The entire Egyptian civilization was founded upon its profoundly religious culture. In essence, for several thousands of years an entire system of life revolved around the organising principle that there is an afterlife which is eternal and access to it is controlled by living justly in this life.
Scholarship has demonstrated that the religion of Ancient Egypt generated a thoroughgoing set of beliefs that enabled mighty works such as obelisk and pyramid construction. These artefacts were not made by forced slave labour, but by a common set of beliefs. The technology necessary, for example, to quarry a 20m. high granite obelisk weighing 120 tonnes, then transport it a long way before rearing it up to be perfectly vertical would be taxing now – it was actually done 4,000 years ago with no iron tools or motorised vehicles.
The point of mentioning this is that belief forms values in human society. Aspiring to live eternally for the Egyptians entailed living currently according to Ma’at’s feather.
This is an extract from a Book of the Dead [taken from a British Museum leaflet]. It shows the Judgement Hall. The recently deceased is being shown into the land of comfort by Horus who is carrying the ankh as a sign of life. In the middle is Toth the scribe recording the success of the judgement. The dead man’s heart has been weighed against a feather and found to be lighter, thus the man had not been weighed down with injustice. The weighing is supervised by Anubis whilst Ammit sits and hopes for failure. Had the heart been heavier than Ma’at’s feather, Ammit would have eaten it and the deceased would have ceased to be. Ma’at and her head-dress can be seen on the balance beam. There is more to be seen in this papyrus and lots to reflect upon.
The Egyptians believed this for a very long time and their belief system can be recovered by studying the art and monuments that still remain.
Another reflection for us might be upon what will be understood from the remains of our attempts at civilisation. We have a simple and comprehensible religion to follow, but maybe our beliefs are not very robust since our world denies the importance of Christ’s revelation of true justice. Our artefacts consist largely of waste and destructive power. 4,000 years hence will people be looking into what we made in the name of justice?
It is still not too late for we who know Jesus to demonstrate how light our hearts can be. Humans do have the capacity to be just, the Egyptians were amongst those who showed it. Interestingly, they did not use money.
John Cartwright
Comments