Egyptian religious poetry

40 EGYPTIAN RELIGIOUS POETRY

and, “ The life of Nefer-ka-Ré is more than a year.” Still more definite is the prayer in the Book of the Dead :

Decree for me life by your speech year by year ; give me multitudes of years over and above my years of life, multitudes of months over and above my months of life, multitudes of days over and above my days of life, multitudes of nights over and above my nights of life.

[B.B.D., ch. Lxxi]

But there is no doubt that the primitive kings were actually sacrificed at the end of seven years unless they could obtain a substitute to suffer in their stead. If this could be effected the King could continue for another seven years, and a reign might thus be prolonged to a considerable length. From the fact, however, that these Texts were deliberately placed in the actual burial chambers of these five kings, it is a fair inference that each one of them suffered the fate of the Incarnate God in his own person.

In any study of the religion of Egypt the position of the Pharaoh is seen to be of the utmost importance. The monarch himself was God ; he was all powerful because he was God, he was King because he was God ; to swear falsely by his name was blasphemy as well as perjury, and was therefore punishable with death ; “to fear God and honour the King”’ was one and the same act. All the land and its people belonged to the King because he was the giver of fertility, the preserver of all.

As early as the Pyramid Texts the Pharaoh is amongst the gods, “ Speaking that which is and creating that which is not”. In the xiith dynasty Amonemhat III was “ the Generator who creates mankind”, and another King of the same dynasty is described thus : “ He fills the Two lands with his strength, He is Life.” Hatshepsut of the xviiith dynasty, who ruled as a King and not as a Queen, says in plain language, “I am God,