The Odyssey and Revelation: Deep Thought

The palace of the Sun was raised high, on stately columns, bright with radiant gold, and carbuncle that rivals the flames; polished ivory covered its highest top, {and} double folding doors shone with the brightness of silver. The workmanship {even} exceeded the material; for there Mulciber had carved the sea circling round the encompassed Earth; and the orb of the Earth, and the Heavens which hang over that orb. {There} the waves have {in them} the azure Deities, both Triton, sounding {with his shell}, and the changing Proteus, and Ægeon,[1] pressing the huge backs of whales with his arms; Doris,[2] too, and her daughters, part of whom appear to be swimming, part, sitting on the bank, to be drying their green hair; some {are seen} borne upon fishes. The features in all are not the same, nor, however, {remarkably} different: {they are} such as those of sisters ought to be. The Earth has {upon it} men and cities, and woods, and wild beasts, and rivers, and Nymphs, and other Deities of the country. Over these is placed the figure of the shining Heaven, and there are six Signs {of the Zodiac} on the right door, and as many on the left.

“Behold the Lord of his Flood; see, the Shoulder is fastened(12.) upon his neck and the Haunch upon the head of the West” offerings which the two goddesses of the West(13.) present to me when the weeping bursteth forth from me at what I witness, as I am borne round on the Tenait in Abydos,(14.) and the bolts made fast on the gateways(15.) above your images are in the reach of thine hand and from within thee.

And in the middle of the plain he showed me a large white rock that had arisen out of the plain. And the rock was more lofty than the mountains, rectangular in shape, so as to be capable of containing the whole world: and that rock was old, having a gate cut out of it; and the cutting out of the gate seemed to me as if recently done. And the gate glittered to such a degree under the sunbeams, that I marvelled at the splendour of the gate; and round about the gate were standing twelve virgins. The four who stood at the corners seemed to me more distinguished than the others—they were all, however, distinguished—and they were standing at the four parts of the gate; two virgins between each part. And they were clothed with linen tunics, and gracefully girded, having their right shoulders exposed, as if about to bear some burden. Thus they stood ready; for they were exceedingly cheerful and eager. After I had seen these things, I marvelled in myself, because I was beholding great and glorious sights. And again I was perplexed about the virgins, because, although so delicate, they were standing courageously, as if about to carry the whole heavens. And the Shepherd said to me, “Why are you reasoning in yourself, and perplexing your mind, and distressing yourself? for the things which you cannot understand, do not attempt to comprehend, as if you were wise; but ask the Lord, that you may receive understanding and know them.

"And I left that region behind me and ascended to the great aeons of the rulers and came before their veils and their gates, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me. It came to pass then, when I arrived at the twelve aeons, that their veils and their gates were shaken one over against the other. Their veils drew themselves apart of their own accord, and their gates opened one over against the other. And I entered into the aeons, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light that was about me, forty-and-nine times more than the light with which I shone in the houses of the Fate.

On the right hand side of this Division of the Tuat the boat of the Sun passes twelve shrines, each of which has its doors thrown wide open, and so permits us to see a god in mummied form standing inside it these gods are described as "the holy gods who are in the Tuat." Along the front of the twelve shrines stretches an enormous serpent, the duty of which is to protect those who stand in them. Beyond the shrines is a long basin or lake of boiling water, with rounded ends, in which stand up to their waists twelve mummied gods, with black heads, who either have white bodies, or are arrayed in white apparel; in front of each god grows a large ear of wheat. These gods are described as "the gods in the boiling lake." The texts which relate to both groups of beings are as follows: "[Those who are in] their shrines are the members of the god whose shrines the serpent SETI guardeth. Ra saith unto them:'Open ye [the doors of] your shrines, so that my radiance may penetrate the darkness in which ye are!

On the right hand of the path of the boat of the Sun in the Fourth Division we see: 1. Twelve gods, bearded and standing upright, who are called "the gods who carry along their doubles," 2. Twelve jackal-headed gods, who stand round the "Lake of Life," who are called the "jackals in the lake of life," 3. Ten uraei, which stand round the Lake of the Uraei," and are called the Living Uraei." The paragraph which refers to the first twelve gods reads: "[These are] they who bear along their doubles, who immerse themselves in that which floweth in abundance from the slaughtered ones during the time of their existence, and who carry the offerings which are rightly due [to the god] to his abode. Unto them saith Ra:'That which belongeth to you [to do], O ye gods who are among your offerings, is to offer as an obligatory offering your doubles. Ye have your own offerings, your enemies are destroyed, and they are not. Your spirits are on their thrones, [and your] souls are on their places.' They say unto Ra, 'Adorations be unto thee, O RA-KHUTI! Hail to thee, O thou Soul who art protected in the earth!

Of the people of Moses there is a partyf who direct others with truth, and act justly according to the same. And we divided them into twelve tribes, as into so many nations. And we spake by revelation unto Moses, when his people asked drink of him, and we said, Strike the rock with thy rod; and there gushed thereout twelve fountains,g and men knew their respective drinking-place. And we caused clouds to overshadow them, and manna and quailsh to descend upon them, saying, Eat of the good things which we have given you for food: and they injured not us, but they injured their own souls. And call to mind when it was said unto them, Dwell in this city,i and eat of the provisions thereof wherever ye will, and say, Forgiveness; and enter the gate worshipping: we will pardon you your sins, and will give increase unto the well-doers. But they who were ungodly among them changed the expression into another,k which had not been spoken unto them. Wherefore we went down upon them indignation from heaven, because they transgressed. And ask them concerning the city,l which was situate on the sea, when they transgressed on the Sabbath-day:

