THE PYRAMIDS of the COLD • Chapter 67 How the Egyptians concealed vast medical knowledge, such as the functioning of the heart, within their religion, and in particular the Ankh of Life which symbolized the pulse

In summary: there is arguably no more striking illustration of the erroneous stance held by egyptologists for over two centuries regarding their primary mission and commitment, which ought to be to describe, as accurately as possible and without the slightest ideological bias, what life in ancient Egypt was truly like during the Pharaonic era. The image opposite, showing a pharaoh making an "offering" in a bas-relief at the Temple of Kom Ombo, is taken from a Wikipedia page discussing medicine in the time of the ancient Egyptians; so how is it that, in this clearly defined context, the object described as a "pectoral collar" is not instead correctly identified as a stethoscope? Why do egyptologists struggle so much to view objectively a piece of medical equipment that any ten-year-old has likely already fashioned at school or a recreation center using nothing more than a piece of string and a yogurt pot? What goes through an egyptologist's mind that prevents them from seeing that the pharaoh is not making an offering, but rather demonstrating his ability to use a stethoscope?

Yet, reading that same Wikipedia page, it is clear that the ancient Egyptians' level of medical knowledge was already very high, and that this long-vanished civilization possessed a remarkable level of sophistication, one strikingly similar to our own. Medical institutions, also known as "Houses of Life," are known to have been established in ancient Egypt as early as the First Dynasty. By the time of the Nineteenth Dynasty, their staff enjoyed benefits comparable to modern health insurance, retirement plans, and sick leave. Medical practice took various forms: there were physicians specializing in different parts of the body and the mind, as well as those dedicated to treating women, men, and children; there were even doctors whose methods varied according to the season. History has remembered the "eye doctors," who performed cataract surgery, and the "women's doctors," who conducted diagnostic pregnancy tests that also predicted the sex of the unborn child. Yet, the commentary offered by egyptologists is staggeringly arrogant; whether consciously or not, they use remarks that border on insulting to imply that these people were, ultimately, not very bright. For instance, that same Wikipedia page explains that certain medical treatises have survived (the Ebers and Edwin Smith papyri) and clearly show that the Egyptians were the first to observe that the heart was the "essential organ of life" and that it manifested itself "by speaking", implying they understood it beat at a regular rhythm defined by the pulse. Really?

In reality, egyptologists seem stuck in a mindset that views the ancient Egyptians much like we view a child today, and a very young child at that. Their condescension and total refusal to examine ancient practices in a dispassionate, analytical way is baffling, whether the subject is the Great Pyramid of Khufu or that magnificent depiction of a pharaoh proudly displaying his stethoscope. If today's egyptologists refuse to see it, there is no doubt that the next generation will not hesitate to do so in their place.

In this chapter, we will see that the ancient Egyptians were not naive children; they already possessed a perfect understanding of the entire structure of the clitoris and the uterus, and not only did they use the stethoscope to listen to the functioning of the heart and lungs, but they also had a perfect understanding of oxygen transport in the blood and the crucial role played by red blood cells.

Medicine in ancient Egypt: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9decine_dans_l%27%C3%89gypte_antique

"Pharaoh making an offering". Relief from the Temple of Kom Ombo. Photo G. Blanchard Aoineko: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Egyptian_pectoral_1.jpg

3D printed clitoris, by French independant researcher Odile Fillod. Photograph by Marie Docher: https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/fr/2017/03/08/impression-3d-et-education-le-clitoris-imprime-en-3d-dodile-fillod/

67.01  The artifact known as the "Bird Lady" is nothing other than a sophisticated, figurative glorification of the clitoris

The figurine affectionately known as the "Bird Lady", now housed at the Brooklyn Museum, is undoubtedly the finest illustration of a point I have been tirelessly making for ages: the ancient Egyptians loved not only to explain everything around them but also to show, even demonstrate, it. Unlike our modern approach in scientific journals, where researchers rush to reveal their findings straightforwardly, the ancient Egyptians wanted knowledge to be accessible only to a select few, using religion to veil it all. Everything had to be simultaneously exalted and disguised.

As we have seen, the ancient Egyptians likely had access to hundreds, if not thousands, of medical texts; true researchers that they were, they clearly did not overlook the discovery of female pleasure and the true anatomy of the clitoris. Look closely at the "Bird Lady," and you will see all the characteristics of the clitoris: the upper protrusion shaped like a bird's beak, hence the name, the two very slender intermediate sections, and the broad lower body.

It is all there; yet the Egyptians did not merely demonstrate their perfect understanding of the clitoris, they reinterpreted it to glorify and exalt the organ. In doing so, they created something magnificent by fusing the entire female form with the anatomy of the clitoris. That is what the "Bird Lady" is: an exaltation of womanhood and female pleasure in a single work that is part science, part art.

And look at how perfect the transposition actually is: naturally, there is no issue with the glans, it is reproduced exactly, in both shape and position; next come the two slender clitoral parts, perfectly replicated, albeit with a slight reinterpretation of their positioning; and finally, the two massive bodies. You might point out a problem here, given that only one of these bodies is depicted on the figurine, true, but a woman obviously has two legs, yet only one is shown. One need only add that deliberately "forgotten" leg to fully account for the two massive, bulbous clitoral bodies.

Note that the statuette's two arms, which thus correspond to the clitoris's two slender arms, are depicted in a position showing how these two parts of the clitoris flank the vagina, enveloping and almost completely encircling it.

“This dramatic terra-cotta female figurine is one of the Museum’s oldest objects. Its level of preservation is remarkable. Although a few other examples of such figurines exist, this is the only one that is fully intact. The statuette was excavated in 1907, found in a tomb at the site of El Ma’marîya in southern Egypt by Henri de Morgan, who was working on behalf of the Brooklyn Museum. The woman’s face is distinctive, and her emphasized nose accentuates the importance of breath. Her chest is bare, and her arms are raised over her head, hands pointed inward in a pose of praise. Her arms might mimic the horns of cattle, important animals in early Egypt. Her abbreviated legs are joined together and painted white to represent a fine skirt.” Object 07.447.505, ca. 3500–3400 B.C.E. (Before Current Era): https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/objects/4225

67.02  Regarding the ultra-sensitive head of the clitoris, the clitoral glans

Here, we really need to focus on what the ancient Egyptians intended to achieve with this figurine. Look closely at its composition, and you will see that the figurine's head does not merely bear a rough resemblance to the glans of the clitoris; rather, it is an absolutely faithful, 100% accurate representation of that visible part of the organ. They did not alter even a single detail of that head, and clearly, this holds profound significance; the glans is not only the visible part of the organ but also its most sensitive area, and they chose not to tamper with it. One can certainly read any number of meanings into it, but the fact remains, indisputable.

Papyrus Chester Beatty VI; sheet 2; Hieratic text both sides: medical treatise. [edited] EA10686,2 at the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA10686-2

“The Chester Beatty Medical Papyrus (also known as Papyrus Chester Beatty VI) - Dated to the New Kingdom (c. 1570 - c. 1069 BCE), and specifically to c. 1200 BCE, the text is written in demotic script and is the oldest treatise on anorectal disease (affecting the anus and rectum) in history. The work prescribes cannabis as an effective pain medication for what seems to be colorectal cancer as well as headaches; thus making the work an early instance of medicinal cannabis prescribed for cancer patients, predating Herodotus' mention of the Scythian's use of cannabis as a recreational hallucinogen in his Histories (5th century BCE), which is generally considered the oldest mention of the drug.” https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1015/ancient-egyptian-medical-texts/

67.03  The great and deliberate renunciation by egyptologists

The ancient Egyptians were exceptional scientists, engineers, and physicians, standing in stark contrast to the neighboring civilizations of their time, a fact attested to by numerous papyri. Yet, egyptologists expend an immense amount of energy continuing to portray this ancient civilization as if none of the discoveries made about them had ever reached their ears, or eyes.

The bulk of the work in The Pyramids of the Cold deals broadly with the engineering and technology actually employed by the ancient Egyptians. Clearly, egyptologists have a deep-seated aversion to these topics; they prefer to envision a people who, when faced with the task of moving hundreds of millions of stone blocks to build temples and pyramids, could come up with nothing better than simply dragging them, more or less, across the ground. Yet, the engineers of that era obviously used rails, specifically, hollow rails through which they ran water to drastically reduce friction. Fortunately, regarding medicine, egyptologists have no choice but to acknowledge the existence of numerous medical papyri (eight of which are cited below by Joshua J. Mark of the World History Encyclopedia); nevertheless, they still refuse to fully grasp the implications of the very information they themselves provide. They are in a state of denial: if the Egyptians possessed a scientific mindset and medical knowledge advanced enough to produce genuine treatises as early as the Old Kingdom, it implies that their civilization was truly highly sophisticated. Yet, have you ever heard egyptologists speak of medical schools, universities, or hospitals when describing the lives of the ancient Egyptians? In reality, the only topics they ever discuss revolve around agriculture and religious practices.

