Egypt and Justice - 1 - Sacred Geography

Egypt and Justice

Sacred Geography

Everyone admires the pyramids and marvels at the incredible Egyptian art treasures in museums. However, the greatest revolution and civilizing advance was not these wonders but the establishment of Justice. This was the true Egyptian miracle. Before delving into this topic, we must first clarify what we mean by Justice and what we mean by Egypt.

What is meant by Egypt?

At a certain point in history, the name "Egypt" became synonymous with "mystery," an idea that still lingers today. But how can this still be the case when we can access so much information through books, the Internet, and even detailed geographical maps? This is because there are two Egypts: one that appears in any encyclopedia, and another, more enigmatic one, that we refer to now. This Egypt does not appear on conventional maps. It is Sacred Egypt, representing a profound Geography not yet well understood.

What does this Sacred Geography consist of? If someone walks down a street in our modern cities, they won't get lost because they know how to find their bearings. They might use the presence of a river or a mountain as a reference, know where the sun rises and sets, consult a map, check the time or date on their watch or cell phone, etc. This type of orientation is simple and utilitarian, useful for getting from one place to another and arriving on time for an appointment.

But when someone is capable of relating the directions of space and time to the entire cosmos, when they connect these directions to the divine beings they believe in, to the whole nature, to the cycles of time to which they belong, and can integrate this with their inner geography, then utilitarian geography becomes Sacred Geography.

In Sacred Geography, it doesn't matter whether you are on an important street or in a side alley, in the middle of a mountain or a valley; you will always feel connected to the sacred. When the winter solstice arrives, as tradition teaches, a special moment is approaching, and you will not feel like you are living in an ordinary street or time but in a place and time connected to something greater. During the Spring Equinox, when a mysterious force awakens vegetation and animal life, you will know that the eternal cycle of life begins again. You will understand that you, too, will die and be reborn, that each night of the soul is followed by a day full of life and opportunities.

Sacred Egypt was a capsule in time, separate from everything yet curiously connected to the Whole. Framed by the Mediterranean to the north and sub-Saharan Africa to the south, both places connected by the sacred Nile River; and in the sky, the Celestial Nile, the Milky Way, mirrored by the earthly river flowing between the eastern and western deserts, representing the arrival of life and departure from this world.

Milky Way and River Nile

These relationships were significant to the ancient Egyptians, who lived immersed in a symbolically oriented and mythological world within sacred time. With each new pharaoh, the calendar restarted at year one, repeating the history of the beginnings. This constant return to the archetypal model of the beginning of time was a key aspect of the Egyptian mentality, aimed at restoring the world.

In contrast, we modern people are obsessed with progress; politicians and social designers constantly promise it, and if it doesn't occur, it is criticized. For the ancient Egyptians, the idea of progress did not exist. From the beginning of time, everything had been established according to Maat, Justice, Rule, and Order. Everything was perfect in the beginning, and "progress" meant moving away from decadence to return to the beginning. Thus, the ancient Egyptians did not have the anxiety modern people feel to conquer more and achieve progress. Instead, they focused on preserving the perfection of the beginnings, a lifestyle that never changed, and a constant, close relationship with Ta Mery, the Beloved Land.

Let's examine this golden capsule in time and space in more detail. We know where Madrid or Paris are and can travel there using maps. But this was very different from swimming or sailing down the Nile, feeling connected to another Nile above, understanding that the desert belonged to Seth, and that the waters that refresh us belong to Osiris. Each direction in space was guarded by a protective goddess who provided amulets for the journey. For the ancient Egyptians, the Egypt we see on maps was not their Egypt but an imaginary and magical one they could all experience and feel.

Each direction in space was related to the four elements (earth, water, air, and fire), constellations ruled by gods, and even new constructions like temples, which had to account for these relationships. A special ceremony called "The Extension of the Rope" involved the pharaoh, aided by the symbolic goddess Seshat, goddess of measurements, marking the foundations of a new temple.

The Extension of the Rope

The hieroglyphs accompanying the image read: “I hold the stake and the handle of the scepter and the measuring rope with Seshat, I turn my eyes towards the movement of the stars, I direct my gaze to the Bull's Thigh (the Big Dipper), I measure time, and I establish the four corners of the temple.”

This ceremony was performed for every new building. Seshat, the lady of mathematics, harmony, and proportions, always accompanied the pharaoh to ensure correct measurements for situating within sacred time and geography.

Seshat

Seshat was a curious goddess, symbolized by seven petals representing the six directions of space, with the seventh direction referring to the sacred and inner, the most important for humans and temples dedicated to the gods. Her hieroglyphic symbol, the “uat pet” (inverted horn), signified the “opening of the sky,” connecting us to the heavens and our inner ideas and ideals. This is fitting since Seshat was the female counterpart of Thoth, the god of wisdom.

Uat Pet

The celestial and Egypt's relationship extended beyond temples to cities and the entire geography. Egyptologists like Georges Daressy studied these correspondences and found that the location of cities in the Nile valley mirrored constellations and celestial stars. Their positions followed the course of the celestial Nile, the Milky Way.

