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Ancient Egyptian Tombs

Valley of the Kings

Since the majority of Ancient Egyptian findings are tombs, this may lead many of us to conclude that the Ancient Egyptians were obsessed with death. If one considers the fact that an estimated 150 to 200 million people died in Upper Egypt alone between the times of the Old Kingdom and the Roman Rule, one should conclude that a few hundred tombs along a strip of desert 450 miles long, is actually a small number by comparison.

The death of a person is analogous to the sun setting at the end of the day. Therefore, all burials in Ancient Egypt took place on the west bank of the Nile to conform with the symbolism of the setting sun.
Only Akhenaton reversed the ancient tradition. However, he was never buried in Egypt (Read more about it under ‘Akhenaton and Moses’ and ‘The Exodus, The Bitter Divorce’, in Historical Deception - The Untold Story of Ancient Egypt - 2nd ed., by Moustafa Gadalla.)

After the sun sets every day, it travels into the netherland. Similarly, the death of a person is a journey into another dimension, a place of endless possibilities. As we sleep each night, we experience a kind of a shadow version of life. Afterlife was considered to be this type of a shadow life.

The basic principles of the Ancient Egyptian tomb represent the actual voyage of the spirit as it leaves the body. The design of the royal Ancient Egyptian tomb corresponds to the standard near-death experience. Similarities include:

• Being sucked up in a long tunnel (The tombs have a tunnel)
• Meeting angels who function as guides or companions to the person, through the tunnel, on their journey to unite with a bright Light [The Egyptian tunnel is decorated with different neteru (angels of God) guiding the deceased person through the voyage until transformation is completed and unification with Ra (the Light) occurs.]
• Seeing their whole life reviewed and evaluated (Judgment Day scene is depicted on the walls of the tombs.)

The tombs of the kings are spiritual in their entirety. They represent stages of transformation, in symbolic and metaphorical form, of the soul in its journey to resurrection and/or reincarnation.

The scenes of daily activities are portrayed in the tombs of nobles. The scenes provide graphic representation, of all manner of Egyptian activities: hunting, fishing, agriculture, warfare, law courts, and all kinds of arts and crafts. All these worldly activities have spiritual meaning.

Portraying these daily life activities in the presence of the neteru (gods/goddesses) or with their assistance signifies their spiritual intent. The agricultural scenes are similar to the symbolism of Christ referring to the sower of the seed. It was spiritual and never meant to be agricultural advice.

Despite the repetition of daily life scenes, no two tombs are identical. The theme may be the same but there is always a variation.

One must continue to be reminded that these tombs were never built for public viewing.

A woman/man sniffing at the lotus is a recurrent theme in Egyptian tombs. The perfume of the lotus is its spiritualized essence, similar to the 'odor of sanctity' in the Christian doctrine. The lotus is very common in Egyptian symbology. The four disciples ("sons") of Heru (Horus) are shown coming out from a lotus flower. Also Nefertum, son of Ptah, the Creative Fire, is born of the lotus.

The bird-netting scene and the various species of birds depicted on walls have spiritual significance. In general, these wild birds represent wild spiritual elements that must be trapped, caged, sometimes tamed, or offered to the neteru (gods/goddesses) in sacrifice. A modern similarity in symbolism is found in Mozart’s Masonic opera, The Magic Flute, where Papageno is the free spirit whose specialty is to trap wild birds.

For more information about the sacred geometry related to the design of Ancient Egyptian tombs, read:

Egyptian Harmony: The Visual Music by Moustafa Gadalla 192 pages, 5.5" x 8.5" List Price: $11.95 USD (paperback) $ 7.95 USD (eBook)