In all ancient Mediterranean civilizations the constellation known to us
as the Pleiades had a most important role. It served as a celestial marker
or sign for one of the year's great events, i.e. of the spring's coming rain
or flood. In fact, these stars were thought to be connected, in a
meta-astrological sense, with the concept "blessing".
Thus The Pleiades
signaled and initiated "the wet season" and then being emphasized by the
signal from a next following star group, The Hyades, i.e. in Greek
'to rain'.
Later in Antiquity, Greek
and Roman authors enjoyed to write about the especial popular stellar group
of The Pleiades, to which there already existed several mythological
accounts.
For instance, the
Pleiades group is pictured on the Senmut the vizier's 3,500-years
old star map - at least, these stars are placed on the map on the spot
where the Pleiades are situated in the sky. More so, on the map the specific
picture have been attached some hieroglyphs showing clearly to be read in the
direction from the right to the left, displaying the name mw(jt) nwt ht
, i.e. 'The Watery Bodies', 'The Humids', or '...of Moisture'.
The now so famous Senmut map is
adorning the ceiling of his tomb (Thebes Tomb 353) which like a
tunnel is leading beneath the Queen Hatshepsut Temple of Hathor, goddess of
the Sky.
That the Pleiades are to
be seen on the Senmut star map was not hitherto mentioned in the literature
about this map, which in fact contains a great amount of data many of which
never before detected or investigated. Cf., below, the sections 5 and 6
concerning the certain discovery of such information in the map - of
importance for ancient history and chronology, and was detected by Ove von
Spaeth.
Some of the
Egyptian temples have been constructed in a way connecting to the star of
Sirius when - each year in the summer after a period of invisibility of 70
days - it rose (i.e. its Heliacal rising) together with the sun that the
light would travel down the temples' main corridor. In that moment, Sirius
would place its shining spot on the altar in the innermost sanctum of the
temple.
For instance, this is the
case with the Temple of Isis in Denderah. When the altar was hit by the
beam, Sirius was considered as being transformed into Sothis (Sirius) as a
star god, i.e. Isis, the greatest goddess.
On the basis of the same
understanding a similar principle was already involved in connection with
previously mentioned Hatshepsut's Temple of Hathor, which, by its axis'
directed by the line of winter solstice, also could receive the beams of the
(in the mythology: seven) Stars of the Pleiades. This was interpreted in a
way that the beams were being transformed into the Egyptian celestial
goddess Hathor's seven female judges of mankind.
In a similar way later in
Greek temples - for instance in the very Parthenon - being constructed with
the direction to the beams of the Stars of the Pleiades. Thus, when the
temples were oriented geographically to receive these beams of light into
the inner sanctums, the light-rays were described in a symbolic way as being
"transformed into seven women", i.e. "The Seven Sisters", The Pleiades.
The Greek scholar,
philosopher, and astronomer, Eratosthenes in Alexandria, 276-194 BC,
described The Pleiades as "The Seven Stars with the one of them not
visible". And already Hesiod, 700 BC, adds that according to the old star
lore this group of 7 stars represents the 7 daughters of Atlas (known as the
giant who carried the very sky globe on his shoulders).
Even though we can only
see 6 Pleiades in the sky it is a fact that all the way from Greece
throughout to the South Pacific and - notice - also in Pre-Columbian North
America accounts everywhere tell about "the seven stars of which one is
gone". At all the places this constellation is often in addition called
"young women" or "girls". This was seen by the ancient Hebrews as well as by
America's Coyote Indians in Oregon and the Iroques Indians.
Also by e.g. the Dyaks
and the Malaysians on Borneo these stars are exactly counted as "seven of
which the one is invisible". And by Australia's Aboriginals who, too, call
them "the young girls". Likewise, they are called by this name in the
Solomon's Islands in the Pacific. And on the Northern Sumatra this 6-star
constellation is called "Bindtang Tudjohc", i.e. 'of the 7 stars".