In a sense, egyptologists have given up on truly describing ancient Egypt; it seems easier and more natural for them to endlessly repeat the same pretty little stories handed down from the early egyptologists of the 19th century. However, while the ancient Egyptians meticulously documented their medical knowledge in treatises, they also concealed many of the tools at their disposal within various aspects of their religion. Many Egyptian goddesses are, in reality, the embodiment and deification of medical practices and instruments.

[blindfold walk] https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMLZUDkMnV2/

67.04  The medical knowledge attained by the ancient Egyptians was of unparalleled sophistication and completely revolutionary, even though egyptologists still refuse today to consider it seriously

“The skill of the Egyptian physician was widely recognized throughout the ancient world and their medical knowledge and procedures were emulated by the Greeks. Greek medicine was just as admired by Rome which adopted the same kinds of practices with the same sort of understanding of supernatural influences. The great Roman physician Galen (126 - c. 216 CE) was long understood to have learned his art from Cleopatra of Egypt, though a different Cleopatra from the famous queen. Roman medical practices lay the foundation for later understanding of the art of healing, and in this way, the ancient Egyptian texts continued to influence the medical profession up through the present day.” Joshua J. Mark,  World History Encyclopedia's co-founder and Content Director: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1015/ancient-egyptian-medical-texts/

Papyrus 1 • The Berlin Medical Papyrus (Brugsch Papyrus) - Dated to the early New Kingdom of Egypt, this work is considered a copy of a much older medical treatise from the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE).

Papyrus 2 • The Carlsberg Papyrus - A collection of different papyri from different eras spanning centuries. Parts of this papyrus date from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, some from the New Kingdom, and others from as late as the 1st century CE. The New Kingdom segment is considered a copy of a text from the Middle Kingdom dealing with gynaecological issues, pregnancy, and eye problems.

Papyrus 3 • The Chester Beatty Medical Papyrus (also known as Papyrus Chester Beatty VI) - Dated to the New Kingdom (c. 1570 - c. 1069 BCE), and specifically to c. 1200 BCE, the text is written in demotic script and is the oldest treatise on anorectal disease (affecting the anus and rectum) in history.

Papyrus 4 • The Demotic Magical Papyrus of London and Leiden

Papyrus 5 • The Ebers Papyrus - This copy, dated to the New Kingdom (specifically c. 1550 BCE), is also an older work from the Middle Kingdom. It discusses cancer (about which it says one can do nothing), heart disease, depression, diabetes, birth control, and many other concerns such as digestive problems and urinary tract infections.

Papyrus 6 • The Edwin Smith Papyrus - From the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1782-1570 BCE), this work is a copy of an earlier piece probably written in the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE). It is in hieratic script and dated to c. 1600 BCE. Some scholars attribute the original work to Imhotep (c. 2667-2600 BCE), best known as the architect of Djoser's Step Pyramid constructed toward the end of the Early Dynastic Period in Egypt (c. 3150 - c. 2613 BCE).

Papyrus 7 • The Hearst Medical Papyrus - A New Kingdom copy in hieratic script of an older work thought to have been written in the period of the Middle Kingdom. The Hearst Medical Papyrus contains prescriptions for urinary tract infections, digestive problems, and other similar maladies.

Papyrus 8 • The London Medical Papyrus - Dated to the Second Intermediate Period, this scroll consists of medicinal prescriptions and magical spells dealing with problems associated with the skin, eyes, pregnancy, and burns.

Source Joshua J. Mark,  World History Encyclopedia's co-founder and Content Director: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1015/ancient-egyptian-medical-texts/

“Image from a practical treatise on medical jurisprudence with so much of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and the practice of medicine and surgery”. Published 1834: https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14775535161

The uterine tubes (also called fallopian tubes or oviducts) serve as the conduit of the oocyte from the ovary to the uterus: https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/humanreproduction/chapter/uterine-tubes/

67.05  How the ancient Egyptians elevated their knowledge of anatomy and gynecology by creating exquisitely crafted "anatomical" jewelry that embodied their entire understanding of the subject

There is no doubt that in the coming decades, this remarkable pendant depicting Bat and two "lotus flowers" will stand out as a key artifact of ancient Egypt, given the depth of its symbolism. Indeed, beneath the apparent depiction of two "lotus flowers" lies the very embodiment of femininity: the uterus, represented by Bat herself, and, crucially, the accompanying Fallopian tubes. In reality, what we call Egyptian Art is nothing more than a demonstration of knowledge, knowledge that is, once again, concealed. Look closely at Bat’s face; it represents the body of the uterus. Consequently, the area beneath it depicts the vagina, stylized here as a canal that narrows as it approaches the cervix; meanwhile, the two strange, oblong shapes surmounting it are simply the ovaries, perfectly depicted attached to the very top of the uterine fundus. But the true highlight is the depiction of the Fallopian tubes, so brilliantly rendered as two magnificent lotus flowers.

“Bat was thought to be the very essence of femininity, cast large against the sky. The Hymn of Bat says: “I am Praise; I am Majesty; I am Bat with her Two Faces; I am the one who is saved, and I have saved myself from all things evil.” Bat was depicted on jewelry, amulets, mirrors, and garment knots; most often her two faces were represented on the two sides of the sistrum. Music was heavily used in her worship. Bat was associated with the sistrum so much that the center of her cult was known as the “Mansion of the Sistrum.” https://www.reddit.com/r/Cowofgold_Essays/comments/rncuzv/the_goddess_bat/

Bat as a pendant on a necklace, binding together two lotus flowers. Made of gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, turquoise, and colored glass: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cowofgold_Essays/comments/rncuzv/the_goddess_bat/

67.06  Four weeks (28 days)

In reality, if you look closely and step back a bit to view the object as a whole, you realize that it depicts the entire female reproductive system. I point this out because, if you look closely at the very bottom of the channel leading to Bat’s face, you see a glorification of the uterus: four small drops are falling, and naturally, they are falling from the vagina. Four drops, because of the four weeks. Four weeks is the average duration of a menstrual cycle, 28 days. And where does menstruation originate? From the uterus, of course, and that means it comes directly from Bat herself. This extraordinary "pendant" is therefore far more than a mere graphic representation of the female reproductive system; it is, in fact, a complete visualization of how that system functions, as well as a detailed, schematic explanation of the origin and frequency of menstruation. It details, and arguably glorifies, the entire menstrual cycle.

Image modified for message clarity: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cowofgold_Essays/comments/rncuzv/the_goddess_bat/

"Uterine horns". Video by Air to Air: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWkCNzWgFDM

67.07  If Bat was one of the forms of the cow-goddess Hathor, it is because she embodies the glorification of the uterus, and because this uterus bears a striking resemblance to a cow's skull, horns included

Even though the Brooklyn Museum website makes no mention of Bat in connection with the "Bird Lady," Wikipedia does not hesitate to link the two. But is this correct? The answer is actually surprising. For a time, I reasoned that since Hathor was the glorification of the rope, and Bat was a form of Hathor, then Bat must also be a rope. Yet, what was the connection between the clitoris and a rope? I could find none.

The deciphering of Bat actually came about entirely by chance. Here, I must once again highlight one of the major challenges, perhaps the greatest of all, that makes this decoding process so arduous: the multidisciplinary nature of the work. Only by accepting, and indeed enjoying, the process of moving between subjects and scientific disciplines can the enigmas left by the Egyptians be understood.

As we have seen, they had certainly reached a level of technical and scientific development very close to that achieved in the West around 1800; their medical knowledge is attested to by treatises still in our possession today, 5,000 years after they were written. Medicine was undoubtedly one of the fields, if not the most important field, to which they devoted the most research effort, as evidenced by their achievements in mummification. In this context, it is hardly surprising that they glorified the very essence of femininity: the uterus. Bat is that uterus.

The Egyptians simply observed that the uterus, "the very essence of femininity", bore a striking resemblance to a cow's head, with its two magnificent horns, which are in fact the Fallopian tubes attached to the flat upper part of the uterus. A distinctive feature clearly highlighted by the illustration of Bat shown opposite.

Image of cow-goddess Bat: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cowofgold_Essays/comments/rncuzv/the_goddess_bat/

This visual connection is actually a very well-known anatomical observation. When viewed from the front, the standard medical illustration of the human uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries closely mirrors the shape of a horned bull or cow head.

