Nexus - 0220 - New Times Magazine-pages

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o- Re: EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHS IN AUSTRALIA Re: EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHS region, or a main base where another ship myself am hard as stone. I have been over IN AUSTRALIA is anchored and waiting. hills and deserts, and through all kinds of Dear NEXUS, The leader of this expedition is named _ weather and not complained." I was posted a section of your magazine Nefer-Djeseb, along with his brother Water is getting low and they are having containing ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs Nefer-Ru, who is some kind of priest from _to ration; there are no lakes at hand, and the found inscribed upon a rock in Australia the House of God. They carry with them a __ heat of the sun beats down upon them. (see NEXUS 2/19]. small statue of the god Suti, possibly called Night-time comes; ah, how blessed is the I knew of an Egyptian expedition "Suti of the Way" (a protection for trav- cool of the night. They hide, burying towards the direction of this land, under the __ellers). themselves out of reach of the ever-pester- leadership of Knem-Hotep. Nefer-Djeseb and Nefer-Ru are two of ‘ing mosquitoes. Knem-Hotep set sail with three ships the many sons of King Khufu who, it is Nefer-Djeseb has seen flocks of birds, under his command, and eventually said, was beloved of Ptah (the god). His and he prays, "Send us fowl to cook, and returned to Egypt with only one ship and son goes on to describe him as "kind and _ send some rain.” half a crew. What he described could only benevolent, and a follower of the golden- Something happens, possibly climbing have been Australia, but this expedition haired god, Ra-Heru". some place and slipping, or there's a rock- took place in the second year of the King The journey is long and hard; the ordi- slide. Nefer-Djeseb, who is carrying the Nefer-Af-Re, which was 2,530 BC. nary members of the crew are wailing and Royal Standard of the Golden Falcon, The hieroglyphs carved on the rock men- crying out for Suti to help them in their _ injures his back, and this is possibly where tion King Khufu, who ruled Egypt from _ plight. his brother Nefer-Ru gets killed. 2,779 to 2,748 BC, so would pre-date the Nefer-Djeseb puts up a brave front for This small band of men, heading west- expedition of Knem-Hotep. the benefit of his men, who are plagued by ward, are carrying the dead body of the These carvings could not possibly be a flies and mosquitoes, tired and hungry, and priest Nefer-Ru with them until they can hoax, as no one today would understand feel that the gods have deserted them. find a suitable burial place for him. the peculiarities of the ancient Egyptian Nefer-Djeseb prays to the gods and puts Passing along through hot, dry, arid language of those times. on a joyful face, making jokes as he swats country or desert, with no prospect of any Even I could not understand the ancient _ the mossies. other food, Nefer-Djeseb calls out to the saying, "My obelisk is overturned but not Nefer-Ru, a servant of the god, says that gods, "Give me desert mice, and let me broken", as carved upon the rock. the god has brought the insects upon them find pools of water." Then he laments, The rock tells of a very tragic story, of (perhaps he feels that they have no right to "The plants are withered, the land is dead men in a hopeless position in a strange and _ be in this land). (all is in drought). Is this my lot from the hostile land. Shipwrecked somewhere off Nefer-Djeseb, reluctant to ask anything —_ god of the sacred Mer (Ra-Harakate)?" the coast of Queensland, they make their from the gods for himself as it perhaps Being of the royal house and protected, way westward, perhaps to some pre- would show a weakness to his men, calls his skin is more sensitive to the sun than arranged spot by other members of the out, “Protect these ordinary men; they are those of the fellaheen, and in misery with expedition who are exploring another _ thine (believers and followers of yours). I his back injury and also bad sunburn, he complains, "The sun shines down upon my back. Oh Khepera, this is not as the oracle said." Before leaving Egypt he would have bathed in the holy waters of the Mer, and then gone to consult the oracle at Noph. The oracle had most likely promised him a safe journey. Now, with his brother dead, and all facing death themselves, he is disil- lusioned and full of grief. He makes a statement of defiance to the effect that he is not broken yet: “My obelisk is overturned but not broken." At last they come to a place where they can inter the body of his dead brother, and he says, “That royal person of the House of God, Nefer-Ru, son of Khufu, is laid to Test. May he have eternal life." When a person left Egypt and then JUNE - JULY 1994 * 12¢NEXUS