Chapter 42 Chapter 44 The First Gods

According to the theological system of Heliopolis, the nine gods who appeared in Egypt at the beginning—that is, in the so-called "opening up"—are Lei, Xiu, Tefna, Gebu, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Naptus and Seth.Some of the descendants of these gods are also very famous, such as Anubis and Horos.Other gods appeared, such as those of Memphis and Hermopolis.In addition, there are some very important and ancient local religions in this theological system, worshiping Soth and Ptah (Ptah).These primordial gods are, in a sense, founding gods, shaping the chaotic world by their divine purpose.In the chaos, they opened up the sacred Egyptian land, multiplied the population, established the human society, and ruled Egypt for thousands of years as the holy pharaoh among the people.

However, what exactly is "chaos"? The priests of Heliopolis, in the 1st century BC, suggested to the Greek historian Diodorus when describing the history of ancient Egypt that "chaos" might be the flood, and Diodorus equated this flood with the destruction of the earth The Ducarion Flood on a par.The story of Ducarion is the Greek version of Noah's Ark②: They say that when the Great Flood of Ducarion came, most of humanity was destroyed.But maybe the inhabitants of southern Egypt have a little more chance of surviving than others... They also say that if all living things are destroyed, new animals may reappear on the ground.If so, then the creation of new life will take place in this land...

Why were the Egyptians so lucky to have the chance of rebirth?Someone told Diodorus that it might have something to do with Egypt's geography.The sun in southern Egypt is very strong.And according to the myth, after the Flood, heavy rains continued to fall: "The rain that fell on the heads of others brought a lot of moisture, mixed with the scorching sun of Egypt... The moist air was just suitable for the growth of the first generation of living things." ." What is interesting is that Egypt is indeed unique in its geographical environment.The latitude and longitude of the location of the Great Pyramid (31 degrees east longitude and 30 degrees north latitude) respectively pass through the two driest lands.Also of interest is the melting of millions of cubic miles of snow in northern Europe at the end of the last ice age, which raised sea levels and flooded coastal areas.The water vapor generated when the ice sheet melted evaporated into the atmosphere, turned into rain, fell to the ground, and reached the vicinity of Egypt, making Egypt a place with heavy humidity and rich land for thousands of years. Remembering the original period, "the humidity is high, the moist air is just right for the growth of the first generation of organisms" is quite reasonable.

Curious, who told Diodorus this information?His description of the Egyptian climate at the end of the Ice Age was obviously very correct. Is it purely accidental, or did he get information passed down from ancient times?Is this part of the Egyptians' recollection of the period of "the beginning of the world"? Spirit of the Serpent It is generally believed that Lei was the first king of the founding era of "the beginning of the world".According to ancient mythology, young and energetic, Egypt, under his rule, was a peaceful place.But as the years passed, so did Ray's youth and energy, and by the end he was an aging, wrinkled, shambling old man.

After Lei, Xiu succeeded to the throne and became the king of the earth, but during his reign, many conflicts and disputes occurred.Although he eliminated the enemy, he suffered from illness in the later period, and even his most loyal subordinates rebelled against him: "Tired of ruling, Xiu abdicated and passed the throne to his son Gebu. The terrible changes continued. It happened for nine days, Xiu hid in the sky to take refuge..." The third pharaoh Gebu succeeded to the throne smoothly.Like Xiu, his ruling career was full of difficulties.In mythology, we can find some descriptions about the Gebu era, which seem to reflect each other quite well with some situations in the pyramid scriptures.In the absence of straightforward technical terms, the text seems to be struggling, trying to describe a scientific imagination space with non-technical words, but it is presented as an extremely weird scene.For example, it is particularly impressive that some of the myths refer to a "golden box" (golden box) passed down from Ray.Ray kept several things in the chest, including his club (or cane), a lock of his hair, and his "uraeus" (a gold wand worn on a crown) Serpentine decoration).

This box is a powerful but also very dangerous spell, so even after Lei ascended to heaven, it has been placed in the forest of the stronghold of Egypt (Eastern Border), and no one dared to take care of it for many years.After Ge Bu came to power, he ordered people to take out the box and open it in front of him.The moment the lid was opened, flames (described as the exhalation of the holy snake) sprang out like lightning, Ge Bu was seriously injured on the spot, and all his men died. The scene described in the myth makes one wonder whether it may be the result of a mechanical failure made by humans.A lost civilization may have left behind some kind of gigantic contraption, and people may have felt a sense of awe and bewilderment about it back then.This suspicion is not without foundation.Since ancient times, there has been more than one "gold box" of highly destructive and unpredictable machinery.For example, the "Ark of the Covenant" (Ark of the Covenant) in Hebrew mythology has many similarities with the gold box (both are equally mysterious, can also emit flames, and hurt innocent people in an instant, and the ark is also made of gold. It contains not only two nameplates engraved with ten weapons, but also a golden pot containing the holy manna (manna) and a priest Aaron's scepter).

