Ptolemeic Egypt and the Falcon of Horus

The ancient Egyptian society is often referred to as one of the greatest civilizations to have influenced the world. Not only is their stretch of continuous success over time impressive, but the art and technological achievements of the peoples is still esteemed and admired today. In order to create such insightful masterpieces, the Egyptians possessed a high appreciation towards the goodness of their present life, and, indeed, they were so pleased with life on earth that they modeled their afterlife after it. This preoccupation with the afterlife and immortality is evident through the emphasis placed on tombs and the embalming preservation of their citizens. Even throughout much political turmoil during the second century B.C., the country held on strongly to its beliefs on death and the eternal soul. The gods of the ancients provided a source of faith which lasted throughout the 3000 years of the empire. The Egyptian religion consisted of a number of human and animal deities, which can be reflected through the art, and through the burial remains in tombs which were designed to accommodate the deceased for their journey through the afterlife. These gods came to represent the ide

Even during such periods of political instability, and intellectual advancements, the Egyptians kept their religion as a unifying agent. Their concept of human nature consisted of several entities joining to create the balanced being. The first of these is the ka. The ka is most closely related to the material body. A second component to man is the ba, which reflects the Egyptians understanding of the soul. The ab establishes a concept associated with the heart, and the intentions of a person. A final subdivision, the akh or spirit remains separate from the body. Throughout life people prepare themselves for becoming of a perfect spirit by aiming to gain a peaceful conjunction between such characteristics. The Egyptian concept of afterlife relies on an equilibrium between these spiritual and physical elements. The basic view is one of continued existence of the soul in the tomb and around the cemetery (Maspero, 1892). Much effort was put into the comfort of the deceased and the preservation of their physical body. Thus elaborate embalming and funeral goods were encouraged. Perhaps, the Egyptians are best knows for their preservation techniques, and especially the mummies of the New Kingdom. The basic principal consists of dehydration after the removal of the brain and often the internal organs, which were separately treated and bound. Aromatic spices were placed inside the empty purified body and dry natron was placed around the body before its final cleansing. Bandages from the linen saturated with glue were wrapped over the body along with several other goods, many of them foreign. This process was known to have taken seventy days and to produce a recognizable, yet shriveled figure.

Indeed, the Egyptians of the Ptolemaic period have left behind magnificent monumental structures, insightful artwork, hundreds of years of riveting history, and a mysterious spiritual aura, which embodies the entire animal kingdom. The political, academic, and economic changes of the nation forced the people to establish a strong religion, which promised to be there through the passing of any ruler. The physical amplifications of such spiritual beliefs can be seen in all of their creative accomplishments, including their art, agricultural success, architecture, mythical gods and imaginative formation of embalming techniques. All these factors are emphasized for the afterlife. Mummified animals were placed in massively impressive buildings, surrounded by a

Some topics in this essay:
Archimedes Eratosthenes, Falcon Horus, Egyptians Ptolemaic, Abydos Horus, Kingdoms Montet, Horus Ptolemaic, Greek Roman, Alexander IV, Nile River, Ptolemaic Dynasty, ptolemaic period, mummified animals, falcon horus, century bc, upper egypt, emphasis afterlife, basic view, embalming techniques, ptolemaic dynasty, emphasis placed,