The island of Bigeh in the foreground and Philae in the background

The true origin of the River Nile in Lake Victoria, shared by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, was only explored in the 19th century. However, for the Egyptians, the mythical source of the Nile was on the island of Bigeh, in Aswan, near the first cataract and the island of Philae. This attribution is not due to ignorance but reflects another aspect of Sacred Geography. Bigeh was believed to be the burial place of the "Thigh of Osiris" (the constellation of the Big Dipper), therefore connecting the celestial energy of the Osirian constellation to the magical birthplace of the Sacred Nile. For the Egyptians, Osiris was not just any god but the personification of rebirth, symbolizing the periodic resurgence of nature and humanity. Each year, during the flood period, the life-giving waters of the Nile reminded them of Osiris's resurrection power and infinite life.

We have defined Magical Egypt and its relationship with Sacred Geography. Now, we must define the second term mentioned at the beginning: Justice. But we will leave that for another article.

In the meantime,

Life, Prosperity, and Health!

1001 Reincarnations, and Many More...

 1001 Reincarnations, and Many More...

The topic of reincarnation captivates us because it is intrinsically linked to life and death. There is nothing more personal than our end. Ignoring it or pretending to forget it does not alter this unquestionable reality.

I believe in the continuity of life because that is what nature teaches me. I am guided by it, for who else should I believe or consult? Its contemplation reveals exact truths: the seasons, the majestic rotation of the planets, the dance of electrons around the nucleus, the cycle of growth and renewal of plants… Everything confirms an omnipresent One Life. Even in atoms, there is movement; everything combines and regenerates eternally. There is no death, only transformation.

If we accept this One Life, a doubt arises: do we retain memories of past existences? Curiously, many yearn to know their past, but few are interested in the future. Perhaps because in that past—often imaginary—we seek to justify our present. Or maybe we fantasize about having been grand figures to compensate for our current modesty.

For those who believe they were an Egyptian priest, an emperor, or a warrior, this idea feeds their "extraordinary inner self," unknown to others but proclaimed in whispers. The problem is that there were not enough kings or heroes in history to satisfy the stories of millions of people. No one admits to having been a laborer or a servant (sic transit gloria mundi).

Let us return to the essential: One Life exists. Knowing what we were or will be is difficult, but the present offers clues. A Mozart is not born a genius by chance: he is the result of a path traveled through countless lives. Let us observe our current abilities, and we will find answers. Here, humility and patience are key.

Let us leave behind the vanity of the past and focus on the future. Although we can still change certain things, our age, mindset, and circumstances limit our freedom. For example, in old age, transformations are more difficult. The conclusion is clear: the possible changes, no matter how small, if well-directed, can project across centuries and future reincarnations, generating gradual evolutions.

Buddhists, experts in classifying mental phenomena, speak of six symbolic realms of rebirth :

1. Animal realm: human beings but guided by animal instincts and sensual pleasures.

2. Hell realm: human being psychologically trapped in perpetual suffering due to wrong action in the past.

3. Hungry Ghosts realm: human being dominated by insatiable desires and frustration.

4. Human realm: human beings, in balance between earthly desires and transcendent consciousness.

5. Demi-Gods realm: Powerful humans, endowed with many gifts, but enslaved by ambition and the constant search for power.

6. Gods realm: human beings who reach absolute fulfillment, enjoying a glorious incarnation but forced to incarnate again as real human beings to obtain final liberation.

These first three states reflect many current human lives, marked by pain and despair. Buddhists affirm that only in the human realm is there the possibility of attaining liberation (Nirvana). Being human is a privilege and a responsibility: practicing compassion, genuinely connecting with others, and fulfilling our duties ensures that we are reborn as true human beings and progress toward the ultimate goal.

How many rebirths are left? No one knows, but there will be many.

To criticize Easterners—especially Hindus—for their "apathy" toward reincarnation reveals Western ignorance. It is enough to remember that British colonialism (1880-1920) exterminated some 30 million Indians. What hope could the oppressed have but to be reborn under better conditions? The same can be applied to many other cultures and nations colonized and subjugated in past centuries

Today, some "spiritual teachers" sell spiritual shortcuts, promising Nirvana "in seven days," like express English courses. Behind these deceptions often lies a power structure disguised as holiness, where followers worship false gurus.

Credulity—that gullibility that makes us give up our lives for empty promises—is part of the human condition, and then so often we give up our heritage and our freedom for a plate of lentils... or molokhiyya.

To be continued…

 

لكهف الأفلاطوني في القرن الحادي والعشرين: اللياقة البدنية والعصائر

  الكهف الأفلاطوني في القرن الحادي والعشرين: اللياقة البدنية والعصائر

الكهف الأفلاطوني في القرن الحادي والعشرين

الجميع تقريبًا على دراية بالأسطورة الأفلاطونية القديمة عن الكهف الأفلاطوني - وهو مكان مظلم يحكمه أسياد أقوياء وغير مرئيين. في هذا الكهف، لا يرى السجناء الذين وُلدوا في الأسر في هذا الكهف سوى ظلال أنفسهم ومحيطهم المنعكسة على الجدران، كما لو كانت معروضة على شاشة سينمائية. ويعتقدون أن هذه الظلال هي الواقع.

يكمن مفتاح فهم الأسطورة في جانبين مهمين: عالم السجناء الوهمي وخداع السجانين لأنفسهم. على الرغم من أنهم يعتقدون أنهم أسياد الكهف، إلا أن السجانين هم مجرد ممثلين في دراما الحياة الكبرى. الحقيقة المطلقة هي هذه: سواء كنت تنتمي إلى السجناء المسيطرين أو السادة المسيطرين، فإن التحرر يكمن في الهروب من الكهف بالكامل والعودة إلى نور الشمس الحقيقية.

