but if the deity consented to listen and to acquiesce, it performed hanu (making some movement of the head or arms) "twice with decision," or spoke words, the decree (utu) being recorded, sometimes on the walls of the temples, as the "words of the god himself." Numerous examples of such responses may be found in the cults of Amon-Rē of Karnak, of Khonsu of Thebes, of Isis of Koptos (Kebtōyew), and of the Ethiopian Amon of Napata." Divination, like exorcism, healing, and the possession of the amuletic sa, was the exclusive privilege of the 'essential' statue, although it had the ability of transmitting its magic power to one of its images, as when the statue of Khonsu "made four passes of its magic fluid." Dreams and oracles. The origin and extent of the use of dreams and of the dream-oracle in Egypt are obscure; but the power to dream or to cause others to dream was prized and encouraged, and sleeping in the temples to obtain a mantic response and a remedy (incubation) was a current practice among princes and private individuals. Diodoros says (i, 28) that "in Egypt dreams are regarded with religious reverence," and that the prayers of the devout are often rewarded by the gods with an indication of the remedy which their sufferings require; but this and magic (Wisdom of Solomon, xvii, 7-8) were only the last resource when the skill of the physician had been exhausted and when all hope of recovery was gone. A similar feeling toward the gods induced them to offer ex-votos in the temples for the same purpose (Clemens, apud Origenes, viii, 41).95 94 Foucart, in ERE iv, 793-794. 95 Id., “Dreams and Sleep (Egyptian)," in ERE v, 34-37; also Wilkinson, Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians, ii, 356, 462 ff. 96 Appeals were made to the divinities to 'hear the prayer' and to reveal themselves "Turn thy face towards me"; " 'Tis thou who dost accomplish miracles and art benevolent in all thy doings; 'tis thou who givest children to him that hath none," or ""Tis thou who canst grant me the means of saving all." The invocation having been made in the temple, the response was awaited in sleep. In the vision "the god N." [or some one in his name] spake to him saying. "The divinity begins by identifying the person addressed: "Art thou not such an one, son [father, wife, etc.] of so and so?" The god then tells the suppliant at what place, 'when morning comes,' a sealed naos, or box, will be found containing a certain book which must be copied and replaced. The directions, to be followed by a certain result, were in direct language requiring no interpretation, and it is believed that in the Pharaonic period there were no groups of official interpreters." In the later epoch, the interpretation of visions, especially those of a symbolic character, was assigned to the 'Masters of the Secret Things,' or to 'the Learned Men of the Magic Library,' who, early in the Christian era, formed a guild at the Serapeum in Memphis." In the sanctuary of Ptaḥ-Sotmu at Memphis oracles were given during the Pharaonic period to sufferers who consulted it; and the demotic inscriptions of Nubia mention other deities who, during long centuries, had been sending dreams to reveal remedies to persons sleeping in their temples, as well as the oracles of Isis at Phila (Pi-lak) and Thoth at Pnubs, all these being purely Egyptian in character without for 96 N. and NN. are conventional indications that a proper name is to be supplied according to circumstances, and are often expressed by the phrase such an one. 97 Foucart, in ERE v, 36. 98 Letronne, "Notices et textes des papyrus grecs du Musée du Louvre et de la Bibliothèque impériale," in NMBIF, pp. 81, 321. eign elements." Deities who manifested themselves as hearers of petitions 100 were represented as having a large number of ears. One deity was alleged to have 77 eyes and as many ears (Harris Magic Papyrus, vii, 6),101 and a king, who was regarded as equal to the god, was endowed with innumerable ears (Anastasi Papyrus, II, vi, 3 ff.; IV, v, 6 ff.). Early Egyptian healing. The art of healing in Egypt emerges from the mists of prehistoric times as the gift of the gods to men. The earliest definite knowledge of Egyptian therapeutic customs is obtained from the several medical papyri that have been discovered, the oldest coming from the Twelfth Dynasty, about 2000 B.C. Later texts have parts common to the older documents, evidently being compilations from more ancient writings; and this fact, together with the grammar and the language, tends to confirm the most ancient traditions, which attribute a large share of the essential contents of these papyri to the early kings. It was the duty of the Pharaohs to maintain the health of their subjects. From Manetho (apud Africanus, Fragmenta historicorum Græcorum, ed. Müller, ii, 511 ff.) we learn that King Athotis, of the First Dynasty of the Thinites, practiced healing and wrote anatomical works. The kings of the Third Memphite Dynasty were sons and representatives of the gods, and in their capacity of chief priests would naturally be acquainted with the methods of healing of their time and would apply them among their people, King Tosorthros (Zoser) in particular fostering 99 E. Révillout, "Un page de l'histoire de la Nubie," in RE, 1888, v. 72-77; and ["Letter upon Nubian Oracles,"] in PSBA, 1888, x, 55-59. 100 W. Spiegelberg, "Epuns & Onẞaños" in ZÄ, 1908-1909, xlv, 89-90. 101 Budge, Facsimiles of Egyptian Hieratic Papyri, pl. 26. the healing art in the person of one of his wisest advisers, I-m-hotep, who was deified in Ptolemaic times.102 The invention of medical science was constantly ascribed to Thoth, the ibis-headed moon-god, the originator of all learning; and a legend for the use of the dead, engraved on lapis lazuli, supposedly in the fifth millennium B.C., runs as follows: "I am Thoth, the inventor and founder of medicines and letters; come to me, those that are under the earth, rise up to me, thou great spirit.""103 Ptaḥ and the demigod I-m-hotep performed miracles of cure, and in later times were extolled as the inventors of healing; but Thoth, who in the Græco-Roman period was confused with Hermes Trismegistos,1o* always held the first place in the minds of the Egyptians. Local healing deities. The deities of Egypt, especially the local divinities, were beneficent and watchful over the welfare of their peoples. They were the sole defense against the machinations of their enemies and by reason of superior knowledge had devised means by which evil spirits were exorcised and the sick were healed, these methods having been taught by (or stolen from) the gods for the service of mankind, and their application having been entrusted to the priesthood.105 As permanent and precious gifts, these sacred revelations must be jealously guarded and transmitted; and having implicit faith in their divinities, the efficacy of such therapeutic methods was never doubted by the people, so that they became an integral part of the common religion. Very many of the minor deities of the Nile valley practiced healing, and some gained repute as 102 Foucart, in ERE iv, 751. 103 Budge, Magic, p. 43. 104 Griffith, Stories of the High Priests of Memphis, p. 58. 105 Foucart, in ERE iv, 750. |