Ancient Egypt was a land of abundant bounty, thanks to the Nile’s yearly inundation, which bestowed fertile soil and a wealth of crops, sufficient to feed the populace for an entire year and still leave surpluses. The primary crops of the Nile Valley were emmer wheat and barley, from which were produced the ubiquitous bread...
Hieroglyphs and artwork have survived the ages depicting Egyptian authorities using baboon on leashes to catch criminals, in much the way modern police would use a dog. The most surprising use for trained baboons was as police animals. This artifact offers a fascinating glimpse into the innovative methods employed by ancient Egyptians in maintaining law...
In ancient Egypt, gold, silver and electrum were the metals of choice for making jewelry. Due to its brilliance and incorruptibility, gold was associated with the Sun and the concept of immortality (hence the decision to make the bodies of gods from gold). Silver was associated with the Moon, and was used for the bones...
Beer and wine were the two most common alcoholic drinks in ancient Egypt. Beer was drunk regularly and was therefore one of the most important things to receive as an offering after death. Numerous offering formulae mention bread and beer, almost always followed by beef and poultry. Beer is already mentioned in texts from the...
Aker appears as a pair of twin lions, one named Duaj (meaning “yesterday”) and the other Sefer (meaning “tomorrow”). Aker was thus often titled “He who’s looking forward and behind”. Lions were widespread in prehistoric times and still present in the Nile Valley in the late Pharaonic history. The lion was an important element in...
Tomb painting of Inherkhau worshiping the serpent god Sata, son of the earth and guardian of the underworld. Snakes were dominantly present in ancient Egyptian mythology. They played a double role, benevolent and malevolent. They could be evoked for curing, protecting and healing but at the very same time cursing and inflicting danger. Sata belonged...
The Egyptian word for “year” was rnpt and was closely related to the idea of annual growth and the renewal of the cycle of vegetation; the hieroglyph would represent a branch of palm, leafless and carved for measurement purposes. The beginning of the year for the ancient Egyptians was not on January 1st, but in...
