. These creatures have been interpreted as representing Upper and Lower Egypt but there is nothing in this section to justify that interpretation. At the bottom of this side of the palette, the Narmer is depicted as a bull breaking through the walls of a city with his horns and trampling his enemies beneath his hooves. The back side of the palette shows a single, cohesive image of Narmer with his war club about to smite an enemy he holds by the hair. He is bedecked in the white war crown of Upper Egypt (Hedjet). Beneath his feet are two other men who are either dead or attempting to flee his wrath. A bald servant stands behind the king holding his sandals while, in front of him and above his victim, the god Horus is depicted watching over his victory and blessing it by bringing him more enemy prisoners. Both sides of the palette are decorated at the top with animal heads which have been interpreted as either bulls or cows. The animals are most likely bulls the king is depicted elsewhere on the palette as a bull storming a city. The bull would represent the king's strength, vitality, and power.
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Post by kandace on Feb 1, 2024 20:51:35 GMT -5
Narmer (circa 3150 B.C.) - continued In addition to the famed Narmer Palette, we are fortunate enough to have another Narmer artifact - the Narmer Macehead. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Mace-head_of_King_Narmer.jpgupload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Narmer_Macehead.pngThe Narmer Macehead depicts a ceremony of triumph in which the captives and plunder from his war of conquest is presented before the new Pharaoh. Narmer is bedecked in the royal red Crown of Lower Egypt, wilds a flail, and wears a kingly cloak. His name is written within an illustration of the palace facade (Serekh) surmounted by a falcon. The button records his plunder and booty: 400,000 cattle, 1,420,000 goats, and 120,000 captives. However, Narmer did not stop at unifying the Two Lands. He wisely realized that strategic depth is the best source of any nation's security. So he also launched military incursions into Canaan and Nubia, seeking to nip in the bud potential threats. Upon his death, Narmer was buried in Abydos, which would become the necropolis city for the early Pharaohs. *******************************
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Post by kandace on Feb 1, 2024 21:18:03 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 2, 2024 22:19:13 GMT -5
Djoser (circa first half of 27th century B.C.) Djoser was a man of the 27th century, that is, the 27th century B.C. He was the first Pharaoh of the third dynasty. He was the son of Pharaoh Khasekhemwy, the last ruler of the second dynasty. Civil war gripped Kemet during the days of Djoser’s father, as the Upper Egyptian followers of Set battled the Lower Egyptian followers of Horus. Djoser was actually his birth name, derived from the term Djed, which meant stability, while his throne or Horus name was Netjerikhet, which means "divine of body.” Little is known about his family or personal like, other than that he was the son of Pharaoh Khasekhemwy and Queen Nimaathap. Djoser married his half-sister, Hetephernebti, and unlike other Pharaohs took no other wives or concubines. As one nearly 5,000 years removed from our society, there is much dispute about details of his reign, including its actual length. Some sources state that he reigned for 18 years, some state 28 years or even 30 years. But whatever the length of his reign, his immense impact on the course of Egyptian history cannot be disputed. Djoser was the first Pharaoh depicted with a Serdab statue, a life-size white plaster limestone statue created to be used in his funerary complex at Saqqara, and the first example of such statuary. The Roman Emperor Agustus would boast that he found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble. Nearly 3,000 years earlier, Djoser could make a similar boast. The style of monumental building with stone, which we associate with ancient Egypt, was Djoser’s creation. Under his reign, Kemet shifted from building with bricks to building massive monuments of stone. Circa 2650 B.C., D joser commissioned the construction of the Saqqara Step Pyramid Complex, the first building to ever be constructed entirely of stone. Prior to Djoser, kings were buried in mastabas, rectangular tombs built above underground chambers, rising at most 20 feet (6 meters) high. The Saqqara Step Pyramid is a series of mastabas stacked on top of each other, each level a little smaller than the one beneath, to form the shape of a pyramid. Earlier mastabas were constructed of clay brick but the Step Pyramid was made of limestone blocks on which were carved images of trees (sacred to the gods of Egypt) and reeds, possibly symbolizing The Field of Reeds, the Egyptian afterlife. www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/539.jpg?v=1699566423 www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/4548.jpg?v=1705232763Under his reign, the Step Pyramid Complex was one of the numerous building projects throughout Kemet (particularly at Heliopolis and Gebelein) which were undertaken with verve. This massive building campaign was only possible because of military expeditions which secured Egypt’s borers and filled its coffers with treasure. Djoser launched several military expeditions to the Sinai Peninsula, during which the local inhabitants were subdue, enabling him to also send expeditions there to mine for valuable minerals such as turquoise and copper. Evidence of these expeditions exists in the form of inscriptions throughout Sinai sometimes displaying the banner of Set alongside the symbols of Horus, as had been more common under his father Pharaoh Khasekhemwy. The Sinai was also strategically important as a buffer between the Nile valley and Asia. Djoser promoted religious reforms, encouraging the status of the god Ra and supported the priesthood, further elevating the already divine status of the Pharaoh. In addition to monuments, conquests, and religious reforms, Djoser is also famous for the Famine Stela, an inscription from the much later Ptolemaic Dynasty (332-30B.C.) which describes how he saved his realm from a severe famine. A famine broke out in Kemet which lasted seven long years. Desperate for relief, the king sought counsel without relief. But one night, during a dream, the Nile god Khnum appeared to him and complained that his temple on the island of Elephantine was in disrepair and the people no longer revered him. Djoser consulted with his Vizier, Imhotep, who advised him to sail on the Nile to the island to appease Khnum. Djoser went to Elephantine, saw the temple was in ruins, and erected a new temple. Once the temple was complete, the famine ended. The ruins of temple Djoser built can still be seen in our modern era. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine_StelaThe legacy of Djoser endured for millennia after his death, with Demotic romances of the Greco-Roman era valorizing his achievements, and medieval Muslim scholar Al-Nuwayri hailing his wisdom and deeds. Attachments:
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Post by kandace on Feb 2, 2024 22:37:49 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 3, 2024 0:15:06 GMT -5
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summer23
Full Member
There is no path to peace. Peace IS the path.