This striking similarity is a classic example of pareidolia, which is the human tendency to see recognizable faces or objects in random shapes. The visual trick works perfectly because every major part of the female reproductive system corresponds to a feature on a bull or cow's skull:

• the cow's face: this is the uterus body itself, tapering downward toward the narrow cervix and vagina

• the horns: the fallopian tubes flare out from the upper left and right sides of the uterus, curving just like cow's horns

• the ears: the ovaries, which sit at the ends of the fallopian tubes, mimic the cow's ears located beneath its horns

Illustration from the book "Italian Magic: Secret Lives of Women", by Karyn Crisis: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1346805970585993&set=pcb.1346806000585990

67.08  The "broken feather" in the emblem of the goddess Bat refers to a "blood feather", a feather that will not stop bleeding if broken

Now that we know what Bat truly represents, namely, the uterus, we can decipher the curious emblem the goddess wears alongside Menkaure. How do these elements relate to one another, and what story do they tell?

Let us start with the "face of Bat", which we now know represents the uterus due to its resemblance to a cow's skull. We have also seen that what logically lies beneath this uterus is the vagina. Furthermore, we have seen that the ancient Egyptians were well aware of the actual, complete structure of the clitoris; here, one can clearly see how the organ's two lower sections (the slender arms and the globular parts) flank the vagina, just as they do anatomically.

Next comes the feather with the broken tip, a detail that apparently failed to interest PharaohCrab, who drew the feather intact, revealing the lack of rigor sometimes displayed by egyptologists. This feather, snapped clean at the tip and depicted horizontally to emphasize that it is broken and can no longer enable flight, actually presents a puzzle that is not difficult to solve: a few seconds of online research into this "broken feather" lead straight to what biologists call a "blood feather." A blood feather is one still supplied by a blood vessel; if it breaks, the bleeding will not stop, potentially leading to the bird's death. Now, look closely at what lies to the right of this broken feather: those two elongated, drop-like shapes. Naturally, given the context, with the vagina and uterus situated directly above this blood feather, these two drops represent blood flowing from the vagina. So yes, we are a long way here from what an egyptologist would be willing to tell you about the lives of the ancient Egyptians and the nature of their deities; yet, this broken feather, which no egyptologist seems to take an interest in, is undeniably present and really broken.

Then there is the issue of the horns above Bat’s face; as we have already seen, these simply represent the "horns" of the uterus, the uterine horns. And here appears another feather, this one intact and standing vertically, positioned right between the horns. What is its meaning? Well, once again, the riddle, or almost a "rebus", is not particularly difficult to solve, given that the horns themselves are fully upturned. The meaning of this part of the emblem worn by Bat actually centers on a congenital uterine malformation known as "high uterine horns."

Now, the challenge lies in making sense of it all. Why adorn Bat with an emblem that depicts, or points to, abnormal, "unstoppable" vaginal bleeding, as well as a malformation of the fallopian tubes? Here, unfortunately, the interpretation could well stem from a variety of different reasons.

One might imagine that Menkaure, standing beside Bat as she displays this emblem, specialized in gynecological medicine, and that Bat’s emblem serves simply to highlight Menkaure’s ability to diagnose and treat these two gynecological conditions. Perhaps Menkaure was, quite simply, a gynecologist. And as a skilled gynecologist, as previously noted in this chapter, Menkaure was undoubtedly adept at performing sutures, whether for a Caesarean section or any other gynecological procedure the ancient Egyptians were already capable of carrying out thousands of years ago. As a surgeon, Menkaure therefore needed to master the art of suturing; to ensure this mastery, he associated himself with the "Queen of Sutures," Hathor, the goddess of rope, cord, and suture thread.

Both Bat (right) and Hathor (left) flank Menkaure in this Fourth Dynasty triad statue, c. 2530 B.C.E. Photo Chipdawes: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_%28goddess%29#/media/File:Menkaura.jpg

67.09  The Fallopian tubes of the uterus also resemble a sort of belt, and this has also been incorporated into the narrative surrounding Bat

“It is possible that Bat’s faces also represented the two sides of the bank of the Nile, or the unity of Egypt, both the Upper and Lower. She was associated with the Tjes Knot and the Tyet. The wearing of clothes held together by knotted belts was seen as an important step of the child to adulthood, and Bat was invoked to protect the child’s journey to adulthood.” Cowofgold_Essays: reddit.com/r/Cowofgold_Essays/comments/rncuzv/the_goddess_bat/

Bat as part of a belt, from the Narmer Palette: reddit.com/r/Cowofgold_Essays/comments/rncuzv/the_goddess_bat/

Ptolemaic plaque found at Dendera, showing a woman giving birth with the assistance of two cow-headed goddesses, both representing Hathor. "This exquisitely carved limestone plaque, dating from the Ptolemaic Period (c. 305–30 B.C.), offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the deeply spiritual experience of childbirth in Ancient Egypt. It depicts a woman in the act of giving birth upon a traditional birthing-chair, supported and assisted by two divine female figures who wear the unmistakable crowns of Hathor, goddess of love, fertility, and maternal care." Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 40627: https://egypt-museum.com/plaque-of-a-woman-giving-birth/

67.10  How the ancient Egyptians played with perspective to conceal essential elements, such as a simple operating or gynecological examination table

In the previous chapter on Hathor, we saw the goddess's true nature, namely, the embodiment and deification of a candle flame. We also saw that the reason for depicting two Hathors at the moment of childbirth lay in the ancient Egyptians' desire to convey how the two goddesses, appearing to the woman on the delivery table, were simply showing her the procedure to alleviate pain and ease labor: the famous controlled breathing technique based on the way you blow out a candle. This involves inhaling deeply and then exhaling very slowly and deliberately, as if blowing on a candle flame without extinguishing it, but merely making it flicker.

On this plaque, the Egyptians created a sort of “trompe-l'œil” effect, a simple visual trick. You might assume the two goddesses and the woman giving birth all occupy the same plane, but that is an illusion. And what could be more natural than goddesses and a mortal woman existing on different planes?

If the woman were truly depicted in a vertical position, it would imply she was inside some sort of "birthing booth" with her elbows protruding from it. I leave it to you to judge the plausibility of that idea. Now, look at the image again with the understanding that the woman and the two goddesses are not on the same plane; you will see that the woman is actually lying on a simple delivery table, and, naturally, her arms are simply extending beyond the edge of that table. This is a perfect example of how the ancient Egyptians used every means at their disposal to simultaneously reveal and conceal, or deliberately disguise, aspects of their civilization.

Caryatid Mirror, c. 1540–1296 BCE. Egypt, New Kingdom (1540–1069 BCE), Dynasty 18. Bronze with black copper inlay?; overall: 38.9 x 20 cm (15 5/16 x 7 7/8 in.); figure: 16.7 x 4 cm (6 9/16 x 1 9/16 in.); disk: 16.6 cm (6 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 1983.196: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1983.196

67.11  Regarding the first gynecological examination of a 15- or 16-year-old girl blossoming into a young woman

In five and a half years of intensive research into ancient Egyptian civilization, I do not believe I have ever encountered artifacts displaying such elegance and perfection of design as the objects known as "the nubile young girl with the mirror." Yet, once the initial admiration fades, one’s natural curiosity takes over, bringing the challenge of understanding the object and uncovering its deeper meaning.

Here, the most significant clue is undoubtedly the girl herself. Look closely at the figurine on the left, the one from the British Museum, and you will easily see on the museum's website that the "nubile young girl" in question is actually naked. Not only are her breasts exposed, but her buttocks appear to be bare as well. Generally, one might expect a mirror to be associated with a mature, fully clothed woman, perhaps applying makeup, rather than a half-naked adolescent girl.

The fact is, almost any woman today could tell you that this specific depiction reminds her of a pivotal moment in her life: her first visit to the gynecologist as a young teenager, half-naked in just her bra and panties. As it turns out, these lovely "girls with the mirror" are actually depicted standing before a gynecologist. We already know that the ancient Egyptians possessed at least eight medical treatises, the ones discovered thousands of years after they were written. However, this suggests that physicians of the time likely had access to hundreds or even thousands of such medical texts. It is highly probable that many of them were devoted to gynecology.

The "nubile young girl with mirror" artifacts thus represent a gynecological procedure, but which one? The answer lies in two distinct elements. The first is found in the image opposite: a rather strange, highly curved shape. One can easily surmise that if this curved form were actually used on a mirror, the mirror would likely end up on the floor every day, probably many times a day, given how easily the shape would snag on hair or clothing. One might also wonder why some of these "nubile young girls with mirrors" are holding a duck. I have nothing against ducks, but the connection between an almost naked young girl, a mirror and a duck completely eludes me! However, if we adopt the perspective of a gynecologist, and choose to think critically rather than simply accepting the archaic view of a "primitive" people, a narrative repeated by egyptologists for over two centuries, the answer becomes quite clear. 

