Gebel Silsila

Gebel Silsila is the name given to a rocky gorge between Kom Ombo and Edfu where the River Nile narrows and high sandstone cliffs come right down to the water’s edge. There was probably a series of rapids here in ancient times, dangerous to navigate, which naturally formed a frontier between the regions of Elephantine (Aswan) and Edfu. In Pharaonic times the river here was known as Khennui, the ‘place of rowing’. On the West bank there is a tall column of rock which has been dubbed ‘The Capstan’ because of a local legend which claims there was once a chain (Silsila in Arabic) which ran from the East to the West Banks. Arthur Weigall in his ‘Antiquities of Egypt’ states that the name Silsileh, is a Roman corruption of the original Egyptian name for the town, Khol-Khol, meaning a barrier or frontier.

It is hardly surprising that by Dynasty XVIII, travellers had developed the custom of carving small shrines into the cliffs here, dedicating them to a variety of Nile gods and to the river itself. Smaller shrines were cut by Tuthmose I, Hatshepsut and Tuthmose III, before Horemheb constructed his rock-cut temple here, then many of the Dynasty XIX or later kings left their mark in some way. Gebel Silsila became an important cult centre and each year at the beginning of the season of inundation offerings and sacrifices were made to the gods associated with the Nile to ensure the country’s wellbeing for the coming year.

On both banks of the Nile the massive quarries produced the sandstone needed for the prolific construction of monuments during Dynasty XVIII, at first in small quantities and as the skills of the workmen grew, the stone was more extensively quarried to build great monuments such as the colonnade of Amenhotep III at Luxor, the Karnak Temple of Amenhotep IV, the Ramesseum and Medinet Habu, to name but a few. By Ptolemaic times most of the Upper Egyptian temples contained monuments built from Gebel Silsila sandstone. Because of the sanctity of the site, the sandstone was considered to have an extra holiness.
Gebel Silsila West
The steep sandstone cliffs of the West Bank are cluttered with grafitti, shrines and stelae, including 33 rock chapels. Dynasty XVIII saw the construction of shrines by Tuthmose I, Hatshepsut, Tuthmose III and Horemheb and in Dynasty XIX, Rameses II, Merenptah, Siptah, Seti II, Rameses III and Rameses V had elaborate stelae carved on the rocks. Seti I left an inscribed Hymn to the Nile and inaugurated two festivals, which were continued to be endowed by Rameses II and Merenptah.

The most prominent deity depicted here appears to be Sobek the crocodile god, ‘Lord of Khennui’, who with Haroeris (Horus the Elder) is one of the twin gods of Kom Ombo. Hapi as god of the Nile also received a large share of offerings. The site’s proximity to Aswan meant that the Triad of Elephantine, Khnum, Satet and Anuket were worshipped here. Tauret the hippopotamus goddess is also featured at Gebel Silsila, especially in the Speos of Horemheb.

Towards the southern end of the west bank of the river, three shrines were constructed by Merenptah, Rameses II and Seti I (from north to south), with a quay in front of them, but Seti’s shrine and the quay were destroyed by an earthquake. These shrines can now only easily be reached by boat. A little further north, sheer quarried rock faces that look like sliced blocks of cheese, contain mason’s marks, artisans’ drawings and other evidence of ancient workings. A rock-cut staircase leads hopefully up one side of these cliffs, only to vanish at the top leaving you stranded.

 Further north, the visitor can see the majority of rock-shrines, some with elaborate chapels containing statues of the owners and with beautiful decorated ceilings. Many of these shrines have been damaged by quarrying or earthquakes and are now open to the elements, but they can be seen from the wide path that runs along the river bank. The shrines belong to high officials, priests, royal scribes and nobles of the time. There is also a Dynasty XVIII tomb belonging to Sennefer, a libation priest from Thebes who was buried here with his wife Hatshepsut. The tomb is now open to the sky, and the remains of five seated statues as well as hieroglyphic inscriptions can be seen, close to the water’s edge.

At the northern extent of the quarries there are three large rock-stelae carved for Rameses V, Shoshenq I and Rameses III (from north to south). The stele of Rameses V, one of his largest known monuments, contains an inscription dedicated to Amun-Re, Mut, Khons and Sobek-Re of Khennui. Shoshenq’s stela tells of how the king quarried here for his building works at Karnak in year 21 of his reign. On the stele of Rameses III, the king is seen offering a statue of ma’at to Amun-Re, Mut and Khons.
The Speos of Horemheb
Horemheb was the last king of Dynasty XVIII and he carved a much larger rock-chapel, or speos, out of the hillside at the northern end of the site. The chapel was dedicated to Amun-Re as well as other deities that were connected to the River Nile.

