SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

by the treachery of his brother Seth and is revived by Isis and Nephthys. Unlike Christ, he does not foretell his own death, nor does he promise resurrection. It is the pattern of his life, not his words or deeds that offers the hope of an afterlife to believers. 14 Toward the end of the book, the author attempts to tackle the mysteries surrounding the pharaoh Akhenaten. It is in this chapter that the author gets some of her facts confused. She clearly states that the body of Akhenaten has been discovered. 15 This remains an area of controversy. Archeologists have searched for this pharaoh’s body for many years, but so far it has not been conclusively found. 16 In fact, some scholars believe that the ancient Egyptian’s attempts to remove Akhenaten from the historical record were so thorough that his mummy will never be found. 17 Early in this chapter, the author appears to assume that the sculptures and reliefs of Akhenaten are representative of his physical appearance. “…His portrayals have given rise to the theory that he may have endured Marfan’s syndrome, but he certainly possessed a rare appearance.” 18 Later in the chapter, she contradicts herself by stating that the images of Akhenaten are a means by which he stressed his religious view of a “sexually-unified Universal One.” 19 Many scholars agree that the portrayal of Akhenaten is indeed an allusion to his religious beliefs, and not necessarily a mirror image of his physical appearance. 20

The author states: Jesus and Osiris…were betrayed by dinner- guests…Osiris was 28; Jesus was 23. Wooden trunks became their instruments of death as well as their memorials. Upon death, their bodies were wrapped…in linens, anointed with oil and entombed….Osiris and Jesus were shortly resurrected. Reassuming earthly form, they demonstratively reaffirmed right conduct…after which time they returned to heaven, both having ‘saved the world’ 8 Osiris, the ruler of the underworld, represented many different things. In the earliest sources, he is associated with fertility. 9 It is later that his link to resurrection becomes prominent. Osiris’ connection with resurrection is shown in several ways. The god is often depicted with green painted features. In Egyptian thought, the color green represented “fresh vegetation, vigor and regeneration.” 10 Here, the idea of resurrection is clearly implied. There are a couple of different myths that discuss the death of Osiris. Although the details differ between them, certain facts remain constant. Osiris was killed by his brother Seth, and his body was discovered by the goddesses Isis and Nephthys who revive him. 11 In this way, Osiris takes on the role of a god who triumphs over death. After death, the deceased became associated with Osiris. This was indicated by the title the Osiris So and So. By identifying himself with Osiris, the deceased is hoping to enter the realm of the blessed dead, thereby ensuring an afterlife. In the Old Kingdom, only the king was equated with Osiris. After the First Intermediate Period, the privilege was extended to non-royal people as well. 12 This stands in marked contrast to Christ whose teachings, from the beginning, offered the possibility of life after death to everyone. Osiris differs from Christ in other ways. Osiris is a passive savior. “It is not he who does the saving. He himself is saved…” 13 Osiris is killed

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter In the conclusion of the book, the author states: Egyptian disregard has resulted in gross theological misunderstanding. We have traced the routes of humankind’s knowledge out of Africa and must also recognize the northern part of the continent as the seat from which religion sprang. 21

It is well known that parallels between ancient Egyptian religion and Christianity can be seen. 22 This book attempts to point out and describe those parallels. While this is certainly a study

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