“This superb mirror has an oval disk and a handle in the form of a nubile young girl, entirely naked except for her elaborately braided tripartite wig, broad collar, and a girdle of wallet beads. She stands on a cruciform base, with her left foot slightly advanced and her hands at her sides. On her head and supporting the disk is a papyrus umbel with flaring tips. Mirrors with handles in the form of naked young girls were the height of fashion in mid-Dynasty 18; numerous examples exist. This mirror is perhaps the finest of its kind. The cruciform base is unusual, if not unique. The iconography is understandable in relation to the goddess Hathor, the embodiment of love and beauty.” Caryatid Mirror, c. 1540–1296 BCE. Egypt, New Kingdom (1540–1069 BCE), Dynasty 18. Bronze with black copper inlay?; overall: 38.9 x 20 cm (15 5/16 x 7 7/8 in.); figure: 16.7 x 4 cm (6 9/16 x 1 9/16 in.); disk: 16.6 cm (6 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 1983.196: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1983.196

In reality, this type of figurine is aimed at young women of the age to undergo their first gynecological exam; the design perfectly captures the defining characteristics of this significant medical event in a young woman's life. The fact that the "nubile young girls" depicted on these artifacts are actually naked is merely the first of many clues that allow us to accurately identify the nature of these statuettes. On this specific example from the Cleveland Museum of Art, two striking features are immediately apparent. The first is the very strange shape hovering like an umbrella over the young woman's head.

To understand this, consider the approach taken by the Egyptians, who, one fine morning, set out to depict in a coded manner the position a young woman or woman assumes during a gynecological exam: one where her feet are completely immobilized by the adjustable extensions characteristic of gynecological tables. That is precisely what is depicted here. Look closely at the young woman and observe how she appears trapped, immobilized by the combination of that strange "umbrella" shape and the odd cross-shaped element beneath her feet.

All of this relates specifically to her legs and feet: the legs immobilized in the rests designed to cradle them, and the feet secured in pads capable of swiveling in various directions. This is almost certainly what the cross represents, a reference to the adjustable footrests of a gynecological table. This explains why the young woman is shown with her feet resting on it, yet positioned at different angles. Every element of the figurine is aligned symmetrically, except for the feet, because the first step in a gynecological exam is, of course, to spread the legs and adjust the footrest.

Gynecology or delivery table, with adjustable footrest. “Rare oak gynecology or delivery table with mechanism, with baluster base resting on casters. Signed: Bearing a plaque “Table du Dr. Max de Bruxelles pour examens et opérations” (Henri Max, father of the ex-major of Brussels Adolphe Max). ” https://www.anticstore.art/118187P#gallery-2

“Bronze mirror with a handle in the form of a naked woman, shown holding a duck in her right hand. 18th Dynasty.” Object EA38332: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA38332

67.12  If the young woman shown undergoing her very first gynecological exam is clutching a duck so firmly in her hands, it is because of the speculum and its duck-bill shape

In fact, gynecological specula have always featured that distinctive shape, often likened to a duck's bill, and many references still explicitly allude to the duck today. Historically, the first officially used specula date back to ancient Greece; in the West, one of the most notable models was invented by the American gynecologist J. Marion Sims (1813–1883), and today it is called a “duck billed”, or “duck-bill” speculum.

The Sims vaginal speculum is a double-bladed instrument used to examine the vagina and cervix; it is actually a very simple device, quite unlike modern specula made of two movable parts. Indeed, if you look closely at the shape of the Sims speculum, you will find it almost perfectly replicated in numerous statuettes depicting the young, naked girl looking into a mirror.

67.13  Another "young naked girl" holding the duck

The text is written entirely by the Brooklyn Museum.

Egyptian. Mirror with Handle in Form of Girl, ca. 1400–1292 B.C.E.. Bronze, 8 3/4 x 4 13/16 in. (22.2 x 12.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 60.27.1." Object 60.27.1: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/objects/3682

“The Egyptians first used mirrors in the Old Kingdom (Third through Sixth Dynasties; circa 2675–2170 B.C.E.) if not earlier. The design—elliptical disks supported by handles shaped like papyrus plants—symbolized the moment when the creator-god emerged from the primordial swamp in the form of the sun. The Egyptians believed that all life began in this so-called First Moment. When they picked up their mirrors each morning they were thus reminded of creation. The shape of mirrors changed over time. In the Eighteenth Dynasty, the traditional oval disk was replaced by a circular form. Handles appeared in a wide variety of shapes, including images of animals, adolescent girls, and papyrus flowers.” 

[left] "Mirror with a Handle in the Shape of a Young Woman". New Kingdom, ca. 1550–1386 BCE. Object Number: 66.99.25: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/545895  [right] “Mirror with a Handle in the Shape of a Young Woman Holding a Papyrus Umbel”. ca. 1396–1386 BCE. Object Number: 1972.118.30: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/548633

67.14  What the naked young girl with the duck is holding is not a simple mirror, but a candle-powered reflector, and this is where Hathor comes into play once again

We now come to the central element of this type of object: the mirror. Of course, in everyday life, a mirror is simply a mirror, and egyptologists are currently still unable to look beyond that mundane context; consequently, any object described in "academic" terms is expected to relate solely to that everyday reality. Yet, as we have seen, these figurines of a naked young woman holding a mirror have nothing to do with such everyday life. We have already observed many features of these figurines indicating that they refer to a crucial moment in a woman's life, the first gynecological examination. At that time, however, the practitioner faced the challenge of seeing what he was doing, specifically, viewing the interior of the vaginal cavity and the cervix itself. To achieve this, he could rely only on a candle as a light source and a reflector to direct that light as needed.

67.15  If Hathor was called "the Golden One," it was because she was the very embodiment of the candle and the flame itself, a representation of the sun on earth, and was therefore invariably invoked during any thorough gynecological examination

As we saw in the previous chapter 66, the reason Hathor was the greatest goddess of all ancient Egypt, and was invoked for so many seemingly unrelated matters, is that she was created entirely by the pharaohs to glorify the candle, that wondrous source of light and heat. This explains why Hathor was simultaneously the goddess of the stars, the planets, the Milky Way, celebration, music, intoxication, and so forth, and why she was known as the manifestation of the sun on earth, and called the "Golden One". In particular, as the personification of the candle, Hathor was the very embodiment of its light; this is why those magnificent naked young women, depicted undergoing their very first gynecological examination, were so closely associated with her, for without the light of a candle, it is impossible to conduct a proper gynecological examination of the interior of the vagina and, specifically, the cervix.

“This superb mirror has an oval disk and a handle in the form of a nubile young girl, entirely naked except for her elaborately braided tripartite wig, broad collar, and a girdle of wallet beads. She stands on a cruciform base, with her left foot slightly advanced and her hands at her sides. On her head and supporting the disk is a papyrus umbel with flaring tips. Mirrors with handles in the form of naked young girls were the height of fashion in mid-Dynasty 18; numerous examples exist. This mirror is perhaps the finest of its kind. The cruciform base is unusual, if not unique. The iconography is understandable in relation to the goddess Hathor, the embodiment of love and beauty. A multifaceted goddess, she was equated with Aphrodite by the Greeks. The retinue of Hathor consisted precisely of such beauties, called nefrut in Egyptian, and the mirror itself, that reflection of beauty, appears to have had Hathorian connections from early times.” Caryatid Mirror, c. 1540–1296 BCE. Egypt, New Kingdom (1540–1069 BCE), Dynasty 18. Bronze with black copper inlay?; overall: 38.9 x 20 cm (15 5/16 x 7 7/8 in.); figure: 16.7 x 4 cm (6 9/16 x 1 9/16 in.); disk: 16.6 cm (6 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 1983.196: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1983.196

The figurine mirror is therefore not a mirror in the strict sense, but a reflector; it was likely quite similar to the reflector shown here on the above photograph, attributed to Richelot, which was designed for use with a vaginal speculum, and dating from the 19th century.

