“In the communion of the living and the dead, during the Valley Festival, Egyptians believed that graves in the necropolis became ‘houses of the joy of the heart.’ A prayer from the Festival of the Beautiful Valley ended in a : ‘May grant a long life and vital old age.’ … n an instant, all the houses of the ‘joy of the heart’ houses of a ‘great cry’ as hopes for long life and vitality were snuffed” (94).
BEYOND THE HORIZON 2017 BELIZE SERGEANT MAJOR FULL
We know that the tenth plague happened at Passover, on a full moon, following the Vernal Equinox, which means it corresponds to the ancient Egyptian Festival of the Beautiful Valley (or “Nefer,” meaning “beautiful,” which also meant “vitality” or “completion” in ancient Egyptian).Īs my mom puts it, this was their happiest festival of the year. It was and is well-known that the plagues were a direct attack against the Egyptian gods, but my mom believes the plagues were also targeted to their religious festivals (90-94). So in reality, ancient Egyptian mothers are quite relatable. Mothers with most faith backgrounds desire their children to have a rewarding afterlife. Egyptian mothers were highly concerned about protecting their families, and US mothers are too. And in 2018, 71% of women in the US workforce were mothers. According to the US Department of Labor, in 2017, 40% of families in the US had mothers (with children under 18) as primary or equal income earners for the household. When I heard this description, it made me think about mothers in the United States today. They got extra portions of food to make them grow healthy and strong, training in the family business, and the lion’s share of any inheritance.” Women also purchased expensive amulets to protect their children, and they probably also had a house shrine and/or a tattoo dedicated to their most venerated gods. “Many women had a business on the side or worked beside their husbands, saving money to buy a copy of the Book of the Dead, which cost about a year’s wages.” The Book of the Dead contained spells and incantations touted to protect souls in the afterlife. (I mean, most of us are familiar with Hatshepsut, who was one of the first female political leaders in the ancient world.)įor most ancient Egyptian women, the main priority was to make sure their family was prepared for the afterlife. Ancient Egyptian culture frowned on polygamy (except for royalty), and Egyptian women enjoyed some power in their households and in society. “It wasn’t like how you might think,” she told me. First, she explained to me a bit about what an ordinary Egyptian woman was like. She has extensive knowledge about ancient Egyptian history and culture, and she was able to lend some context that made that night even more impactful for me. Her book The God of Egypt examines the biblical account of Exodus through the eye of Egyptian history. My mother is an Egyptologist, and I went to her for more insight. As a new mother myself, I read this story from this new perspective, and my heart ached for her. The Scriptures say that no Egyptian house was left unscathed by the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:30). Reading through the account of the ten plagues got me thinking about this scene: an ordinary Egyptian mother on the night of the final plague. Some said they suffered these plagues over an obstinate struggle between gods: the God of their slaves and Pharaoh. Her heart wrenched in utter devastation, anguish, rage, and confusion. She collapsed next to him, held his limp body in her arms, and wailed unconsolably. ShareĪfter enduring a year of unimaginable, relentless plagues, in the middle of the night, her precious son-her firstborn-fell dead before her eyes. Taffy enjoys watching YouTube, exercising, playing with her two cats, and streaming language games on Twitch. Most recently, she is learning her new role as a mother to her daughter, Beili. Through her twelve years of teaching English as a foreign language, Taffy has built intentional relationships with people from all around the world and continues evangelistic efforts through online Bible/language lessons, homestay for international students and visitors, and volunteer work in the local international community. She also has two published young adult novels, Stoodie (2007) and The Last (2011). She has won multiple awards for her short stories, poems, and essays and has been published in several literary journals. Taffy has a BA in English and Creative Writing (2011) and an MA in English and Foreign Languages/Linguistics (2015), both from Middle Tennessee State University. Taffeta Chime Taffeta Chime, called Taffy by most, is a writer and language teacher from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where she and her husband Shane Xu serve with the Chinese congregation at the North Boulevard church of Christ.