Posts: 1,718
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Post by summer23 on Feb 3, 2024 10:00:23 GMT -5
More on Narmer (circa 3150 B.C.) Upper Egypt had several large, prosperous cities, the chief of which were Thinis, Abydos, and Nekhen. Thinis was the political capital of the unified Upper Egypt, whereas Abydos was its religious capital. Narmer was the ruler of Thinnis and became the leader of the Upper Egyptian "Thinnite Confederacy." Narmer rallied the Thinnite Confederacy to wage war upon Lower Egypt, and was victorious. Upon his conquest of Lower Egypt, Narmer moved the capital of the new, unified kingdom to the Upper Egyptian city of Memphis. To solidify his rule, he married a Lower Egyptian princess, Neithhotep, who became his queen and mother to his heir, Hor-Aha. Narmer popularized several symbols which would become associated with ancient Egypt: the Ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life, and the Djed, a four tiered pillar symbolizing Osiris’ spine, the Serekh, the palace façade which represented the royal dynasty, and the Double Crown of the Two Lands. Narmer, under his birth name, Menes, was credited by Hellenistic historians millennia later as having established the Egyptian rites of pagan worship and sacrifices, as well as having also introduced hieroglyphic writing, and to have altered the course of Nile tributaries for public works purposes. Although the details of his life are sparse, Narmer did leave behind some of the earliest recorded written documents in human history. The Narmer Palette describes its namesake’s conquest of Lower Egypt. The Narmer Palette stone is approximately two feet tall, carved from a single piece of flat, soft dark gray-green siltstone. It portrays Narmer as the victorious conqueror of Lower Egypt and Unifier of the Two Lands. On the front side of the palette, Narmer is depicted wearing the white war crown of upper Egypt (Hedjet) combined with red wicker crown of Lower Egypt which signifies that Lower Egypt fell to him in conquest. He is portrayed as divinely tall, shown marching in procession, with dead decapitated enemies in his wake, their heads placed between their legs. Beneath this scene is the largest engraving on the palette of two men entwining the serpentine necks of unknown beasts. The precise meaning of this symbolism is unknown. These creatures have been interpreted as representing Upper and Lower Egypt but there is nothing in this section to justify that interpretation. At the bottom of this side of the palette, the Narmer is depicted as a bull breaking through the walls of a city with his horns and trampling his enemies beneath his hooves. The back side of the palette shows a single, cohesive image of Narmer with his war club about to smite an enemy he holds by the hair. He is bedecked in the white war crown of Upper Egypt (Hedjet). Beneath his feet are two other men who are either dead or attempting to flee his wrath. A bald servant stands behind the king holding his sandals while, in front of him and above his victim, the god Horus is depicted watching over his victory and blessing it by bringing him more enemy prisoners. Both sides of the palette are decorated at the top with animal heads which have been interpreted as either bulls or cows. The animals are most likely bulls the king is depicted elsewhere on the palette as a bull storming a city. The bull would represent the king's strength, vitality, and power. I have my own photos of this from my visit to the museum in Cairo (along with many more from there and other sites).
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Post by kandace on Feb 3, 2024 15:02:44 GMT -5
More on Narmer (circa 3150 B.C.) Upper Egypt had several large, prosperous cities, the chief of which were Thinis, Abydos, and Nekhen. Thinis was the political capital of the unified Upper Egypt, whereas Abydos was its religious capital. Narmer was the ruler of Thinnis and became the leader of the Upper Egyptian "Thinnite Confederacy." Narmer rallied the Thinnite Confederacy to wage war upon Lower Egypt, and was victorious. Upon his conquest of Lower Egypt, Narmer moved the capital of the new, unified kingdom to the Upper Egyptian city of Memphis. To solidify his rule, he married a Lower Egyptian princess, Neithhotep, who became his queen and mother to his heir, Hor-Aha. Narmer popularized several symbols which would become associated with ancient Egypt: the Ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life, and the Djed, a four tiered pillar symbolizing Osiris’ spine, the Serekh, the palace façade which represented the royal dynasty, and the Double Crown of the Two Lands. Narmer, under his birth name, Menes, was credited by Hellenistic historians millennia later as having established the Egyptian rites of pagan worship and sacrifices, as well as having also introduced hieroglyphic writing, and to have altered the course of Nile tributaries for public works purposes. Although the details of his life are sparse, Narmer did leave behind some of the earliest recorded written documents in human history. The Narmer Palette describes its namesake’s conquest of Lower Egypt. The Narmer Palette stone is approximately two feet tall, carved from a single piece of flat, soft dark gray-green siltstone. It portrays Narmer as the victorious conqueror of Lower Egypt and Unifier of the Two Lands. On the front side of the palette, Narmer is depicted wearing the white war crown of upper Egypt (Hedjet) combined with red wicker crown of Lower Egypt which signifies that Lower Egypt fell to him in conquest. He is portrayed as divinely tall, shown marching in procession, with dead decapitated enemies in his wake, their heads placed between their legs. Beneath this scene is the largest engraving on the palette of two men entwining the serpentine necks of unknown beasts. The precise meaning of this symbolism is unknown. These creatures have been interpreted as representing Upper and Lower Egypt but there is nothing in this section to justify that interpretation. At the bottom of this side of the palette, the Narmer is depicted as a bull breaking through the walls of a city with his horns and trampling his enemies beneath his hooves. The back side of the palette shows a single, cohesive image of Narmer with his war club about to smite an enemy he holds by the hair. He is bedecked in the white war crown of Upper Egypt (Hedjet). Beneath his feet are two other men who are either dead or attempting to flee his wrath. A bald servant stands behind the king holding his sandals while, in front of him and above his victim, the god Horus is depicted watching over his victory and blessing it by bringing him more enemy prisoners. Both sides of the palette are decorated at the top with animal heads which have been interpreted as either bulls or cows. The animals are most likely bulls the king is depicted elsewhere on the palette as a bull storming a city. The bull would represent the king's strength, vitality, and power. I have my own photos of this from my visit to the museum in Cairo (along with many more from there and other sites). Wow, good for you. Hubby and I have been planning on going to Egypt for several years, but the pandemic and family issues have delayed us. Hopefully we will be able to go there very soon.
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Post by kandace on Feb 3, 2024 21:29:35 GMT -5
The Step Pyramid of Djoser was closed 14 years for renovation and reopened three years ago. A detailed view inside is below.
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summer23
Full Member
There is no path to peace. Peace IS the path.
Posts: 1,718
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Post by summer23 on Feb 3, 2024 21:42:44 GMT -5
I hope you get to go. Let me know when you book and I can give you some information about where to see. You have to visit the city of Faiyum. I am getting excited for you! (Oh, it's a very inexpensive place to visit.)
