Amenhotep III and The Story of The Sphinx
In ancient Egypt, during the reign of the great pharaoh Amenhotep III, there existed a mischievous and cunning Sphinx. This particular Sphinx had a reputation for testing the wisdom and wit of anyone who dared to cross its path. It was said that the Sphinx had an insatiable appetite for riddles, and its favorite pastime was outsmarting unsuspecting visitors.
One sunny day, as Amenhotep III strolled through his magnificent palace gardens, he stumbled upon the Sphinx, lounging lazily beneath a shady tree. The Sphinx, spotting the pharaoh, couldn't resist the opportunity to engage in a battle of wits.
With a twinkle in its eye, the Sphinx greeted the pharaoh, "Oh mighty Amenhotep III, the wisest ruler of all, I challenge you to a riddle duel. Answer my riddles correctly, and I shall reward you handsomely. Fail, and you shall face the consequences!"
Amenhotep III, known for his intelligence and quick thinking, couldn't resist a challenge. He accepted the Sphinx's proposition with a smile and prepared himself for the riddle battle.
The Sphinx cleared its throat and posed its first riddle, "I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"
Amenhotep III pondered for a moment, a mischievous grin forming on his face. "Ah, dear Sphinx, the answer to your riddle is the wind!"
The Sphinx let out a hearty laugh, impressed by the pharaoh's swift response. It admitted defeat, "You have bested me, O wise Amenhotep III. As promised, I shall grant you a reward."
The Sphinx summoned its magical powers and produced a beautiful golden necklace adorned with precious gemstones. The pharaoh graciously accepted the gift, thanking the Sphinx for its challenge.
But the Sphinx wasn't ready to admit complete defeat just yet. With a sly smile, it posed another riddle, hoping to catch the pharaoh off-guard, "I am taken from a mine and shut in a wooden case, from which I am never released. Yet, I am used by many. What am I?"
Amenhotep III listened attentively, his mind working furiously to unravel the Sphinx's enigma. After a moment of contemplation, a mischievous twinkle appeared in the pharaoh's eyes.
"I've got it!" he exclaimed. "The answer to your riddle, dear Sphinx, is a pencil!"
The Sphinx's jaw dropped in astonishment. It hadn't anticipated the pharaoh's quick wit and clever response. Acknowledging defeat once again, the Sphinx begrudgingly admitted, "You have bested me yet again, O mighty pharaoh. Your wisdom knows no bounds."
In acknowledgment of Amenhotep III's triumph, the Sphinx conjured a grand feast fit for a king. They enjoyed a lavish meal together, exchanging stories and laughter late into the night.
From that day forward, the Sphinx and Amenhotep III became unlikely friends. The Sphinx, no longer content with riddle battles, took pleasure in regaling the pharaoh with amusing tales from its encounters with other travelers.
And so, the tale of the clever pharaoh and the mischievous Sphinx spread throughout ancient Egypt, reminding everyone that wisdom and wit could conquer any challenge, even the enigmatic riddles of a mythical creature.
Ancient Egypt Amenhotep III Introduction
When Amenhotep III (reigned c1390 - 1352 BC) became Pharaoh in 1390 BC, Egypt had become the richest and most powerful nation on earth through war and conquest. The new king tried a different approach - diplomacy.
In 1390 BC, Amenhotep III took the throne. He was lucky: predecessors such as Ahmose and Tuthmosis III had battled hard to expand Egypt's borders and there were no more wars to fight.
The gathering storm
Still, he faced his fair share of challenges. Egypt was wealthy, so it was envied. Countries like Babylonia, Assyria, and Mitani were emerging as potential new rivals. Amenhotep needed to protect Egypt from these rivals, but desperately wanted to avoid yet more war.
Another solution was needed. Instead of fighting his enemies, Amenhotep decided to talk to them. He began writing to the other rulers of the Near East, carving letters on small stones that messengers took to foreign princes.
Armana Letters
Words, not weapons
Pharaoh Amenhotep III the Dazzling Aten
Amenhotep III ruled Egypt from June 1388 BC to December 1351 BC/1350 BC and was one of the most wealthy rulers of ancient Egypt. Amenhotep III's Great Royal Wife, Tiye, was also mother of Akhenaten and grandmother of Tutankhamun.
Inscriptions from Amenhotep III's jubilee palace in western Thebes tell us that the king was actually referred to as Aten Tjehen, the Dazzling Aten.
In ancient Egypt, during the reign of Amenhotep III, a grand palace was built in western Thebes to celebrate the king's jubilee. This palace was adorned with inscriptions that revealed a surprising truth about the king.
According to the inscriptions, Amenhotep III was not only referred to as a pharaoh, but he was also known as Aten Tjehen, the Dazzling Aten. This was a unique title, and it implied that Amenhotep III had a special connection to the sun god Aten.
Aten was already an important god in ancient Egypt, but during the reign of Amenhotep III, the worship of Aten became even more prominent. Amenhotep III claimed that Aten had chosen him as his representative on earth and that he was the only one who could communicate with the god.
The people of Egypt were amazed by this claim and began to worship Amenhotep III as a living god. They believed that he possessed divine powers and that he was capable of performing miracles. Amenhotep III used this belief to solidify his power and to establish himself as the greatest pharaoh of all time.
One day, a powerful priest named Amonhotep, who was a follower of the god Amun, challenged Amenhotep III's claim to divine power. He argued that Amun was the most powerful god in Egypt and that he alone had the power to communicate with the gods.