The monument consists of a façade of five doorways separated by pillars of differing widths, behind which is a long transverse hall with vaulted roof and a smaller oblong chamber, the sanctuary, to the rear. All the walls are covered in reliefs and inscriptions, in some places quite damaged, but in others there are some very fine high quality reliefs. Horemheb himself never finished the speos, and the decoration was later completed by subsequent kings and nobles who carved their own stelae and inscriptions on the walls.

The deities depicted on the walls, besides Amun-re, are Sobek in the form of a crocodile, the ram-headed god Khnum of the First Cataract, Satet of Elephantine, Anuket, goddess of Sehel, Tauret as a hippopotamus and Hapi, god of the Nile. As well as those of Horemheb, cartouches of Rameses II, Merenptah, Amenemesse, Seti II, Siptah and Rameses III appear in the reliefs.

On the southern end wall, the benevolent goddess Tauret is seen in rare human form, suckling the young King Horemheb. Behind her is a damaged figure of Khnum and to her left, Amun-Re and Sobek of Kennui.

The western wall depicts one of the most noted reliefs of Horemheb, the king’s ‘Triumphal Procession’ after his victory in Nubia. Horemheb is shown seated on a portable lion-chair which is carried by twelve soldiers wearing plumes of feathers. At the front and back of the king are his fan-bearers, protecting Pharaoh from the sun. His entourage include rows of priests, soldiers, a trumpeter and several groups of captured prisoners, all depicted in a very natural style, almost echoing some of the Amarna Period reliefs. The inscription above the king extols his victory over the people of Kush.

Another important relief here depicts a list of four Heb-sed festivals of Rameses II in the 30th, 34th, 37th and 40th years of his reign, which were supervised by his eldest son, Prince Khaemwaset. This prince, renowned for his priestly wisdom as well as his restoration works, appears in several places in the chapel, along with his mother Queen Asetnefert and Princess Bentanta, as well as other favoured officials of the reign. Khaemwaset presumably died before the 42nd jubilee of Rameses II was celebrated at Gebel Silsila as this was conducted by the Vizier Khay, who also has a presence in the speos. Merenptah, the son and successor of Rameses II is depicted on a stele with his wife Asetnefert and his Vizier Panehesy adoring Amun-Re and Mut.

On the northern end wall there is a niche with six figures cut in high relief, depicting (from west to east) the Vizier Panehesy, the goddess Ma’at, a male relation Amennakht, a female relation ‘Songstress of Hathor’, the god Ptah and finally Ra’y, a female relation with the title ‘Songstress of Re’. This is a rare relief where a private family is seen in the presence of the gods. Many other stelae and reliefs line the walls of the hall, giving the names of Dynasty XIX kings and their officials.

The sanctuary to the rear of the vaulted hall contains seven very damaged figures which are said to depict Sobek, Tauret, Mut, Amen-Re, Khons, Horemheb and Thoth. The side walls show a wide variety of gods and demi-gods, while the walls inside the doorway have reliefs of the Elephantine Triad, Khnum, Satet and Anuket as well as Osiris and the scorpion goddess Selkhet. Tauret presides over a symbolical representation of the union of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Gebel Silsila East
The east bank of the Nile contains the more spectacular quarries of Gebel Silsila which were most exploited during the New Kingdom, particularly under Rameses II, who employed three thousand workers to cut stone for the construction of the Ramesseum on the west bank at Thebes. Many shrines and stelae were cut into the rock here too and the names of kings who worked the quarries are attested by their officials who gave detailed accounts of their work.

The inscription on a large stele of Amenhotep III records the transport of stone for the construction of a temple of Ptah. His son Amenhotep IV, who later became Akhenaten, also has a stele here on which he worships Amun and records that he quarried stone for an obelisk to be erected in his Temple of the Sun at Karnak. Stelae of Seti I and King Apries can also be seen. Among the grottos and shelves of quarried sandstone, several unfinished sphinxes remain, of both the ram and human-headed variety, forever rooted to the bedrock. At the foot of the hills, there are a number of small rock-cut tombs. Rameses II built a temple at Gebel Silsila East, but this has now been destroyed.

Unfortunately, the east bank quarries are now officially closed to visitors without special permission.

American Drugs in Egyptian Mummies

Offering pipes at Dendera:

The following pictures are from Dendera and are described as 'offering's'.

The importance of these 'offerings' is evident in their presence, perhaps they were used as a means of communicating with the higher self...