والآن، دعونا نسأل أنفسنا: هل الكهف مجرد أسطورة فلسفية، قصة شعرية صاغها أفلاطون؟ أم أنها ظاهرة يومية حقيقية تشكل حياتنا؟ إذا كانت حقيقية، فإن جميع الذين يصرخون من أجل الحرية - في عائلاتهم أو أماكن عملهم أو مجتمعاتهم أو مجالاتهم السياسية - يعبرون في النهاية عن نفس الحقيقة: الحاجة إلى الهروب من الكهف. يأخذ الكهف أشكالاً عديدة، ولكي نجد الحرية، يجب أن نتعلم كيف نتعرف على مظاهره في عالمنا الحديث وكيف يحاصرنا في ظلاله.

 

الكهف في الداخل: سجن الجسد

الشكل الأكثر إلحاحًا والأكثر حتمية للكهف هو الجسد نفسه - سجن من اللحم والدم والعظام. نحن محاصرون بمتطلباته ومستعبدون باحتياجاته التي لا هوادة فيها، نكدح إلى ما لا نهاية لإشباع رغباته، ونصبح خدامًا أبديين لهذه الكتلة من الشرايين والأوردة والأعصاب.

ومع ذلك، يوجد شكل أكثر خبثًا من الكهف - طاغية أكثر دهاءً ومكرًا. هذا السيد يقيم في العقل، ويدخل من خلال الحواس ويفرض هيمنته على أفكارنا وهمومنا ورغباتنا وطموحاتنا وانفصالنا. هذا ”الدخيل“ لا يهدأ أبدًا، ويخلق لنا الإلهاءات ليمنعنا من كشف خداعه. إنه يخترع الفخاخ للحفاظ على السيطرة، وغالبًا ما نقع فيها دون أن ندرك.

 

الفخاخ الخارجية: شبكات الحياة العصرية
وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي و"الشبكات الاجتماعية“

لا يمكن لمصطلح ”الشباك الاجتماعية“ أن يكون أكثر ملاءمة: الشباك هي أدوات للإيقاع بنا في الفخاخ والشراك. في هذه الشباك، نسبح مثل أسماك لا تهدأ، نتحرك جيئة وذهابًا في مياه وهمية. تبقينا منصات وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي على اتصال دائم ولكننا مشتتون باستمرار، مما يمنعنا من الالتفات إلى الداخل والعثور على حقائق أعمق.

 

الحياة الداخلية الزائفة

بالنسبة لأولئك الذين يجرؤون على إلقاء نظرة على ما وراء حجاب الملهيات، يقدم ”الدخيل“ فخاخًا جديدة متنكرة في زي الروحانية. وتشمل هذه الممارسات السطحية مثل معانقة الأشجار، أو قراءة كتب تحسين الذات، أو الانخراط في خلوات التأمل. في حين أن هذه الأنشطة قد تبدو ذات مغزى، إلا أنها غالبًا ما تكون بمثابة بدائل سطحية للتأمل الذاتي الحقيقي والحكمة.

 

الأوهام الحديثة: اللياقة البدنية والعصائر وأنماط الحياة ”الخضراء“
 

أحد أكثر الفخاخ الحديثة انتشارًا هو وهم ”نمط الحياة الصحي“. يتجلى ذلك في الهوس باللياقة البدنية الروتينية والعصائر الطبيعية والعصائر في أكواب بلاستيكية عصرية (من المفارقات أن تحمل اسم ”طبيعي“). تمتلئ الشوارع بممارسي رياضة الركض وراكبي الدراجات الهوائية وشاربي العصائر، وجميعهم يبحثون عن مصادقة خارجية لخياراتهم ”الصحية“.

مثال آخر هو ”الحفاظ الزائف على الطبيعة“. قد تخلق قيادة سيارة كهربائية أو تجنب استخدام الأكياس البلاستيكية إحساسًا بالإنجاز الأخلاقي، لكن الصناعات الأوسع المسؤولة عن الإضرار بالبيئة تظل دون رادع، مما يقوض هذه الأفعال الصغيرة.

 

الوضع الاجتماعي ككهف
 

يحاصرنا المجتمع الحديث أيضًا بسعيه الدؤوب وراء المكانة الاجتماعية. ويشمل ذلك في العديد من الثقافات تحقيق ”المثل الأعلى“ لمرحلة البلوغ: العثور على شريك، وإنجاب الأطفال، والامتثال لتوقعات وسائل الإعلام والإعلانات. ومؤخرًا، اتسع نطاق ذلك ليشمل نماذج بديلة - الحصول على شريك من نفس الجنس، أو استئجار الأرحام، أو حتى ”شراء“ الأطفال. ومع ذلك، فإن هذه العلامات المجتمعية لا تفعل الكثير لملء الفراغ الذي يشعر به الكثيرون. لا يمكن للمقتنيات المادية ورموز المكانة، من البيرة إلى الأطفال، أن تشفي الفراغ الأعمق في الداخل.

 

التحرر: الفلسفة كترياق
 

هذا إذن هو الكهف - نظام واسع ومعقد من الإلهاءات والأوهام. لكن حتى في أحلك الكهوف، لا يمكن للسجّانين أن يمنعوا بعض السجناء من اكتشاف سلاسلهم. من حين لآخر، سيعمل أحدهم على تحرير نفسه والخروج إلى نور الحرية الحقيقية.

