Hence, the memphis theology is said to contain a philosophy cf. It was composed at an early date, and committed to stone during the twentyfifth dynasty by the order of king shabaka. The memphite stone confraternity of the rose cross. The shabaka text is written on a rectangular stone of black granite, measuring 66 x 7cm british. The shabaka stone and ptah the divine iseum sanctuary. Videos related to the shabaka stone and the memphite theology of the creator deity ptah also known as the science of sciences and the science in sciences. Jun 24, 2016 it was composed at a very early date, and committed to stone during the twentyfifth dynasty by the order of the pharaoh shabaka. The shabaka stone and the monumentalization of the memphite tradition. The memphite theology presents the teachings of menes, who established c. The memphite theology is an inscription on a stone, now kept in the british museum.
Ptah conceived the world intellectually before creating it by his own word. That which ptah commanded was created, with which the constituents of nature, fauna, and flora, are contained. Ptah is the patron of craftsmanship, metalworking, carpenters, shipbuilders, and sculpture. Ptah conceives the world by the thought of his heart and gives life through the magic of his word. The shabaka stone, sometimes shabaqo, is a relic incised with an ancient egyptian religious text, which dates from the twentyfifth dynasty of egypt. Apr 25, 2015 the shabaka stone, bearing an inscription outlining the creation myth centered on the god ptah. The language is archaic and resembles the pyramid texts. Memphite theology this version of cosmogony originally traced from the 5th dyn. Jones 1990 the black basalt slab known as the shabaka stone preserves the only surviving copy of an important egyptian religious text usually referred to as the memphite theology of creation. The artifact is a rectangular stone composed of breccia, measuring 91 cm x 7 cm, inscribed with rows and columns of. Mar 27, 2020 possibly copied from an older source, like the shabaka stone claims which holds the memphite theology, the bremnerrhind contains daily ritual spells that were used by the priests of amunra at karnak. Genesis 1 and ancient egyptian creation myths kevin stilley. Ptah over atum as demiurge, and of memphis as royal.
Egyptian shabaka stone ptah myth ancient egypt apps on. It was dedicated by the nubian pharaoh neferkare, i. Explorations of memphite theology compiled by joan lansberry. The text claims to contain the surviving content of a wormridden, decaying papyrus that was found as pharaoh shabaka was inspecting the. It even places him as a creator god, describing how he brings the world into being by giving names, thereby dividing land from water, light from darkness, heaven from earth etc. However, standing in the british museum is a very old, black egyptian stone slab that may be more important than all the above wonders.
The shabaka stone, sometimes shabaqo, is a relic from the nubian twentyfifth dynasty of egypt incised with an egyptian religious text. A second theology, the memphite theology, enlarged upon these concepts. Memphite theology is largely known through the shabaka stone, which is at the british museum, as shabako stone, and is described at the museum website, conglomerate stela, rectangular, subsequently reused as a nether millstone. Lately there has also been support in favour of accepting the claim made in the texts introduction that it was copied from an old papyrus, without going into the date of the latter. A text that exemplifies this attitude, while taking into account older historical and local traditions, is the theology of memphis, recorded on the shabaka stone. The aim of this paper is to provide an easilyaccessible, introductory treatment of the shabaka stone in the english language, one which deals with many of the important aspects of the stone together in one article. The table of contents of the inscription has 6 sections. The shabaka stone, bearing an inscription outlining the creation myth centered on the god ptah. The text on the stone, sometimes called the memphite theology, places ptah, the principal god of memphis, and the patron deity of craftsmen, at the centre of existence. This damage is accompanied by other intentional defacements, leaving the hieroglyphic inscription in poor condition.
The memphite theology is an inscription on a stone. It was first conceived by thought, and realized by the word. This document has been known as the memphite theology, and shows the god ptah, the deity responsible for the creation of the universe by thought and by the word. It has already been referred to in my treatment of platos doctrines.
Bremnerrhind papyrus iii the book of overthrowing apep by r. Oct 02, 2019 ptah is the creator god of the memphite theology. Sep 23, 20 it was composed at a very early date, and committed to stone during the twentyfifth dynasty by the order of the nubian king shabaka. Babylonian background of genesis, journal of theological studies 16 1965 285. Memphite theology pdf references edit the shabako stone, british museum a b bodine, joshua j.
