DOCSLIB.ORG

Cone Symbol Indicates the Egyptian God Sah and Sopdet

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Cone Symbol Indicates the Egyptian God Sah and Sopdet 1 Cone symbol indicates the Egyptian God Sah and Sopdet Figure 1: Triangle - Indus symbol. Figure 2: Indus seal showing the conical object. Seal picture courtesy - (1) Figure 3: Photo shows the conical object in Vedic ceremony. Picture courtesy - (2) Cone object in the ritual ceremony The above-given photo shows a traditional Hindu marriage and Vedic Yajna is being performed. Note the conical shaped object in the right-side bottom corner of the photograph. (2) The relevance of this conical object to Indus Valley Civilization symbol is that similar conical symbol appears in Indus script. Most probably 2 the cone indicates the presence of God Sah/Sahu (Egyptian god). I made enquiries with many priests regarding the meaning of the 'cone object' in a yajna ceremony. The priests are aware of this conical object but do not know the meaning or significance of using that conical object. An important ritual has likely been forgotten, but only the remnant of that ritual is still being practised. Figure 4: Grave goods - conical bread made of clay Picture courtesy – Flicker.com Ancient Egyptian Funerary Cones were part of grave goods Funerary cones are a type of funereal object from ancient Egypt. It is well known that the ancient Egyptians were extremely concerned about the afterlife and that they did all they could to provide for the dead. Funerary goods were buried with the dead to provide protection and sustenance in the afterlife (3). Amulets and magic spells, for example, protected and aided the dead in their journey through the Underworld, whilst little figurines called shabtis could be magically animated to perform tasks for the dead in the afterlife (3). 3 Making Funerary Cones Funerary cones are made of fired Nile mud and are most commonly found to be in the conical shape, hence its name. Nevertheless, there are also funerary cones of other shapes, though these are understandably less common. Other shapes include pyramidal, horn-shaped, trumpet-shapes, double-headed and triple-headed cones (only one example of each is known at present), as well as cone-imitated bricks (3). Similar is the case of Indus script symbols. The cone symbol appears in different types. Below given are some of the examples. The cone symbol looks like a metallic ritual cone The cone symbol looks like the arithmetical conical diagram 4 The cone symbol looks like a rhino horn The cone symbol looks like an arrowhead with three knobs (symbol at the right-side end) The cone symbol looks like a rhino horn (symbol on the right-side end) here with some engravings. 5 The cone symbol looks like a weighing scale here, but most probably it is the sign of god over a conical symbol. Figure 5: Picture shows the triangle formed by three prominent stars. Winter Triangle The Winter Triangle, or the Great Southern Triangle, is an asterism formed by three bright stars in three prominent winter 6 constellations. These stars are Betelgeuse in Orion, Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major constellation. The Winter Triangle is prominent in the night sky in the northern hemisphere during the winter months, from December to March. This could be the idea behind the identification of Sothis with triangle (Conical) symbol. Egyptian funerary cones of Mentuemhet with hieroglyphic script 650 BC. Picture courtesy Ancient origins.net (3) The inscriptions on funerary cones indicate the name of its owner (usually an official serving a pharaoh) and his title. These are stamped onto the face of the cone, which has an average diameter of between 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) (3). 7 Purpose of Funerary Cones It is not entirely clear what the funerary cones were used for, and various hypotheses have been put forward over the years. Some, such as Champollion, suggest that the cones simply served as some sort of labels for the deceased. (3) Researcher Petrie is of the opinion that the cones were symbolic offerings. Others researchers speculate that the cones were architectural ornaments, architectural material to reinforce the entrance wall, solar symbols, and even phallic symbols. No one knows for certain what the cones were used for, but they were obviously of importance to death rituals for some time. (3) Figure 6: Clay cone of Gudea of Sumeria. Picture courtesy- Wikipedia-commons (4) Cone symbol in ancient Sumeria The above-given picture shows the Mesopotamian cuneiform foundation cone. It is not a religious offering of conical 8 bread. This cone is from the Neo-Sumerian period, 2120 BC. This cone was dedicated by Gudea, the governor of Lagash to the god Ningirsu, the mighty warrior of Enlil, for the construction of the Eninnu Temple. Cuneiform inscriptions cover the entire surface area of the cone. Size of the cone is 4.75 x 2.5 inches. The objective of cone object in Sumeria as well as in Egypt is looking similar. In both cases, the individual’s name and designation are mentioned. And also, the name of the god to whom the offering/dedication is made is also mentioned. The objective seems to be that the person’s name and meritorious work should be put forth before the god and made as a permanent record. So that the dead man’s soul will be given a favourable treatment at the netherworld. Figure 7: Bread cone and Sothis cone Picture courtesy - (5) The "white bread" cones are often adjacent to a hieroglyph that is called the "Sacred Sothic Triangle" (6). The above-given picture shows the difference between, conical bread and Sothis 9 triangle. The Sothis triangles seem to be more regular in shape than the bread cones (5). The above-given picture shows another important character of this Sothis triangle (5). This triangle always appears in pair form along with the ankh symbol. Similar is the nature of Indus script cone symbol, it is always followed by Sastha symbol.1 (7) This pairing of these two symbols shows that as such it was the name of a god, not merely shewbread. Sah and Sopdet - Father and mother of Egyptian gods 1 Branch symbol indicates the word ‘Sastha’ in Indus seal inscriptions. Sastha means God. 10 In Egyptian mythology, Sah was the "Father of the gods". The above-given picture of Sah is the anthropomorphic representation of a large Egyptian constellation represented by the modern constellations of Orion and Lepus. (8) (9) This representation also includes stars from modern Eridanus, Monoceros and Columba constellations. (10) His consort was Sopdet (Spdt, Sepedet) known by the ancient Greek name as Sothis, the goddess of the star Sirius (the "Dogstar"). Sah came to be associated with a more important deity, Osiris, and Sopdet with Osiris's consort Isis. (11 p. 129) Sah was frequently mentioned as "the Father of Gods" in the Old Kingdom Pyramid texts. Pharaoh was thought to travel to Orion after his death. (11) This above said observation of Wilkinson and Richard seems to be important. Because the entire scheme of mortuary temples and rituals are oriented towards the after-life journey of a dead man’s soul. The final destination of the soul is the Orion constellation, which is the world of the ancient father the God Sah. In the context of Hindu religious ideas, this Egyptian god could have been replaced by Brahma and Brahma-Loka. Because Brahma was the first god who emerged of his own in this universe at the time of the creation of gods and animals. Brahma only created all the other gods and beings; he was also the father of all other Rishis. Hence, Brahma looks more like the father god of Egyptian gods. 11 Figure 8: Goddess Sopdet Picture courtesy -Wikipedia During the early period of Egyptian civilization, the heliacal rising of the bright Sothis star preceded the usual annual flooding of the Nile (11). It was therefore apparently used for the solar civil calendar which largely superseded the original lunar calendar in the 3rd millennium BC. Despite the wandering nature of the Egyptian calendar, the erratic timing of the flood from year to year, and the slow procession of Sirius within the solar year, Sopdet continued to remain central to cultural depictions of the year and the Egyptian New Year. She was also venerated as a goddess of the fertility brought to the soil by the flooding. (12) During the Old Kingdom, she was an important goddess of the annual flood and a psychopomp guiding deceased pharaohs through the Egyptian underworld. During the Middle Kingdom, she was primarily a mother and nurse and, by 12 the Ptolemaic period, she was almost entirely subsumed into Isis. (11) Figure 9: Hieroglyphic symbol of Sopdet (Sothis) One important thing to be noted here is the hieroglyphic name of Sopdet. See, the conical bread glyph is appearing in the name of the god. Literally also the word ‘Sopdet’ means "Triangle" or "Sharp One". There is a possibility that the conical symbol could be