All this could refer to a
much older age of the concept of the star system than most historians today
would like to accept. Ancient, widespread civilizations of prehistoric times
- being traced and discovered more and more by modern science - could have
existed several places on earth. And from some of these connections the
Hebrews, the Greeks, and the Egyptians seem to have possessed such a
heritage - "the 7 young women", "the sources of blessing", "the humids" -
and have carried it further on.
The
biblical Job text - mostly in archaic Hebrew and 3,500 years of age - could
contain an extra allusion. It may be showing a lingering loss of the 7th Pleiad which
apparently failed to remain being fixed on the firmament: "... Canst thou
bind together the brilliant Pleiades? ..." (Book of Job, 38:31).
*
Illustrations. Below: The Pleiades Constellation as shown on the
Senmut map and designated 'The Watery Bodies", "The Humids", seemingly as
this group of celestial bodies is marking the season of
rain or an inundation.
In all ancient Mediterranean civilizations the Pleiades
were important in use in the agricultural calendars.
Further below: Senmut portrait placed in a contemporary Egyptian
craftman's projection grid to be used as a model for decorating Senmut's tomb.
The Great Bear Constellation and Senmut's Star Map
Earlier Tradition On the Senmut Map
It is a fact that
reminiscences of our well-known zodiac system were found with the Mayas -
prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in Central America in 1492. Thus,
several of their star sign symbols are in principle identical with the
Middle East zodiac symbols. Ursa Major, i.e.
The Great Bear constellation also known as Charles's Wain, is a non-existing
tail bear - strangely enough known all over the world. This is except at the
Senmut
star
map's 2nd part or extension, where it is shown in another version - yet
it is being placed correctly near the top of the celestial World-axis.
This axis is the most
famous celestial line of sight - connecting the brightest main stars Canopus, Sirius,
and Lyra/Wega. The axis is, possibly for the very first time, depictured on the
Senmut map.
Europeans, Asians, as
well as the North American Indians prior to Columbus, in many cases they had
the same designations for the same constellations. And concerning Great
Bear, in the different continents with their several local languages, this
same group of stars was called by the same designation, the "Great Bear",
which is remarkable as it does not at all look like a bear!
And this is even a bear
with a long tail - non-existing in any earthly zoological issue or concept -
i.e. an identical fantasy product re-found across the oceans.
The above mentioned idea
(cf. Section 1) about a past "intercontinental" range of even several cases
of identical names of stars/constellations seems not only based on an
apparently wide spread knowledge of a principally uniform astronomical
system; especially with matching identical features in the symbols of the 12
sections of the zodiac. But also it do concern several other identical
astronomical names or descriptions.
For instance, this is the
case with the sun, called 'Ra' or 'Re' by the
Egyptians; the Chinese called it 'Re', and so did the Polynesians.
And all over the Pacific Ocean it is also called 'Ra' - despite
the lack of relation/affinity between the Egyptian, Chinese, and Polynesian
languages - and irrespective of the huge geographical distances.
To this it should
be added that apart from the almost identical pronunciation of Ra/Re (Ri),
the Chinese still use in their special writing the very same pictographic
sign for the sun as the Egyptians. It is the well-known ancient symbol of a
circle with a dot in the middle (in later Chinese pictography the circle has
been changed to be square-like, for reasons of a calligraphic writing
technique).
The Egyptians' hieroglyph for Re or Ra,
'the sun', (here, together with a glyph meaning 'son of Ra') - and in China
the sign for Re or Ri, 'the sun', (and a later, square version more easy to
write).
Similarly, both the
ancient Egyptians and the Chinese have a glyph or symbolic sign showing a
scorpion. According to the ancient traditions of astrological significances,
for instance with the Greeks and the Romans, the celestial sign of Scorpio
(originally the constellation named Scorpio) may symbolize or refer to "huge
quantities or numbers"; and when a picture of a scorpion is used as a
hieroglyph in an Egyptian text - or as a writing sign in the Chinese writing
still used - this also means the same thing in these written languages, i.e.
"huge numbers".
Also the stars known by
us as the Gemini have the same Greek and Babylonian name or meaning, as well
as with the ancient inhabitants of the southern Pacific Ocean.
Heritage from earlier
civilizations? Archetypes? For all these examples too it goes that when
seafarers all over the world at all times have navigated by means of the
stars, the spread of some of the mutual ideas might also have happened this
way; although not necessarily the only way.
