In Commentary, Part 2, (pp185-186) of the late LDS apologist Hugh Nibley's "Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri," we are introduced, albeit briefly, to Maat.
This chapter, and the book itself, is a subtle and appropriate comparison of the revealed LDS temple doctrines with the ancient, rather garbled Egyptian equivalent.
Maat is an Egyptian goddess but not really. Like so many of the earliest deities in myth, she is more concept than a specific being. She is truth, justice and order.
I remember encountering this phenomenon in Hesiod's "Theogony" and in the "Enuma Elish."
Justice, Victory, Wisdom, Discord, even Vengeance all had quasi-divine or anthropomorphic status among peoples of the ancient world -- perhaps this was the missing link between the original religion revealed to Adam and the degenerate, pagan theologies which ruled the world by Abraham's day.
Wisdom is even personified within the pages of the Bible.
Writes Nibley: Maat's presence [with the initiate in the temple] signifies that all is correct and in order -- the equivalent of a temple recommend. Maat herself is not a regular deity: she has no temple, cult [reader, please understand this term in the classical sense, not the modern notion of a"spurious religion"] or mythology of her own.
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Hi, Cliff. Thanks for your kind comments on Plodding Taurus.
I will read this later. Still sick.
Ok, I read it. (I have the book). Now I'll go take a look....
Don't get too excited when you see three comments here, they're all me. I just looked at your grandmother's journal pages--Canasta, dust in the phonograph needle, the electric blanket-- it's a time capsule.
Several years ago I (and another person) edited Wilford Woodruff's journals; turned out to be 9 volumes when they were printed. He wrote EVERY day, and drew little pictures in the margins: a little coffin if somebody died, a rectangle with dots inside, indicating mail he'd received, a hand indicating mail he'd sent. What a trip those were! When HE had a sore throat, he wrapped it with a strip of salt pork! If it wasn't Sunday, I'd go down and buy me some! When his favorite horse got sick, he made her drink a concoction of turpentine , hot pepper, and hen dung. She died.
Pepek, I hope that you feel better soon. )0:
A good friend of mine gave me that incredible Nibley tome last year. He just showed up on my doorstep one evening and said, "I thought you would like this."
Oh, yeah.
The trend among some these days is to call Nibley dated, quaint, and apparently therefore irrelevant. Well, true, the man has passed through the veil and is therefore no longer engaged in mortal research.
But I have to see anyone fill his shoes -- or convincingly refute him.
Regarding my grandmother's journal: She has written in it almost every day since 1959 and is still writing in it -- which is nearly a fifty-year record. Some of it is somewhat prosaic, some of it quite exciting, some of it very heartwarming.
I'll add to it gradually. Glad you've enjoyed it so far.
Regarding Plodding Taurus: I know real talent when I see it.
... have yet to see anyone fill his shoes ...
Dear Friends ,,,, on an unrelated topic that requires our attention....
Recently a friend in our fold brought this "film" to my attention.
Her son apparently was sent this web link from someone.
this is NOT a joke,,,, I've been told that some people
question my intentions.
It's a movie clip (that has been recently released, or is about to,,, I'm not sure),,
anyway, it depicts Mormons as flesh eating ghouls, and it is just awful. www.thebookofzombie.com
PLEASE don't go to this web site,,, please just make note of it,,,,,
On behalf of myself and my husband, and our Mormon friends,
I would like to make sure that young people are NOT subjected to this terrible conception of true faith.
please let me know if you are able to help.
regards, Betty Toms
Well, anonymous, I certainly don't know you and therefore can't say anything about your motivation.
But if you are sincere, I would tell you not to worry. Anyone boneheaded enough to watch such a clip and believe that four million Americans, not to mention nine million other residents of the globe, are secretly flesh-eating ghouls, is a waste of breath.
Wait -- it's true. I DO eat flesh. Chicken, pork, beef, fish -- I even ate a rabbit once.
As for the ghoul,not so much. I'm very much a boy, not a ghoul.
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