The embodiment of a complex society formed long before its rightful time is that of the Egyptians. Their mastery of both social and scientific knowledge was without equal, even by Roman standards. From a purely technical standpoint the stone work of the Egyptians had no precedent. With few modern exceptions Egyptian measurement and architecture was unique in its perfection. Their views were strongly influenced by their god(s). This reverence is plainly visible in their writings/carvings.
Use of symbol was key to their knowledge, as was the passing of tradition to the following generations. In reading the text and hearing the lectures I found it almost incomprehensible the amount of knowledge contained in Egyptian writing. Their creation myth was by far the most amazing to date. Their singular embodiment of everything splintering into specialized beings is what caught my ear. Just the idea of an all-encompassing being that was not only a creator but also everything is hard to wrap the mind around.
The Nile was without a doubt the strongest influence on Egyptian society. Its presence is noticeable everywhere, in both their writing and religion. The annual flooding, which brought with it the promise of continued life, was studied and analyzed over the course of their entire history. Every possible association, both real and imagined, was handled with extreme care and accuracy. This attention to detail and lust for understanding is unique for that time.
I say that time because it was during the height of the Egyptian Empire that their neighbor to the north was reaching its peak as well. Rome did more than its part in giving us a picture of life during those crucial years. However it was Egypt, not Rome that somehow, possibly by mere coincidence, managed to mix their mythology with contemporary scientific fact. Egyptian mythology carries with it the idea of “nine strokes grouped around the incomprehensible One”, relating the figures of their creation myth and that always sneaky “One”.
This directly parallels cell division after conception! This is not the only example however; on the contrary there are many other findings, which cannot be explained without their creators having an incredible understanding of mathematics and equations. Truly the Egyptians of old were a people with both a necessary connection to the earth and an unbelievable understanding of its processes