It is beyond the scope of this book to examine what these wondrous boxes (and the "technology" products of various ancient traditions) represent.Here, we just want to point out that from here we can see that the nine gods of Hyliopolis actually often live in an environment surrounded by dangerous, weird, and high-tech machines. Take Isis (the wife and sister of Osiris, mother of Horos) as an example.No matter how you look at it, she has the air of a scientific researcher.According to the British Museum's Chester Beatty Papyrus, she was a "clever woman, wiser than the gods... She knew everything from the sky to the ground." Esther, who was good at magic and magic Silk, known in ancient Egypt in particular for her "strong language," she knew how to use strong words, "with correct pronunciation, without pausing in speaking, and in her method of using words flawlessly even when commanding. In other words , as long as she makes a sound, she can change reality, beyond the laws of physics."

It is said that the one with the same power but higher skill is the God of Wisdom Sous.Although Sous did not belong to the family of the nine gods of Heliopolis, according to the Durin papyrus, he was the sixth (sometimes counted as the seventh) Egyptian god pharaoh.Sous often appears in the form of a bird or a bird-headed man on the temple or tomb wall. In legend, he is a deity who is responsible for explaining and calculating matters related to the sky. Inventor and protector of magic.He is especially proficient in astronomy, mathematics, surveying, geography and other matters. He is described as a god who "can calculate the sky, count stars, and measure the ground". Conveyed to the mortals selected by him.It is said that Sous secretly wrote his knowledge into a book and hid it underground, intending to leave it to future generations, so that those "who are entitled to this knowledge" can discover it and use that knowledge in a useful place for mankind.

Obviously, Sousse is not only an ancient scientist, but also a protector of scientific civilization.In this respect, he has many similarities with the pharaoh Osiris who preceded him.Osiris is the pharaoh of the fourth god and the high-ranking god of the pyramid scriptures, "the name is Sah (Orion star), the legs are very long, the walking steps are very wide, and he is the lord of the land in the south..."④ Osiris and the Immortal King Osiris, who is occasionally referred to in scripture as a nebtem or "lord of the universe," was also a superhuman with superhuman abilities.He is high above, ruling and dominating, but like a human being, he suffers pain.In addition, his dual character is also manifested in one side ruling the sky (in the body of Orion constellation), and one side ruling the mortals on the ground.Like the Quetzalcotel of Mesoamerica and the Viracocha of the Andes, his methods are clever, quirky and mysterious.Like the gods of South America, Osiris is very tall and has a beard that only gods can have on his face. Although he has supernatural abilities, he will use them only when he has to.

We have already narrated in Chapter 16 of this book. According to the legend, the human-god Cuiza Cotel, who ruled Mexico, left Mexico by sea and headed for the East China Sea on a snake raft.Therefore, when reading the ancient Egyptian "Book of the Dead", it is difficult for us to avoid a preconceived notion (dejaru).Osiris also lived on the water, and his walls were made of raw snakes.At least it is striking that there are so many similarities in the symbols used by the two gods. There are many more than the examples given above. We have described the story of Osiris in considerable detail in the previous chapters, so I won't repeat it here.We just want to point out that, like Quetzalcotel and Viracocha, he mainly left the impression on future generations as the protector of human beings, who paid a considerable price for the establishment of civilization⑥.For example, Osiris is known later for helping the Egyptians establish agriculture, especially wheat and barley, by abolishing cannibalism.And since he was addicted to alcohol (the myth does not mention where he learned this hobby), he especially taught humans to "plant grapes and preserve wine..." He not only taught humans how to live a good life, but also helped them "to get rid of misery." barbaric attitude to life, promulgated laws" and brought religion to the Egyptians.