The palace of the Sun was raised high, on stately columns, bright with radiant gold, and carbuncle that rivals the flames; polished ivory covered its highest top, {and} double folding doors shone with the brightness of silver. The workmanship {even} exceeded the material; for there Mulciber had carved the sea circling round the encompassed Earth; and the orb of the Earth, and the Heavens which hang over that orb. {There} the waves have {in them} the azure Deities, both Triton, sounding {with his shell}, and the changing Proteus, and Ægeon,[1] pressing the huge backs of whales with his arms; Doris,[2] too, and her daughters, part of whom appear to be swimming, part, sitting on the bank, to be drying their green hair; some {are seen} borne upon fishes. The features in all are not the same, nor, however, {remarkably} different: {they are} such as those of sisters ought to be. The Earth has {upon it} men and cities, and woods, and wild beasts, and rivers, and Nymphs, and other Deities of the country. Over these is placed the figure of the shining Heaven, and there are six Signs {of the Zodiac} on the right door, and as many on the left.

“Behold the Lord of his Flood; see, the Shoulder is fastened(12.) upon his neck and the Haunch upon the head of the West” offerings which the two goddesses of the West(13.) present to me when the weeping bursteth forth from me at what I witness, as I am borne round on the Tenait in Abydos,(14.) and the bolts made fast on the gateways(15.) above your images are in the reach of thine hand and from within thee.

And in the middle of the plain he showed me a large white rock that had arisen out of the plain. And the rock was more lofty than the mountains, rectangular in shape, so as to be capable of containing the whole world: and that rock was old, having a gate cut out of it; and the cutting out of the gate seemed to me as if recently done. And the gate glittered to such a degree under the sunbeams, that I marvelled at the splendour of the gate; and round about the gate were standing twelve virgins. The four who stood at the corners seemed to me more distinguished than the others—they were all, however, distinguished—and they were standing at the four parts of the gate; two virgins between each part. And they were clothed with linen tunics, and gracefully girded, having their right shoulders exposed, as if about to bear some burden. Thus they stood ready; for they were exceedingly cheerful and eager. After I had seen these things, I marvelled in myself, because I was beholding great and glorious sights. And again I was perplexed about the virgins, because, although so delicate, they were standing courageously, as if about to carry the whole heavens. And the Shepherd said to me, “Why are you reasoning in yourself, and perplexing your mind, and distressing yourself? for the things which you cannot understand, do not attempt to comprehend, as if you were wise; but ask the Lord, that you may receive understanding and know them.

"And I left that region behind me and ascended to the great aeons of the rulers and came before their veils and their gates, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me. It came to pass then, when I arrived at the twelve aeons, that their veils and their gates were shaken one over against the other. Their veils drew themselves apart of their own accord, and their gates opened one over against the other. And I entered into the aeons, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light that was about me, forty-and-nine times more than the light with which I shone in the houses of the Fate.

On the right hand side of this Division of the Tuat the boat of the Sun passes twelve shrines, each of which has its doors thrown wide open, and so permits us to see a god in mummied form standing inside it these gods are described as "the holy gods who are in the Tuat." Along the front of the twelve shrines stretches an enormous serpent, the duty of which is to protect those who stand in them. Beyond the shrines is a long basin or lake of boiling water, with rounded ends, in which stand up to their waists twelve mummied gods, with black heads, who either have white bodies, or are arrayed in white apparel; in front of each god grows a large ear of wheat. These gods are described as "the gods in the boiling lake." The texts which relate to both groups of beings are as follows: "[Those who are in] their shrines are the members of the god whose shrines the serpent SETI guardeth. Ra saith unto them:'Open ye [the doors of] your shrines, so that my radiance may penetrate the darkness in which ye are!

On the right hand of the path of the boat of the Sun in the Fourth Division we see: 1. Twelve gods, bearded and standing upright, who are called "the gods who carry along their doubles," 2. Twelve jackal-headed gods, who stand round the "Lake of Life," who are called the "jackals in the lake of life," 3. Ten uraei, which stand round the Lake of the Uraei," and are called the Living Uraei." The paragraph which refers to the first twelve gods reads: "[These are] they who bear along their doubles, who immerse themselves in that which floweth in abundance from the slaughtered ones during the time of their existence, and who carry the offerings which are rightly due [to the god] to his abode. Unto them saith Ra:'That which belongeth to you [to do], O ye gods who are among your offerings, is to offer as an obligatory offering your doubles. Ye have your own offerings, your enemies are destroyed, and they are not. Your spirits are on their thrones, [and your] souls are on their places.' They say unto Ra, 'Adorations be unto thee, O RA-KHUTI! Hail to thee, O thou Soul who art protected in the earth!

Of the people of Moses there is a partyf who direct others with truth, and act justly according to the same. And we divided them into twelve tribes, as into so many nations. And we spake by revelation unto Moses, when his people asked drink of him, and we said, Strike the rock with thy rod; and there gushed thereout twelve fountains,g and men knew their respective drinking-place. And we caused clouds to overshadow them, and manna and quailsh to descend upon them, saying, Eat of the good things which we have given you for food: and they injured not us, but they injured their own souls. And call to mind when it was said unto them, Dwell in this city,i and eat of the provisions thereof wherever ye will, and say, Forgiveness; and enter the gate worshipping: we will pardon you your sins, and will give increase unto the well-doers. But they who were ungodly among them changed the expression into another,k which had not been spoken unto them. Wherefore we went down upon them indignation from heaven, because they transgressed. And ask them concerning the city,l which was situate on the sea, when they transgressed on the Sabbath-day: