Interlude: An Interview with Akhnaten

In 1983, Philip Glass debuted his opera Akhnaten, a bold musical exploration of the pharaoh, his reign and his legacy. Now, Akhnaten returns in a new run. Akhnaten by The Metropolitan Opera, in New York, is running from November 8th to December 7th, 2019 and will be broadcast worldwide in cinemas; find tickets here

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Interview: Akhnaten (a MetOpera cast)

Ancient Egypt, from Creation to Cleopatra. This podcast tells the story of ancient Egypt, "in their own words." Using texts, art, and archaeology, we uncover the world of the Nile Valley and its people. Website www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com Email egyptpodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on the Airwave Media Network.

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What’s the deal? We explore the Pyramid Texts’ meaning, as well as their origins and scholarship.
The Osiris achieves his apotheosis. Having awakened from death and received his offerings (or taken them by force), Unas now prepares to enter the sky at last. We add more protections and defeat more enemies (including a dramatic appearance from the fearsome Mafdet). Then, Unas meets the oldest of primeval gods, sails the milky way, and hears the lamentations of his enemies’ women…
Episode topics:

Meaning 01:15.

Rituals 03:54

Afterlife geography 17:05.

Origins 20:16.

Arrangement / Structure 29:00.

Conclusion 37:25

Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian.
Date: c.2320 BCE.
Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. 
Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.
Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile.
Select bibliography:

Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.

J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015). First edition (2005) available in Open Access via Archive.org.

J. P. Allen, A Grammar of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts Volume I: Unis (2017). Available via the publisher, and major online retailers.

R. Bertrand, Las Textes de la Pyramid d’Ounas (2004). Available via the publisher.

W. M. Davis, ‘The Ascension-Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 36 (1977), 161—179. JSTOR.

J. Hellum, ‘The Presence of Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Toronto (2001). Online.

J. Hellum, ‘Toward an Understanding of the Use of Myth in the Pyramid Texts’, Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur 43 (2014), 123—142. Academia.edu.

H.-J. Klimkeit, ‘Spatial Orientation in Mythical Thinking as Exemplified in Ancient Egypt: Considerations toward a Geography of Religions’, History of Religions 14 (1975), 266—281. JSTOR.

A. J. Morales, ‘The Transmission of the Pyramid Texts into the Middle Kingdom: Philological Aspects of a Continuous Tradition in Egyptian Mortuary Literature’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania (2013). Academia.edu.

D. Stewart, ‘The Myth of Osiris in the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts’, Unpublished PhD. Thesis, Monash University (2014). Online.


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The Pyramid Texts Explained

The Osiris achieves his apotheosis. Having awakened from death and received his offerings (or taken them by force), Unas now prepares to enter the sky at last. We add more protections and defeat more enemies (including a dramatic appearance from the fearsome Mafdet). Then, Unas meets the oldest of primeval gods, sails the milky way, and hears the lamentations of his enemies’ women…
Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian.

Date: c.2320 BCE.

Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.

Additional images and references at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.

Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile.

The Pyramid Texts publications:

J. P. Allen, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (2nd edn, 2015). First edition (2005) available in Open Access via Archive.org.

J. P. Allen, A Grammar of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts Volume I: Unis (2017). Available via the publisher, and major online retailers.

R. Bertrand, Las Textes de la Pyramid d’Ounas (2004). Available via the publisher.


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Unas the Skywalker. The Pyramid Texts (Part Four)

We leave the Duat and enter the horizon. On the walls of the antechamber, Unas’ Pyramid Texts describe the king’s entry to the sky. The ruler establishes and affirms his power. And, in a famous passage, Unas engages in some ritual cannibalism…
Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian.

Date: c.2320 BCE.

Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.

Additional images and references at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.

Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile.


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Divine young cannibals. The Pyramid Texts (Part Three)

We travel deeper into the stars. Unas’ Pyramid Texts, on the walls of his burial chamber, lay out protections against serpents and dangers. They also introduce offerings, to sustain the King’s soul and nourish the gods.
Includes passages in English translation and ancient Egyptian.

Date: c.2320 BCE.

Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.

Additional images and references at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.

Interludes by Keith Zizza, Children of the Nile.


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Buffet of the gods. The Pyramid Texts (Part Two)

Unas in the sky with deities. Around 2320 BCE, King Unas did something interesting. His pyramid, at Saqqraa, is the first (surviving) monument to feature the Pyramid Texts. These elaborate hieroglyph texts reveal the religious rituals, references, and philosophy of the Old Kingdom Egyptians. In this episode, we begin a journey deep into the night and up to the sky, as King Unas travels to his immortality…

Date: c.2320 BCE.

Pyramid Texts in translation: https://pyramidtextsonline.com/translation.html.

Additional images and references at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.

The "Imperishable " or Circumpolar Stars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Indestructibles.

The Egyptian gods family tree: https://veritablehokum.com/comic/the-egyptian-god-family-tree/.

Intro music by Jeffrey Goodman, “Lament of Isis and Nephthys,” Ancient Egyptian Music II.

Interludes by Keith Zizza.


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Interview: Akhnaten (a MetOpera cast)

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