I've been trying to post some photos of us on camels, all the hieroglyphics (many still with color!), the Great Sphinx of Giza (I took a really good photo), the ka statues, etc.
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Post by kandace on Feb 4, 2024 22:14:07 GMT -5
Imhotep (circa 2667-2600 B.C.)In Our Times, Imhotep is known in popular culture as the archvillain of Universal Studios’ The Mummy series of movies. Imhotep was not a Hollywood fantasy creation but a real historical personage. He was history’s first recorded multi-genius. He was an ancient African version of Leonardo Da Vinci with better funding and massively more prestige. www.dailyhistory.org/images/a/ad/Imhotep.jpgHe was born during the Old Kingdom in the 27th century B.C. He was the son of a Kemetian architect, Kanofer, and a Kemeian woman named Kheredankhw (or Kherduankh). As his legend grew over the centuries, he was deemed the son of the Egyptian creator god Ptah. By the Ptolemaic period, Imhotep's mother Kherehankhw was also described as semi-divine, the human daughter of the ram god Banebdjedt. Although a commoner, Imhotep was able to rise to the highest levels of Egyptian society through the priesthood. Imhotep was a temple priest, and during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser, became the high priest of the god Ptah (patron of craftsmen and architects). As one whose profession was to discern the will of the gods, Imhotep was chosen as Djoser's vizier as well as chief architect, and to oversee the construction of the Pharaoh’s tomb. The early tombs of the kings of Egypt were mastabas, rectangular structures of dried mud bricks constructed over underground chambers where the dead were placed. When Imhotep began building the Step-Pyramid, he changed the traditional shape of the king's mastaba from a rectangular base to a square one. Why Imhotep decided to change the traditional shape is unknown, but it is possible that he planned a square-based pyramid from the beginning. The early mastaba was built in two stages and, according to Egyptologist Miroslav Verner, "a simple but effective construction method was used. The masonry was laid not vertically but in courses inclined toward the middle of the pyramid, thus significantly increasing its structural stability. The basic material used was limestone blocks, whose form resembled that of large bricks of clay (115-116)." The early mastabas had been decorated with inscriptions and engravings of reeds and Imhotep wanted to continue that tradition. His great, towering mastaba pyramid would have the same delicate touches and resonant symbolism as the more modest tombs which had preceded it and, better yet, these would all be worked in stone instead of dried mud. The monumental burial complex called "The Refreshment of the Gods" included Saqqara's step pyramid, which rose 204 feet (62 meters) high and was the tallest structure of its time. The surrounding complex included a temple, courtyards, shrines, and living quarters for the priests covering an area of 40 acres (16 hectares) and surrounded by a wall 30 feet (10.5 meters) high. The wall had 13 false doors cut into it with only one true entrance cut in the south-east corner; the entire wall was then ringed by a trench 2,460 feet (750 meters) long and 131 feet (40 meters) wide. Inside the main temple are large columns, another innovation. www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/1000x1200/4547.jpg.webp?v=1678072026https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/1000x1200/4547.jpg.webp?v=1678072026 Djoser was so impressed by the scale of Imhotep’s architectural genius that he broke with the ancient tradition that only the Pharaoh’s name appear on his monuments and had Imhotep’s name be inscribed as well. Djoser's high view of his vizier was not just due to his building accomplishments, but for his mystical discernment. When Egypt was stricken with a devastating seven year famine, and the Nile god Khnum appeared to Djoser in a dream and complained that his temple on the island of Elephantine was in disrepair and the people no longer revered him, Djoser consulted Imhotep, who advised him to sail on the Nile to the island to appease Khnum. Djoser went to Elephantine, saw the temple was in ruins, and erected a new temple. Once the temple was complete, the famine ended. The ruins of temple Djoser built can still be seen in our modern era. Upon the death of Djoser, Imhotep served his three successors, Sekhemkhet (c. 2650 BCE), Khaba (c. 2640 BCE), and Huni (c. 2630-2613 BCE). Imhotep was hailed as "prince, royal seal-bearer of the king of Lower Egypt, the high priest of Heliopolis, director of sculptors." But Imhotep’s genius was not confined to the architectural. He was also a physician. He was practiced medicine and writing on the subject 2,200 years before Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, was born. He is generally considered the author of the Edwin Smith Papyrus, the oldest Egyptian medical text, and the oldest know treatise on surgical trauma, which contains almost 100 anatomical terms and describes 48 injuries and their treatment. The text may have been a military field manual and dates to c. 1600 BCE, long after Imhotep's time, but is thought to be a copy of his earlier work. Imhotep’s medical texts are surprisingly modern in their analytical approach, mostly (but not exclusively) avoiding the recourse to magic so common in many medical texts of the ancient world. In the Edwin Smith Papyrus, every injury is described and diagnosed rationally with a following treatment, prognosis, and explanatory notes. Examinations are described along the same lines as a modern-day visit to a doctor. Patients are asked where they are injured/feel pain, the physician then addresses the wound by touching or prodding and questioning the patient. The prognosis given after every entry begins with the phrases "An ailment I will handle" or "An ailment I will fight with" or "An ailment for which nothing can be done" which, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine's article on the subject, "could be seen as the earliest form of medical ethics as an ancient physician would generally refuse to treat a condition he knew was fatal." www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/1000x1200/4542.jpg.webp?v=1702742043The National Library article goes on to observe that these prognoses could also have served as a kind of insurance "when a poor outcome is expected" and would have helped save a physician's reputation if treatment failed to cure the patient. Imhotep’s legend as a healer led to is deificiation, and he was identified by the Greeks with their god of medicine, Asclepius. A temple dedicated to him in Memphis, known as the Asklepion, served as a famous hospital, medical school, and academy of the dark arts. The Greek physician Hippocrates was said to have been inspired by the books in the Asklepion library. Imhotep was also a philosopher, numbered among the seven great sages of Kemet - Hardjedef, Imhotep, Neferty, Khety, Ptahem djehuty, Khakheperresonbe, Ptahhotpe, and Kaires. His utterances and proverbs were revered down until the age of the Romans. In a doorway in the Temple of Ptah, which is part of the much larger Karnak Temple in Luxor, an inscription dated to the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus honors Imhotep as a god. Part of the inscription read: “Hail to you, kind-[hearted] god, Imhotep son of Ptah! Come to your house, your temple in Thebes, may its people see you with joy! Receive what is presented there, inhale the incense, refresh your body with libation!” The emperors Tiberius and Claudius both had their temples inscribed with praise of the god Imhotep. Alas, Imhotep's deification proved to be, ironically, the undoing of much of the memory of his legacy. With the rise of Christianity, his cult declined and his works were mostly forgotten. Therefore, few of his works has survived the ages, but the numerous references and citations to his many works is testament to his immense genius.