indicating the goddess Sopdet (Greek name Sothis). (Or) The other possibility is that the cone symbol could be indicating the god Sah, who was also called as Sahu. One relevant observation to be noted here is that both these names are appearing as name titles even today in India. The title ‘Sah’ is common in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The title ‘Shah’ (sounds like ‘Sah’) is common in the state of Gujarat. The title ‘Sahu’ is prevalent in the state of Orissa. God Dakshinamurthi. Picture courtesy –Wikipedia (13) ‘Proto- Shiva’ seal and Dakshinamurthi 13 The above-given picture shows the god Dakshinamurthi, surrounded by sages. This god is generally shown with four arms.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Body Both Shapes and Is Shaped by an Individual’S Social Roles
    UCLA UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology Title Body Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8f21r7sj Journal UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, 1(1) Author Riggs, Christina Publication Date 2010-11-17 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California BODY الجسد Christina Riggs EDITORS WILLEKE WENDRICH Editor-in-Chief University of California, Los Angeles JACCO DIELEMAN Editor University of California, Los Angeles ELIZABETH FROOD Editor Area Editor Individual and Society University of Oxford JOHN BAINES Senior Editorial Consultant University of Oxford Short Citation: Riggs 2010, Body. UEE. Full Citation: Riggs, Christina, 2010, Body. In Elizabeth Frood, Willeke Wendrich (eds.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, Los Angeles. http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0025nqg2 1149 Version 1, November 2010 http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0025nqg2 BODY الجسد Christina Riggs Körper Corps The human body is both the physical form inhabited by an individual “self” and the medium through which an individual engages with society. Hence the body both shapes and is shaped by an individual’s social roles. In contrast to the cognate fields of archaeology, anthropology, and classics, there has been little explicit discussion or theorization of the body in Egyptology. Some recent works, discussed here, constitute an exception to this trend, but there is much more scope for exploring ancient Egyptian culture through the body, especially as evidenced in works of art and pictorial representation. جسد اﻹنسان عبارة عن الجسد المادي الذي تقطنه «النفس» المتفردة، وھو الوسيلة التى يقوم من خﻻلھا اﻹنسان بالتفاعل مع المجتمع. ومن ثم فالجسد يشكل ويتكيف على حد سواء تبعا للوظائف اﻻجتماعية الفردية.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mysterious Pyramid on Elephantine Island: Possible Origin of the Pyramid Code
    Archaeological Discovery, 2017, 5, 187-223 http://www.scirp.org/journal/ad ISSN Online: 2331-1967 ISSN Print: 2331-1959 The Mysterious Pyramid on Elephantine Island: Possible Origin of the Pyramid Code Manu Seyfzadeh Lake Forest, CA, USA How to cite this paper: Seyfzadeh, M. Abstract (2017). The Mysterious Pyramid on Ele- phantine Island: Possible Origin of the After the step pyramids of the Third Dynasty and before the true pyramids of Pyramid Code. Archaeological Discovery, the Fourth Dynasty, seven mysterious minor step pyramids were built by King 5, 187-223. Sneferu1 and a predecessor. None of them were tombs. Clues as to why they https://doi.org/10.4236/ad.2017.54012 were built emerged from analyzing their orientation to objects in the sky Received: August 26, 2017 worshiped by the ancient Egyptians and hinted at a renewed preoccupation Accepted: September 19, 2017 with measuring time and the flow of the Nile. The first of the seven was built Published: September 22, 2017 on the Island of Elephantine, Egypt. Its orientation suggests that an aspect of Copyright © 2017 by author and the star Sirius was being enshrined. This paper proposes that this aspect per- Scientific Research Publishing Inc. tained to the different timings of its annual invisibility period observable from This work is licensed under the Creative either the capital at Memphis in Lower Egypt or from Upper Egypt at Ele- Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). phantine. I argue that these periods, measured in days, were converted to di- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ mensions in cubits, and consequently these numbers and the resulting geo- Open Access metric relationships between them became important.