Richelot’s Reflector for Vaginal Specula. “Regardless of the many sophisticated and innovative modifications to the vaginal speculum, adequate illumination of the vagina was essential and problematic.  Prior to the advent of incandescent lighting the gynecologist relied on specially designed reflectors with candles that were hand-held, attached to the speculum or mounted to a table or chair seat with a clamp provided with a telescoping arm, to illuminate the vaginal canal. Few examples of these once essential devices can be found today.” https://obgynmedicalantiques.com/vaginal-specula-1/richelots-reflector-for-vaginal-specula

Above illustration of the speculum, with what looks like a magnifying glass, an instrument often associated with the speculum itself: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00192-021-04966-w

Egyptian mirror. Frédéric Colin, Institut d'Égyptologie, Université de Strasbourg: https://clae.hypotheses.org/1041

67.16  Regarding cats' obsession with candle flames

The mirror featuring the face of the goddess Bat, shown above, is extremely rare, arguably unique, according to Frédéric Colin, who conducted a highly detailed study of the object. What sets it apart, beyond the attributes typical of this type of artifact, is the presence of four magnificent cats. And it is, of course, these cats that are extraordinary. I cannot count how often I have praised the extreme sophistication with which the ancient Egyptians embarked on the endeavor of transcribing their entire environment through a system of imagery and symbolism. What imagination and creativity they displayed!

In this instance, the cats relate to what is ultimately the final piece of the puzzle, that puzzle being the deconstruction and figurative transcription I just mentioned, and that piece is, of course, light. As we have seen, the object is not a mirror in the strict sense, but a light reflector designed to work with a simple candle. So, how does one depict that candle figuratively without actually showing it? The ancient Egyptians met this challenge in the most beautiful way by using, once again, an animal. Here, that animal is the cat. Personally, I have never owned a cat, but it seems they have an uncontrollable attraction to candle flames, a trait that can sometimes lead to real disasters, as they are capable of knocking over a lit candle without even realizing it, literally setting their surroundings on fire.

Looking at this figurine, one can sense the reason for their presence, though I may be mistaken. Clearly, they are there to indicate the existence of a flame; just look at those four little cats, all gazing in the same direction, it is the flame they are watching. But look at their posture, too: they aren't in the position of a cat about to try and touch that flame; on the contrary, they are lying down, well-behaved, they have learned not to touch the flame. The message is clear: don't get too close to the flame, even during a gynecological exam, or you risk getting burned.

Perhaps, though, again, this might be incorrect, one could even explain why there are four cats. If the idea is indeed to link the reflector's flame with the cat, and the animal's tendency to want to touch that flame at all costs, then perhaps the ancient Egyptians simply depicted four cats in reference to the animal's four legs.

"Open flames and curious cats are a highly dangerous combination that can quickly lead to house fires, severe burns, or respiratory issues from toxic fumes. Cats are naturally drawn to the flickering movement of a candle flame, but their tails, whiskers, and fur can catch fire in a fraction of a second."

“My kitty is obsessed with fire. Every time we light candles she tries to put them out with her face. We do not use candles anymore.” WhatsWrongWithYourCat: https://www.reddit.com/r/WhatsWrongWithYourCat/comments/sud66d/my_kitty_is_obsessed_with_fire_every_time_we/

“Mirror with a Handle in the Shape of a Young Woman Holding a Papyrus Umbel”. ca. 1396–1386 BCE. Object Number: 1972.118.30: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/548633

67.17  The actual design of the ancient Egyptian speculum was undoubtedly very similar to the very simple models still in use today

Here, we touch upon the perennial issue of the actual level of scientific and technical advancement achieved by the ancient Egyptians. In reality, it is incredibly difficult to form a clear picture of this civilization, given how little actually remains of it, contrary to what egyptologists believe or would have us believe, and given that the only things at our disposal are ultimately enigmas, metaphors, and wordplay.

Yet, in this figurine from the Metropolitan Museum in New York, we likely have proof that the ancient Egyptians did not merely use a Sims-style speculum, but rather the same type of two-part instrument, one that clearly reveals the "duckbill" shape we discussed earlier. For, contrary to the museum's description, the object the young woman is holding is not a piece of papyrus, but a speculum.

In what universe could what the young girl is holding be described as a “papyrus umbel"?

“Mirror with a Handle in the Shape of a Young Woman Holding a Papyrus Umbel.” Object Number: 1972.118.30: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/548633

67.18  What about the context in which these figurines were offered?

It is now interesting, indeed, essential, to try to understand or imagine the exact circumstances in which these figurines were used. One might surmise, for instance, that such an object was given by a girl's mother when she reached a certain age, perhaps 14, 15, or 16, or when the mother sensed her daughter was ready for sexual activity. Perhaps these figurines were even presented during family or religious celebrations, following highly codified rituals. Yet, of course, one could also imagine that they simply held a place of prominence in what served as a gynecologist's office at the time; they might well have been nothing more than a gynecologist's emblem.

“Landmarks of the pulse measurement position. The measurement positions are the surfaces of the radial arteries of both wrists. The white arrows indicate the styloid processes of the radius, the red cylinders represent the radial arteries, and the yellow dots represent the measurement position, i.e., the most prominent position of the pulsation at the wrist radial artery, which corresponds to the styloid process of the radius.” Huang, Yi-Chia & Chang, Yu-Hsin & Cheng, Shu-Meng & Lin, Sunny & Lin, Chien-Jung & Su, Yi-Chang. (2019). Applying Pulse Spectrum Analysis to Facilitate the Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2019. 1-10. 10.1155/2019/2709486.

67.19  The pulse is the universally recognized symbol of life; the Ankh is as well

We will now turn to deciphering what is arguably the most famous symbol of ancient Egypt: the ankh. This symbol is at once complex to grasp and disconcertingly simple, for everyone knows that it represents life. The ancient Egyptians themselves defined the ankh cross as a symbol of life, or the breath of life. Imagine for a moment that you are standing beside someone lying down, wondering whether or not they are still alive; what is the universally known method for determining if the breath of life remains within a person's body? Checking the pulse. And that is precisely what the ankh symbol is: the pulse, the ultimate symbol distinguishing the living from the non-living.

“The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. It was used in writing as a triliteral sign, representing a sequence of three consonants, Ꜥ-n-ḫ. This sequence was found in several Egyptian words, including the terms for "mirror", "floral bouquet", and "life". The symbol often appeared in Egyptian art as a physical object representing either life or related life-giving substances such as air or water. Commonly depicted in the hands of ancient Egyptian deities, sometimes being given by them to the pharaoh, it represents their power to sustain life and to revive human souls in the afterlife.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh

Libation Dish Depicting Ka-Arms Presenting an Ankh-Sign. Early Dynastic Period, ca. 3100–2900 B.C.E. Object Number 19.2.16: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/543866

67.20  If the Egyptians depicted the ankh symbol with two arms so frequently, it is because the pulse is generally taken on those arms

And what is the universally practiced method for taking a pulse? It involves extending both arms halfway out in front of the body, forming an angle close to 90 degrees, and pressing two or three fingers into the hollow of the wrist. That is why the Egyptians so often depicted the ankh symbol with those two arms.

You can take a pulse using two or three fingers; both methods are perfectly acceptable and widely used. The two-finger technique (using the index and middle fingers) is the one most often recommended to the general public by organizations such as the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic. Simple and easy to perform, it is highly effective for quickly locating the pulse at the wrist (radial artery) or neck (carotid artery).

However, the three-finger method (index, middle, and ring fingers) is frequently taught in advanced healthcare and nursing training programs. Using three fingers covers a slightly larger surface area, making it easier to detect a weak pulse. In formal clinical assessments, the three fingers serve specific tactile functions: the finger closest to the heart senses or controls pressure, the middle finger assesses the pulse, and the third finger blocks external interference from adjacent arterial arches.

“Pulse is a measurement of heart rate by touching and counting beats at several body locations, typically at the wrist radial artery. While a simple measurement of pulse rate is achievable by anyone, trained medical staff are capable of much more accurate measurements. Radial pulse is commonly measured using three fingers: the finger closest to the heart used to occlude the pulse pressure, the middle finger used get a crude estimate of blood pressure, and the finger most distal to the heart used to nullify the effect of the ulnar pulse as the two arteries are connected via the palmar arches.” Source: Libre Texts, Health

We will now see that this three-finger method, which allows for the most precise pulse reading possible, was the very same one used by the ancient Egyptians themselves; yet, as with everything else, those three fingers, pressed close together and perfectly aligned, evolved into three baboons sharing the same characteristics and were elevated to the status of deities in Egyptian religion.