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Post by kandace on Feb 4, 2024 22:16:58 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 4, 2024 22:20:51 GMT -5
Ironically, the tomb of Imhotep has yet to be found.
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Post by kandace on Feb 8, 2024 22:40:50 GMT -5
Weni the Elder (circa 2350-2288 B.C.) archive.archaeology.org/0105/abstracts/jpegs/abydos6.jpegWe live in a time when the bureaucrat is scorned. The bureaucrat, once seen as a loyal public servant, is now derided as a self-serving, unproductive minion of the “Deep State, who works to thwart the will of the people. This shift in perception is not unprecedented. The fortunes of bureaucrats have waxed and waned over the millennia throughout numerous civilizations. But a well-developed civilian bureaucracy has been essential for preserving kingdoms and empires throughout the ages. It is no coincidence that two of the longest enduring civilizations, ancient Kemet (Egypt) and China were characterized by strong civilian bureaucracies. Bureaucracies serve to enhance the fortunes of states during times of growth and prosperity and soften the full blows of decline during periods of scarcity and poverty. Ancient Kemet, like virtually all African civilizations, was a theocratic state. The pagan priesthood served as the government ministers and middling to low level public servants. During the sixth dynasty (ca. 2323-2150 B.C.) there arose a man who became the Old Kingdom bureaucrat par excellence: Weni the Elder. Weni, who was also called Uni, arose from common roots. He began his career as custodian of the storehouse in the reign of Teti. In Pepy I’s reign Weni was promoted to Overseer of the Robing Room, a position which would have brought him into direct contact with the king. This position led to increased rank as a Companion and the prestigious position of Inspector of Priests of the pyramid town. The Pharaoh's trust in Weni was such that he was also tasked with a matter of utmost sensitivity -- investigating a crime committed in the royal harem which seemingly implicated the queen herself. As would be expected, this matter was kept so secret that Weni’s autobiography alludes to it in vague terms. As judge he investigated the queen who was apparently suspected of involvement in a conspiracy. Weni was so successful in these offices that Pepy I rewarded him with a limestone sarcophagus, doorposts and lintels for his tomb, and an offering table from Tura, the best quarry in Egypt. Weni rose through the ranks of the military to become commander in chief of the army. He was considered by both his contemporaries and many Egyptologists to have been a brilliant tactician. His victories earned him the privilege of being the first person other than the Pharaoh. Many of his battles were in the Levant and the Sinai. He battled a semi-nomadic Bedouin people known in Ancient Egyptian texts as the "sand-dwellers" in five separate campaigns. He is said to have pursued a group of marauders all the way to Mount Carmel in Canaan. While he was commander in chief of the army, he instituted several key reforms to the military. He began training his troops to have a pre-emptive rather than a defensive posture. Weni introduced Nubian mercenaries in the army for the first time and reorganized the army to control infighting amongst the troops and to minimize uncontrolled pillaging. He recorded his reorganization of the army in great detail and his reforms lasted until the time of the New Kingdom. In the reign of Merenre, Weni was appointed Governor of Upper Egypt. In this position he was responsible for a census, expeditions to quarries, canal construction, and shipbuilding. He also conducted expeditions into Nubia, Kemet's rival. Wen's exceptional upward mobility led to him building two tombs. His earlier, smaller tomb included the shorter Inscription of Weni, sometimes called the Tomb Inscription of Weni. His later, larger tomb included the longer Autobiography of Weni, also sometimes called the Inscription of Weni, or Tomb Inscription of Weni. His later, more detailed tomb inscription is the longest surviving non-religious text from the Old Kingdom. ***********************
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Post by kandace on Feb 8, 2024 22:44:30 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 9, 2024 9:23:42 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 12, 2024 0:47:37 GMT -5
Harkhuf (circa 23??-226?) upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Flickr_-_schmuela_-_IMG_6385.jpg/220px-Flickr_-_schmuela_-_IMG_6385.jpgHarkuf tomb relief upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Harchuf_Schiaparelli_Foto.png/220px-Harchuf_Schiaparelli_Foto.pngHarkhuf (also spelled Herkhuf, Horkhuf, or Hirkhuf) was a Nomarch (governor) of the Nome of Upper Egypt. We know a great deal about Harkuf's career from inscriptions in his tomb at Qubbet el-Hawa on the west bank of the Nile at Aswan, near the First Cataract of the Nile. He was a native of Elephantine. Harkhuf served under kings Merenre I, fourth king of the 6th Dynasty (ca. 2255–2246 B.C.) and Pepi II, the last powerful king of the 6th Dynasty (ca. 2246–2152 B.C.). Harkhuf's tomb inscriptions provide insight into the Kemetian ethos of Ma’at, the philosophy of just balance which guided Ancient Egyptian society. Hence Harkhuf's tomb inscription states "I gave bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, I ferried him who had no boat.” The paganism of Kemet, idol-laden that it was, reserved a concept of a divine judgment. Egyptians had philsophers, but overall had less need for recourse to philosophy than the Greeks, as their religion was more ethical. img.atlasobscura.com/Q7ytS8SuYsSib_eJgp8ZKtQuuiAWolMB1-TXHdUeUQc/rt:fit/w:1280/q:81/sm:1/scp:1/ar:1/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdGxh/cy1kZXYuczMuYW1h/em9uYXdzLmNvbS91/cGxvYWRzL2Fzc2V0/cy9mYzMxM2IwZi0x/OTQzLTQzMzktOGM1/NC1kZTA5MmM0NWVh/YzBhZWMwYWQxZjIz/YjliOGEyNzNfQW1k/dWF0X3dlaWdoaW5n/IG9mIHRoZSBoZWFy/dF9BbW1pdC5qcGc.jpgLike many of the more prominent bureaucrats, he was priest, and like Weni befre him, he became a governor of Upper Egypt. As a youth, he accompanied his father into the upper country, at the request of King Merenre (c.2287-2278 BC). He travelled a great distance to a land called Iyam (or Yam), which likely corresponds to the fertile plain that opens out south of the area of modern Khartoum, where the Blue Nile joins the White. This strategic land was the source and middleman for many precious goods: gold, eboby, ivory, incense, exotic animals. On his second expedition Harkhuf travelled alone, bringing back with him exotic gifts, which must have enhanced his status at court. On his third journey, Harkhuf was entrusted to find the ruler of Iyam, who had gone on a campaign against the southern Libyans, and persuade him to abandon his ambitions. The pharaohs were reluctant to see the expansion of Iyam, which could threaten Egyptian control over the north of Nubia. This may have been the high point of Harkhuf's career, but pride of place in his tomb is given to a letter he received from the new king, a boy known to history as Pepi II. Among the treasures brought back from Africa was a pygmy who could do exotic dances. Harkhuf knew this would delight the young ruler, and the king's letter, also inscribed in the tomb, reflects his excitement: Come north to the residence at once! Hurry and bring with you this pygmy whom you brought from the land of the horizon-dwellers live, hale, and healthy, for the dances of the god, to gladden the heart, to delight the heart of King Neferkare who lives forever! When he goes down with you into the ship, get worthy men to be around him on deck, lest he fall into the water! When he lies down at night, get worthy (20) men to lie around him in his tent. Inspect ten times at night! My majesty desires to see this pygmy more than the gifts of the and of
When you arrive at the residence and this pygmy is with you live, hale, and healthy, my majesty will do great things for you, more than was done for the god’s seal-bearer Bawerded in the time of King Isesi, in accordance with my majesty’s wish to see this pygmy. (25) Orders have been brought to the chief of the new towns and the companion, overseer of priests to command that supplies be furnished from what is under the charge of each from every storage depot and every temple that has not been exempted.
