AAL’S LABYRINTH HISTORY An Alternative Viewpoint…..contd. 29.

2200 BCE     The Vernal Point, marking the Spring Equinox, is with the Pleiades (31) that is, in the constellation Taurus, making the Autumnal Equinox of the Egyptian New Year in the constellation Scorpio.

                                   

                    Around this time in the Middle Minoan Period is the establishment of the early palace of Phaestos, Crete. Construction of a second palace will begin c1700 BCE. Near Phaestos, a decorated sarcophagus shows scenes of the death rites of this time. (55)

                      An alternative date for the Vernal Point arriving at the cusp of constellation Aries is 2160 BCE. (99) The following year [2159] is the estimated time of a total eclipse over Memphis during the ancient Egypt Dynasty VIII. (240. 241)

The Pleiades, or the 7 sister stars, will be accented in the future Druidic ‘May Feast of Life’ and the ‘November Feast of Death’, which correspond to the Equinoxes and the two aspects of the Mother Goddess. Prayers will be made before the Pleiades on November 1, a date that will eventually become ‘All Souls Day’ and later ‘Halloween’.

The Pleiade Stars in the constellation of Taurus.

c2100 BCE     GUDEA as ruler of the Sumerian city state of Lagash and reasserts the power of Sumer. This event is followed by the reemergence and rise of the city of Ur, followed by that of Babylon. (96) Gudea is called the ‘Shepherd of Ningirsu’. (173)

                        At the same time, UR-NAMMU is king of Ur in Sumer; his son is called Shulgi. Ur-Nammu aids the resurrection of Sumerian superiority and begins a final dynasty of Sumerian kings. Ur-Nammu builds the biggest and finest ziggurat in the land. His written Laws indicate an enlightened ruler-ship. Ritual Lyres are ornamented with Bulls, symbols of strength and fertility. These bulls have beards of Lapis Lazuli, (96) a stone also important to the Egyptians for jewelry, decoration and statues.

Harp of Ur. Used to sing praise to goddess Inanna

                      By about this time Sumerians and Semites are well integrated in Mesopotamia but with the Semites probably dominating politically. (173) A Code of Law from the Akkadian kingdom of Eshnunna, resembles the Covenant Code of the Bible. (173)

                         Gradually, Mesopotamia is subject to intrusions of people from the east and west, namely the Amorites and the Elamites, who are the ancestors of the Persians. (102)

2095                  SHULGI (2095-2048) king of the Third Dynasty of UR, builds a ziggurat at Eridu. (181)

2081 BCE        ABRAHAM the Hebrew, is also known as Abram or Father Oraham. He is King of Ur and a Chaldean initiate. [166] Some give his date as c1300 but Abraham, as possibly a composite character, is generally thought to have an historical date some time before 2081. (84) Abraham is looked upon as the father of the Israelite people (Hebrews/Jews) and is also honored by Christians and the Moslems as their spiritual ancestor, and a model of faith in God. He the first great patriarch of Israel, and often referred to as Father Brahm, which name is apparently based on the Indian Brahma. Abram married his half-sister Sara (later called Sarah) whose name means ‘Queen’ and is a reference to the original Mother Goddess. (13) Possibly these two characters of Abram and Sara, symbolize the Sun and Moon, and the influence of these cosmic bodies on the living Earth and its inhabitants.

                        Abraham is versed in Babylonian star law and carries the Egyptian Hermetic philosophy in its Babylonian form, and which harbors the seeds of the Hebraic language. (242) Abram left Ur under divine inspiration and went to the city of Harran. This is a location of the Sabians/Sabeans or star worshippers. From Haran/Harran Abraham travels to Canaan, where he lives as a nomadic chieftain. Canaan will become known as Palestine in the future, named after the ass god Pales/Pan/Set, who is the disguised goddess Diva Palatua or Vesta. (13)

                        Abraham has a son, Ishmael, by his wife’s Egyptian slave Hagar/Agar, and later a son, Isaac, by his lawful wife Sarah. Sarah’s jealousy caused Hagar and Ishmael to be ostracized. Ishmael’s descendants will be a Bedouin tribe called the Hagarites and nomadic Arabian Ishmaelites, who will form the Biblical Twelve Tribes.