In this connection it is
interesting that the ancient Egyptians did not call the constellation in
question Great Bear, but Meshkitu, i.e. the 'shank of an ox'. In
ancient myths, and also in the Bible, a shank, thigh, or loin refer
conceptually to the delivery process or re-birth and were also well known
euphemisms for the reproductive organs.
In the Senmut star map
and in numerous other ancient Egyptian pictures the Meshkitu - the
constellation of the Great Bear/Charles's Wain - has been made unusually
flat. When the Egyptian mythological tradition seems to have many references
to a previous civilization - could the idea have been faithfully passed on
from that?
*
Illustrations. Below: - Left: The Great Bear constellation on
many Egyptian pictures.
- Centre: the constellation's movements thousands of years ago.
- Right: the constellation shown as a bear with the unnatural tail
(Beyer's map from the Renaissance).
The following examples are not connected to the Senmut map but to a certain part
of its foundation in ancient Egyptian astronomy traditions.
Also when the three great
pyramids at Giza were constructed at 2500 BC the stars were a preoccupation.
Not only seems the placement of the pyramids to have been arranged to
reflect the three stars in Orion's Belt, but also the so-called airshafts in
the Great Pyramid should, in an exact angle, point in particular to Orion
and other selected stars. Further, these three pyramids have been built with
the most incredibly exact line of sight towards the North Star, i.e. its
position at that time.
Kate Spence, the
British Egyptologist, published a brilliant, although disputed, article on the method in "Nature" (November 2000,
Vol.408, pp.16ff).
Robert Temple, the
Historian, has himself disclosed by meticulous measuring and observation that during the days
around December 21, i.e. exactly around solstice, the pyramids cast shadows on
each other. And in particular that such a special winter solstice shadow will be
cast on the southern surface of the largest pyramid (cf. Robert Temple: "The Crystal
Sun", London 2000).
The pyramid
silhouette of this "rare" shadow has an angle of 26 degrees and 34 minutes
-exactly like the slope of the ramps (for instance "the Gallery) inside the
very pyramid. This definite 26 degrees angle is part of the "golden"
right-angled triangle with sides in a ratio of 1 to 2 and a corresponding
square root of 5 which in particular reflects "the Golden Section".
This concept was
especially important within the almost religiously sublime geometric science of
ancient times - and was here the canonical basis of Egyptian art and architecture.
*
Illustration, below: The ramps of the interior of the pyramid with
the 26 degrees tilt (26:34 degrees).
The clues for understanding the build-in information in the Senmut star map
should be based on knowledge about the special Egyptian astronomic-cosmological
concept.
The ancient temples constitute or represent "a part of the sky" placed in the
terrestrial world. The temple of Queen Hatshepsut was built 3500 years ago in Deir el-Bahari west of Luxor,
and Senmut, the Grand Vizier, who was also a brilliant and innovative architect,
had engraved in the foundation stone a kind of horoscope for the foundation of
the temple (according to French Egyptologist Suzanne Ratie's work "La
reine-pharaon", Paris 1972).
It is also established,
that Senmut has arranged the building in the way that a long line of sight
of several kilometres points from the central axis in the large Temple of
Karnak (in northern part of present city Luxor) and further crossing the
Nile and all the way out in front of the Valley of Kings, where it
eventually is united with the central axis of Hatshepsut's Temple of Hathor
- the Egyptian goddess of the sky - in front of the mountain. (The axis is
discussed in Ove von Spaeth's book-series
on Moses, Vol. 2,
"The Enigmatic Son of Pharaoh's Daughter", - in chapter 7 the main
plan is demonstrated on the map).
The prolonged axis or
line of sight, i.e. a narrow belt of sight more than a 'cord' in particular,
is not heading directly east-west, but has a little wry angle to this. Only
few know about this axis, and less than few that it has been designated a
special meaning or intension. The meaning can be disclosed by combining the
various accessible data. Thus, the geographical angle of this axis will
state that in reality it is placed directly at the very line of winter
solstice.