عندما يحدث هذا، لا تختبر النفس المحررة أي غضب أو يأس، بل فقط فرحة اكتشاف الذات الحقيقية. يأتي هذا الانتصار مع إدراك أن سيد الكهف - ”الدخيل“ المستبد - له اسم: وهم العالم. وترياقه هو الفلسفة، حب الحكمة.

من خلال الفلسفة، نتجاوز ظلال الكهف، ونتعلم أن نرى العالم كما هو حقًا ونعتنق نور المعرفة والفهم. عندها فقط يمكننا أن نعلن، ”أخيرًا، أنا حر!

 

السباق المجنون

في يوم من الأيام، كان هناك مجموعة من الرجال المخلصين والأوفياء والصادقين الذين لم يكن يهمهم شيء سوى البحث عن الأفضل في كل إنسان لمشاركته مع العالم.

اتحدوا من أجل هذا الهدف النبيل وعملوا بلا كلل أو ملل. وأنشأوا معًا نظامًا ليحكموا أنفسهم بأنفسهم، ووضعوا أهدافًا سامية تبدو بعيدة المنال، حتى بالنسبة لمعاييرهم الخاصة.

ولتحقيق هذه الأحلام، استعدوا بصرامة وعملوا بجد لدرجة أنهم بدأوا في محاكاة الطرق الصارمة للمحاربين القدامى.

في سعيهم الدؤوب لتحقيق هدفهم، تركوا الكثيرين وراءهم - الضعفاء وغير المؤهلين وأولئك الذين ضلوا الطريق. ومع عزلتهم، اندفعوا إلى الأمام، وتقدموا بثبات، ونقلوا الشعلة من أولئك الذين سقطوا إلى أولئك الذين استمروا.

أخيرًا، عندما اقتربوا من نهاية تسلقهم الشاق للجبل، أدركوا أنه لم يبق سوى عدد قليل منهم. ونظروا إلى الوراء فرأوا أثرًا مليئًا بالجثث والجرحى من رفاقهم.

التفت أحد الرجال المتبقين إلى القائد وسأل:

”ألم يكن أولئك الذين تركناهم خلفنا هم الأقرب إلينا؟ ألم يكن بإمكاننا أن نساعدهم في تمرير ولو شرارة صغيرة مما كنا نسعى لمشاركته مع البشرية؟

توقف القائد متأملاً. ثم تذكر قصة: حكاية راهب عجوز وتلميذه الشاب.

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”كان الراهب العجوز يغادر الدير كل يوم، دون أن يزعجه شيء، ويمشي إلى القرى المجاورة مرتديًا ثوبه الزعفراني حاملًا وعاءً بسيطًا. كان يطلب الصدقات التي كانت تُعطى له عن طيب خاطر. ولكن في كبريائه النسكي، لم يطلب شيئًا أبدًا.

بعد ذلك، كان يعود ببطء إلى الدير وهو مرهق ومتعب، منغمسًا في التأمل. في بعض الأحيان، كان يلمح أحيانًا ومضات من التسامي والتسامي، نسخة مقدسة من نفسه متحررة من أعباء اللحم والعظم. ومع ذلك، كان يعود مرارًا وتكرارًا إلى جسده الأرضي الضعيف - ظهره المنحني وأصابعه العظمية وتعبيرات وجهه المريرة المحفورة على وجهه. كان هدفه السامي يبدو دائمًا بعيد المنال.

كان معروفًا في الدير بتجرده البارد وتقشفه. حتى أن الكلاب الجائعة التي كانت تجوب الأراضي كانت تتحاشاه لشعورها بسلوكه المتصلب.

لكن رئيس الدير ذات يوم، ربما بدافع الشفقة، عيّن راهبًا شابًا مبتدئًا لمرافقة الراهب في جولاته اليومية. وعلى الرغم من أن الصبي كان أخرق، إلا أن عينيه كانتا مشرقتين وبريئتين.

في صباح اليوم التالي، وتحت شمس حارقة، أشار الراهب العجوز للراهب المبتدئ أن يتبعه على مضض.

سارا عبر القرى، وكان الراهب العجوز رزينًا وصامتًا، لا يتحدث إلى أحد ولا يقبل طعامًا أو مأوى. لاحظ الراهب العجوز إعياء الصبي المتزايد، فقرر أن يلقنه درسًا. في ذلك اليوم، سار الراهب أبعد من المعتاد.

وعندما بدأوا رحلة الصعود الشاقة للعودة إلى الدير، كانت شفتا الراهب جافتين وعرقه يتصبب من شدة الحر. مروا على نافورة ماء عذب صافٍ، لكن الراهب العجوز تجاهلها وأسرع خطاه. كان يراقب من زاوية عينيه بينما تزداد معاناة الصبي.

تكرر هذا الروتين القاسي يومًا بعد يوم. ازدادت روح الراهب جفافًا، وبدا أمله في الوصول إلى الاستنارة أكثر بعدًا.

وفي أحد الأيام المرهقة على وجه الخصوص، وبينما كانا عائدين إلى الدير، لاحظ الراهب العجوز عيني الراهب المبتدئ لأول مرة. أدرك لأول مرة أنه لم يكن وحده في معاناته.

وعندما وصلا إلى الينبوع، تجنب الراهب المبتدئ النظر إلى الينبوع محاولاً كبح عطشه. ولدهشته، توقف الراهب وملأ وعاءه بالماء وشرب. كسر هذا الفعل نذور الراهب الصارمة، لكنه لم يتوقف عند هذا الحد، بل أشار إلى الصبي أن يشرب أيضًا.