    [Show full text]
  • Exercises and Solutions
    EXERCISES FOR CHAPTER I 1. Identify the ideograms: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. x. xi. xii. xiii. xiv. xv. xvi. xvii. xviii. xix. xx. xxi. xxii. xxiii. xxiv. 2. Transliterate the following words, identify the uniliterals, biliterals, and determinatives: i. “Anubis” (god) ii. “stone” iii. “chariot” iv. “ointment” v. “weariness” vi. “to see” vii. “to fill” viii. “since, until” (preposition) ix. “sarcophagus” x. “Thoth” (god) xi. “today” xii. “like, as” (preposition) xiii. “Bitter Lakes” (Suez Canal region) xiv. “to run” xv. “(physical) strength” xvi. “to decay” xvii. “to unite, join, embrace” xviii. “pasture” xix. “some, a little, a few” xx. “to cut off (hair)” xxi. “robbery” xxii. “sweet, pleasant” xxiii. “passion” xxiv. “Dendera” (location) xxv. “to equip, provide” xxvi. “to live” xxvii. “to stand” xxviii. “stela” xxix. “many” (the 3 plural strokes is a determinative!) xxx. “fortunate man” xxxi. “Thebes: (nome and city) xxxii. “to repeat” xxxiii. “jar” xxxiv. “the Ennead” (group of nine gods, from “nine”) xxxv. “ruler” xxxvi. “to be pleased, happy, content” xxxvii. “to evolve, become” xxxviii. “in front of” (preposition) xxxix. “to fear” xl. “powerful” xli. “Sekhmet” (goddess) xlii. “to take, receive” xliii. “to follow” xliv. “to choose” 3. Try to guess the meaning of the following words: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. 4. Explain the unusual spellings: i. HfAw [PT 242 247b]; ii. rmt; iii. rmT [CT II, 33d]. EXERCISES FOR CHAPTER II Transliterate and translate the following: 1. (feminine plural) 2. 3. 4. (kA HD “the White Bull”) 5. 6. 7. 8. (a reference to Wepwawet) 9.
    [Show full text]
  • The Constellations of the Egyptian Astronomical Diagrams
    The Constellations of the Egyptian Astronomical Diagrams Gyula Priskin University of Szeged EPICTIONS OF THE constellations that the ancient Egyptians observed in the sky first appeared on some coffin lids at the beginning of the 2nd millenium BCE, as inserts into the tables that listed the names of the asterisms signalling the night hours D 1 (decans). These early sources only include the representations of four constellations, two in the northern sky, and two in its southern regions: the goddess Nut (Nw.t) holding up the sky hieroglyph, the Foreleg (msḫt.jw), belonging to Seth according to later descriptions, the striding figure of Sah (sȝḥ), the celestial manifestation of Osiris, and the standing goddess of Sopdet (spd.t), who is often associated with Isis [fig. 1].2 The last three kept being shown in later documents, while the first one disappeared completely after the Middle Kingdom.3 A more detailed visual catalogue of the constellations has come down to us in the form of the astronomical diagrams that were first recorded at the beginning of the New Kingdom,4 though these diagrams very possibly existed earlier, as a fragmented and now lost specimen seems to indicate.5 Although their particular elements vary to a certain degree, these astronomical diagrams continued to be depicted on tomb ceilings, water clocks, temple surfaces, and coffins well into Graeco-Roman times. When towards the end of the first millenium BCE the Egyptians started to represent the zodiacal signs on their monuments, these zodiacs also included the figures of the most salient constellations.6 It should be noted, however, that according to certain decanal names,7 and the relevant entries in Amenemipet’s onomasticon (Ramesside Period),8 the Egyptians knew some further constellations for which apparently no pictorial records have survived.