Step-by-Step Method of Radial Pulse Examination. Method with three fingers: https://medicosage.com/radial-pulse-and-its-clinical-method-of-examination/

67.21  The three baboons, perfectly aligned and pressed against one another, with their cute small hands clearly displayed and almost weightless, refer to the three fingers used to take the radial pulse on either the left or right forearm

Here, then, is one of the most extraordinary Egyptian depictions, with the ankh symbol clearly serving as the central focus, a symbol about which we know both very little and a great deal. What story does this vignette from the Book of the Dead of Ani tell us? We know the ankh represents a specific vision of life, or the breath of life. Of course, if you are an egyptologist, you might immediately fall back on old habits: a reluctance to truly understand things, a reliance on clichés from the 19th century, and the systematic manipulation of symbols. But do you really think the ancient Egyptians spent their daily lives manipulating symbols? Do we spend our time manipulating symbols today?

The reality is that every element of this remarkable scene illustrates something very concrete; the Egyptians simply delighted in encoding and encrypting their message. The scene is actually highly complex because it describes not merely an act or an object, but an entire universe, a realm and a subject: blood pressure. Everything here is about blood. And it is not as if there isn't a glaringly obvious clue right in front of our eyes: the blood is actually being held out at arm's length. Egyptologists have become so accustomed to relying entirely on the same stock answers and clichés to explain the, in fact, extraordinary sophistication of Egyptian iconography that, for them, the appearance of any disk automatically implies the solar disk. They show little interest in the fact that the most logical way to depict the sun would be with a bright yellow color; to them, a disk simply is the sun, period. Unfortunately, this is clearly incorrect. In this instance, on this facsimile from the Book of the Dead of Ani, the magnificent red disk held aloft by an ankh cross is not the solar disk at all, but a representation of blood, the very blood flowing through those arms and giving them that same red hue.

As has been seen many times in The Pyramids of the Cold, a key driving force behind the ancient Egyptians embarking on the monumental undertaking of encoding their knowledge within their religion, in a manner that was encrypted, disguised, or veiled, was their desire not merely for self-glorification, but perhaps even more so to explain and demonstrate. In short, they sought to be didactic; the three baboons depicted, perfectly aligned and pressed close together on both the left and right sides of the scene from the Book of the Dead of Ani, aim to convey precisely this. The three baboons illustrate how to take a pulse: showing that it can be taken on either the left or right arm, but that the fingers must be kept tightly together, side by side, and must also be "light", almost "airy", a quality reflected in the baboons' own posture, as they appear almost weightless. Taking a pulse requires firm pressure, certainly, but it must be applied with perfect control.

Facsimile of a vignette from the Book of the Dead of Ani. The sun disk of the god Ra is raised into the sky by an ankh-sign (signifying life) and a djed-pillar (signifying stability and the god Osiris) while adored by Isis, Nephthys, and baboons. The motif symbolizes rebirth and the sunrise. Published by James Wasserman; facsimile made by E. A. Wallis Budge; original artist unknown: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:BD_Ankh,_Djed,_and_Sun.jpg

The Weighing of the Heart in the sarcophagus chamber of the tomb of Baennentiu, Qarat Qasr Salim, el-Bahriya depression, Libyan desert, Egypt. Photograph courtesy of Roland Unger and posted on Wikipedia: "Justice scene: tomb owner Baennentiu conducted by Maat, Anubis and Horus with scales, Thoth, right wall in the sarcophagus chamber of the tomb of Baennentiu: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BawitiSelimBanentiuSanctRight.jpg

67.22  Baboons represent yet another "convention" used by the ancient Egyptians in their process of encoding information; in fact, they are consistently associated with the water-based timekeeping device known as the clepsydra

After correctly positioning your fingers in the groove on the inside of the wrist, apply light pressure until you feel the rhythmic throbbing; naturally, you must not press too hard, or you risk losing the pulse. The method is thus perfectly analogous to the mechanism of a water clock, which must allow a very fine stream of water to pass through without ever completely interrupting the flow. The fact that the baboon actually represents the tool used by the ancient Egyptians to measure time via the slow, controlled flow of water also reveals the true nature of the famous scenes depicting a so-called "weighing of the heart", which are, in reality, a measurement of the passage of time.

Water Clock Decorated with a Baboon. Object Number: 17.194.2341. Late Period–Ptolemaic Period, 664–30 B.C.E.: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/572126

How heart valves function: https://www.secondscount.org/resource/hearts-valves

67.23  The distinctive elements upon which Isis and Nephthys stand almost certainly represent the heart valves, moving up and down just like the goddesses themselves

Regarding the operation of the Great Pyramid, Isis and Nephthys have been identified as the two ropes located inside that famous central wooden Djed caisson, the air and water pressurization unit. When the two ropes connected to the system's piston-like impactor pulled it to the top of the gallery, they were perceived as Isis (refer to the myth of Isis and Osiris, where Isis is the goddess who pulls Osiris out of the hollow tree trunk in which he had been imprisoned against his will). This part of the interpretation regarding Isis was therefore quite easy to grasp.

Nephthys is trickier, because she actually represents those same ropes when they are descending the gallery, disconnected from the piston-like impactor, in order to be reconnected to it. In short, remember this, as indicated in Chapter 39.05 (excerpt below): Isis goes up, and Nephthys goes down (which is precisely how the ancient Egyptians perceived them, speaking of "ascending with Isis" and "descending with Nephthys", literally).

And of course, the fact that the structures upon which these two goddesses are positioned appear to allow a liquid to drip from them strongly supports the hypothesis that these structures are indeed the heart valves moving up and down.

“It’s easy to consider duality as opposition, for instance, as it is in Ma’et/Isfet or Day/Night. And indeed we can find such oppositions in ancient Egyptian texts when it comes to Isis and Nephthys. Usually, Isis is the Bright Sister and Nephthys is the Dark. The Pyramid and Coffin Texts provide us with examples. One of the most explicit is Pyramid Text 222 where the deceased is urged to descend into the darkness of the Otherworld with the Night-barque and Nephthys, while they ascend with Isis in the Day-barque. Isis guides and sheds light on the hidden paths of the Otherworld, but the Coffin Texts tell us that Nephthys speaks and they are obscured: “Hidden are the ways for those who pass by; light is perished and darkness comes into being, so says Nephthys.” While Isis summons the Barque of the Day, Nephthys is “a possessor of life in the Night-barque.”” Written by Isadora: https://isiopolis.com/2021/11/21/isis-nephthys-opposites/

Facsimile of a vignette from the Book of the Dead of Ani. The sun disk of the god Ra is raised into the sky by an ankh-sign (signifying life) and a djed-pillar (signifying stability and the god Osiris) while adored by Isis, Nephthys, and baboons. The motif symbolizes rebirth and the sunrise. Published by James Wasserman; facsimile made by E. A. Wallis Budge; original artist unknown: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:BD_Ankh,_Djed,_and_Sun.jpg

67.24  As previously noted, the Djed pillar is an idealized representation of one of the components essential to the Great Pyramid's operation, namely, the airtight central wooden caisson of the Grand Gallery (which was consequently subject to regular pressurization) that generated pressurized air and water. Here, the Djed, depicted with Ankh crosses suspended from its arms, is repurposed to evoke pressure: specifically, blood pressure

Once again, we have a striking illustration of the ancient Egyptians' medical knowledge. It is not merely that they used the radial method to measure patients' pulses; they employed the most advanced technique, using three fingers, which yields far more precise results than the commonly used two-finger method. The fact that they associated this technique with the baboon, and thus with the water clock, also indicates that they were not content with simply checking for the presence of a pulse; they actually measured it.

In other words, the Djed pillar here undoubtedly represents the circulatory system in its entirety, the seat of the pulse.

[Tomb of Nefertari, QV66, Valley of the Queens] “Detail of the inner east wall, the djed pillar who holds a was-sceptre in each hand and has an ankh hanging from each wrist.” Photograph kairoinfo4u: https://www.flickr.com/photos/manna4u/33911391395

From the Sharp & Sharp Catalog of Instruments, 1905, displaying the variety of Cammann Stethoscopes available: https://artsci.case.edu/dittrick/2014/09/25/listening-to-the-body-stethoscopes-in-1900/

67.25  The ancient Egyptians did not merely take the pulse to monitor the heart from a distance; they also listened to it directly using their own version of the stethoscope

Throughout The Pyramids of the Cold, the deciphering of Egyptian religion has repeatedly revealed that the level of technological development achieved by the Ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom was, at least in certain fields, remarkably close to, or even on par with, that attained in the West at the very beginning of the 19th century. We shall now see that this holds true for the stethoscope as well; its simplified version (the monaural stethoscope) was invented by René Laennec in 1816, while the more advanced binaural version was invented in 1851. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stethoscope

At first glance, this may seem surprising, or even entirely impossible, but technically, the stethoscope is relatively simple to construct; it is an instrument that requires great ingenuity in its conception, yet relatively little complexity in its actual manufacture. The Ancient Egyptians were renowned among their neighbors as exceptional physicians, sought after throughout the ancient world; indeed, one of their secrets was their own version of the stethoscope, and it is precisely such an instrument that the Pharaoh is proudly displaying in the relief shown here, which comes from the Temple of Kom Ombo. What is depicted there as a treasure is not merely a pectoral necklace, as egyptologists claim, but a stethoscope.