اقترب المبتدئ وهو يرتجف وشرب بعمق، وشرب بعمق، وأنعش حلقه الجاف. ثم حدث شيء خارق للعادة: بدأ الصبي يتوهج بنور ذهبي، وعيناه المشعة وابتسامته الهائلة تملأ قلب الراهب بالرهبة. بدت الموسيقى السماوية وكأنها تملأ الهواء.

كان شيفا، سيد الزاهدين، هو الذي بارك الراهب العجوز قائلاً

-”ليس هناك تقشف أعظم من أن تحب وتساعد من هم في حاجة إليها“.

-***-

أمر القائد، وهو يتأمل في القصة، المجموعة بإيقاف سباقهم. ففي نهاية المطاف، لم تكن الإنسانية على قمة الجبل بل بين الساقطين والجرحى في الأسفل. عادوا أدراجهم، وساعدوا الضعفاء على النهوض من جديد وبثوا الحياة في ”الجثث“ التي تركوها وراءهم. لقد بنوا معًا العالم الذي حلموا به، هناك في وسط المعاناة.

هذا هو مثلي الأعلى. أنا لا أرغب في تسلق الجبال بل أن أساعد، بحسن نية، من حولي.

The Crazy Race

Once upon a time, there was a group of sincere, loyal, and honest men who cared about nothing but finding the best in every human being to share it with the world.

They united for this noble purpose and worked tirelessly. Together, they created a system to govern themselves, setting lofty and seemingly unattainable goals, even for their own standards.

To achieve these dreams, they prepared rigorously and worked so hard that they began to emulate the rigid ways of old warriors.

Egyptian Medicine - II - Medical Texts

Medical Texts

Edwin Smith's Medical-Surgical Papyrus.

"After a pause, the cause of which we cannot guess, but during which his well-filled reed pen dried up, he resumed his work on the papyrus. He made two more barely perceptible strokes with the almost exhausted brush, which he then dipped deep into his inkwell. After drawing the two pale strokes again, hard but so carelessly that the original faded lines are still visible, he laid down his brush and pushed the surgical treatise he had copied away from his hand, leaving 39 bare centimeters unwritten at the end of the scroll...''

"...It was as if he had seen a hand lift a curtain covering a window, and then suddenly that hand had refused to lift it any further. That provincial scribe, sitting on that scroll three thousand five hundred years ago, could hardly have imagined that every word he added would one day be hungrily cherished as the only surviving copy of the ancient treatise he was transcribing."

I cannot resist copying the words James Henry Breasted wrote as he reached the end of the papyrus translation. Archaeology has an extraordinary charm, it is an interrogation of the past, with an alert spirit, with the living sensation of communicating with men and women of the past, apparently dumb, until the hand of the archaeologist makes them speak.

One fine day, Mustafa Agha, a man of good standing in the Egyptian community, appeared at the door of Edwin Smith, an American farmer who had lived in Luxor for years. After a first uninteresting visit in which nothing of importance was shown to him, Mr. Smith made it clear that he would be willing to buy something more interesting.

After a while the Egyptian returned, but this time with a kind of fake papyrus, prefabricated from pieces of three others, carefully glued together with glue. Mr. Smith could not help but notice the prefabricated nature of it, but at the same time his knowledge of Egyptology allowed him to realize that it was an important medical document. He accepted the deal and took the papyrus.

Edwin Smith, Egyptologist

Edwin Smith was born in Connecticut in 1822, coincidentally the same year that Champollion first deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs. He was one of the first students of Egyptology in the world. He went to London and Paris to study hieroglyphs when the science was in its infancy. He was probably the first American to study scientifically what was then little known about the Egyptian language. He decided to live in Egypt in 1858. He settled in Luxor, where he remained for about twenty years. He acquired the papyrus that bears his name in 1862.

Although he recognized the importance of the papyrus as a medical treatise and devoted much time to its study, he never made any effort to publish it. However, he did not hesitate to show it to all the experts of the time who visited him in Luxor. The brief notes that were published or commented on the case did not arouse much interest. Perhaps because of Smith's peculiar personality, far from the university circuits and more interested in developing his own independent lifestyle, he refrained from any attempt at publication. On the other hand, the serious, conscientious translation of the papyrus and its publication required a considerable amount of time and money. For a time, the papyrus was forgotten, until fate pointed its finger at the eminent Egyptologist Dr. James Henry Breasted, who was commissioned by the New York History Society to undertake the task. 

Dr. James Breasted

The Society had owned the papyrus since 1906, when it was given to them by Mr. Smith's daughter. J.H. Breasted devoted nearly ten years of painstaking effort to its publication.

Where did Mustafa Agha get the papyrus, where did it remain hidden for thousands of years? It is not known for sure, it seems to have been in the hands of someone else who had died years before. This papyrus, along with another medical papyrus that we will talk about later, were both in the possession of Mr. Smith for some time. Some references say that it was found in a tomb at El-Asasif, between the legs of a mummy. 

El-Asasif, a necropolis on the west bank of the Nile, in front of Thebes, near Deir el Bahari.

Other suspicions suggest that the two papyri belong to the group found by the then Consul of England in Egypt, Mr. Harris, in 1857, in a grotto among the rocks, about 20 feet deep, in Deir el Medina, near exactly where the tomb of the mysterious vizier Amenhotep, son of Hapu, second version of Imhotep himself, who was worshipped for hundreds of years as a protector against disease, and of whom we will speak later.

