Egypt, Trunk of the Tree, Vol. 2: The Consequences

364 Pages·2004·3.02 MB·English

by  Simson Najovits

E , T T
GYPT RUNK OF THE REE
V . II
OL

E , T T
GYPT RUNK OF THE REE

A MODERN SURVEY OF AN ANCIENT LAND
Vol. II : The Consequences
How Egypt Became the Trunk of the Tree

Simson Najovits

Algora Publishing
New York
© 2004 by Algora Publishing.
All Rights Reserved.
www.algora.com

No portion of this book (beyond what is permitted by
Sections 107 or 108 of the United States Copyright Act of 1976)
may be reproduced by any process, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the
express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 0-87586-256-X (softcover)
ISBN: 0-87586-257-8 (hardcover)
ISBN: 0-87586-201-2 (ebook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Najovits, Simson R.
Egypt, trunk of the tree : a modern survey of an ancient land / by Simson R. Najovits.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-87586-256-X (alk. paper) — ISBN 0-87586-257-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Egypt—Religion—History. 2. Egypt—Civilization. I. Title.
BL2441.N23 2003
932—dc21
2003002755

Printed in the United States
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 9. THE CENTRAL PREOCCUPATION OF THE EGYPTIAN RELIGION
THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION TO THE SCANDAL OF DEATH 1
The Osirisian Revolution 1
Eternal Optimists 2
The Invention of Protective Monumental Tombs and Ut, The Preservation
of the Body 8
Osirisian Concepts Spread, But the Afterlife Remains “Virtual” for Most 13
History’s First Savior God 20
The Merger of Re Solar and Osiris Chthonian Theologies 22
A Pre-Eschatology Offers An Afterlife for All Who Could Afford It 27
The First People to Flirt with a Link between Religion, the Afterlife and
Ethics 29
Getting to the Duat Afterlife and Prospering There 44
A Convoluted System of Several Souls and Their Survival after Death 49
Did the Collapse of the Old Kingdom Lead to Doubts in the Afterlife System? 55
The Aftermath to Egypt’s System of Salvation, the Treatment of the Dead
Body and the Afterlife 59
CHAPTER 10. POLYTHEISM, THEOCRACY AND POLITICO-RELIGIOUS
RIVALRY AND THE ADVENT OF MONOTHEIZING CHIEF GODS 67
The Birth of Monotheizing Chief Gods 67
The Chief God Role of the Sky And Sun God, Re 71
Re Gets Old and Tired, Almost Destroys Humanity 75
VII
Amun Takes over, But Re Rolls Along 78
Amunism: The Apotheosis of Egypt’s Chief God Monotheizing Tendency 78
Confusion between Monotheizing Tendencies, Monotheism and the Chief
Gods 88
Monotheizing Tendencies and the Gap with the Theology, Ethics and
Eschatology of Monotheism 100
CHAPTER 11. AKHENATEN INVENTS THE FIRST MONOTHEISM,
ACCOMPANIED BY THE AMARNA ART REVOLUTION 117
The Roots of Aten Primitive Monotheism: Heliopolitan Solar Theology,
Theban Amunism, Chief God Monotheizing Theology, and Egyptian
Political and Religious Imperialism 117
The Several Sources for Atenism and the Amarna Period 127
Atenist Solar Cult Theology: a Heresy, a Revolution, a Monolatry
and a Proto-Monotheism 131
The Amarna Art Revolution: A Brief Opening for Naturalism, Realism,
Hyper-Realism, Emotion and Caricature (but also Idealization) 144
The Collapse of Atenism and the Counterrevolution Led by Horemheb and
the Thebes Amun Clergy 149
Did Atenism Influence Hebrew Monotheism, or Was It a Counter Model? 158
Conflicting Evaluations of Atenism and Akhenaten; Loony Theories about
Akhenaten 161
CHAPTER 12. EGYPTO-HEBREW RELATIONS: SUPPOSED AND PROVEN
EGYPTO-HEBREW CONNECTIONS AND THEIR CENTRAL ISSUE 175
The Central Issue: The Origins of Monotheism 175
The Origins of the Hebrews 188
Preposterous Theories about a Direct Monotheistic Atenist/Hebrew
Connection and a Direct Monotheistic Hyksos/Hebrew Connection 205
The Temptation to See a Monotheizing Cross-Fertilization between Egypt,
Babylonia, the Shasu, the Habiru, Canaan/Israel and the Judeo-Christians 213
CHAPTER 13. THE APEX OF EGYPTIAN POWER AND ITS SUBSEQUENT
DECLINE 219
The New Kingdom — The Apex of Egyptian Power in All Domains 219
Political, Military, Religious and Artistic Decline from the 12th Century BC 222
The Kushite and Saite Dynasties Attempt to Revitalize Egypt 225
Decadence in the Late Period and the Most Elaborate System of Zoolatry
Ever Devised 227
Persian Rule and the Beginning of the End of Egypt 232
Greek and Roman Rule — The End of Egyptian Egypt 238
VIII
The End of Egyptian Polytheism, The Rise of Christian Monotheism and 243
the Search for a New Religion for Egypt
The Moslem Conquest and Conversion of Egypt 252
CHAPTER 14. EGYPT AS A HINGE SOCIETY, A LINK AND AN INFLUENCE —
AUTHENTIC AND IMAGINARY 257
The Egypto-African Connection — Convergences between Egyptian and
African Divine Kingships 257
The Probable Egyptian Influence on the Hebrew Messiah-King, Jesus, Son
of the Christian God, and Other Divine Kingship Concepts 263
Egypto-Hebrew Contact: A Connection and a Massive Rejection 268
The Egypto-Greek Link 273
Greek Rationalism and the Rejection of the Egyptian Magical and
Mythological View 283
Egypt as a Hinge between the Ancient and Christian Eras 295
Egyptian Dream Interpretation 299
Egypt as an Inspiration for Esoterica — Possible Truths and Incredible
Imagination 301
The Hocus-Pocus View of Egypt and the Scientific Revolution in Europe 310
The Western Rejection of the Egyptian Magical View 313
The Imaginary Egypto-Afrocentric Link 315
Loony and Imaginary Egyptian Views Right into Our Time 325
CHAPTER 15. THE REDISCOVERY OF EGYPT AS THE TRUNK OF THE TREE 331
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 335
Primary Texts 335
Religion, Mythology, Society 336
Art and Architecture 337
History 338
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Grammars and Historical Atlases 338
SELECTED INTERNET SITES 339
Translations of Egyptian texts 339
Translations of writings in Greek related to Egypt 339
Art, architecture and archaeology online 339
Databases, Searches, General, History, Religion, Society 340
Bibliographies 340
GLOSSARY/INDEX 341
IX