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Post by kandace on Feb 12, 2024 1:01:06 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 13, 2024 22:41:00 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 16, 2024 22:52:39 GMT -5
Ahmose I (C.1549 B.C.-1514 B.C.)
www.egypttoday.com/siteimages/Larg/202212181240504050.jpgtse2.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.W39kZgPI1XJEZuYLMS9HIgHaLs?pid=ImgDet&w=135&h=180&c=7When people think of Nubians invading and ruling Kemet (Egypt), they often think of the 25th Dynasty 744 to 656 BC. Like most knowledge of ancient Kemet, this is incomplete. Nubia dominated part of Egypt (Upper Egypt), centuries earlier, in the troubled Egyptian Second Intermediate Period. The 13th Dynasty was characterized by weakness and decline, and the land increasingly fractured with local rulers rising to prominence. The 14th Dynasty was reduced to ruling over Lower Egypt’s Delta region. Several rulers of this troubled dynasty had Canaanite names, and the most well-documented ruler, Nehesy Aasehre, was a Nubian (Nehesy means “the Nubian). By the 15th Dynasty, the Hysos, so-called “Shepherd Kings” ruled lower Egypt. (Perhaps the ear of Joseph in Genesisi?) Most of Upper Egypt was ruled, directly and indirectly, by Nubia. The Nubians, frequent rivals, and frenemies, and often trusted citizens of Kemet, morphed into being blatant occupiers, as they overran the massive Kemetian fortress complex at Buhen and dominated the and militarily as far as the First Cataract (backstabbing Negroes) How Did the Nubians Impact Ancient Egypt - DailyHistory.org It is possible that the Hyksos were only able to dominate Lower Egypt because Egypt was first overrun by hordes of invading Nubians, bent on plunder. The chaotic Second Intermediate Period marked the high point of Nubian power in the Nile Valley. (Perhaps this was the time of the Iliad when Prince Memnon came to Troy?) However, during this double occupation a lone Kemetian dynasty clung to power in Thebes, where they patiently bided their time. From this dynasty would spring one of the greatest of the rulers of Kemet, Ahmose I, founder of the 18th Dynasty and founder of the New Kingdom era. Ahmose I, whose name means “son of the moon” was the son of 17th Dynasty Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao and Queen Ahhotep I. His father began the campaign to oust the Hyksos from Lower Egypt, and his damaged mummy indicates that he fell in battle. Ahmose's brother, Kamose, likewise fell in battle, reigning a short three years. Ahmost I ascended to the throne at the age of 10, but his mother Queen Ahhotep functioned as his regent until he came of age. Circa his 15th rengal year, Ahmose launched a series of campaigns against the Hyksos, focusing on their capital city, Avaris, in the northeastern Nile Delta. Once triumphant in the Delta, he attacked the Hyksos in their homeland of Canaan, focusing on their stronghold in Sharuhen near Gaza. Ahmose laid waste to many of the towns and cities in Canaan. He was not interested in conquest so much as extermination. (Was this the rise of the Pharaoh who "knew not Joseph" as described in Exodus?) Once the Hyksos were crushed, he turned his attention to campaigns against Syria, reaching Djahy in the Levant by his 22nd regnal year. He would reach the outskirts of what was likely Byblos. Ahmose I did not neglect the troublesome Nubians, and undertook three campaigns against them which ended in Nubian subjugation. Once triumphant, Ahmose set about the work of restoring unity throughout Uppper and Lower Egypt. He apportioned a tenth of all revenue derived from the gold and silver of Nubia, the cedar from Byblos, and the turquoise mines of Sinai, to the construction of temples to the gods. The Tura limestone quarries were reopened to provide building material for monuments, and the difficult task of hauling the massive rocks was undertaken through the use of Asiatic cattle from Phoenicia. Pyramids were once again built in Kemet. (However, his pyramid today lies in ruins). However, this construction effort began late in his reign and would be finished by his son and successor Ahmenhotep I. Thebes was once again the political capital of a unified Kemet. It was also made the religious capital as well. Ahmose I credited the local Theban god Amun with inspiring his victories over the Hyksos, and the previous cult of Ra based in Heliopolis declined. A profound militarism and imperialism arose within Kemet, which had not been present to such an extent before. It was a short-term renewal in the midst of a long-term decline.
