Once upon a time, a curious soul named Sarah embarked on a journey from the New World (America) to the Old World (Egypt). Little did she know then that It was an adventure that would transform her life forever. Sarah’s fascination with the enigmatic world of ancient Egypt knew no bounds.
Her initial visit to Egypt lasted a mere 10 days, but something profound had been ignited within her. Egypt’s unexplained mysteries and her consuming desire to be able to read the temple walls herself compelled her to return again and again. The pyramid texts on the tombs of Saqqara were of interest to her initially, and she returned there often, never failing to make a quick trip to the Kings Chamber at Giza on her way. On her subsequent visits, Sarah formed lasting friendships with the locals from Cairo to Aswan, who warmly welcomed her into their homes during her extended stays.
However, it was during her discovery of the temples of Abydos and Dendera that Sarah felt an inexplicable sense of belonging. Abydos, in particular, resonated with her, drawing her into the intriguing tales of Omm Sety. Sarah sought out those who had known Omm Sety in her lifetime—having died in 1981—and spent countless hours with them, absorbing everything they could recall about the reincarnated priestess of Isis and what knowledge she had passed on about ancient Egypt.
She had read countless books and attended lectures about these ancient symbols, and honestly, she was not very far on the road of understanding the symbols. The explanations and theories she had listened to just did not seem to make that much sense. The translations were stilted and appeared superficial. She wondered how the ancient Egyptians, who had constructed magnificent temples were putting seemingly uninteresting inscriptions on these wonderous constructs. But then, she came across one peculiar theory that captured her imagination.
The theory was that the Egyptian hieroglyphs could not be properly interpreted, taking them symbol by symbol. Rather, it is the collection of symbols and their relationship to each other, as well as the context of the surrounding images combined with the religious beliefs taken as a whole, that conveys the deeper message to the observer.
Sarah decided to dig deeper into this theory. She embarked on a quest to find experts who held this understanding. Along her journey, she came across a college professor, a wise old scholar who had spent a lifetime studying the secrets of hieroglyphs. He shared his knowledge with Sarah, explaining how hieroglyphs were not just standalone symbols but pieces of a larger puzzle. “More than that,” he continued, “it requires them to be spoken aloud as it is also the vibration of the symbols when spoken that makes for true interpretation in the mind of the reader.”
Sarah was intrigued. She began attending lectures and workshops led by the professor, where she attempted to speak the ancient symbols with reverence and precision.
But there was one final piece of the puzzle that Sarah sought to uncover, she needed to find out if it was possible to hear the ancient language anywhere at all in Egypt in the modern day— It was said that the Coptic Christians of Egypt, in their sacred church ceremonies, preserved the echoes of the past.
With newfound determination, Sarah attended many Coptic Christian services at various monasteries, always searching for the oldest priests. She listened attentively to the melodic chants and prayers, feeling the vibrations of the ancient language resonate deep within her. While the priests were not chanting ancient hieroglyphs off a temple wall, Sarah realized intuitively that their language was closely connected to the ancient language of the pharaohs and priests. Putting what she heard in the coptic services into practice and combining it with everything she already knew, Sarah’s visits to the temples now took on a new meaning, new voyages of discovery. As she uttered the words in the ancient language, she felt a connection to a world long gone but not forgotten.
It was in those moments that Sarah realized that her journey had come full circle. She understood that deciphering hieroglyphs was not just an intellectual pursuit but a spiritual one. It was also about bridging the gap between the past and the present, about connecting with the souls of those who had once walked the banks of the Nile and understanding the teachings they left for us.
Regrettably, Sara’s quest was abruptly halted by the events of 2011 in Egypt, coupled with family obligations in America. Sadly, this interruption denied us the opportunity to inherit her newfound knowledge, understanding, and interpretations, because Sarah never returned. Nobody has heard from her, nor does anyone know where she is. Perhaps, one day we will see her again and she will pass on her understandings of the hieroglyphs to us.