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Been reading some old history - Eygpt
Posted on: November 24, 2017 at 11:44:54 CT
Knucklehead MU
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The Egyptian empire was around for 3,000 years. Religion and the state were strongly linked. Egypt was plagued by a exploitive priest class. They keep secrets and were able to remain at the top of the heap because, other than the king's court, they were the only people that had time to develop writing, keep records, etc. The common person was totally consumed with work. The pharohs like the priests cause they keep the plebes in line. Religion is a tactic used to fend off revolts and preserve the status quo, which they elites like.
The priests sold charms and "prayers" for all ailments. I didn't know this, but animal sacrifices were a food source for the priests. Apparently they didn't throw the meat away. They lived in the temples which were large spacious, and fabulous compared to the mud hovels of the masses. They even had their own large harems of females. Good work if you could get it.
A lot of their 'religion" found its way into Christianity. They had a stories of "virgin births", they had resurrection stories. They had stories of an afterlife in which you either went to a glorious land of plenty or an eternity of torture, depending on how faithful you were.
They monetized the afterlife. The priests would teach you that you could virtually assure going to the good afterlife if you said certain chants. In fact you could fool the gods into taking you even if you had lead a wicked life. Honest, they knew the secrets and were willing to sell them to you for money. In fact they sold rich people "the book of the dead" which they put into their tombs containing all the right chants, just in case they needed help remembering them when the opportune time came to fool the god's gatekeepers.
There was a pharoh, named Ikantonam (or something close to that), that tried to convert the country to monotheism (one god). He wrote a glorious poem exorting the benevolence and wisdom of the one true god (a sun god). Parts of poem were imported directly into the bible.
The point is, they had strong economic incentives to invent dogma, myths and amazing stories to keep the $$$ flowing. They were selling hokem. It paid well.
The true believers say "yes, every religion in the past 10,000 years but mine is a racket, but mine is the one true religion." They all say that.
Edited by Knucklehead at 12:05:35 on 11/24/17
The priests sold charms and "prayers" for all ailments. I didn't know this, but animal sacrifices were a food source for the priests. Apparently they didn't throw the meat away. They lived in the temples which were large spacious, and fabulous compared to the mud hovels of the masses. They even had their own large harems of females. Good work if you could get it.
A lot of their 'religion" found its way into Christianity. They had a stories of "virgin births", they had resurrection stories. They had stories of an afterlife in which you either went to a glorious land of plenty or an eternity of torture, depending on how faithful you were.
They monetized the afterlife. The priests would teach you that you could virtually assure going to the good afterlife if you said certain chants. In fact you could fool the gods into taking you even if you had lead a wicked life. Honest, they knew the secrets and were willing to sell them to you for money. In fact they sold rich people "the book of the dead" which they put into their tombs containing all the right chants, just in case they needed help remembering them when the opportune time came to fool the god's gatekeepers.
There was a pharoh, named Ikantonam (or something close to that), that tried to convert the country to monotheism (one god). He wrote a glorious poem exorting the benevolence and wisdom of the one true god (a sun god). Parts of poem were imported directly into the bible.
The point is, they had strong economic incentives to invent dogma, myths and amazing stories to keep the $$$ flowing. They were selling hokem. It paid well.
The true believers say "yes, every religion in the past 10,000 years but mine is a racket, but mine is the one true religion." They all say that.
Edited by Knucklehead at 12:05:35 on 11/24/17
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Been reading some old history - Eygpt - Knucklehead MU - 11/24 11:44:54