Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Secrets of Soul in Pharaonic Era


Fri 10 May 2019 | 02:23 PM
Ali Abu Dashish

The ancient Egyptians differentiated between human’s self “K3” and soul “p3”.

The Egyptian Archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass stated that pharaohs imagined the self as two raised arms that leave the body during death agony and it- the self- leaves the body with all its features.

After the dead person is resurrected, the self returns back to the body.

Some people believe that “K3” is a guardian spirit that protect dead people in the other life.

Others see that “K3” has a double-nature; a real tangible power and mental one as well.

king ib rc hr"k3

Human’s self reflects moral characters of each person like his mood, luck, prestige, charisma and sexual power.

During the Ramesside period; the 19th and 20th dynasties, students sealed their copybooks by dedicating to their teacher’s self describing the latter with words which means that he is still alive.

“K3” also combined with ancient Egyptian names like “K3w3ab”; the pure soul, “K3menkh”; the virtuous soul, “mroroka”; the lovable soul, “Shebeksaph”; which means the power and effectiveness.

Regarding the role of "K3", Egyptian texts shows that any person receives his own soul after his birth.

This happens by an order from God "Rc"or God Geb with the help of Sekhmet; Goddess of birth.

When this soul leaves the body, the person lose his life and power immediately.

Afterwards, the dead body follows his “K3” in the other world, gets food and its totally protected by innate power.

It's remarkable that ancient Egyptians called tombs the “house of K3”.

Contributed by Salma Yassin

king ib rc hr"k3