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Post by kandace on Feb 16, 2024 23:17:01 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 16, 2024 23:31:42 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 19, 2024 0:05:09 GMT -5
Hatshepsut (r. 1479-1458 BCE) upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Seated_Statue_of_Hatshepsut_MET_Hatshepsut2012.jpgHatshepsut, whose name means “first among noble women” is often cited as the first female Pharaoh. This is a somewhat dubious claim, as it seems that there was actually another female Pharaoh over three and a half centuries prior to her, Sobeknefru, whose depiction wearing male regalia and male royal titles indicate that she reigned as a full-fledged Pharaoh and not a regent or queen-successor. However, Sobeknefru ruled for a brief four years (1806-1802 B.C.) , leaving relatively few monuments, and she Was the last pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty, with no successors to record her achievements, so she is often overlooked and ignored. Hatshepsut, on the other hand, was not a woman who could be ignored. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I (r. 1520-1492 BCE) by his Great Wife Ahmose. Thutmose I also fathered Thutmose II by his secondary wife Mutnofret. In keeping with Kemetian royal tradition, Thutmose II was married to Hatshepsut at some point before she was 20 years old. During this same time, Hatshepsut was elevated to the position of god's wife of Amun, the highest honor a woman could attain in Egypt after the position of queen. Amun was the patron deity of the 18th Dynasty which ousted the Hyksos from Lower Egypt and reunited Egypt under one ruler. Ahmose I, founder of the 18th Dynasty, attributed his success in battle to Amun, and elevated his worship such that he became the most popular god at Thebes and, in time, came to be seen as the creator god and king of the gods. In her role as this god's wife, Hatshepsut would have been considered his consort and would have presided over his festivals. This would have essentially elevated her to the status of a divine being in that it would have been her role to sing and dance for the god at the beginning of festivals to arouse him for the creative act; by engaging directly with the god, she would have taken on an elevated status. Hatshepsut and Thutmose II had a daughter, Neferu-Ra, while Thutmose II fathered a son with his lesser wife Isis. This son was Thutmose III who was named his father's successor. Thutmose II died while Thutmose III was still a child and so Hatshepsut became regent, controlling the affairs of state until Thutmose III came of age. In the seventh year of her regency, though, she changed the rules and had herself crowned pharaoh of Kemet. She took on all the royal titles and names which she had inscribed using the feminine grammatical form but had herself depicted as a male pharaoh. This did not mean that she viewed herself as a man. Rather, it was an acknowledgment that the office of Pharaoh was deemed to be an inherently masculine office, and any woman who occupied it was deemed to be a symbolic man. This concept would echo through the millennia in African societies, such that the 17th century African ruler Nzinga of Ndongo would wear men's clothing when ruling during times of war. Of course, her subjects knew Hatshepsut was a woman, as a rather risqué pornographic graffiti sketch showing her having intercourse with a male lover demonstrates. Hatshepsut undertook numerous projects to bolster peace and prosperity within Kemet. First and foremost she sought to strengthen and/or re-establish trade links that had languished due to the wars against the Hyksos. She dispatched a trading expedition to the land of Punt (likely current Somalia), a place no Kemetian trtading expedition had been in nearly 500 years, which brought back exotic woods and spices, chief among them frankincense and myrrh, which were key ingredients in the incense the Kemetians burned during their religious cultic rituals. imgc.allpostersimages.com/img/posters/papyrus-depicting-voyage-of-hatshepsut-to-punt-reconstruction-of-relief-at-dayr-al-bahri-temple_u-L-POUAIX0.jpg?h=550&p=0&w=550&background=ffffffmedia.istockphoto.com/photos/temple-of-hatshepsut-punt-expedition-picture-id645165750?k=6&m=645165750&s=170667a&w=0&h=3hqQ64aND-LEss_SRT5fq7RqGIYBYvopmtrZm5Q18aY=th.bing.com/th/id/R.7f040544b1b05bf7e21418908ec52c63?rik=2waCq3h0ASQR%2bw&riu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.ancient-egypt-online.com%2fimages%2fpunt.jpg&ehk=oeVEyd6FAPWYuyDdYCW5zts2KArt%2bfMZUBHMaSZ4vEU%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&sres=1&sresct=1Bolstered by the success of the Punt Expedition, she also sent expeditions to Sinai and Byblos. Hatshepsut was a prolific builder, commissioning hundreds of building projects throughout Upper and Lower Egypt. She built on a brander scale than any Pharaoh before her, and only Ramses II (1279 -1213 B.C.) would exceed her scale. If you have been to a museum with an Egyptian exhibit, you will likely have seen some artifact from her era. She erected two obelisks to the entrance of the Temple of Karnak, one of which remains u[right and is the second tallest ancient obelisk still standing. She also led military campaigns against foes in Canaan and Nubia. She was also a prolific propagandist. Ever mindful of her precarious position as a woman in a strongly patriarchal culture, she hatched a shrewd plan to cement her claim to the throne: she claimed divinity. On her temple walls she ordered carvings that told how the god Amun had taken on her father's appearance on the day she was conceived. This effectively made Hatshepsut the daughter of the chief of all Egyptian gods. After 22 years of reign, Hatshepsut died and her stepson, Tuthmosis III, finally gained the throne that had been rightfully his for decades. Years later, her name and image be removed from every part of Egypt. Hatshepsut was totally erased from Egyptian history until 1903, when British archaeologist Howard Carter found her tomb and her story was rediscovered for the first time in 3,500 years. The reasons for this erasure are not known, and although traditionally the Pharaoh Thutmose III has ben blamed for this erasure, it seems as if the vast majority of the erasure was the work of Amenhotep II, the son and successor of Thutmose III.