This can be observed,
concretely, at the very site: the sun will appear at solstice on the shortest
day of the year - approx. on December 21 - which was important, because at this
special turning point the length of the days will again begin to increase. And in
Luxor (Karnak) the passage of the sun will follow exactly the central axis of
the Temple of Karnak in east and further on.
On that particular day it is possible to track the sun in the morning, when it
rises precisely in the centre at the end of the "main street" of the Temple of
Karnak, where the sun beams hit in a special, brilliant way without "wry"
angles. (For instance, Ronald Lane Reese, Professor in Physics and Astronomy, at
Washington and Lee University, have also noted some of these features, cf. his article:
"Midwinter Sunrise at El Karnak", Sky & Telescope Magazine, March 1992, pp. 276-278).
It was of great
significance that with this date the point of the year was reached when,
simultaneously, Sirius - always considered by the Egyptians to be the most important
star (and is always followed by Orion) - was "born" (as they called it) here,
down by the horizon.
In Egypt Sirius can be seen in the sky most of the year - and at this exact time
for which the temple axis had been constructed, there was understood a special
correspondence between the sun and Sirius. Because here exactly at winter
solstice Sirius can be seen appearing above the horizon by sunset.
Incidentally, additional
significance may be attached to such a type of axis. If we look at modern
architects' and surveyors' measures of the ruins in Tell el-Amarna, the town
Akhetaton founded by Pharaoh Akhenaton, it appears that there is a similar line
of sight following the central axis of the temple and the town and further
crossing the landscape and out to some mountains, which are being passed by the
sun at the terminal point of its diurnal arc.
This construction seems
to copy the principle of Senmut's (subterranean) tomb placed in front of the
mountain at the end of the long line of sight, which in Luxor/Thebes has its
point of origin in the axis of the temple of Karnak. Furthermore, on the latter
mountain's rear side (i.e. the Kings' Valley) is situated a tomb, prepared for
being shared by Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis I, placed directly in the further
extension of this line.
Everywhere in the old
world the axis of winter solstice was of major importance. For instance, it is
the very recognizable base of the whole structure of the Ale's Stenar, the 'Nordic
Stonehenge' in Scania, Sweden.
Six step pyramids of
black volcanic stone - situated near Guimar on east coast of Tenerife, the
Canarian Island - were found in 1990 by explorer Thor Heyerdahl. These
pyramids' main complex discloses a perfect line marking the axis of winter
solstice. In 1997-1998 archaeologist Donald Ryan have excavated underneath
one of these pyramids and found ostracon and obsidian-made tools from the
island's original pre-Spanish people, the Guanches, tracing back at least to
6th century BC.
British astronomer, Sir
J. Norman Lockyer (1836-1920) - among other things famous for the discovery of
the sun's chronosphere and the element of helium (in the sun) - calculated the
astronomical lines in ancient Egyptian and Greek temples.
And in Stonehenge,
too, where Lockyer also dated its construction by using the fact, that the
lines were adapted according to a previous angle of tilt of the axis of
Earth. Modern C-14 measuring confirms the results. And especially the very
Stonehenge's axis of winter solstice shows a major importance.
In 2000 the world's oldest known star observatory was found at the German
town Goseck, approx. 180 kilometres southeast of Berlin. The neolithic
circular construction shows a diameter of 75 metres, and by all methods it
is dated to more than 7,000 years of age, i.e. older than even Stonehenge.
Cf. Madhusree Mukerjee: "Circles for Space. German 'Stonehenge' marks oldest
observatory", Scientific American (8th December 2003).
The observatory has three
gates - to the south-east, the south-west, and the north - precisely placed
according to the axis of winter solstice. Standing in the centre at the time
of winter solstice - and only then - the observers thus could see the sun
raising and its setting. Some traditional views by science have been
surprised that neolithic people measured the celestial elements to such an
extended exactness and so early in history.
Concerning the Senmut map
adorning the ceiling of his subterranean tomb's tunneling room on its way
beneath Hatshepsut's temple - in fact, the very star map is attached to this
tunnel of more than 100 metres attempting to follow almost exactly the
winter solstice axis connecting the Karnak temple several kilometres away
with Hatshepsut's temple.
*
Illustrations.
Below: The line of sight:
The Karnark's temple-axis, early in the morning on the day of Winter
solstice, every year when around 23rd of December.
Further below: The line of sight: from Karnark's temple-axis via
Deir el-Bahari's temple-axis and forward to Hatshepsut's royal tomb.
Apart from the analysis: A possible relation to Moses?
The actual analysis of the Senmut star map follows its own objective purpose:
to be concerned only with the very dating of the ancient Egyptian star map - and without any dependence of however the result could be used in other
connections.
Apart from this
investigation, - by a totally separated research - the many data on the
Senmut map have interesting perspectives: - The precise astronomical dating of
the star map implying an enhanced concept of the chronology, which will also
contribute to the new orientating research on the historical Moses as presented
(cf. Ove
von Spaeth's book-series).
In addition, Ove von Spaeth's
treatise, published in "Centaurus" (42;3, 2000), with documentation for the
dating of Egypt's oldest star map, has been re-edited to be used by readers
without professional astronomical knowledge. It has been attached as an Appendix
to the Volume 2 of Ove von Spaeth's
present book-series on research of the historical Moses.
Thus, in relation to the
concept of Ove von Spaeth's book series, the result of the analysis of the star map
having disclosed remarkable
perspectives:
The material indicates a
special date is signified in the star map. The same date seems to appear in the Rabbinical
Writings informing about a specific event for Moses in Egypt. In addition to this, the possible cross-reference between Egyptian and Israelite history has
been demonstrated in the series' Volume 2 (and in Vol.1
as well) and the result seems to be supported further by several important
relations in this area of research.
The Centaurus-publisher's
part of copyright to publish the treatise of the star map has most kindly been
excluded for the benefit of presenting the text in connection with the author's
Moses-research. Thus the treatise was also allowed to be published as an appendix to Vol. 2 of Ove von Spaeth's book-series.
*
Illustration, below: Portrait of Senmut, a
contemporary ink-drawing.
The combination of archaeology and the rare but informative data from ancient astronomy -
together with Egyptology and textual research - is a basic way to a better
understanding of some of the great enigmas in the history of the past.
These conditions have brought light to what seems to be the existence of a special connection
between the Senmut star map and the Moses era, this being discovered by Ove von Spaeth's researching.
In his five-volume book-series "Assassinating Moses" Ove von Spaeth has
most carefully analysed and published a great amount of ancient traces and highly important clues
of the historical Moses. This task has been thoroughly supported by the author's
substantial basis of historical and astronomical learning and experience. In his many years of
intensive studies Ove von Spaeth has, furthermore, made extensive use of
research into archaeology, anthropology, ancient languages, history of religion,
Egyptian tradition as well as the ancient teachings of mystery and mythology. He
throws new light on the unusually abundant and also controversial material, and even
using holistic angle.
It is in this
context that Ove von Spaeth has meticulously investigated the chronological
background, in order to obtain a considerably better precision concerning
the historical time-frame of the era in question.
"Ove von
Spaeth's important,
new-orientating treatise on "Dating the Oldest Egyptian Star Map", was published
in "Centaurus International Magazine on The History of Mathematics, Science, and
Technology", Vol. 42;3, 2000 (pp 159-179). It has gained admiration and respect
internationally and hard critic as well for its untraditional solution to difficult problems of Ancient
Egyptian astronomy and chronology perspectives. - The discoveries in
question contributed and supported the enhancement of dating the
historical time of Moses."
Hans Baron Anckarstjerna,
Historian, Editor, - Swedano Journal
A certain background
concerning the star-map and the Moses-research:
The following information - about similar astronomically based chronology
studies from Ove von Spaeth's first volume on the Moses-research - is an introduction written by Kristian Peder Moesgaard, D.Sc., Professor
on History of Astronomy, at The University of Aarhus:
"Already the overall picture in this book - of
the detection of some radical circumstances behind Moses' role in the history of
Egypt and the Hebrew people - is extremely exiting in itself. Rightly, Ove von
Spaeth has chosen a vivid style in order to reach a wider circle of readers than
mere specialists. Furthermore, this work of Ove von Spaeth is inter-disciplinary
to an exceptional degree based on extensive and thorough studies within history,
theology, archaeology, and history of religion as well as history of astronomy.