In reality, what I find extraordinary is not that the ancient Egyptians used stethoscopes, likely as long as 5,000 years ago, but rather that it took until the 19th or 20th century for us Westerners to rediscover the instrument. How could that happened? We have all heard of such historical oversights. For instance, the ancient city of Herculaneum boasted an underground network of sewers and pipes long before such systems became standard in modern cities. Buried in 79 AD by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the city displayed Roman urban planning that was far ahead of its time; yet, that underground sewer network was not reinvented in our "modern" European cities until the mid-19th century, nearly 1,800 years after Herculaneum’s destruction.

History is thus riddled with instances where entire swaths of technological discovery have been completely forgotten. Once the underground sewer system was invented in Herculaneum, and undoubtedly elsewhere, perhaps even much earlier, one might have expected the technology to spread rapidly across the globe, making any regression impossible; yet, that is not how time works. Civilizations rise and fall, and when they vanish, much of what constituted their richness and uniqueness inevitably disappears along with them.

The ancient Egyptians had therefore invented the stethoscope back in the time of the pharaohs, and, as with many other technological achievements rediscovered in this study, they took it with them to the grave, in a sense.

"Pharaoh making an offering". Relief from the Temple of Kom Ombo. Photo G. Blanchard Aoineko: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Egyptian_pectoral_1.jpg

Stethoscope Tips for Newbies from a Nurse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIfoJGE2cUU

67.26  If the Ankh symbol was "synonymous" with a mirror, it is due to the general design of pivoting mirrors, which makes them resemble someone using a stethoscope, complete with earpieces and chestpiece

What is truly fascinating is trying to decipher the myriad details the Egyptians used to glorify their achievements, and here is a perfect example. The Egyptians forged an incredibly strong link between the ankh symbol and a mirror, so strong, in fact, that it is literally inscribed in the very names of these objects.

“The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. It was used in writing as a triliteral sign, representing a sequence of three consonants, Ꜥ-n-ḫ. This sequence was found in several Egyptian words, including the terms for "mirror", "floral bouquet", and "life". The symbol often appeared in Egyptian art as a physical object representing either life or related life-giving substances such as air or water. Commonly depicted in the hands of ancient Egyptian deities, sometimes being given by them to the pharaoh, it represents their power to sustain life and to revive human souls in the afterlife.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh

Antique swivel cheval mirror in gilt brass: https://www.lepalaisdesbricoles.com/fr/objets-vendus/6192-ancien-miroir-psyche-pivotant-en-laiton-dore.html

67.27  If the ankh symbol was also "synonymous" with floral bouquets, it is because the general design of early stethoscopes made them resemble simple flowerpots

What is truly fascinating is trying to decipher the myriad details the Egyptians used to glorify their achievements, and here is a perfect example. The Egyptians forged an incredibly strong link between the ankh symbol and a floral bouquet, so strong, in fact, that it is literally inscribed in the very names of these objects. Yet, what connection could there possibly be between the ultimate symbol of life and a bouquet of flowers, which, on the face of it, represents the exact opposite, consisting as it does of dead flowers, flowers stripped of life? At first glance, it makes no sense; it almost seems ridiculous. True enough, but the ankh symbol is actually a reinterpretation of the stethoscope, and some of those instruments bear a striking resemblance to simple flowerpots. That is the origin of the seemingly incongruous association between the ankh and the floral bouquet.

“The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. It was used in writing as a triliteral sign, representing a sequence of three consonants, Ꜥ-n-ḫ. This sequence was found in several Egyptian words, including the terms for "mirror", "floral bouquet", and "life". The symbol often appeared in Egyptian art as a physical object representing either life or related life-giving substances such as air or water. Commonly depicted in the hands of ancient Egyptian deities, sometimes being given by them to the pharaoh, it represents their power to sustain life and to revive human souls in the afterlife.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh

19th-century obstetrical stethoscope by Adolphe Pinard. Photograph by G.Garitan: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9thoscope#/media/Fichier:St%C3%A9thoscope_obst%C3%A9trical_de_Pinnard_08658.jpg

67.28  The graphic representation of the ankh symbol could be twofold: an elaborate construction depicting the compression of the artery required to take a pulse, and a barely veiled allusion to the actual shape of a stethoscope

We now arrive at a tricky point in deciphering the ankh symbol. We have just seen what it signified, namely, the pulse, the manifestation of the heart's activity, and the proof of life it provides. The pulse is the meaning of the word. But what, then, does the hieroglyph used to write it actually represent? In reality, one can surmise that this symbol is an intellectual construct; no one has ever seen a concrete representation of it outside of Egyptian iconography. I will present two possibilities here, though perhaps both are correct, or both are wrong.

First, I believe the Egyptians intended to represent the fact that taking a pulse requires pressing on a blood vessel, specifically an artery, and compressing it until it is almost completely occluded. To achieve this, they once again played with perspective. One might assume the upper and lower parts of the sign lie on the same plane, but in fact, they likely do not. The loop closing at the bottom depicts the occlusion of the artery, while the stem of the symbol shows the two walls of that same artery, not from the front, but in longitudinal cross-section. It is, therefore, a composite: a transverse cross-section of the artery for the loop, and a longitudinal cross-section of the same artery for the stem.

There is also a second explanation, which may well overlay this initial interpretation, concerning the shape of a stethoscope. The loop resembles the natural curve of the tubes that carry sound from the instrument to the ears, while the horizontal bar mirrors the shape of the earpieces at the ends of those tubes. I really like this idea because you can clearly sense that the general shape of the symbol is almost anthropomorphic; there is a head, a foot or legs, and here there would also be ears, fine ears for a fine stethoscope and a fine pulse reading.

“The ankh has a T-shape topped by a droplet-shaped loop. It was used in writing as a triliteral sign, representing a sequence of three consonants, Ꜥ-n-ḫ. This sequence was found in several Egyptian words, including the terms for "mirror", "floral bouquet", and "life". The symbol often appeared in Egyptian art as a physical object representing either life or related life-giving substances such as air or water. Commonly depicted in the hands of ancient Egyptian deities, sometimes being given by them to the pharaoh, it represents their power to sustain life and to revive human souls in the afterlife.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh

Cali | Int. Med Student: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigsistermd/video/7317570698405268768

67.29  The medical knowledge engraved in the Temple of Hathor at Dendera

What we have just seen is that the ancient Egyptians were not only fully capable of taking patients' pulses, and even assigning a value to them, but also knew that the pulse was caused by the opening and closing of heart valves. But what else did they know about the heart's function? What did they know about the precise workings of the circulatory system in general? Well, as previously noted, the fact that at least eight medical papyri have been recovered suggests that, during the time of the pharaohs, there were likely entire libraries of medical papyri available throughout ancient Egypt, or at least one such library in the capital. However, we will now see that some of this medical knowledge was also carved onto the walls of the underground crypts at the Temple of Hathor in Dendera.

Hathor Temple, where the Dendera light reliefs are located and hidden underground. Dendera Temple Complex in Qena, Egypt. Photograph by Hamerani: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Temple_of_Hathor_at_Dendera_%282%29.jpg

Everything regarding ancient Egyptian religion is the result of a sophisticated and highly elaborate process of encoding their entire body of knowledge. What lies before you is their representation of how the heart functions, featuring its four chambers, its two independent sections, the transport of blood by red blood cells and blood vessels, and even its auscultation via a stethoscope. It is all there, hidden, disguised, and masked, yet it is all truly there, and it is all accurate. Relief in the Temple of Hathor, at Dendera, Egypt: http://egypte.nikopol.free.fr/Temples/cryptedendera.html

67.30  The curious symbol resembling the one for water actually refers to blood and the mysterious barque bearing this sign of blood relates to the idea of ​​transport effected by that blood

Once again, the main error made by egyptologists is interpreting everything the ancient Egyptians left behind literally, particularly texts concerning the heart, which was supposedly viewed as the center of the body, spirit, and soul. But what would an extraterrestrial civilization interested in us think if they constantly read that someone "wore their heart on their sleeve," or that a romantic breakup had caused us to "break our little hearts"? Wouldn't they consider us a primitive civilization ourselves? Our language is riddled with expressions that are merely metaphors; why assume the ancient Egyptians were any different? Why not consider that when the Egyptians spoke of magic, they were actually talking about science? In your opinion, did they build the Great Pyramid using magic or science?