After arranging everything in order, Osiris handed over the control of the country to Essus, left Egypt, and roamed the world, and his purpose was only one: Visits all the places where men live, and teaches them to grow barley and wheat, for he knows that if he can make men stop their savagery and live in moderation and courtesy, he will, besides bestowing great favors, gain immortal fame ... Osiris first went to Ethiopia to teach the local primitive hunters the methods of farming and raising livestock, and engaged in large-scale water control projects there: "He built canals, installed water gates and other regulating devices...he piled up soil on the banks of the river, Build dikes to keep the Nile from flooding..." From there he went on to Arabia and India, where he founded many cities.When he moved to Thrace in Greece, he killed a wild man king who refused to use his methods to govern the country.But this behavior is far from Osiris' behavior style.To the Egyptians he is: Never force others to do things, always appeal with gentle reason, and reason with people, successfully induce them to use the method he promotes.Many of his virtuous ministers sang hymns to those who would listen.Behind the song, there is a beautiful accompaniment. Again, we must point out the similarities between Osiris and Quiza Cotel and Viracocha.In times of darkness and chaos—perhaps related to the Flood—in Egypt (or Bolivia or Mexico) appeared a bearded god or person, proficient in practical science and technology, and possessing mature and highly civilized technology, who selflessly served Human beings bring a wide range of benefits.He is gentle by nature, but he can also show a firm and strict side when necessary.Driven by a strong sense of purpose, he set up his headquarters in Heliopolis (or Tihuanaco or Teotihuacan) and then selected some companions to tour the world and restore the lost order⑦. We might as well put aside for a moment the question of whether Osiris is a man or a god, a product of primordial visions or a real person, and focus on the people around him.In the mythology of Greece and Central and South America, there are some companions beside the civilized people: Quizakotel has companions, and Viracocha and Osiris also have their retinues.Sometimes, they also had serious conflicts, and even struggled for power, such as between Seth and Horos, between Tezcatipoca and Quizakotel, etc., there have been conflicts.And, whether the myth is set in Mesoamerica, or the Andes, or Egypt, the end result is the same: the men who brought civilization to the world are framed, forced to leave the land, or even killed. In mythology, Quizacotel and Viracocha never returned to their lands after they were forced to leave (obviously, we also mentioned that when the Spanish conquered Central and South America, the people expected them to return).Osiris, however, went back.Although he was murdered by Seth shortly after he completed his world tour and made the world give up "barbaric behavior", he was reborn through the constellation of Orion and thereby became a powerful king of the underworld. And get eternal life.From then on, he judged souls in heaven, became a model of a responsible and caring king, and dominated the religion and culture of ancient Egypt throughout the entire historical period. peace and stability If the civilizations of the Andes and Mexico had a strong inheritance system like the Egyptian civilization, what would it be like today?We have no way to guess, but what is certain is that Egypt has its own unique means of creating symbolic inheritance.Indeed, although the pyramid scriptures and some ancient historical materials show that there was a period of chaos in ancient Egypt, and Seth (and his 72 "precession movement" co-conspirators) failed to seize power, but From the literature records, we also see that Horos, Thoth and other gods and pharaohs successfully inherited the ruling power, and the process was complete. The mortal pharaoh inherited the power succession method of his predecessors, which lasted for thousands of years.From the beginning to the end of the dynastic era, every dharma considered himself a descendant of the gods, the son of Osiris, and the representative of Horos in this world.Passed down from generation to generation, each pharaoh believed that after their death they would be reborn in the sky as "another Osiris", and the next one who succeeded the throne would become "another Horus". This simple, refined and stable way of thinking was established in 3100 BC before the beginning of the First Dynasty, and it has been practiced for a long time.Scholars can accept that at the beginning of the dynasty, there was a complete theory of power succession system.And most agree that this system of succession developed out of a very progressive and refined religion.Surprisingly, however, few Egyptologists and archaeologists have questioned where Egypt's religion took shape. It is unlikely that such a social and theological system, centered on the belief in Osiris, would have popped out of Egypt overnight in 3100 BC.It is even illogical that such a complex and mature belief system took only 300 years, as some ancient Egyptologists believe.Egypt's religious outlook has been gradually formed over thousands of years.Moreover, as far as the past is concerned, from any surviving ancient Egyptian text, the ancient Egyptians asserted that their civilization was the legacy of the gods, the "first rulers" of Egypt. Between literature and literature, there are many details that cannot reflect each other.For example, some records have a longer history of Egyptian civilization, while others have a shorter history.But long and short, all point very clearly to a very, very distant epoch—possibly as far back as 8,000 to 40,000 years in the distant past when the First Dynasty began. Archaeologists insist that they cannot find any artifacts of such an early high civilization in Egypt, but this is not entirely true.In Part 6 of this book, we have actually seen that there are several extant objects and buildings that we cannot date by any scientific method. The ancient city of Abydos also has many mysterious buildings whose age cannot be identified... note ① "Kings and Gods", pp. 181-182; "Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt", pp. 209, 164; "Egyptian Myths", pp. 18-22; and James "An Introduction to Ancient Egypt"; pp. 145 . TGH James, An Introduction to Ancient Egypt, British Museum Publication, London, 1979, p. 145ff. ②See Part 4 of this book. ③ Paragraph 4 of Chapter 9 of "Hebrews".For details about the power of Acrylic, see the author's "The Sign and Theseal", 273 pages. Hebrews9:4. Graham Hancock, The Sign and the Seal, Mandarin, London, 1993, Chapter 12, p. 273ff. ④ "Osiris and the Resurrection of Egypt", Vol. 2, p. 307. ⑤ Same as above, Chapter CXXV, Volume 2, Page 81. ⑥ See Parts 2 and 3 of this book, and for the relevant part about the characteristics of Osiris civilization, see "New Larousse Myth Encyclopedia", page 16. New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, Paul Hamlyn, London, 1989. ⑦ "Osiris and the Resurrection of Egypt", Vol. 2, p. 273; "Texts on the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt".