Notes on the Concept and Significance of the Astral Entities Ixmw sk and Ixmw wrD in the Ancient Egyptian Language

Khaled, Yomna; Waziry, Ayman; Adeeb, Samir

doi:10.21608/ijmshr.2024.302593.1030

Notes on the Concept and Significance of the Astral Entities Ixmw sk and Ixmw wrD in the Ancient Egyptian Language

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ PhD researcher in the Department of Egyptology - Faculty of Archaeology - Fayoum University and an Assistant Lecturer in the Faculty of Faculty of Archaeology and Tourism Guidance- Misr University for Science and Technology - Egypt.

² Professor of Egyptology and Head of the Department of Egyptology- Faculty of Archaeology- Fayoum University- Egypt.

³ Professor of Archeology and Ancient Egyptian Civilization, Head of the Egyptian Archeology Department, Misr University for Science and Technology- Egypt.

10.21608/ijmshr.2024.302593.1030

Abstract

Egypt served as a base for astronomical sciences, where astronomy was subjected at that time to the laws of nature, which viewed celestial bodies as belonging to worship and deities more than as a subject of scientific study. The ancient Egyptian civilization persisted with its sciences in various fields, the most important of which is astronomy, the content and implications of which were rich in ancient Egyptian sources through many proofs that highlight the knowledge and superiority of the ancient Egyptians in astronomy and the study of the details of celestial and astronomical bodies. So that their abilities to use cosmology and celestial bodies in many aspects of their lives became clear. It is no secret to those interested in ancient Egyptian civilization that the ancient Egyptians knew the stars and their characteristics and drew maps for them. They also determined the locations of the stars in the sky constellation, so that much archaeological evidence, texts and scenes confirming this were found on the ceilings of some temples, tombs and coffin covers. In addition to the fact that they distinguished the polar stars and called them "Immortal Stars", they estimated that these stars are inhabited by the soul of the deceased to achieve resurrection that guarantees immortality. The stars had their own concept, meaning, and symbolism, as it is linked in astronomical views to the concepts of renewal of time and resurrection, which are linked to the implications of the resurrection of universal life in general and in detail. This research paper includes the meaning, concept, and significance of the astral entities Ixmw-sk and Ixmw-wrD in the ancient Egyptian language. It also seeks to study these mentioned astral entities to clarify the semantic concept from the perspective of the ancient Egyptian language. This is done through seeking and investigating the linguistic structure derivation, and written forms of the astral entities Ixmw- sk and Ixmw -wrD through the stages of the ancient Egyptian language and according to their relevant sources.

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