ANCIENT AND CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS

The words “city” and “civilized,” both come from the Latin “civitas.” Hence, the word “civilized” would literally mean “living in a city.”

In common language we tend to oppose the word “civilized” to “savage.” This makes us develop a whole set of values where the ones not living in cities are finally compared to wandering animals (even with no spoken language), following only instinctive aims, such as providing food for themselves by tracing their hunt, as lions would.

Another common definition of a civilization is based upon the development of a written language. In this case, a considerable part of the ancient cultures cannot be included among the so called civilized ones, just because they lack a written language. Among them, we find the Peruvian Incas, for instance.

These pages try to show that civilized man (in a wider sense of having spiritual concerns) is much older than this.

The Tata carved shell (see article from August 16) shows that a concept of a cross was already developed by 100,000 BP (when even current Europeans had not arrived in Hungary).

Another surprising image comes from Texas. Before Christianity was born, about 4000 BP, someone inhabiting the current Canyon State Historical Park portrayed a sort of crucified man.

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It also reminds of the Egyptian shen symbol, representing the sun on the horizon, probably even older given the abundant motives showing the character among the hieroglyphs, or even reminding of the ankh, used by the Egyptians to represent the breath of life. This symbol is frequently found in hands of the different gods showing their power to give life.

-->The ankh (on the right, below), of course, seems to be the origin of the cross, as a Celtic cross from the 7^th century reminds us.

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Regarding the cross, it can also be said that the Egyptians might also be related to the Christian use of this symbol. We can see how Shu holds Geb, the starry sky, by raising his arms, supported by the four hands of his helping gods.

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Curiously enough, the Bible also values this help in holding the hands up: “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” (Exodus 17:11-12)

Thus, the scene in the cross could also be seen as a Christian depiction of the Egyptian image of Shu, as seen in Giotto’s Crucifixion, from about 1400. As Gurdjieff said, “Egypt was Christian in its teachings, principles and ideas, many thousands of years before the actual birth of Christ.”

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© 2009 Hugo Ferraguti

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