Sunday, November 21, 2021

ARCHAEOLOGY: When Man Replaced Christ with Animals

....and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 1 Timothy 2:15....
 
Q: Is this where the children of Mizraim settled after Babel---then multiplied and filled the land? Did they split a few generations under two different leaders north and south as they multiplied (Lower and Upper Egypt) before reuniting under the conquest of Scorpion King?
A Glimpse into how fast after Babel that they degenerated into mystic paganism---And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Romans 1:23
"Mizraim is the Hebrew and Aramaic name for the land of Egypt, with the dual suffix -āyim, perhaps referring to the "two Egypts": Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Mizraim is the dual form of matzor, meaning a "mound" or "fortress," the name of a people descended from Ham. It was the name generally given by the Hebrews to the land of Egypt and its people." wiki

"Located along the Nile, south of Luxor, the city is called Nekhen by

the Egyptians (the Greek name, “Hierakonpolis,” means “City of the Falcon,” referring to the falcon-headed god Horus). ....it grew to be one of the largest, most bustling cities in Predynastic Egypt, thriving long before the country was unified and ruled by pharaohs. Hidden beneath the sandy landscape that dominates the area today are thousands of fragments of the former society, including:

  • huge ceramic vats for brewing beer (more than 300 gallons could be brewed every day);
  • a ceremonial center, located in front of an ornamental shrine;
  • distinct cemeteries for different members of society; and
  • embalmed organs or wrapped bodies that suggest the beginnings of mummification.

Archaeologists also discovered graves filled with exquisite pottery and funerary masks, but were puzzled and thrilled when they first discovered thousands of animal bones–and not the kind that are leftover from dinner.

Buried alongside the elite members of society, archaeologists dug up the bones of a baboon, an elephant covered in cosmetics

(accompanied by an amethyst bead and an ivory bracelet), numerous cats and dogs, a leopard, two crocodiles, aurochs (an extinct species of wild ox), hippos, gazelles, and other animals. The variety and abundance of species make Hierankopolis distinct from all other Egyptian sites. It seems animals played a variety of roles in the City of the Falcon. They could be pets or objects of affection. Or they could be sacrificial offerings hunted and captured for their spiritual power.

Contrary to what we see in zoos today, the animals held captive by members of Ancient Egyptian high society probably weren’t given their own spaces in which to roam. The remains of a baboon show broken hand and foot bones that partially healed, suggesting the fractures occurred while the animal was in captivity. They might have been the result of punishment for misbehavior. Scientists also found the bones of a hippo calf with a broken leg, as well as bones from antelope and wild cows that had injuries probably related to being tied. 

Whatever they suffered in life, the animals were clearly revered enough to accompany their masters into death, with some of them being carefully covered like the humans they went to the grave with.

Hippopotamus and crocodile bones were found in abundance, suggesting the animals were sacrificed. Both of these creatures represented the power and chaos of the river environment,...Hunters, either with dogs or alone, brought back striped hyenas and Fennec foxes, soft-shell turtles, gazelles, hartebeest, ibexes, and Barbary sheep. While some were undoubtedly eaten, most seem to have been sacrificed, a gesture meant to symbolize the chaos of nature being brought under control

As one group of scientists wrote about their research, something

special was happening at Hierankopolis: “The large, dangerous, and rare animals acquired, apparently at great effort, make explanations of the place as simply a butchery site or feasting area untenable.”

The sacrifice of an animal was not meant as an offense, but an aid to its becoming an intermediary between men and gods." JDaily