With zeal and flair Ove
von Spaeth has collected evidence from widely different sources to support his
main thesis regarding Moses and his status and place in history. As a historian
of astronomy I find the basic assumption of a certain planetary constellation in
1537 BC worth testing in relation to biblical research Egyptology archaeology as
well as general history.
The actual occurrence of
the above-mentioned planetary constellation and other astronomical circumstances
may be objectively verified by computation based on modern astronomical theory.
And the author argues that the Moses tradition in source material from
Egyptology, the Bible, the Rabbinical Texts, and from a number of historians of
antiquity reflects these astronomical phenomena. He is also of the opinion that
this starting point throws new light on the coherence of the remaining source
material.
The author's dating of Moses
at 1500-1400 BC, about 200 years earlier than the most frequently accepted
dating in 11th century BC, has previously been suggested by researchers of
various backgrounds and nationalities: Egyptologists, historians of religion, and
archaeologists throughout the last one hundred years (e.g. G. Lefébure, V.H.
Juvelius, J. Garstang, and lately, J.J. Bimson and S. Ratié, among others). Thus
Ove von Spaeth's assertion is not unprecedented and in the present work the
hypothesis has been confronted with a much wider spectrum of source material
than in works of the researchers mentioned.
An extensive bibliography
reveals extraordinarily thorough background studies. The entire account and its
results deserve to be known also outside Scandinavia."
Kristian Peder Moesgaard,
D.Sc., Professor, History of Science Department, Aarhus University; -
Director of the Steno Museum, Danish National Museum for the History of
Science, Aarhus
An introduction (to Vol. 2 of Ove von Spaeth's
Moses-series) - of relevance in
relation to The Antiquity's sources on Ancient Egypt - was written by Leo Hjortsoe, University lecturer in
Classic Philology:
"This work by Ove von Spaeth reassesses
Moses' historic situation, and - if properly published and put into
circulation - it could alter our current view of this historic sequence of
events in the Near East during the last half of the second millennium BC.
This is a
well-articulated, thought-provoking text that is very enjoyable reading and
which should interest any avid reader of ancient history for scientific and
personal reasons alike.
The writer presents a
truthful, comprehensive presentation of his material - with no ulterior
motives. The primary sources used here go far beyond those used in
contemporary research; and his secondary sources, including the results of
modern research all the way up to the present, are applied and discussed to
an astonishing degree.
Ove von Spaeth's work -
the result of year-long efforts on partly unheeded problems up to now - not
only constitutes serious historical research, but is a vivid historiography
appealing both to scientific history research and ordinary readers interested in
history."
Leo Hjortsoe, University
lecturer, Classic Philology, University of Copenhagen
Naturally, and as already referred to, Ove von Spaeth's research of the
very Senmut Star Map and its chronological perspectives were later taken into
consideration in relation to his work on the investigation of the historical
Moses and the era concerned.
*
Illustrations. Below: Quarry with modern
entrance to Senmut tomb TT353 - from where its hidden, long tunnel
continues through the deep underground beneath Hatshepsut's temple.
Further below: Senmut's
astronomical ceiling from 'Chamber A' in his tomb, No TT353.
A special treasure of knowledge and wisdom
of Greece, Rome, and the Renaissance had originated in Ancient Egypt -
and was here known to connect also with the historical Moses' dramatic
fate and mystery.
Ove von Spaeth has
written an intriguing, new-orientating work presenting this still
influential background of our civilization. • His interdisciplinary
research on history, archaeology, and anthropology goes deeply into
Egyptian tradition, history of religion, initiation cults, star-knowledge,
and mythology - relating to biblical studies, the Rabbinical Writings,
and the authors of Antiquity. • Each volume offers unique insights not
presented before.
Special information is
presented by clicking on the individual cover illustrations:
(ed.note: reading the orientation is highly
recommended. The books are being translated into English)
News about the book-series:
www.moses-egypt.net
