Alan F. Alford - Ideas On Ancient Egyptian Religion

Ideas On Ancient Egyptian Religion

In his book The Midnight Sun, Alford drew on the work of J.P. Allen to elucidate the 'physics' of the ancient Egyptian creation myth. He argued, following Allen, that the creation myth provided a coherent and consistent account of the creation of the cosmos, albeit on a geocentric view, and accordingly proposed a central role for this myth in our understanding of ancient Egyptian religion. He further argued, contra Allen and others, that the sun-god was secondary to the creator-god in Egypt, being tasked (alongside the pharaoh) with re-enacting the creation myth in order that the cosmic order (ma'at) be made to endure for ever. Alford thus held that the traditional cults of Egyptian religion were facets of a unifying 'cult of creation'.

In keeping with this creational view of Egyptian religion, Alford is a sceptic of the orthodox solar interpretation of obelisks and pyramids. He maintains that these monuments commemorated the creation of the cosmos, the benben stone at the apex representing the seed of the creator-god which had been raised from the earth into the sky.

Alford has also proposed that the Pyramid Texts – such a puzzle to scholars – make sense as a ritualistic re-enactment of the events of creation, in which the king played the part of the creator-god and hence emerged from the earth into all parts of the cosmos.