Hawass Talks about Marital Infidelity in Ancient Egypt!

By: Ali Abu-Dashish and Norhan Mahmoud

CAIRO, Dec. 23 (SEE)- Women enjoyed a revered stature in ancient Egypt, actually they were the only way to reign. 

“I would like to point out that pharaonic literature recounted a number of betrayal tales. Of course, such cases do not lessen the status of women in ancient Egypt,” said Archaelogist Dr. Zahi Hawass. “Just like us, pharaohs were human beings and that’s why at first I would like to say that they granted females rights no other women enjoyed in ancient times. Actually, love and cordiality were the cornerstones of marriage.” 

Hawass noted that the legend of Isis and Osiris was the backbone of the ancient Egyptian society.  If it was not Isis, this generous Nile would not be formed as they believed its water is the years of Isis that she cried on parting her killed brother and beloved husband Osiris. At the same time, Isis’s son is the one who defeated evil power after Isis raised him up amongst bushes, therefore every monarch was titled “The Great Victorious Horus.” 

Speaking of love, pharaohs were masters of writing love poems. In one piece a lover expressed:

 “ Nothing can keep me from my love... Standing on the other shore

    Not even old crocodile... There on the sandbank between us ... Can keep us apart...”

The best illustration of marital betrayal was through the story of the two brothers, who lived under one roof, that show how society indisposed unfaithfulness. “Despite the aid and assistance of both brothers to one-another, the elder brother’s wife fall in love with her young brother-in-law and took advantage of him returning home alone, to bring seeds for agriculture, and seduced him. Unlike to her expectations, the faithful man rejected and said: “My elder brother is the one who raised me and the lord of my grace, shall I betray him with his wife?!”” 

Unexpectedly, the unfaithful wife assumed that her in-law is the one who seduced her which led the husband plan to kill his little brother when he returns home at night. “When the intrigued man was close from home, he felt unrest and fled away but his elder deceived brother caught him.” 

Here, the pine power intervened to prove the loyalty of the young brother and unleash the wicked plot for the husband to take revenge.

Last but not least, one other recount is of a priest who asked one king to accompany him to see  something wondrous by the lake. “Look my wife is betraying me with her paramour,” said the priest. At this moment, the priest made a crocodile from wax and placed it over the water to evolve into a gigantic crocodile that attacked the traitors and devoured them!