Amenhotep, son of Hapu

What kind of papyrus was it? Was it a textbook, or a textbook, a teacher's notebook? The fact that there were independent annotations on the back, without any connection to the front, suggests that it was rather used as a personal notebook, either by a teacher or a student.

In fact, it has the character of a memorandum, where the brief notes and words suggest that the reader already understands them, without the need for further clarification. The form it takes is that of a teacher instructing a student, with frequent expressions such as "if you see such and such... you must do such and such a thing".

THE CONTENT

Forty-eight cases are discussed, classified in order, from the top down, from the outside in, in a very regular and systematic way, typical of teaching systems.

Although there is no special indication, the cases are arranged in homogeneous groups related to a part of the body (head, neck, ribs, etc.) Each of these cases is arranged according to a criterion: Expression, Diagnosis and Treatment. The examination always begins with the statement: "If you examine a man who has...". The diagnosis, often a repetition of the statement, is usually introduced by the expression: "You must say about him (the patient)... that he has such and such a disease" and ends with a statement about the decision to be made: 

• "This is a case I will deal with."
• "This is a case I will struggle with."
• "This is a case I will not treat."

Sometimes pre-treatment conditions are added:

• "Until he recovers"
• "Until the period of damage is over"
• "Until you know he has reached a turning point (in his development)". 

The language used is striking, for some it represents the first babbling of the Egyptian language to create a technical and scientific vocabulary. However, it rather represents the natural way of explaining things, as can be seen in other classical medicines. Hippocrates himself advises to use a language that everyone can understand, closer to nature. Wisdom not only does not contradict simplicity, it is one of its distinguishing characteristics. Among the expressions used, we find descriptions such as the following: 

• The puncture in the skull bone is likened to a hole in an earthenware jar.
• The mandibular process is described as the double fingers of a bird.
• A piece of the skull is described as the shell of a turtle.
• The brain resembles the striations produced on the surface when copper is melted.
• The sinuses are called secret chambers. 

The means used in the cures are variable:

• Tape, made with bandages smeared with resins.
• Scabs of various kinds, slings.
• Sutures for wounds.
• Bandages of various kinds.
• Sophisticated systems of bandages. 

What does it teach us?

 The treatment is basically rational and surgical, with only one case of resorting to magic. The common opinion that the Egyptians always used magic and religious formulas in medicine is wrong in view of this papyrus. Remembering at the same time that even today there is no separation between science and religion, it is enough to observe the saints, scapulars, candles and prayers next to the sick, not to mention the chapels attached to all hospitals. If we call this the need for spiritual consolation, we will say that we agree. But if we want to accuse the ancient Egyptians of being superstitious, we will have to do the same with our contemporaries. Today, however, not even this exists, because our unbelieving and atheistic, hedonistic and individualistic society no longer relates to anything other than itself, not even doctors can maintain a certain friendship with the patient, they want to make them functionaries, mechanics, administrators of what the pharmaceutical industry points out.

A complete system of approach to the patient is described in the text:

• Examination of the character of the wound.
• Examination of the affected tissues.
• Interrogation and instructions to the patient: movements, postures.
• Data obtained by the doctor through direct inspection.
• Palpation.

The concept of prognosis was developed, a relatively recent conquest in the medical tradition, since it must be taken into account that until recently such a concept was not used. According to D. Gregorio Marañón, prognosis is "the art of the angels". It requires the use of all our knowledge and experience to determine whether someone will survive or not. Today it is no longer practiced, because what is offered today as a prognosis is merely a statistical statement: "Look, my friend, your wife has a ninety percent chance of surviving this surgery," which does not alleviate the poor husband's doubt, because where does his wife stand: in the ten percent that dies or the ninety percent that is saved?

The papyrus shows a knowledge that could only have been acquired through scientific judgment and direct observation of the anatomy of the living being, and is not the result of the accumulated experience of embalmers, who were not related to doctors. 

It also shows an interest in pure science. The Egyptian surgeon appears here as a man with the ability to observe, to draw conclusions from his own observations, and to maintain a scientific attitude toward phenomena. A profound knowledge of the pulse and the cardiac system, of the tendinous-muscular system, though not clearly of the circulation, is also shown.

Finally, we must mention the existence of one of the most extraordinary glosses, the extracts referring to the so-called Secret Book of the Physicians, of which we have no copy except for these annotations and some others in other papyri. In these extracts, the measurement and examination of the heart by means of the pulse is mentioned, and a general theory of the channels leading to the different parts of the body is introduced: these are the so-called met/metu, channels that have been identified with the blood vessels, with the muscles, and even with the peripheral nerves. As we shall see, they should really be translated as channels, in the same way that Chinese medicine uses the concept of meridians.

There are surgical practices described in the Smith Papyrus that were later passed on to the Greeks and Romans, such as in case number 26 of this papyrus, which discusses the maneuver to be performed to set a dislocated jaw:

``If you examine a man whose jaw is dislocated, you will find that his mouth is open and he cannot close it. You should place your thumbs over the ends of the two clusters (apophyses) of the jaw in his mouth, and the rest of your fingers under his chin, so that they move backward and fall into place.''

In a Byzantine manuscript from 1100 A.D., exactly the same maneuver of reduction of mandibular dislocation described in the papyrus can be observed. 

To be continued

EGYPTIAN MEDICINE - I - Science, Magic and Spirituality.