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Post by kandace on Feb 19, 2024 0:24:38 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 20, 2024 22:38:10 GMT -5
Thutmose III (r. 1457-1425)
cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/statue-thutmose-iii-egyptian-pharaoh-cartouche.jpg?width=1400&quality=70Thutmose III was the sixth ruler of the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. He was the son of Thutmose II (1492-1479 BCE) by a lesser wife named Iset. Thutmose II's great royal wife was Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BCE), who was appointed regent to the young Thutmose III upon the death of his father. Hatshepsut, however, broke with the tradition which insisted on a male pharaoh and assumed the position herself. However, Hatshepsut was no stereotypical evil stepmother. During her reign she ensured that the young prince received the best education possible, as befitted his royal status. The elite education system of ancient Kemet, which inspired the philosophical academies of Classical Greece, is the intellectual foundation of our system of Liberal Arts. The Princes' School was the apex of this system. It was open to the boys of the noble birth (no girls) with a few promising commoners also being admitted. Younger students were trained in math and writing. Older students received training in reading, history, math, and writing. Math was based on a decimal system and included arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, and science, as well as medicine and music. Students were taught the precepts of justice, integrity, and truth so that they could acquire wisdom. In contrast to ancient Greece, philosophy was not a separate profession in ancient Egypt so there was no separate training for it. Rather, the philosophies were taught in conjunction with religion and morals and all students were expected to both know and practice philosophical precepts. As the ancient Egyptians were pagan polytheists, and there was no concept of secular education or government, their curriculum was suffused with religious precepts. Despite this, the wisdom of Kemet was spoken of with respect in the Bible, and Moses, who was reared by Pharaoh's daughter, received a princely education, and was described as having been "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds." Acts 7:22. Thutmose also received extensive military training, particularly in archery and horsemanship. During Hatshepsut's reign, the young Thutmose entered the army and rose through the ranks until he became the chief military commander of the Kemetian army. Upon the death of his stepmother, he assumed the throne, but was quickly tested by the Levantine Vassal city of Kadesh, whose rulers decided that this young whipper snapper could be pushed around, incited a revolt in Canaan. The rebel coalition quickly grew to encompass most of Canaan and parts of Syria. The rebel armies gathered at the Canaanite city of Megiddo. Big mistake. Thutmose III decided that the rebel upstarts needed to be taught a very serious lesson. So, he gathered his army and matched forth to war. cdn.britannica.com/88/188-050-E0532C6F/Sites-times-Predynastic-Egypt.jpgThutmose III's commander and military scribe Tjaneni (also given as Thanuny, c. 1455 BCE) naturally accompanied his king on the campaign to put down the revolt and kept a journal detailing the engagement. Tjaneni's account so pleased Thutmose III that he had portions of it inscribed on the walls of the great Temple of Amun at Karnak and, to lesser extents, elsewhere. Tjaneni's report is among the most detailed of any campaign in Egypt's history including that of Ramesses II's famous account of The Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE. Below is an excerpt from the account: His majesty commanded that the victories which his father Amun had given to him should be established upon a monument in the temple which his majest had made for his father Amun, in order to set down each individual campaign together with the booty which his majesty carried off from it and the dues of every foreign country which his father Ra had given to him.
Year 22, 4th month of the second season, day 25 [possibly 16 April 1457 BCE]. His majesty passed the fortress of Sile [on the Egyptian frontier] on the first campaign of victory which his majesty made to extend the frontiers of Egypt, in valor, in victory, in power, and in justification. Now this was a long time in years…while every man was tributary before Egypt. But it happened in later times that the garrison which was there was in the town of Sharuhen while from Iursa to the outer ends of the earth [from southern Canaan to northern Syria] had become rebellious against his majesty.
(The army marched at a rate of 150 miles in 10 days to reach Gaza where they rested. They then moved on to the town of Yehem near Aruna where Thutmose III called a council of his commanders. There were three ways the army could travel to Megiddo: a narrow path where the troops would have to march single-file, a road to the south, and another to the north both of which were wider and would allow for an easier movement of the army. Thutmose III had decided on the narrow road from Aruna; his generals wanted to go by either of the two other easier routes).
His majesty ordered a conference with his victorious army, speaking as follows:
"That wretched enemy of Kadesh has come and has entered into Megiddo. He there at this very moment. He has gathered to him the princes of every foreign country which had been loyal to Egypt, as well as those as far as Naharin and Mitanni, them of Hurru, them of Kode, their horses, their armies, and their people, for he says – so it is reported - 'I shall wait here in Megiddo to fight against his majesty'. Will you tell me what is in your hearts?"
They said in the presence of his majesty: "What is it like to go on this road which becomes so narrow? It is reported that the foe is there, waiting on the outside, while they are becoming more numerous. Will not horse have to go after horse and the army and the people similarly? Will the vanguard of us be fighting while the rear guard is waiting here in Aruna unable to fight? Now, two other roads are here. One of the roads – behold, it is to the east of us, so that it comes out at Taanach. The other – behold, it is to the north side of Djefti, and we will come out to the north of Megiddo. Let our victorious lord proceed on the one of them which is satisfactory to his heart but do not make us go on that difficult road!"
Then messages were brought in about that wretched enemy and discussion was continued of that problem on which they had previously spoken. That which was said in the majesty of the Court – life, prosperity, health
"I swear, as Ra loves me, as my father Amun favors me, as my nostrils are rejuvenated with life and satisfaction, my majesty shall proceed upon this Aruna road! Let him of you who wishes go upon these roads of which you speak and let him of you who wishes come in the following of my majesty! 'Behold', they will say, these enemies whom Ra abominates, 'has his majesty set out on another road because he has become afraid of us?' – So they will speak."
They said in the presence of his majesty:
"May thy father Amun, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands, Presiding over Karnak, act according to thy desire! Behold, we are following they majesty everywhere that thy majesty goes, for a servant will be after his lord."
Then his majesty laid a charge upon the entire army:
"Ye shall hold fast to the stride of your victorious lord on that road which becomes so narrow. Behold, his majesty has taken an oath, saying: 'I will not let my victorious army go forth ahead of my majesty in this place!'"
Now, his majesty had laid it in his heart that he himself should go forth at the head of his army. Every man was made aware of his order of march, horse following horse, while his majesty was at the head of his army.
(The army traveled by the narrow road from Aruna to Megiddo. The men marched in single-file, leading the horses. The chariots were dismantled and carried by the soldiers. Although reports had been received that the enemy would be waiting for them at the end of the narrow road, they found no one there. The coalition expected Thutmose III to take either of the easier paths and were actually waiting for him at the end of those roads.)
Then his majesty issued forth [from the narrow road] at the head of his army which was prepared in many ranks. He had not met a single enemy. Their southern wing was in Taanach while their northern wing was on the south side of the Qina valley. Then his majesty rallied [his troops] saying: "They are fallen! While that wretched enemy [watched for us in the wrong place, we have arrived to surprise them.] May ye give praise to Amun; may he extol the might of his majesty, because his arm is greater than that of any king. It has indeed protected the rear of his majesty's army in Aruna!"
Now while the rear of his majesty's victorious army was still at the town of Aruna, the vanguard had come out into Qina Valley and they filled the mouth of this valley.
