Ma'at was the ethical conceptions of "truth", "order" and "cosmic balance". This goddess represents the divine harmony and balance of the universe. The people of Egypt had an obligation to uphold ma'at through obedience to the king. The pharaoh was considered an earthly god, and it was he who ultimately interpreted the concept of ma'at for the living. The basic translation of ma'at is "truth". Though there are several terms that conceptualize the opposite value of ma'at, the most common is "isfet", which is usually translated as "sin" or "wrong".
I thought this was lovely because the Bible constantly refers to "truth" as the Word of God.
Psalm 119:160 "The sum of your word is truth, and every single one of your righteous rules endures forever."
It all goes back to the concept that sin is a big lie. Sin lies and makes you think the results of sin will be good, when it fact the results are always self-destructive This is what Satan has always done. He lied to the angels, telling them God's Law was restricting their freedom, and convinced a third of the host to fall from heaven, when in fact God's Law protects peoples' freedom. There have to be Moral Rules for everyone to play together safely. It cannot be total chaos and anarchy. That isn't true freedom, that's hell. And it's still going on today. Satan and his agents (wicked angels and wicked humans) walk among us trying to convince us that God's Law is pointless or corrupt, and that sin is the answer. (They also try to make the Law as confusing as possible by mixing truth with lies and making sure no one reads their Bible anymore to find out.)
The ancient Egyptians did believe that it was at least theoretically possible to lead a life free of isfet. Good Egyptians attempted to follow the way of ma'at, for in doing so they would prosper and society would function smoothly, while those who transgressed were doomed to automatic failure. But there were times when the wicked would prosper by their actions, and so the ultimate evaluation of a person took place not in this life but in the hereafter, where the wicked would finally answer for their deeds.
Sounds like it came straight from the Bible! Or any of the other religions in the world! Justice in the afterlife because life on this planet is so unfair.
There are 42 Principles of Ma'at, which reflect the 10 commandments. Some claim this proves Ma'at law is older than the 10 commandments, but really the God's Moral Law has existed as long as God has, aka forever. Sin is defined as "transgression of the Law". If the Law didn't exist before God gave the 10 commandments to Moses, then Adam and Eve's act in the Garden wouldn't have been considered a sin. The Law has always existed and all humans instinctively knew it (because we are created in God's image), hence why the ancient peoples like Egyptians had a sense of right and wrong and could write laws like the 42 principles of Ma'at.
God wrote the Law onto the Stone tablets for Moses because he was trying in vain to remind the people of the Law since they were totally ignoring it. The Stone Tablets were a reminder of the Law that had always existed, but the people were ignoring/forgetting it.
By: Saeir Darr
I thought this was lovely because the Bible constantly refers to "truth" as the Word of God.
Psalm 119:160 "The sum of your word is truth, and every single one of your righteous rules endures forever."
It all goes back to the concept that sin is a big lie. Sin lies and makes you think the results of sin will be good, when it fact the results are always self-destructive This is what Satan has always done. He lied to the angels, telling them God's Law was restricting their freedom, and convinced a third of the host to fall from heaven, when in fact God's Law protects peoples' freedom. There have to be Moral Rules for everyone to play together safely. It cannot be total chaos and anarchy. That isn't true freedom, that's hell. And it's still going on today. Satan and his agents (wicked angels and wicked humans) walk among us trying to convince us that God's Law is pointless or corrupt, and that sin is the answer. (They also try to make the Law as confusing as possible by mixing truth with lies and making sure no one reads their Bible anymore to find out.)
The ancient Egyptians did believe that it was at least theoretically possible to lead a life free of isfet. Good Egyptians attempted to follow the way of ma'at, for in doing so they would prosper and society would function smoothly, while those who transgressed were doomed to automatic failure. But there were times when the wicked would prosper by their actions, and so the ultimate evaluation of a person took place not in this life but in the hereafter, where the wicked would finally answer for their deeds.
Sounds like it came straight from the Bible! Or any of the other religions in the world! Justice in the afterlife because life on this planet is so unfair.
There are 42 Principles of Ma'at, which reflect the 10 commandments. Some claim this proves Ma'at law is older than the 10 commandments, but really the God's Moral Law has existed as long as God has, aka forever. Sin is defined as "transgression of the Law". If the Law didn't exist before God gave the 10 commandments to Moses, then Adam and Eve's act in the Garden wouldn't have been considered a sin. The Law has always existed and all humans instinctively knew it (because we are created in God's image), hence why the ancient peoples like Egyptians had a sense of right and wrong and could write laws like the 42 principles of Ma'at.
God wrote the Law onto the Stone tablets for Moses because he was trying in vain to remind the people of the Law since they were totally ignoring it. The Stone Tablets were a reminder of the Law that had always existed, but the people were ignoring/forgetting it.
By: Saeir Darr
Call upon thy ancient souls
To find, receive your moral goals
With aide from god and kingdom
Learn these words and sing them
Take the hand of the Lord Protector
Avoid Set the spectre
Osiris and Isis are holy
And we shall never suffer wholly
For they are our guardians
Keeping evil from harming us
We must have faith
And accept fate with grace
The world will smile on us
Preparation always must
Be completed in time
Mummify your age
Use rosemary and sage
Wet the body, fix the mortar
Place the gifts around the altar
Use only gold to please
And the gods will be appeased
Repeat your prayers until the last
Reflect upon your past
When the day of judgement comes
We’ll eat your heart, but only once
It is decided - your intention
The Book of the Dead is our prevention
To ensure only fair choice in strife
Is made regarding threads of life
The truth will out, each and every time
The gods know beats of ancient rime
When They doth speak, thee will know
If it is time to stay or go
‘Let the Book of the Dead be your guide and strive to lead a faithful life. Comply with your own moral principles, but ensure that they comply with the wishes of others where there are opportunities to be more kind to those and ensure a safe passage for thy soul. Security comes from altruism and the Gods will smile upon this. When thee enter the Underworld beware of the fork-ways of the path. Ensure to choose the right passage to reflect upon your time. Thee will know when their life is in alignment with Osiris, as he will lead the judgement of your actions. All truth will be told by the scales, where the purity of your heart will be matched to that of the weight of the feather.’
By: Antonia Clarke
To find, receive your moral goals
With aide from god and kingdom
Learn these words and sing them
Take the hand of the Lord Protector
Avoid Set the spectre
Osiris and Isis are holy
And we shall never suffer wholly
For they are our guardians
Keeping evil from harming us
We must have faith
And accept fate with grace
The world will smile on us
Preparation always must
Be completed in time
Mummify your age
Use rosemary and sage
Wet the body, fix the mortar
Place the gifts around the altar
Use only gold to please
And the gods will be appeased
Repeat your prayers until the last
Reflect upon your past
When the day of judgement comes
We’ll eat your heart, but only once
It is decided - your intention
The Book of the Dead is our prevention
To ensure only fair choice in strife
Is made regarding threads of life
The truth will out, each and every time
The gods know beats of ancient rime
When They doth speak, thee will know
If it is time to stay or go
‘Let the Book of the Dead be your guide and strive to lead a faithful life. Comply with your own moral principles, but ensure that they comply with the wishes of others where there are opportunities to be more kind to those and ensure a safe passage for thy soul. Security comes from altruism and the Gods will smile upon this. When thee enter the Underworld beware of the fork-ways of the path. Ensure to choose the right passage to reflect upon your time. Thee will know when their life is in alignment with Osiris, as he will lead the judgement of your actions. All truth will be told by the scales, where the purity of your heart will be matched to that of the weight of the feather.’
By: Antonia Clarke
By: Angel Pevensie