EGYPTIAN MEDICINE - I

Science, Magic and Spirituality

With this article we begin a series on Egyptian medicine that we hope will be helpful and clarify the main ideas about it. First of all, we must say that ancient Egyptian medicine was very advanced for its time. It had the ability, like other great classical medicines, to combine practical knowledge with religious beliefs, in addition to the support of psychology and spirituality in general. The ancient Egyptians developed effective medical treatments based on clinical observations, although they also relied on the subtle and magical, since diseases were not only primarily caused by physical accidents, but were also often seen as the result of divine punishment (karma) and as diseases caused by supernatural forces.

Today, in the 21st century, analyzing and using the medicine of Pharaonic Egypt in a practical way is an almost impossible task if we only take into account the material and technical details, such as the formulas and drugs used. Modern Egyptology has tried to approach it by focusing its interest, in a special way, on the detailed description of the mummification process, or on photographing and scanning the mummies to describe the broken bones or signs of aging, the dental condition, as well as to calculate the probable age of the mummified corpses and the methodology used to embalm them. There are also studies that try to decipher the existing papyri and the names of the plants used in the past that are unknown today. Likewise, various aspects of the medical profession have been described, as well as the extent of their knowledge in anatomy, physiology and surgery.

However, this ancient medicine, even if it could be salvaged in detail, would probably be of no value for our time, since the methods, means and ends of Egyptian medicine have nothing to do with modern and scientific medicine, except in secondary aspects.

As we will see, there were various moral elements, as well as general principles and a philosophical context and understanding of life, illness and death, which have nothing to do with those of our time, but from which we could really learn a lot. In addition, there is another important aspect to consider: beliefs and magic, without which the type of medicine practiced by the ancient Egyptians cannot be understood.

We will go through these aspects one by one so that we can extract useful elements for ourselves. Some of the most important aspects of Egyptian medicine that we will analyze in the following articles are:

THE MEDICAL TEXTS

We have inherited from the past several medical texts that describe diseases as well as treatments and surgical procedures. We will focus our description on two of them, the Surgical Papyrus of Edwin Smith and the Medical Pathology described in the Ebers Papyrus. There are other texts, but an understanding of these two will be sufficient to begin to see that Egyptian medicine was "something else" quite different from our medicine today. In the "recipes" of the Ebers papyrus, we can have a glimpse of the plants used and, above all, of the physiopathology, that is, the medical theory that the Egyptians had about diseases, in addition to some very curious recipes that indicate magical aspects and natural correspondences. Above all, in the Smith papyrus we find the description of an energetic and physical conduction system that is strangely similar to the system used in classical Oriental medicine.

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES AND THE "MEDICAL CAREER".

There were medical specialists in various fields, ophthalmologists, dentists, specialists in women's diseases and the digestive system, surgeons, etc. The existence of these specialties indicates a highly organized knowledge and teaching of medicine; this complexity implies that the knowledge possessed was much more than the few references that appear in the papyri we possess. Logically, all of the above points to a system of teaching, a medical ladder, and special places of teaching, the so-called Houses of Life.

REMEDIES AND TREATMENTS:

They used a wide variety of herbs, minerals, and animal substances as remedies, but as we pointed out earlier, some of the hieroglyphic names do not correspond to modern nomenclature, and it is difficult to know why they were used, although we will find examples that remind us of modern uses, such as garlic and onion to improve circulation and prevent disease. Opium was used as an anesthetic, honey and myrrh to heal wounds. In addition, there were special containers to hold the medicines with prayers; there were also sacred steles that gave a certain magical value to the water poured over them. It was necessary as well to take into account the magical way of administering the remedies, the prayers that accompanied them, and the hypnotic effect of some of them.

RELIGION AND MEDICINE

Physicians were priests, and therefore medical and religious practices operated in parallel and in unison. Treatments required the thaumaturgic intervention of the gods, and images, amulets, and recitations were also part of the treatment. The gods symbolized both the healing powers and the karma transmitted through them, resulting in disease and plague.

Although Egyptian medicine combined both practical and other metaphysical elements, this did not prevent Egyptian physicians from achieving fame throughout the world for centuries, from Mesopotamia and the Middle East to places as far away as northwestern Spain, where temples dedicated to Egyptian healing deities were built, It also influenced Galen, a Roman physician whose texts were used well into the Middle Ages, as well as Hippocrates, a Greek physician who can be considered one of the first naturalistic physicians and who established the famous oath based on the temples and secret brotherhoods of Egypt. Both physicians studied Egyptian medicine and drew their principles from it. But we will talk about this and much more in the following articles.

To be continued

Sacred Geography of Egypt IV - The 7 Directions of Space

The 7 Directions of Space

 

"In the beginning of everything, God created heaven and the earth. 2 The earth had no form then; all was a deep sea covered with darkness, and the spirit of God moved over the waters..." Genesis 1:2

 

The above Bible verses are equivalent to the Babylonian sacred texts. In the Babylonian myth the swampy and sweet waters, Apsu, were mixed and stirred together with the deep and salty waters, Tiamat. The biblical writers give a similar version, although eliminating the names of the Babylonian gods. The Dark and Primordial Waters of the theogonies represent two things, on the one hand they are waters because these are considered the origin of life, and on the other they are dark because they represent non-existence prior to manifestation.

 

The Sacred Geography that we are analyzing in this series of articles means the possibility for human beings to establish a link between the terrestrial world and the cosmic mythical world. There is a geo-graphy as a result of a geo-metry, and there is no geometry without mathematics. Numbers in their symbolism, in their generation, represent the unfolding of intelligence and its accompanying forces and the movement of consciousness. Precisely, in the heliopolitan theogony, the Egyptian creation myth is a succession of states and numbers.

 

THE HELIOPOLITAN CREATION MYTH

 

Hidden in the Primordial Waters of the Nun, lies Atum, like an invisible serpent that bites its own tail, that is, the infinite cycles of time. "Atum" is a curious name, because in Egyptian grammar, depending on where the word is placed, it means "Nothing" or "Everything", because Atum, although hidden and submerged in the primordial waters of the origin as well as the end of the world, possesses the seeds of what will be, of the entire universe that will appear from those waters. It is a state that we could be defined... as Nothingness, Inertia, Stillness, Full Emptiness, its mathematical symbol is 0.

 

In those still waters, inert from the human point of view, suddenly something stirs, something stirs, and time begins... and this is marked by the appearance of Khepri, the beetle, whose hieroglyph means "evolution", "movement", "time"... and who "pushes" Atum, makes it move and evolve. The mysterious Atum, the Nothing-All, becomes Atum-Ra, the Sun in its beginnings. Ra is represented by a hieroglyph that has the shape of a mouth, the Word, the mouth that emits the first creative words:

It represents the First Unity of Creation from which everything starts. We have gone from 0 to 1. 

 

Creation has already begun, and that one becomes two: Shu and Tefnut. The First Couple, the first yin-yang we would say using Chinese terms. Shu the dryness, bright and ethereal, and Tefnut the dark humidity. This couple together with Atum-Ra form the first Triad, the number three.

 

The process is repeated and the couple Shu and Tefnut give birth to Nut and Geb, the sky and the earth. Here we have arrived at the number 4, the 4 elements, because Shu is the Ethereal Fire, Tefnut the Water or moisture, Nut or Air, and Geb or Earth.

 

 

 

The union of Earth and Heaven, Geb and Nut, generate the first gods close to human beings, the four brother gods: Osiris, Isis, Seth and Nephtys and one more: Horus the Elder, the celestial Horus, not to be confused with Horus the son of Osiris and Isis. Thus we reach the number five completing the series from 0. It is the number of the stars that cover the roof of the temples and that fly towards the sacred spot of the main altar, it is the number that represents the human beings that have awakened: the next step of semi-divine beings.

 

 

As in other peoples, the 4 directions of space were fundamental for orientation, but also, since we are talking about Sacred Geography, these directions are also related to celestial concepts and to the gods themselves. In such a way that the 4 gods, sons of heaven and brothers, Isis, Osiris, Seth and Nepthys, form a game of light and shadow, day and night, dry and wet, that is to say, all the possible intercalated polarities. Thus, Osiris represents the life-giving waters of the Nile, while Seth, his opponent and brother at the same time, is the dry and arid desert. On the other hand, the ever-fertile part of the banks of the Nile represents Isis, while the adjoining strip towards the desert, which only in the flood becomes wet and then dry, is her sister Nepthys, wife of Seth. Isis is the bright side of the Moon, Nepthys its dark side. Isis is the East, goddess of births, and Nepthys the west where the dead go.

 

But the waters of the Nile not only relate the East and the West, or the coming to life and the sacred passage of death symbolized in the setting of the sun, also the waters of the Nile link the Egypt of the South and the Egypt of the North, again the duality: the dry Egypt of the south and the wet Egypt of the north.

 

Neith and Serkit

Neith is the protector goddess of the humid North, while Serkit, the scorpion goddess is the protector of the dry South. Thus the four goddesses, Isis, Nepthys, Neith and Serkit are the protectors of the four directions of space and of the canopic vessels where the sacred entrails of the osirified are guarded in the tomb.

 

 

 

All these relationships and many others that we do not mention, make up a living world, where nothing is dead matter, but magical forces that interact with all living things. But in order to form the necessary connections between things it is also necessary to know the geometric and mathematical relationships, because after all, that is what the space we inhabit is all about.

 

And the goddess of Measurements, Mathematics and Sacred Geography, is none other than Seshat, the feminine counterpart of Thoth, the god of Wisdom. She is always to be reckoned with in the sacred act where a new bond is formed between heaven and earth, in the act of inaugural settlement of a new temple or pyramid. Seshat is the goddess who, together with the pharaoh, establishes the measures and coordinates that relate space and time to the sacred moment of the beginnings.

Seshat, takes measures and notes on a palm branch, symbol of the infinite years that repeat themselves, and that is sustained by the by the little frog Heket below, rebirth and life, and both the branch and the frog rest on a ring: infinite time.

 

In the ceremony of "extension of the rope", the pharaoh assisted by Seshat measures the correct time and place to establish the sacred place. This ceremony connected the celestial meridian with the earth:

Rope Extension Ceremony

 

"I hold the staff. I grip the handle and hold the measuring string next to Seshat. I direct my sight towards the movement of the stars.... I set the corners of my temple..." (Inscription in the temple of Edfu).

 

 

The goddess Seshat carries a curious sign on her head. It is an inverted pair of horns, its translation is "uap pt", the "opening of the sky", and below it there is a headdress with 7 leaves. Each of them represents a direction of space:

Six directions of the Space

 

The Seventh direction is the one that goes to the opening of the sky: "uapt", the one that connects with another dimension, which it is precisely the internal or mystical direction of space, the one that connects with the Sacred in the Universe and in Man... The Egyptian Creation Myth shows us numerically how beings unfold, and the Sacred Geometry and Mathematics of the goddess Seshat show us the way of return.