*************************************************** www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/1000x1200/6906.jpg.webp?v=1656410643In the wake of his victory at Megiddo, ports on the Phoenician coast were converted into Egyptian supply bases, and Kadesh and other cities in Al-Biqāʿ (Bekaa) valley were taken. Thutmose’s victory at Megiddo provided him with control over the strategic trade routes of the ancient near east. Syrian princes sent him tribute, along with their young sons as hostages. Kemet’s victpory resonated beyond the Euphrates, as Assyrian, Babylonian, and Hittite kings sent Thutomse gifts, This campaign drastically changed the political situation in the ancient Near East. By taking Megiddo, Thutmose gained control of all of northern Canaan and the Syrian princes were obligated to send tribute and their own sons as hostages to Egypt.Beyond the Euphrates, the Assyrian, Babylonian and Hittite kings all gave Thutmose gifts, which he alleged to be "tribute" when he recorded it on the walls of Karnak The only noticeable absence is Mitanni, which would bear the brunt of the following Egyptian campaigns into Western Asia.
All in all, Thutmose III launched at least 16 military campaigns including those in Palestine, Syria, Nubia and in Mesopotamia. His use of sea transport, cavalry, and overall logistics was highly innovative. He never lost a battle. Thutmose II's most audacious campaign occurred in the 33rd year of his reign --- an attack on the kingdom of Mitanni itself, which had grown stronger since the day when Thutmose I had taken its army by surprise. Thutmose shrewdly planned the campaign; pontoon boats were transported across Syria on oxcarts for the crossing of the Euphrates River. The ensuing encounter, which must have taken place on the eastern bank, is not described by the annalist; it resulted in the precipitate flight of the Mitannian king and the capture of 30 members of his harem and some hundreds of his soldiers. Triumphantly, Thutmose set up his commemorative inscription by the river’s edge, next to that of his grandfather Thutmose I. It was his farthest point of advance. On the homeward journey he hunted elephant in the land of Niy, in the Orontes valley, and on his return he celebrated a great triumph at Thebes and dedicated prisoners and booty to the temple of the state god, Amon. The Egyptian Empire was at its apex under Thutmose III. cdn.britannica.com/02/106602-050-9C94E7E2/empire-rule-Egyptian-Thutmose-III.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=cropWealth poured into the royal coffers from huis many conquests, and Thutmose lavished spending on monuments and temples, but also on education, as schools were inked with temples. He was a patron of craftsmanship, and during his reign the art of glassmaking was advanced. He broke with established architectural precedent --- his use of pillars was unprecedented. He built Egypt's only known set of heraldic pillars, two large columns standing alone instead of being part of a set supporting the roof. His jubilee hall was also revolutionary and is likely the earliest known building created in the basilica style. Thutmose's artisans achieved new heights of skill in painting, and tombs from his reign were the earliest to be entirely painted instead of painted reliefs. Thutmose's artisans used their newly refined glass making skills, developed in the early 18th Dynasty, to create drinking vessels by the core-formed method. *****************
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Post by kandace on Feb 20, 2024 22:49:13 GMT -5
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Post by kandace on Feb 21, 2024 23:20:27 GMT -5
Kashta (circa 800-747 B.C.)The Nile Valley's rival kingdoms, Kemet (Egypt) and Kush (Nubia) engaged in a brutal sibling rivalry which spanned millennia. When Kemet was weak, Kush would invade. When Kush was weak, Kemet would invade. It was a cycle. Beginning with the reign of Hatshepsut and then completed under the reign of Thutmose III, Nubia was subjugated and forced into being a conquered province of Egypt. With this conquest, the rcihes of Nubia, gold, ivory, spices, animal skins, etc, fflowed into Egyptian coffers. tse2.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.BM5TLw1fQVZbfkz8PgtIVgHaFR?pid=ImgDet&w=254&h=170.03654485049833&c=7Nubian soldiers filled the ranks of the Egyptian army. i.pinimg.com/736x/af/e3/e0/afe3e0ed9e2b88df5a8f47d7de805a35.jpg The massive, strategic Nile fortress of Buhen was fully staffed, with loyal soldiers. wildfiregames.com/forum/uploads/monthly_2017_01/egypte-bouhen-forteresse-bouhen.jpg.0409e3a8d1e0c32c8b9abc4eb10991ab.jpg As is often the case with conquest, the vanquished emulated the culture of their masters. There was a major shift in Nubian funerary practices. No longer flexed and laid on beds, bodies were now extended and often buried in coffins of mummiform shape with face or coffin masks like the ones in the New Kingdom and Napatan case. Egyptian jewelry was placed on the bodies and the furnishings of the graves were almost identical to those in Egypt, including items of daily life, ushebtis, and canopic jars. However, human remains from the burials are too fragmentary to indicate whether bodies had been mummified. Pyramids also began to be constructed in Nubia, albeit they were modeled after small, steep-sided pyramids often used for private tombs in Egypt. After the Egyptian conquest, such pyramids, made of mud brick, soon appeared in several cemeteries in northern Nubia and also farther south at Napata. Chapels associated with the pyramids were decorated with tomb scenes in Egyptian style. Hundreds of years later, when Ku****e kings ruled both Nubia and Egypt, their royal pyramids were also erected at Napata. But, in the passage of time, the inevitable decline began to afflict proud Kemet. With wealth came complacency and greed, and the wealth derived from and magnified by slavery, once marginal to the old economy, brought the inevitable corruption of morals. A society that boasted of its piousness and justice began to be characterized increasingly by pride, militarism, and oppression. Teh ever darkening spiritual effects of paganism banished the once common belief in a supreme Creator who demanded moral accountability. Hatred of foreigners became more pronounced, as oppression of them intensified. The once unified land became fractured, and dissension undermined national unity. (The Exodus, often dismissed as myth, cannot be discounted as an accelerant in Kemet's decline). So, by 1000 B.C., the Egyptian bonds on Egypt began to loosen, and the princes of Nubia, although heavily Egyptianized, began to slowly assert their independence. Around 760 B.C., Kashta assumed the throne of a unified, independent Nubia. He ruled Nubia from Napata, which is 400 km north of Khartoum, the modern capital of Sudan. Building upon the political influence of his predecessor, Alara, who had projected Nubian influence tinto Upper Egypt, he consolidated Nubian control over Upper Egypt by managing to install his daughter, Amenirdis I, as the presumptive god's Wife of Amun in Thebes in line to succeed the serving Divine Adoratrice of Amun, Shepenupet I, Pharaoh Osorkon III's daughter. This development officially legitimized the Ku****e takeover of the Thebaid region, the spiritual and political heartland of all Egypt. isac.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/images/archive/museum/nubia/14681.jpgWith this maneuver, which brought about the largely peaceful Ku****e domination of Kemet, Kashta founded the illustrious 25th Dynasty of ancient Kemet.
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