To some extent this story is an example of religion as politics. Enuma elish, the memphite theology, and genesis 12. The whole memphite theology is preserved on a slab of basalt now exhibited in the egyptian sculpture gallery. Praedestinatio and liberum arbitrium in the memphite theology shabaka. The memphite stone or the shabaka stone contains the memphite theology and was probably composed in the late new kingdom, after. An egyptian account of creation inscribed on the shabaka stone.
Thankfully, this stone, called the shabaka stone or the memphite theology, survived, even though thousands of years after it was forgotten in the ruins of memphis, it was cut up to be used in a mill. The source for this theology is the shabaka stone, an eighth century b. The stone is dated to the reign of shabaka, a pharaoh of the 25th dynasty ca. Selfgenerated, ptah, the god of the primeval mound tatenen, created by thinking of things in his heart and then naming them by means of his tongue. Shabaka didnt have bug spray, but he had the next best thing. Breasted, development of religion and thought in ancient egypt. In the earliest tradition surviving from egypt the creation of the world was ascribed to the god atum of heliopolis, but the theology of memphis sought to. The memphite theologians borrowed the heliopolitan ennead, where ptah replaced atum. It is true that on the palermo stoneannals dating from the old king domwe.
The shabaka stone bm n 498, is a heavy, near black block or slab of green breccia from wadi hammamat named after pharaoh shabaka ca. This is referred to as logos creation, a label that references the biblical in the beginning was the word logos john 1. Egyptian shabaka stone ptah myth ancient egypt apps. The original, mentioned on the shabaka stone, was written during the new kingdom, probably after the aten cult, during the ramesside era. Sep 27, 2014 the shabaka stone is a relic from the nubian twentyfifth dynasty of egypt incised with an important egyptian religious text, the memphite theology. Genesis 12 in light of ancient egyptian creation myths. It apparently dates from the new kingdom 15511070 b. Ptah is an egyptian creator god who existed before all other things and, by his will, thought the world into existence. Plan, photo and scale armor from the 26th dynasty palace of apries at memphis. Shabaka imposed this memphite theology of the creator gods on the southernmost region of the northern delta.
Kingship and the gods oriental institute the university of chicago. The memphite theology is the basis of all important doctrines in greek philosophy. Breasted wikimedia commons according to the memphite theogony, the world was brought into being by ptah through his heart and words. Bremnerrhind papyrus iii the book of overthrowing apep by. It is a composition of breccia measuring 91 cm on the left in height and 95 cm on the right as well as 7 cm in width. Pdf the memphite theology its purpose and date, fs. Named after this ruler, the shabaka inscription shows how the. In addition, shabaka is known for creating a wellpreserved example of memphite theology by inscribing an old religious papyrus into the shabaka stone. In the memphite theology, the ubiquity of the word of god, or, ptah, is reminiscent of the buddhist concept of the dharma, another yogic concept referring to the absolute unity of all thingswhich is the ultimate theme in the memphite theology. In later years, the stone was likely used as a millstone, which damaged the hieroglyphs. Sep 16, 2020 the religious text on the shabaka stone is referred to as the memphite theology and the writing is seemingly much older than the 25th dynasty, incorporating some of the earlier theological writings of the old and middle kingdoms, as well as some of the pyramid texts.
Indeed, the lips of pharaoh merenre are as the two enneads. Read online memphite theology and download memphite theology book full in pdf formats. The shabaka stone and the monumentalization of the. We thrill over the artifacts of king tuts tomb, stand in awe before the sphinx, and the gizeh pyramids overwhelm us justly so. Jul 02, 2016 this app contains a translation of the shabaka stone also called shabaqo, an important ancient egyptian artifact incised with a religious text from memphite theology. Aug 12, 2020 716 bc during egypts nubiankushite era 747 656 bc, shabaka, the egyptian pharaoh 716 702 bc, established the shabaka stone, on which was imprinted the memphite theology of the creator gods. Mar 18, 2018 neferkare or shabaka, a ruler of the twentyfifth dynasty, ordered an ancient religious text copied onto stone because the original was wormeaten. Compared with other such accounts, that introducing the memphite theology on the shabaka stone is very sober and there is no reason to doubt its historicity. One the left is the story of the peace made between seth and horus, as well as the story of osiris body being washed onto the shores of memphis. Jun 26, 2016 the memphite theology was dated to a very early period of egyptian history, i. The shabaka stone the memphite theology bm ea 498 date. Shabaka stone memphite theology of ptah african scientific.
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