It is clear from the images that these 'offerings' were being inhaled, which opens a topic of conversation rarely covered in archaeological text books, namely that several Egyptian mummies have been found to contain traces of cocaine. The sanctity and importance of such a place as the temple of Hathor at Denderra suggests that this practice of inhaling such 'offerings' may have been an important part of the priesthood rituals.

Although this by no means proves that this is what we are looking at here, we are offered a possibly valuable insight into the mind of the Egyptian priest.

German scientist Svetla Balabanova (1992) and two of her colleagues reported findings of cocaine, hashish and nicotine in Egyptian mummies. The findings were immediately identified as improbable on the grounds that two of the substances were known to be derived only from American plants - cocaine from Erythroxylon coca, and nicotine from Nicotiana tabacum. The suggestion that such compounds could have found their way to Egypt before Columbus' discovery of America seemed patently impossible. 

Of the nine mummies evaluated, all showed signs of cocaine and hashish Tetrahydrocannabinol), whereas all but one sampled positive for nicotine. It is interesting too that the concentrations of the compounds suggest uses other than that of abuse. (For example, modern drug addicts often have concentrations of cocaine and nicotine in their hair 75 and 20 times higher respectively than that found in the mummy hair samples.) It is even possible that the quantities found may be high due to concentration in body tissues through time.

the temple of Dendera

 

Ta-ynt-netert  means 'She of the Divine Pillar', or Tentyra (Greek for Dendera.) It was once the capital of the 6th Nome (Pharaonic province) of Upper Egypt, also named Nikentori or Nitentori, which signifies willow wood or willow earth. Others give the derivation from the sky and fertility goddess Hathor, also associated with the Greek Aphrodite, who was specially worshiped there. The crocodile is recognized as the deity of the city and was also venerated as such in the other Egyptian cities, which caused many quarrels, notably with Ombos

To the right of the temple is the location of the sacred lake, in which trees presently grow.   There is a large cemetery from pharaonic times in the desert behind the temple. Het-Hert's main temple at Dendera included a mud-brick sanatorium with areas for healing and midwifery. Visitors came to be cured of illness with purified water from the sacred lake, or to participate in "healing incubation," sleeping in the temple in order to receive healing dreams from Het-Hert. T Steel engraving from 1867 of the Temple of Het-Hert at Dendera,  The Wesir Chapels There are two sets of roof chapels at Dendera that are devoted to the  Aset/Wesir/Heru (Isis/Osiris/Horus) myth and they were used for the celebration of the Mysteries of Wesir during the end of the fourth month of the inundation,  when the inundation finally recedes and the growing season begins, and they served as images of the Divine Tomb during the rest of the year. The chapels on the west side have scenes with Aset (Isis) and NebetHet (Nephthys) mourning Wesir's death, plus other scenes showing the divinities which guard the corpse of Wesir during night and day, and other dieties carrying knives who are guardians of the Gates of the Duat (Netherworld). The ceiling has a picture of Nut arched over Geb (the parents of Wesir according to one myth). In the inner room is a scene showing the reconstituted Wesir laying on a bier. Aset is shown as a kite (a kind of hawk) hovering over him, and she is impregnated by him with the seed of Heru, the future King of the Living. The eastern Osiris chapel has an interesting depiction of the ritual performed during the Mysteries of Wesir festival in which the "Wesir bed" (an effigy of Wesir formed from linen) is filled with earth, sown with grain, and watered until it sprouts, symbolizing eternal life in the cycle of nature. [These "corn mummies" were also placed in tombs to symbolize Wesir's power.]  The next chapel has the famous circular zodiac (the original is in the Louvre and there is a plaster replica in Dendera now). This particular zodiac is the only circular one in Egypt, however it is not originally an Egyptian concept, but was developed by the Babylonians and Greeks.

The Zodiac of DENDERA

it shows the stars and planets in the positions they would have been seen at that date. it is the only complete map that we have of an ancient sky"has been conjectured to represent the basis on which later astronomy systems were based^. It is now on display at the Musée du Louvre, Paris.




The vault of heaven is represented by a disc, held up by four women assisted by falcon-headed spirits. Thirty-six spirits or "decans" around the circumference symbolize the 360 days of the Egyptian year. The constellations shown inside the circle include the signs of the zodiac, most of which are represented almost as they are today. Aries, Taurus, Scorpio, and Capricorn, for example, are easily recognizable, whereas others correspond to a more Egyptian iconography: Aquarius is represented as Hapy, the god of the Nile flood, pouring water from two vases. The constellations of the northern sky, featured in the center, include the Great Bear (Ursa Major) in the form of a bull's foreleg. A hippopotamus goddess, opposite Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, represents the constellation of the Dragon.