    [Show full text]
  • A Theory of ISIS
    A Theory of ISIS A Theory of ISIS Political Violence and the Transformation of the Global Order Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou First published 2018 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA www.plutobooks.com Copyright © Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou 2018 The right of Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 0 7453 9911 9 Hardback ISBN 978 0 7453 9909 6 Paperback ISBN 978 1 7868 0169 2 PDF eBook ISBN 978 1 7868 0171 5 Kindle eBook ISBN 978 1 7868 0170 8 EPUB eBook This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin. Typeset by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England Simultaneously printed in the United Kingdom and United States of America Contents List of Figures vii List of Tables viii List of Abbreviations ix Acknowledgements x Introduction: The Islamic State and Political Violence in the Early Twenty-First Century 1 Misunderstanding IS 6 Genealogies of New Violence 22 Theorising IS 28 1. Al Qaeda’s Matrix 31 Unleashing Transnational Violence 32 Revenge of the ‘Agitated Muslims’ 49 The McDonaldisation of Terrorism 57 2. Apocalypse Iraq 65 Colonialism Redesigned 66 Monstering in American Iraq 74 ‘I will see you in New York’ 83 3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts"
    CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF J. P. ALLEN’S "THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PYRAMID TEXTS" by Timofey T. Shmakov PRELIMINARY RESULTS Edited by A. K. Eyma Omsk-Tricht, 2012 2 source: http://www.ancient-egypt.org/ swt jrr nTrw.f m zSA nj zjn.f "He is the one who put his gods in a writing1 that cannot be erased" (painted plaster from the mastaba of Nefermaat and his wife Itet) 1 i.e. recorded them. 3 To my mom, Elena Leonidovna, who had patience with me making long hours, and to my friend, Marina Sokolova, who taught me a lot of things. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication 4 Foreword 6 Lexicon 7 Part I: Unis’s PT corpus [W] 12 Part II: Teti’s PT corpus [T] 175 Part III: Pepi Merire’s PT corpus [P] 241 Part IV: Nemtiemzaf Merenre’s PT corpus [M] 345 Part V: Pepi Neferkare’s PT corpus [N] 354 Part VI: Neith’s PT corpus [Nt] 379 Supplemental Notes 391 Bibliography 402 Copyright © 2012 Timofey T. Shmakov All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without reference to the work and the author. 5 Foreword The Pyramid Texts constitute the most ancient written text corpus of such a size to have reached us. They reflect the images of the ancient Egyptians about the life of a king after physical death and present a rich source of philological material still in need of urgent study. The correct reading of these monumental texts is necessary for an integral understanding of the funerary cult of a king.
    [Show full text]
  • Egyptian Religion Syll10
    Anthro 176TS Ancient Egyptian Religion Fall 2010 What’s up with this dog headed guy? And what is he doing with that Mummy? How and why did the Egyptians make Mummies anyhow? And what about those Pyramids? How could they possibly have built them and why would they want to? Discover the answers to these questions and explore the mysterious realm of ancient Egyptian Religion, with its massive temples, multitude of gods and goddesses and fascinating funeral rites. Perform actual Egyptian temple and funeral rituals, and a 2500 year old play “The Triumph of Horus”! This course will investigate ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and practices, their origin, and development. The great mythic Solar Cycle of creation and Osirian Cycle of betrayal and revenge, death and rebirth are discussed, as well as the place of the myriad local and minor Gods and Goddesses within Egyptian mythology. The dynamics behind the monotheistic “Revolution” of Pharaoh Akhenaton are investigated, and the connections of Atenism with Moses, Israelite Monotheism and the Bible explored. The interaction of sacred and secular in Egyptian society is considered through the nature of divine kingship, large temple institutions, and funerary foundations. The relationship between the state cults and private worship by noble and commoner is explored, and the nature and potency of ancient Egyptian magic and curses investigated. The nature and development of Egyptian funerary beliefs are also detailed, including the history and significance of pyramids and tombs, mummification, and the process of ‘democratization’ of the afterlife, as individuals gradually took hold of their own destinies after death at the expense of the Pharaohs.
