The end of Existence

[Solon]

Commonly, in ancient Egypt, time was thought of as an endless duration of millions upon millions of years. The egyptians didn't have a word for what we term eternity. They would use not usually ,in any religious texts refer to an end of the world.

However, a rare occurence of opposite thinking otherwise can be found in the so-called coffin texts dating from the Middle kingdom period.

The coffin texts, as you might rightly guess, were painted on the wooden coffins of this period. And so we find in text CT1130:

" Words spoken by him whose names are hidden. ( Atum)

I have placed millions (nhh) of years between me and that weary hearted one, the son of Geb (Osiris);
then I shall dwell with him in one place.
Mounds will be towns,
Towns will be mounds,
Mansion will destroy mansion"

The 'I' in this text is Atum, the great creator God of Iwnw (Heliopolis). What he is saying to Osiris is this, that I shall destroy everything I have created, even the Gods themselves will cease to exist (all gods are simply manifestations of Atum), so that I Atum will dwell with my opposite Osiris in the primeval ocean before the creation. That is to say, Atum, the life giver, the creative force and his opposite Osiris will renunite and exist as they did in the beginning.

Solon

 

[NoName]

Interesting. Egyptian mythology has always fascinated me.

 

[Solon]

Yes, it's all very interesting: The Egyptians themselves, as I've related did not use the word ' Eternity' , which in an English rendition of an Egyptian concept.


It's more correct to translate as such: His name is endless time (nhh)
His image is endless duration (d_t)

From this you can rightly translate common Egyptains wishes for 'eternal life' as nhh rn=k: Endless time is your duration.

d_t ssm-k: Endless duration is your image

k3=k hprw nbw: Your k3 ( spirit double) is everything happens.

Solon