The Egyptian Pharaoh was both King and High Priest. At first, the ascension (not unlike the Buddha’s ascension) was considered possible only to the Pharaoh. It was only later that they came to believe that all souls could ascend, and when they transformed into the Akh they were able to wander the whole world though not in imperfect flesh. Also the favour of your family was seen as having a very real impact on your well being.
How did they get to that belief of all souls? It’s not really documented. It might have been a cultural transplant. There are rumours of Buddhists making it into the middle east, perhaps as far as Egypt? But the Pharaoh was shown such favour because he was viewed as the incarnation of the absolute as they knew it. The very land itself. If he was prosperous and healthy then everyone would be. Conversely when a Pharaoh ascended, his favour was said to give strength to nations and his wrath could plague all nation. All the nation they once ruled, and though the Setites once governed the northern region of Egypt and the Horusites the southern, they came to war. The negative statements about Set were negative statements about northern Egypt. Possibly due to their contact with the Greeks, outsiders weren’t much welcome and so with “Gods favour” the Horusites conquered the Setites and unified Egypt. This is where Osiris comes in. He was likely a war leader and died in the conflict. So the cult of Osiris and the idea of a secluded paradise entered their thinking and the idea of needing Osiruses favour to enter that paradise. Thus the courts reference to the judgment scene, but even then the precepts were more forgiving than some modern religions. There was no question of did you worship “God”. They asked two questions: Did you know joy in life? Did your life bring joy to others?
It was believed that if even one human being alive could speak well of you, you would be accepted and ushered into the Kingdom of Osiris to live a peaceful and happy eternal afterlife. If not, the court was held near a lake of fire in which dwelled Sobek, a demon. Vaguely crocodile like, and the lake of fire was his territory. Christian beast of the apocalypse maybe? If no one could speak for you, your heart was given to her. Permanently annihilated. No eternal suffering. Just oblivion.
Was eternal suffering really ever a part of spirituality, or was that something invented by the government or military interests? No faiths original doctrine ever involved eternal suffering. It was an excuse in the middle ages for the Catholic Church to sell indulgences, pardons basically. They sold very well.
Sounds like insurance scams again. Yes, but “spiritual” or more literally rather religious.
What was Isis’s role? The virgin? Isis was considered an ascended Queen. In a sense a virgin, and considered mother of Horus.
Wasn’t she part of the original immaculate conception story? Yes, she conceived Horus supposedly while Osiris was still dead. She retrieved his body for sex. His phallus specifically. She hadn’t finished putting him back together, but her attention and having weedled Ra out of the secret of rebirth brought him back to life. He couldn’t leave the land of the dead, but he was made whole.
On the subject of funerary rights, Anubis was Horus’ half brother. His mother being Nephthys the Goddess of Sorrow. So though there were no priestesses of Anubis, there were of Nephthys. They were professional mourners.
Worth noting as well, Horus was born on December 25th. Indeed. I was born on July 12th under the sign of Anubis, and they do have a horoscope involving the Egyptian Gods. The signs in the stars were part of why they believed human souls go there.
Does anybody know what age this took place? Taurus or I guess it was before that even? This I don’t really know. I‘m not sure anyone does as it is sort of Egyptian “pre-history”. Though actually considering the veneration of the bull at the time, that is a very educated guess. There is very little that is actually codified about Egypt. It wasn’t truly an “organized religion”.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~