Lost Knowledge and Forbidden Secrets in Ancient Egypt

By EZRA IVANOV

We are not including in our history the stories of Herodotus and certain other writers who deliberately chose fables over facts and spun yarns for amusement only. We will, however, outline what the priests of Egypt wrote in their sacred records, which we have examined minutely and thoroughly.

The author describes an arcane doctrine believed lost to time. It may be based on events that occurred more than 3,000 years ago, but Khaemwas still evokes the mystic heritage of Egypt. Traditional spiritual practices have always given people insight into their environments and allowed them to live harmoniously with them despite hardships that can only be imagined. Despite advancements in science and technology, we do not seem to be as equipped in the modern age. Undoubtedly, this is why we look to pass cultures such as Egypt for the elusive insights and powers we miss. We are like Khaemwas in many ways. We want to comprehend the mysteries of daily life and discover the source of all wisdom. Egypt's mystic heritage continues to attract our attention for these reasons.

So many ancients spoke of a legacy. What is it? Egyptian legends freely circulated among travelers, as noted by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (60 B.C.E. ). Furthermore, the temples and tombs were regularly documented with similar stories. Some legends spoke of their gods, royal figures, sages, and adventurers who embodied the natural and supernatural forces of the world around them. A great deal of the information was gleaned from ancient texts.

Yet they differed from myths of other cultures, including Greek myths, which viewed it as a symbol of natural phenomena or metaphor for the universe rather than a factual narrative. Ancient Egyptians were not so rigid in their philosophical thinking; they made no distinction between myth and legend. Chronicles they inherited from Antiquity were believed to be actual events, either during a historical time when their gods inhabited the Earth or in a dimension they called "timeless time," when human beings had direct access to divine powers. Because legends gave meaning and purpose to the past, present, and future, they were vital and practical.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DTTV PUBLICATIONS
• Release date: May 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201248734

Book preview

Ezra Ivanov

We are not including in our history the stories of Herodotus and certain other writers who deliberately chose fables over facts and spun yarns for amusement only. We will, however, outline what the priests of Egypt wrote in their sacred records, which we have examined minutely and thoroughly.

The author describes an arcane doctrine believed lost to time. It may be based on events that occurred more than 3,000 years ago, but Khaemwas still evokes the mystic heritage of Egypt. Traditional spiritual practices have always given people insight into their environments and allowed them to live harmoniously with them despite hardships that can only be imagined. Despite advancements in science and technology, we do not seem to be as equipped in the modern age. Undoubtedly, this is why we look to pass cultures such as Egypt for the elusive insights and powers we miss. We are like Khaemwas in many ways. We want to comprehend the mysteries of daily life and discover the source of all wisdom. Egypt's mystic heritage continues to attract our attention for these reasons.

So many ancients spoke of a legacy. What is it? Egyptian legends freely circulated among travelers, as noted by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (60 B.C.E. ). Furthermore, the temples and tombs were regularly documented with similar stories. Some legends spoke of their gods, royal figures, sages, and adventurers who embodied the natural and supernatural forces of the world around them. A great deal of the information was gleaned from ancient texts.

Yet they differed from myths of other cultures, including Greek myths, which viewed it as a symbol of natural phenomena or metaphor for the universe rather than a factual narrative. Ancient Egyptians were not so rigid in their philosophical thinking; they made no distinction between myth and legend. Chronicles they inherited from Antiquity were believed to be actual events, either during a historical time when their gods inhabited the Earth or in a dimension they called timeless time, when human beings had direct access to divine powers. Because legends gave meaning and purpose to the past, present, and future, they were vital and practical.

Egypt's narrative legacy goes far beyond its creation of the material world and the exploits of its gods. They consist of the canons of their art, architecture, language, and ritual - the foundation of a culture that sustained itself for thousands of years. This is probably the most significant element of the Egyptian legacy because it seems to have defined the society's overall goals and mandates - From farmworkers and fishermen to scribes and temple priestesses, All temporal power ultimately rests with the Royal House. The fusion of spirituality and science created a body of metaphysical knowledge that laid the foundation for Egyptian civilization.

Could this wisdom be retrieved? The Egyptian literary heritage has provided answers to this question over the centuries. According to the ancient Egyptians, there was no rift between the divine and mundane spheres. They regarded the secular as a reflection of the divine; the natural world, including natural phenomena and animal kingdoms, was regarded as a reflection of the divine; everything in it was divine by nature. Humans, trees, stars, wind, and storms were manifestations of the gods, but these living things also possessed their own identities. Egyptian philosophy indisputably reflected this doctrine despite its thousands of years of existence. This immanence of divinity in nature is described in a sacred text from Rameses II:

Shu represents air, Neheh represents rain, and Ra represents the primordial ocean.

Asar's soul is a ram, and Sobek's soul is a crocodile.

Every God's soul resides in a serpent; the soul of Ra can be found throughout the land.

The Celestial Cow Book, Dynasty 19

A holistic approach to one's spiritual identity involved unifying oneself with the gods and the natural world. Furthermore, the unity of the lifestreams, drawn together by divine vitality, is described in many ancient sacred texts found in temples, tombs, and ancient papyri, and they provide many details about this doctrine. Inscriptions from early funerary inscriptions summarize these associations succinctly:

I am Asar whether I live or die.

By entering you and appearing through you,

You decay in me, spring from me, descend in me and rest by my side. I am the God; I am the Earth.

The emmer that sustains the exalted ones makes me live and grow.

Item #330 in the Coffin Text

In a form associated most with Egypt's sacred rituals, maintaining the unity created by these relationships occupied all members of Egyptian society. Through thousands of years of recorded history, this activity has been performed by a prescribed canon at all social levels. Consistency and continuity were based on the belief that their rituals were recreations of the divine acts before life began. Although these beliefs were fundamental to their worldview, their mandate was equally important. Additionally, the performance of rites was viewed as a high calling as well as a spiritual exchange offering countless benefits to the participants:

Salutations to the prophets, the divine fathers, the priests, and the lectors who enter Amun's temple. We pray:

Through the rites and offerings, Through the service of the priest of the month,

You will have a life thanks