What does the bas-relief from the Temple of Hathor, shown here and located just a few meters from the famous Dendera Lights, reveal to us? Where should we begin to decipher this enigma? Well, I suggest we start with the very strange symbol on the right side of the image, which closely resembles the hieroglyph used by the ancient Egyptians to represent water. In reality, it is clearly not the water symbol, though it looks remarkably like it! So, what could this symbol be? The answer lies in all the red paint visible, or faintly discernible, across the relief. You have likely already guessed: this symbol, which looks so much like the one for water, actually represents blood in this context. This deeply unsettling and mysterious scene is about blood.

Now, we must understand the meaning of the menat, as we explored in the previous chapter. But don't expect to get the answer straight away without having to rack your brains (and please, don't actually try to dig into your brain; it's just an expression, a metaphor, we understand each other, right?). What did we see in Chapter 66 of the Pyramids of the Cold? That for the ancient Egyptians, the menat was a "romanticized," "glorifying," and "personified" representation of a seemingly uninteresting tool: the wick trimmer. And it is this wick trimmer that is being alluded to here. But take note: it is merely alluded to; there is obviously no question of actually trimming a candle wick here. While the Egyptians wanted to reveal everything, they also wanted to hide, disguise, and mask everything. So why the wick trimmer? Simply because of its shape, its general structure makes it look strangely like a stethoscope. Look closely, and you will see that the two tools are actually almost identical in appearance. The aim was to refer to the stethoscope in this bas-relief without actually showing it; instead, they depicted the menat, a "fanciful" and "idealized" version of the wick trimmer. Deciphering ancient Egyptian religion is thus a game, a highly sophisticated set of puzzles to solve, and, above all, a gigantic brain-teaser (again, this is just a metaphor; don't try to actually break your head).

Everything regarding ancient Egyptian religion is the result of a sophisticated and highly elaborate process of encoding their entire body of knowledge. What lies before you is their representation of how the heart functions, featuring its four chambers, its two independent sections, the transport of blood by red blood cells and blood vessels, and even its auscultation via a stethoscope. It is all there, hidden, disguised, and masked, yet it is all truly there, and it is all accurate. Relief in the Temple of Hathor, at Dendera, Egypt: http://egypte.nikopol.free.fr/Temples/cryptedendera.html

67.31  The principle of double blood circulation explained in the style of the ancient Egyptians, with oxygen-carrying blood on the right side and blood that does not carry oxygen on the left side

We now have everything we need to almost fully decipher this scene from Dendera. The context involves blood and a stethoscope; naturally, one immediately thinks of a universally known procedure: cardiac auscultation, where you listen to the sounds produced by your heart, using a stethoscope. From there, understanding the rest of the relief requires only basic anatomical knowledge, specifically, that the heart consists of four distinct functional parts known as "chambers" or "cavities" (the two atria and the two ventricles). Naturally, the four sections of the sistra, known as naos and painted a striking red inside, represent these four cardiac cavities. Ultimately, you see a stethoscope that, through the small cords connecting it to the four cavities, indicates it is listening to the sounds originating precisely from those four chambers. Here, the ancient Egyptians demonstrate not only that they used the stethoscope but also that they understood the heart was composed of four cavities, each producing a unique sound that required individual listening.

As is often observed with the ancient Egyptians, they consistently sought to incorporate as much information as possible into each of their coded records of knowledge. Here, the intention is not merely to depict a stethoscope and the heart's four chambers; the strange, stylized boat signifies something else entirely, specifically, their understanding that the function of blood is linked to transport, which explains why the boat is painted a vivid red. Naturally, they went further than that; the heart is actually composed of two completely separate sections: one side (the left side in all modern diagrams, as well as in the Egyptian one) deals with oxygen-depleted blood (shown in blue in the adjacent diagram), while the other (the right side in both modern and Egyptian diagrams) handles oxygen-rich blood coming from the lungs (shown in red). Accordingly, the Egyptians divided their diagram into two distinct sections. One can also infer from the Egyptian diagram that the boat is intended to transport oxygen, precisely because there is no corresponding empty boat on the other side. The ancient Egyptians likely knew that blood also serves to transport the body's waste products, meaning it is constantly carrying something, whether waste or oxygen; thus, the presence of a boat on one side but not the other implies that this specific boat represents air or the oxygen extracted from the lungs. You will also notice that the symbol for blood is placed upon a disk, which naturally brings to mind a red blood cell. Were they capable of using magnification instruments powerful enough to allow them to see red blood cells? It certainly seems so, and this image could serve as proof.

Diagram illustrating the human double circulatory system, showing how blood flows through the four chambers of the heart, lungs, and body tissues. Pearson Education Inc.: https://indiancountryecho.npaihb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Capnography.pdf

67.32  What looks like a collar is likely just the capillaries, or the network of blood vessels connecting the two parts of the heart

Clearly, just as the Egyptians decided to adopt the imagery of the menat to illustrate how the artery must be compressed to take a pulse, they also chose to reuse the distinctive shape of the necklace that often accompanies it. However, the necklace, usually a string of beads meant to represent the wick ends trimmed by the menat (the wick trimmer discussed in Chapter 65), was repurposed here to represent what lies between the body's two circulatory circuits: the capillaries.

That necklace-like element beneath the sistra represents the capillaries, or, more broadly, the network of blood vessels connecting the left and right sides of the heart.

67.33  The naos only refers to an elaborate metaphorical "frame" in the Egyptian discourse

Deciphering this bas-relief also helps resolve another issue, another "convention" used by the ancient Egyptians in their system of encoding: the naos. Here, we can clearly see that the four naos shrines above the goddesses' heads were painted entirely red, blood red, naturally, indicating that they represent the four chambers of the heart. Now, look at the adjacent plaque mentioned earlier, also found at Dendera, and observe how the naos motif was used in the context of a woman about to give birth. Why is that? Well, unless I am mistaken, the ancient Egyptians used the naos simply to define a "frame", in the figurative sense of the word. It is nothing more than a simple play on words. The naos serves to define a "frame," and to illustrate this figurative concept, they created frames in the literal sense. The naos can thus be used in an infinite number of contexts, provided the subject being depicted is enclosed within a clearly defined "frame." Here, the "frame" is a heart chamber, a three-dimensional frame, whereas in the case of the woman about to give birth, the frame is two-dimensional, as the "frame" is the delivery table. This is a perfect example of the immense sophistication demonstrated by the Egyptians, and of the vast amount of reconstructive work required to fully decipher it all.

67.34  "Upper Egypt" and "Lower Egypt" existed only in the minds of the Egyptians

As a reminder, we have already seen another convention of this same type with the famous "Upper Egypt" and "Lower Egypt"; in reality, the ancient Egyptians likely cared very little about such notions. The only reason they used these terms was to distinguish the lower part from the upper part of whatever aspect of their knowledge had been "transcribed" into their religion. Had they wished to distinguish the upper part of a space rocket from the lower part, they would have created a god associated with the rocket's upper stage, perhaps even a goddess linked to Upper Egypt, carried by the lower stage, which would almost certainly have been glorified by a powerful god linked to Lower Egypt. "Upper Egypt" and "Lower Egypt" existed only in the minds of the Egyptians.

67.35  The menat was used to symbolize the act of pressing on an artery to take a pulse, because it is actually a representation of a wick trimmer, an object not so different, after all, from a simple pair of pliers

Now, we must understand the meaning of the menat, as we explored in the previous chapter. But don't expect to get the answer straight away without having to rack your brains (and please, don't actually try to dig into your brain; it's just an expression, a metaphor, we understand each other, right?). What did we see in Chapter 66 of the Pyramids of the Cold? That for the ancient Egyptians, the menat was a "romanticized," "glorifying," and "personified" representation of a seemingly uninteresting tool: the wick trimmer. And it is this wick trimmer that is being alluded to here. But take note: it is merely alluded to; there is obviously no question of actually trimming a candle wick here. While the Egyptians wanted to reveal everything, they also wanted to hide, disguise, and mask everything. So why the wick trimmer? Simply because of its shape, its general structure makes it look strangely like a stethoscope. Look closely, and you will see that the two tools are actually almost identical in appearance. The aim was to refer to the stethoscope in this bas-relief without actually showing it; instead, they depicted the menat, a "fanciful" and "idealized" version of the wick trimmer. Deciphering ancient Egyptian religion is thus a game, a highly sophisticated set of puzzles to solve, and, above all, a gigantic brain-teaser (again, this is just a metaphor; don't try to actually break your head).

Preface

Previous chapter

Table of contents

Operating diagrams of the Great Pyramid

Timelines

Index