The Theology of Memphis Overview

• Language: [Not mentioned]

• Province: Egypt

• Date: 700 BC (with an oral tradition > 2,000 years older)

• Purpose: Establish Memphis’ importance as the First Dynasty establishes it as their capital

• From the Shabaka Stone

pg. 4 & http://attalus.org/egypt/shabaka_stone.html 

An introduction honors the gods and Nefer-ka-Re, who brings the two lands of Upper and Lower Egypt together. Nefer-ka-Re found this text, which had been partially eaten by worms, and copied it - even though it had been unknown up until then. This is similar to 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, which likewise claim that priests during Josiah’s reign found the Mosaic Law that had been forgotten by the people.

An explanation is given for how Ennead saw Horus and Seth constantly fighting, and so he split them up and made Seth the King of Upper Egypt, where he was born, and Geb made Horus the king of Lower Egypt, where his father had drowned. Geb does this with a command of 10 words to Seth and more to Horus, telling them to go to their places. Geb gives Seth a 10-word command at the creation of Egypt just as God speaks 10 times to create the world, gives 10 plagues to destroy Egypt, and speaks the 10 words as the first of Israel’s laws at Sinai.

Horus complains that he received the same amount as Seth, so Horus, Horus’ grandfather, gives him all of the land as his firstborn inheritance, and the lands are united. Horus then appeared as king of the united lands in Memphis in Ptah’s house.

Ptah is identified as Nun, Atum’s father. Ptah is also identified as Naunet, Atum’s mother. He is said to have also brought about Ennead with his heart and tongue. The heart and tongue control the rest of the body as everything needs them to live, think, and command. Similar to the Gospel of John, where Jesus is the pre-existing Logos in the mind of God, Ptah creates everything and gives life with his heart and tongue. In slight contrast to the view that the heart and tongue control every other part of the body, however, the Hebrew Bible and New Testament present the heart as where everything originates and the tongue as controlling the course of one’s life.

Ptah creates everything - including all types of idols for the gods to inhabit - and then rests. At the end of creation, both Ptah and God rest. On the other hand, God creates Eden as His cosmic temple for humans to enjoy and to be in His presence: humans are even the idols of the temple. Further, idols here are presented as types of bodies that gods can enter into, but not the gods themselves (as many Hebrew Bible authors assume).

To explain how Memphis is “the Granary of the God [Ptah]” and Egypt, it is explained that Horus’ father, Osiris was drowning there until Horus commanded Isis and Nephthys to save him and bring him to land. He then came up and then made Horus king of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.

• this is an explanation of how Horus deserved this as his inheritance from earlier on this story, right??? (see ¶2)