    [Show full text]
  • A Quantitative Astronomical Analysis of the Orion Correlation Theory
    A quantitative astronomical analysis of the Orion Correlation Theory Vincenzo Orofino (Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “E. De Giorgi”, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy) Abstract The link between the three major Giza pyramids and the stars of the Orion Belt has been since long time the subject of various qualitative speculations. In this framework an important role is played by a controversial theory, the so-called “Orion Correlation Theory” (OCT), according to which a perfect coincidence would exist between the mutual positions of the three stars of the Orion Belt and those of the main Giza pyramids. In the present paper the OCT has been subjected to some quantitative astronomical and astrophysical verifications, in order to assess its compatibility with the results of both naked-eye astrometry and photometry. In particular, a linear correlation is found between the height of such monuments and the present brightness of the Orion Belt stars. According to these analyses it is possible to conclude that the OCT is not incompatible with what expected for the stars of the Orion Belt on the basis of naked-eye astrometry and photometry, as well as of the stellar evolution theory. 1 1. Introduction: the Egyptian astronomy According to various Egyptologists (Neugebauer, 1969, 1976; Thurston, 1994; Wells, 1996), the astronomical knowledge of Egyptians during the Old Kingdom (2700 2200 B.C.) was very poor. This negative opinion comes mainly from the evidence that no purely astronomical Egyptian texts dating back to that epoch have been found yet. According to Magli (2006), however, this does not mean that such texts have never been written, but it can be simply due to the fact that these papyri did not belong to the funeral kits from which up to now almost all the archaeological finds come.
    [Show full text]
  • Divine Triads of Ancient Egypt
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Repositório Aberto da Universidade Aberta Divine Triads of Ancient Egypt José das Candeias Sales Universidade Aberta; CHUL Abstract: The scheme of divine triads (associations of three deities, originally from the same city, later also from different geographic locations) is the most frequent group of deities of ancient Egypt. The formation of a triad resulted directly from the intention and inter- est of the priesthood(s) in establishing a link between the various cults of a particular locality or between services of different regions. The functions of the members of these groups depended entirely on the mythical or ritual context in which they were invoked and in which they justify their associations that, in all cases, was an attempt for 'unity in diversity'. Keywords: Triads, Religious thought, Unity, Plurality. Resumo O esquema das tríades divinas (associações de três divindades, inicial- mente de uma mesma cidade, depois também em locais geográficos dife- rentes) é o agrupamento de divindades egípcias mais frequente do antigo Egipto. A constituição de uma tríade respondia directamente à intenção e ao interesse do(s) sacerdócio(s) em estabelecer uma ligação entre os vários cultos de uma determinada localidade ou entre os cultos de regiões distin- tas. 116 José das Candeias Sales As funções dos membros desses agrupamentos dependiam inteiramente do contexto mítico ou ritual em que eram invocadas e em que justificavam as suas associações, em que, em todos os casos, se procurava «a unidade na diversidade». Palavras-chave: Tríades, Pensamento religioso, Unidade, Pluralidade.