Amenhotep III was enraged by this challenge and ordered the priest to be arrested and brought before him. The priest was defiant, and he refused to renounce his belief in Amun. Amenhotep III was impressed by the priest's courage, and he realized that he could not simply force his beliefs on others.
Instead, he ordered that both the worship of Amun and the worship of Aten should be allowed in Egypt. He realized that both gods had their own unique qualities and that they could be worshipped side by side.
And so, Amenhotep III continued to be known as Aten Tjehen, the Dazzling Aten, and his reign became known as a time of great religious tolerance in ancient Egypt. The people of Egypt were able to worship the gods of their choosing, and they were united under the leadership of a wise and just king.
The God Hu
In the New Kingdom, both Hu (the white light) and Sia together with Heka, Irer and Sedjem were members of the fourteen creative powers of Amun-Ra.
In the time of the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt, the god Amun-Ra was the most powerful and revered god in all the land. It was said that Amun-Ra was the creator of all things, and that he had fourteen creative powers that worked together to bring about the world as we know it.
Among these fourteen creative powers were Hu, Sia, Heka, Irer, and Sedjem. Hu was known as the white light, and Sia was his counterpart, the dark light. Together, they represented the duality of existence, the light and the dark, the good and the evil.
Heka was the god of magic, the one who could bend reality to his will with a single word. Irer was the god of knowledge, the one who held the secrets of the universe in his mind. And Sedjem was the god of justice, the one who ensured that all things were balanced and fair.
One day, a great crisis befell the kingdom of Egypt. A powerful sorcerer had risen to power and was using his dark magic to wreak havoc across the land. He had summoned fierce monsters to do his bidding and had cursed the people with plagues and famine.
The pharaoh of Egypt knew that he needed the help of the gods to defeat this powerful sorcerer. He called upon Amun-Ra and asked for his aid. Amun-Ra listened to the pharaoh's plea and summoned his fourteen creative powers to aid him in the battle against the sorcerer.
Hu and Sia brought forth their power of light and dark, and together they banished the sorcerer's monsters back to the realm from which they had come. Heka used his magic to dispel the sorcerer's curses, while Irer revealed the secrets of the sorcerer's power to the pharaoh.
But it was Sedjem who played the most crucial role in the battle. He ensured that the pharaoh acted with justice and fairness in his dealings with the sorcerer. Instead of simply killing the sorcerer, the pharaoh showed him mercy and allowed him to live, but only under the condition that he renounce his dark magic and use his powers for the good of the people.
The sorcerer agreed to the pharaoh's terms, and he became one of the pharaoh's most trusted advisors. Together, they worked to rebuild the kingdom and bring about a new era of prosperity and peace.
And so, the fourteen creative powers of Amun-Ra had once again saved the people of Egypt from darkness and chaos. Their powers of light, dark, magic, knowledge, and justice had combined to bring about a new age of enlightenment and harmony. The people of Egypt knew that they could always count on the power of the gods to protect them and guide them through even the darkest of times.
Maat Goddess of Truth Justice and Order
Long ago, in the land of ancient Egypt, there was a great goddess named Maat. She was known as the goddess of truth, justice, and order. Maat was worshipped by all the people of Egypt, from the lowest farmer to the pharaoh himself. They believed that it was Maat who maintained balance and harmony in the world.
Maat was often depicted as a beautiful woman with wings on her arms, holding a feather in her hand. The feather was the symbol of Maat's power, for it represented truth and balance. She would use the feather to weigh the hearts of the dead when they entered the afterlife. If the heart was light as a feather, it meant the person had lived a good and righteous life, and they were allowed to enter the afterlife. But if the heart was heavy with sin and wrongdoing, they would be devoured by a monster and their soul would be lost forever.
One day, the pharaoh of Egypt, Amenhotep, became very arrogant and selfish. He started to believe that he was above the law and that he could do whatever he wanted. He stopped listening to the people and began to rule with an iron fist. The people of Egypt were unhappy with their pharaoh, and they turned to Maat for help.
Maat was outraged by Amenhotep's behavior. She decided to teach him a lesson and show him the error of his ways. She appeared before him in a vision and told him that he had to undergo a trial to prove his worthiness as a ruler. Amenhotep was skeptical, but he agreed to the trial.
Maat then summoned the great god Horus, who was the god of the sky and of justice. Horus agreed to help Maat in her trial. The two gods appeared before Amenhotep and explained the rules of the trial. Amenhotep had to walk through a long hallway, which was guarded by two giant snakes. At the end of the hallway, there was a chamber where Maat was waiting for him. In the chamber, Amenhotep's heart would be weighed against the feather of truth.
Amenhotep took a deep breath and began to walk down the hallway. The snakes hissed and slithered around him, but he kept walking. When he reached the chamber, Maat was waiting for him. She took his heart and placed it on one side of the scale, while she placed the feather on the other. The scale tipped back and forth, but finally, it came to rest with the feather on top.
Amenhotep was amazed. He had expected to fail the trial, but instead, he had passed with flying colors. He realized that he had been wrong in his behavior and vowed to rule with fairness and justice from then on. He asked Maat and Horus to forgive him for his arrogance, and they did.
And so, the people of Egypt were once again happy and content, thanks to the wisdom and power of Maat, the goddess of truth, justice, and order. They knew that as long as they lived according to the principles of Maat, they would have a happy and fulfilling life.