They wanted to live forever
Kathryn Graham
The Metropolitan
A statue of Osiris, lord of the underworld, stands tall at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science's premier exhibit, "A Quest For Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt," explaining how the Egyptian's intricate belief system began.
Egyptians lived every aspect of their lives focused on the belief that the body must be preserved intact for the spirit to make its journey after death and gain immortality.
According to Egyptian myth, Osiris was once murdered and dismembered by his jealous brother and his body parts were scattered across the earth. Osiris' sister and wife, Isis, the patron of fertility and magic, searched the earth to find her husband's body parts. Isis succeeded at putting him back together and Osiris was resurrected. This is the most important myth because it encompasses who the ancient Egyptians were.
"In ancient Egypt, if you were bitten by a crocodile you automatically got immortality," said Darlyne Fuller, museum volunteer.
Egyptian crocodile god Sobek symbolized the might of the Egyptian pharaohs. Depicted as a crocodile or in human form with the head of a crocodile, crowned either by a pair of plumes or sometimes by solar disk, he symbolized the fertility of the Nile river.
Mummification included treating and placing the dead's stomach, intestines, lungs and liver, each in its own Canopic jar. The heart was mummified and placed back into the body. The deceased's symbolic belongings and written spells were placed in the tomb to lead the dead into the afterlife. Beginning at night, the dead's 12-hour journey to immortality began. By morning, the dead lived eternal life, rising with Ra the sun god.
Queen Nedjmet's canopic chest is currently being shown, at the DMNS, along with a sculpture of Osiris mummified as well as in the process of resurrecting.
Egyptians shared their world with hundreds of gods they brought to life in magnificent statues and carvings. The gods and pharaohs shown as having big ears meant they listened to the prayers of their people. It is known that the ancient Egyptians worshiped at least 75 different manifestations of the sun god.
Currently on display, at the DMNS, is a replica reconstruction of the burial chamber of Egypt's Pharaoh Thutmose III, ruler of the New Kingdom-along with the many other treasures that have resurrected ancient Egypt.
As a compliment to the exhibit, IMAX is showing the film "Mysteries of Egypt" where visitors can marvel at the majestic pyramids in the Valley of the Kings.
The exhibit is a fascinating look back at the Egyptian's ancient beliefs from 3,000 years ago and will be open to the public until January 23. It has been organized by the United Exhibits Group, Copenhagen and the National Gallery of Art, Washington in association with the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Cairo. Funding for the exhibit was provided in part by citizens in the Denver metro area and through the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. |