    [Show full text]
  • In Ancient Egyptian Texts
    The Formula of the “Giving of the Heart” in Ancient Egyptian Texts Teodor Lekov The heart was not only anatomical organ, but also was considered by the ancient Egyptians as seat of human consciousness, intelligence and emotion. The concept of the heart in Ancient Egyptian culture is an object on several studies1, but many problems remain unsolved. The meaning and employment of the formula of “the giving of the heart” is one of them. The formula of the “giving of the heart” is well known as early as the Pyramid Texts (PT). It has been interpreted as evidence for the practice, in which, during the mummification of the body, the heart was taken out of it together with the other internal organs and was replaced by an amulet. So in the process of embalming the new stone heart was given to the corpse. This point of view is widely accepted in the earlier studies. In fact, only after the appearance of Smith's fundamental work on the Egyptian mummies2 in the early 20-ies of the last century, it became clear that the heart was never taken out of the body, mummified separately and put in the canopies. This observation raised the question of the sense of widely employed into religious literature formula “to give somebody’s heart” back to the deceased person. Additional complication for understanding the role of the heart in this and other similar contexts is the fact that there are two different words for heart in Egyptian language3. First, and older ib roots in Semitic stratum of the language and has parallels in the languages as Akkadian and Arabian.
    [Show full text]
  • From Paper State to Caliphate: the Ideology of the Islamic State
    The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World AnaLYSIS PAPER | No. 19, March 2015 From Paper State to Caliphate: The Ideology of the Islamic State BY COLE BUNZEL Table of Contents 1 Acknowledgements 2 The Author 3 Note to the reader 4 Introduction 6 Part I: Doctrines 7 The Islamic State’s Brand of Jihadi-Salafism 12 Part II: Development 13 The Zarqawi Prelude (2002–2006) 17 The “Paper State” (2006–2013) 25 The State of Disunity (2013–2014) 31 The Caliphate Unveiled (2014–present) 36 Conclusion 38 Appendix: The Islamic State’s Creed and Path 44 About the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World 45 The Center for Middle East Policy 1 | From Paper State to Caliphate: The Ideology of the Islamic State Acknowledgements y thanks are due first to Will McCants, who commissioned this paper and has welcomed my contributions to his blog, MJihadica. Will is a trailblazer in the field of jihadi studies, and I am particularly grateful for his com- ments on an earlier draft and for the fine editing of his research assistant, Kristine Anderson. I also wish to thank the two anonymous peer re- viewers, whose comments forced me to rethink and recast a great deal of this paper. I wish further to register a debt to my many col- leagues in the analytical community, in the United States and around the world, including Christopher Anzalone, J.M. Berger, Romain Caillet, Brian Fish- man, Shadi Hamid, Thomas Hegghammer, Sam Heller, Greg Johnsen, Charles Lister, Aron Lund, Saud Al-Sarhan, Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Joas Wagemakers, and Aaron Zelin, among many oth- ers.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 6 the Constellations of Ancient Egypt
    187 CHAPTER 7 THE CONSTELLATIONS OF ANCIENT EG,PT JosI Lull and Juan Antonio Belmonte Summary. In this chapter we wi study the conste ations0 asterisms and indiCidua stars which popu ated the skies of ancient Egypt for more than three mi ennia. Awo masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art0 the astronomica cei ing of the tomb of Senenmut at 3eir e .ahari in Muxor0 and the circu ar Rodiac of the temp e of Oathor at 3endara0 wi be used as the reference frameworks where our ana yses wi be out ined. .y making Cery simp e assumptions and using the information proCided by the ancient Egyptian skywatchers in the decana and Ramesside c ocks0 and in the ce estia diagrams of the New 4ingdom onwards0 we wi be ab e to uncoCer near y three-2uarters of the ancient Egyptian firmament. Ahis ce estia tapestry was popu ated by the images of anima s0 symbo s and diCinities that were most significant in understanding the Egyptian interpretation of the cosmos. Mater0 in the Rodiac0 these conste ations were ama gamated with those of the Mesopotamian (and SreekI tradition producing a co age that was to remain as the standard sky- ore during the Sraeco- Roman period. 7.1. Introduction Ahe study of ancient sacred sources enab es us to contend that the ancient Egyptians had a comp ete set of conste ations coCering the who e area of sky which cou d be seen from Egyptian atitudes. Ahere were two dominant groups0 one (probab yI in the southern sky and another for northern dec inations.
    [Show full text]