An astronomical configuration corresponding to a specific date

The five planets that were known at the time are associated with certain signs of the zodiac: Venus ("the god of the morning") is behind Aquarius, Jupiter ("Horus who Reveals the Mystery") is near Cancer, Mars ("Horus the Red") is directly above Capricorn. Mercury is called "the Inert" and Saturn "Horus the Bull". This particular configuration of the planets among the constellations occurs only about once every thousand years; an astrophysicist has dated it between 15 June and 15 August 50 BC. Two eclipses are represented exactly where they occurred. The solar eclipse of 7 March 51 is depicted as the goddess Isis holding a baboon (the god Thoth) by its tail, signifying her attempt to stop the moon from hiding the sun. The lunar eclipse of 25 September 52 is represented by an udjat-eye (the "whole one"), because a lunar eclipse only occurs when the moon is full.

The Zodiac, an Egyptian-style illustration?

The Zodiac of Dendera was transported to France in 1821 with the permission of Egyptian ruler Mohamed Ali Pasha. It is one of the most famous Egyptian monuments preserved in France.
It should be interpreted as a map of the sky rather than a giant horoscope or a perpetual astrological tool. However, the Egyptians believed that certain constellations and decans could have a negative influence on their destiny or health.
The representations of the signs of the zodiac as we know them today did not appear in Egypt until the Greco-Roman Period. This monument reflects the way Egyptian cultural elements merged with Babylonian and Greek astronomical and astrological theories, as a result of the Assyrian and Babylonian deportations of the 8th and 6th centuries BC, and the Persian and Greek invasions of the 6th and 4th centuries.

we can see in the image the symbols of the twelve zodiac signs, then the planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn), the Moon, Sirius, Orion, the three known constellations of the north, (Draco, Ursa Minor and Ursa Major) and the axis of the temple. The Duck is seen on a temple north of Esneh as similar to the number 36 Decan or the Aquila character between Capricorn and Sagittarius.

   I have added the number sequence from 1 to 36 to the image above to show a precise count of the 36 decans.  The 36 characters proceed in a counter-clockwise orientation on the outer edge of the Denderah circle.  These are called decans because in a circle of 360 degrees divided by 36 it equals 10, therefore deca, ten.  As you can see this allows three decans per zodiac sign (every 30 degrees).   the images around the perimeter are definitely decan stars only nobody knows which ones are which stars.
   Notice that the large disk with the eight symbols inside, has been left out of the decan count, as it is very plain that this symbol is not like any of the other 36 characters (figures, animals, statues, etc.).  Some claim it to be Decan stars and therefore it is one of the 36 characters around the circle of the Denderah zodiac, which every ten degrees the stars identified by the glyph is reactive. 

the symbol and line drawing show that in the circle are eight men on their knees, with their heads chopped off, and their arms tied behind their backs, possibly representing the world of the enemies (as the classic image of foreign enemies) to the Egyptians.   The image to the right is found on the temple north of Esneh  It appears to be different from the eight characters in the large disk of the Zodiac of Denderah.

The eight captives inside the large disk represent eight (actually 9 but traditionally seen as being 8) that could form the left-hand half of Capricornus.  These figures do stand for the glyphic symbol of enemies or wickedness.      These are Decan stars and the glyphs say Sa-r-a or a-r-sa, the figure to the right is also named sa-r-a (possible an indicator of epithet, title or a piece of time).

   These stars can be easily identified since the experts have identified all the planets elsewhere within the circle. The only major constellation below and between Capricornus and Aquarius is Piscis Austrinus.
   If the Eight figured star is indicative of Fomalhaut, the Egyptian connection is not noticeable for me.
   Piscis Austrinus, The Southern Fish, appears on the Meridian on October 10. It has been occasionally shown as two fish, but it is more commonly seen as a single fish, sometimes drinking from a stream of water poured from the jar held by Aquarius, which lies just north of it. An older, but incorrect, form of its name is Piscis Australis. The Sumerians called this Enki’s Fish.
    



The Grand Temple of Denderah
   The red-letter commentary is emphasized by myself to define some of the aspects of the image. The whole point is to propose the concept that the circle with eight figures marks the beginning with Capricorn and continues in a counter-clockwise rotation with the 36 decans and ends at Aquarius.
    To confirm this concept lets continue with other images which are to follow.
     the first part of a zodiac sculpture from the portico of the grand temple. The image is quite long, scroll to the right to see it if necessary. Notice that it shows in the lower left corner the head of the Egyptian female aspect who transcends across the image in a semi-circular concept.

