Acacia tree Sndt in ancient Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Egyptology Department of Archaeology –Faculty of Art -Kafer El- Sheikh University(Egypt)

2 Researcher on Floriculture and Oranemental Horticulture Department Horticulture Research inistute Giza(Egypt)

Abstract

: Acasianilotica is a thorny tree that is distinguished by its length, which ranges between 15-20 m. It is characterized by hardness and resistance to bacteria and rot. The tree is widespread in dry areas, especially in Africa and Asia..
In ancient Egypt the acacia considered primordial tree. At Heliopolis, there was a tradition that all the Goddesses and Gods were born beneath an acacia tree.In the Pyramid Texts, Horus, comes forth from the acacia tree., In the Book of the Dead the deceased the Divine Children of Iusaaset, the Goddesses and Gods born beneath the sacred acacia. The acacia is associated with a number of Egyptian Deities; it has specific associations with Isis and Her family. A particular acacia—simply called The Acacia or Shondj—was sacred to Her. And Isis and Nephthys together were called the Two Shonti Goddesses, that is, the Two Acacia Goddesses.
In the story of the “Horus and Set,” Isis, in the form of Her sacred bird, flies into the branches of Her holy acacia after tricking Set into condemning His own attempts to usurp the rightful rule of Horus, Isis’ son. In some tales, the acacia is the tree that magically grew up around the body of Osiris when His sarcophagus washed up on the shores of Byblos. He is called “the One in the Tree” and “the Solitary One in the Acacia.
Acacia has been used in medicines, baking ingredients, tools, coffins, gum, and woodwork for centuries.
These aspects will be handled in the current study in detail.

Main Subjects

References

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