                        

                                    Abraham took his other son Isaac to the spot designated by God to offer him in       sacrifice as a symbol of his commitment. This place is an outcrop of rock on Mount Moriah and destined to become the altar place of the Temple of Jerusalem. (222) Also, known as Mount Zion, it will become the site of the first Jewish temple to be built in the future by King Solomon, and later function as a center for the Knights Templar.

                                    Hebrew tradition attributes the book of wisdom, ‘Sepher Yetzirah’ to Abraham who lived when the pole star was Thuban of the constellation Draco (3500-2000 BCE). Earth’s pole reached its closest to this star c2800 BCE indicating that Draco was ‘the King on his Throne’ at this time, that is, the controller and pivot of the universe. (232)

                                    QUEEN SHABIB (SHEBA) as the earthly embodiment of the moon, reigned on the Sinai Peninsula at the time of Abraham, and at the place where Moses will later receive the covenant that unites him to the god Yahweh. Shabib will build Nisib and Edessa and establish the sanctuary of Harran where is kept an idol of gold called Sin, the Moon-god of Sinai.  The Egyptians knew the land of Sheba as Punt or Ophir. Sheba’s capital is Marib (Mariaba) with a moon temple at Almaqah, where priestesses are known as ‘Sabeans’ and priests are known as ‘Mukarrib’ (kindred of the moon). Queen Shabib is one of a long succession of matriarchal Queens of Sheba and who are the fore-runners of the future King Solomon’s ‘Queen of Sheba’. (13)

                                    Mythology says that Harran was built by Nimrod and is the site of the death of Tammuz. Harran will eventually pass through the hands of varying conquerors, from the Babylonian Empire, the Persian Achaemenid dynasty, the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great, and the Arabic Seleucid rulers; eventually to be located in the country of Turkey. [328]

                                    The inhabitants of Harran will continue their ‘Pagan’ worship when Christianity takes hold in the 4^th century CE. Under Muslim threat in the 9^th century CE, the pagan Hurrans will adopt the name of Sabians, as they become modified by Hellenic, Persian and other influences. Harran will remain a famous site of ancient ‘beehive’ houses and will be the birth place of the future Gnostic Mandean sect.  

 Moon God of Ur

AAL’S LABYRINTH HISTORY An Alternative Viewpoint…..contd. 28

c2300             AMENEMHET I (Amonemhat or Ammenemes 1991 BCE) inaugurates the 12^th Dynasty in Egypt. This is the beginning of what will become known as the ‘Middle Kingdom’, a time of renewal when the Thebean princes reconstruct the Pharaonic State at the same time as the Minoan Civilization is building its great palaces. The capital of Egypt is moved from Thebes to Itjtawy near el-Lisht in the Fayum area, thus begins an up grading of the Fayum, Egypt. Itjtawy will retain its importance for about 300 years. It is the site of two pyramids, those of Amenemhet I and his son Senwosret I, and near which are many important tombs. (113)

                       Amenemehet is the son of a commoner named Sesostris, and a woman from Elephantine, (49) which suggests a Nubian influence. He wrote instructions for his son, known as ‘The Instructions of Amenemhat”, (80) and replaces the war god Montu with the fertility god Amun or Min (49) who may be the ancestor of Dionysus as later imported into Greece.

                       The ‘Middle Kingdom’ brings the rise of the Osiris cult. The god Amun becomes amalgamated with Re, the great sun-god, then to become known as Amun-Re. Much literature is produced in this historical period, including didactic works, tales, autobiographical narratives, poems and prophetic texts. (173)

                       In conformity with the edicts of Amenemhet, the great annual voyage of ‘The Beautiful Sailing of Hathor’ is established. It takes place and the rite of the first fruits of the field are celebrated, at the Epiphi New Moon to announce the conjoining of Hathor and Horus. (067)

HYMN TO HATHOR

All hail, Jubilation to you, O Golden One,

Sole ruler, Uraeus of the Supreme Lord himself!

Mysterious one who gives birth to the divine entities,

forms the animals, models them as she pleases, fashions men.

O Mother!...Luminous One who thrusts back the

darkness, who illuminates every human creature with her rays,

Hail, Great One of many names.

You from whom the divine entities come forth in this your name of Mut-Isis!

You-who-cause the throat to breathe, daughter of Re,

whom he spat forth from his mouth in this your name of Tefnut!

O Neith who appeared in your barque in this your

name of Mut!

O Venerable Mother, you who subdue your

adversaries in this your name of Nedhebet!

O You-who-know-how-to-make-right-use-of-the-heart,

you who triumph over your enemies in

this your name of Sekhmet!

It is the Golden One...the lady of drunkenness of

music, of dance, of frankincense, of the crown,

of young women, whom men acclaim because they love her!

It is the Gold of the divine entities who comes forth at her season,

in the month of Epiphi, the day of the

new moon, at the festival of 'She is Delivered'....

Heaven makes merry, the earth is full of gladness,

the Castle of Horus rejoices.

(Translation after M. Alliot, Le Culte d'Horus a Edfou. Lamy)

Temple of Hathor

                       SENUSERT I (Senwosret or Sesostris 1962 BCE) as the son of Amenemhet I, will be attributed with raising Egypt to a leading power in the ancient world. He will build his pyramid at Lisht in the Fayum region, as well as building temples at other great centres of Egypt. It is suggested that he built the Osireon in Abydos, the great tomb of the god Osiris. Sesostris has an obelisk raised at Abgig and then moved to Medinet el-Faiym. (113) His son will be known as AMONEMHAT II. Pottery shows trading connections between Egypt and Crete at this time. (80)

                       SENUSERT II (Sesostris II 1895 BCE ) will also build a pyramid at el-Lahun at the entrance to the Fayum region. It will be of mudbrick and built on and around a natural knoll of rock, which acts as a nucleus to the pyramid. The pyramid will then have a star-shaped framework of limestone retaining walls, which radiate out from the centre. The entrance will be placed on the south side instead of the normal north side. In the burial chamber will be located a red granite sarcophagus. In one of the pyramid shafts will be placed the treasure of Prince Sit-Hathor-Iunut. (49) This location will be found to also be the site of hundreds of hieratic papyri including the Kahun Papyri. (113)

2283               IBI-SIN ruler of Akkad and Sumer ends his reign at this time of the estimated total eclipse of the moon, March 8^th 2283 BCE at the location of 2.5º sidereal Libra, which is near the star Spica. The eclipse was taken as the great omen heralding the destruction of Ur of Sumer. (30)

2250 BCE        MARDUK the patron god of Babylon is honored during an 11 day festival celebrating the New Year, which begins at the Vernal Equinox. The Egyptians, Phoenicians and Persians on the other hand celebrate their New Year at the Autumnal Equinox. The future Greeks and Romans will celebrate their New Year at the Winter Solstice until the 5^th century BCE, (141) when the growing Christian Church will move it to coincide with the first day of the month of January. The lunation of January is named after the god Janus who looks both ways, backward to the old year and forward to the New Year.

                       Around 2250 BCE a scriptorium archive of about 20,000 cuneiform tablets is lodged at the ancient city of Ebla or ‘White Rock’ [Tell Mardikh] about 55km southwest of Aleppo [in modern Syria]. The tablets are written in Sumerian script to record the Eblaite language, the earliest known Semitic language and closely related to the later Sumerian/Akkadian language.  Ebla, long known from Egyptian and Akkadian inscriptions, will be rediscovered 1968 on a site that has been inhabited since before 3000 BCE. A future rediscovery will reveal that King Ibbit-Lim will rule Ebla around the year 2000. He worshipped the goddess Ishtar.  Society is polytheistic at this time, with evidence of some well-known Semitic deities including Dagan, god of fish or fishing; Ishtar/Ashtar/Inanna, goddess of fertility, love, war and sex; Resheph/Rasap, god of war and weather [depicted with the headdress of Hathor! and popular under the reign of Amenhotep II]; Kanish; Haddad/Adad, storm and rain god; Shapash/Shipish, god of the sun; Enki/Ea, god of water and associated with constellation AS-IKU or the Square of Pegasus, with the sacred number of 40; Ninki/Ninhursag, mother goddess of Earth. [328]

                       Around this time, the Ecliptic Zodiac signs and the constellation signs are about coincident. Astronomer Steele alludes to the 5 planet conjunction in the constellation Pegasus at this time. (11)