Did the Ancient Egyptians understand electricity?

The Dendera Lightbulb 

in the crypt of Dendera temple (crypts were used as storage space for cult statues, which were probably made of gold, as well as other items used at certain festivals during the year, except at the New Year Festival when all cult statues were removed and placed in the appropriate room in the main temple.  Apart from storage facilities the crypts also served a symbolic purpose and it appears the crypts were used as a refuge at times of external threat.

The crypts were identified with the "underworld".  When the cult-statues were, in practical terms, being stored in the crypts during the non-festival periods, the statues were considered to be "life-less" and the "body" of the deity now rested as a "corpse" in the underworld.    In this context it is interesting to consider the caches of statuary discovered buried in Luxor and Karnak Temples.

The "corpse", once brought out of the crypt had to be brought back to life through rituals. Certain statues were "processed" to live again through the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony which was practiced in the Gold House situated close to the crypt.

there are inscriptions depicting a bulb-like object which some have suggested is reminiscent of a "Crookes tube" (an early lightbulb). Inside the "bulbs" a snake forms a wavy line from a lotus flower (the socket of the bulb). A "wire" leads to a small box on which the air god is kneeling. Beside the bulb stands a two-armed djed pillar, which is connected to the snake, and a baboon bearing two knives. In "The Eyes of the Sphinx", Erich Von Daniken suggested that the snake represented the filament, the djed pillar was an insulator, and the tube was in fact an ancient electric light bulb. The baboon was apparently a warning that the device could be dangerous if not used correctly.

We do not know the exact origin of the Djed pillar, but its hieroglyphic meaning ("enduring" or "stability" and sometimes "column") is not doubted. There is no apparent connection between the concept of "enduring" and the process of insulating, but even if there was, it is my understanding that the Djed wouldn't work as an insulator. In a light bulb, the glass bulb itself insulates the filament, and no extra component is required.
The "cable" is described in the text beside the depiction as a symbolic sun barge moving across the sky (in a form which is by no means unique to these carvings). It seems to be a bit of a stretch to describe this as a cable, although I suppose you could argue that the movement of the sun mirrored the movement of electricity. However, the "cable" is attached to what proponents describe as a "socket", but is in fact a lotus flower. This flower appears in this form all over Egypt, and is always a lotus flower. Furthermore, the text beside the depiction confirms that it is a lotus flower.
Sylvie Caulville worked extensively on the inscriptions in the temple. She suggested that in the carvings, Hor-sema-tawy (or Harsomptus "Horus the uniter of the two lands") is depicted as a serpent, a falcon and as a child (Ihy the son of Hathor and Horus of Behedet). According to one myth, Ihy sprung into existence out of a lotus flower which blossomed in the watery abyss of Nun at dawn at the beginning of every year. It is therefore suggested by some that the "light-bulbs" are in fact lotus flower bulbs, mythologically giving birth to the god. Another panel shows the bulb opening into a lotus blossom and the snake standing erect in the centre as a representation of the god Ihy. On the southern wall of the last room, a falcon, preceded by a snake emerges from a lotus blossom within a boat.
Francois Daumas suggested that the sacred procession which was held on the eve of the first day of the New Year, began in these rooms. Thus the inscriptions represented the myth which was being celebrated. Of course, the myths have nothing to say regarding lightbulbs, and there is no evidence to substantiate their use from Egyptian remains or text. This is fairly damning as the building of huge stone monuments required the maintenance of detailed and thorough accounts, yet there is no record of any electric devices or the movement of raw materials to create them.
Some are still unwilling to entirely give up on the idea. Instead of claiming that the Egyptians used light bulbs under normal conditions, they suggest that the priests performed a ritual which created a small amount of light during the New Year celebrations. Proponents claim that the reliefs describe a three stage process; first the "bulb" is supported by a kneeling figure making three "waves" emanate from the serpent, then the "bulb" is supported by a Djed pillar making four "waves" emanate from the serpent, finally the "bulb" is placed against a vertical Djed pillar causing five "waves" to emanate from the serpents body. The waves are thought to be evidence of a vibratory process increasing in frequency as the scenes progress.
This is certainly a more creative theory which neatly avoids the lack of any supporting evidence by claiming that the ceremony was ritual and secret. The problem remains that all of the elements are known to have specific meanings from numerous other sources, and the text confirms those meanings. However, it is still possible that the priests encoded a deeper meaning in the text and images.