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THEBES: A REFLECTION OF THE SKY ON THE PHARAON'S EARTH

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The aim of this study is to show that the Egyptians have traced on the theban soil to the east of the Nile a huge representation of the Aries constellation, the axes of which have determined the building sites. It is, therefore, a proceeding, which, at the start, looks very much like that adopted by Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert in their study of the site of Gizeh (The Orion mystery). Nevertheless, the hypotheses which are to be found in this WEB page are -except explicit mentions- stricly personal.

Used technique: after choosing the fitting scale, the map of the Aries (Ram) constellation is printed on a tracing paper. This is then turned over to give the image that could be seen if the sky was observed in a mirror or in water (here, the reflection of the sky is truly concerned). This turned over picture is then super-printed over the map of the site of Thebes.

In these diagrams, the buildings are represented in green. Red is the colour of the projection of Aries (ARI) and blue shows the prolongations of the dromos (processional avenues).

We can see that the sacred buildings of Karnak and Louxor have been implanted on a projection of the Aries constellation. The star Sheratan (beta) corresponds to the ancient sanctuary of the Great Temple of Amun in Karnak. The star Hamal (alpha) is placed on the Temple of Mut. Finally, the star 41 is situated on the Temple of Luxor. Moreover, it can be noticed that the dromos linking Luxor to Karnak corresponds to the axis 41-beta. In the same way, the dromos linking the Amun Temple Enclosure to that of Mut superposes itself to the axis gamma-alpha.

However, the Montu Temple Enclosure and the projection of gamma Ari (Mesarthim) require further explanations

The constellation of Aries (Ram) probably drew the Egyptian's attention for the following reasons:

1. On the passage from the third to the second millenary, the zodiacal zone concerned was that where the vernal point was situated. It can be useful to remind people that, in the Antiquity, the cluster of Pleiades probably meant the limit of this area. The vernal point, drawn by the movement of precession, went over this limit in about 2200 BC.
2. In the beginning of the second millenary, in Thebes, Beta of Aries (Sheratan) was at its highest at the time of the rise of Sirius which has always been the most observed star in Egypt. I will speak about it later in a more detailed way.
3. If you watch the sky placing Aries in the center of the stars fields, you realize that the star Sheratan was, at the time, part of a remarkable geometrical figure which included Sirius and the north pole of the ecliptic (the proper motion of Sirius has gradually changed its proportions since then).

One more problem must still be solved: is the orientation of the projection of Aries Constellation in relation to the Theban meridian fortuitous or not? I'm going to try to show that this orientation is the result of a learned geometrical figure in relation to the figure that has been studied hereabove.

Let's begin with the following drawing: red is the colour of the meridian which goes over the ancient sanctuary of Karnak (Sheratan) It is also the colour of the parallel crossing the nothern part of the temple of Luxor (41 ARI).
C is the intersection of the meridian and the axis of the Dromos of Mut (the axis going through Hamal and Mesarthim).

The triangle ACE is remarkable because the ratio AC/AE equals 1.6 .
This ratio is very near the Golden Ratio (1.618) and virtually equals that measured on the celestial vault within the remarkable geometrical figure described earlier, which includes, together with the pole of the ecliptic, Sheratan et Sirius. I shall give further explanation later about the fact that Sirius as well as Sheratan plays an important part on the site of Thebes.
The angle CÂE equals therefore 51.3 degrees { arcosinus(1/1.6) }. As a consequence, this angle is very near the declivity (51.8°) of the pyramid of Khéops.
Moreover, the complementary angle (128.7°) corresponds to the angular distance between Sirius and the north ecliptic pole (I'll show later that this angle of 128.7° is connected to Sirius on the Theban soil).

The diagram of the constellation, together with the whole of the architectural alignment in Thebes, have probably been oriented in relation to the meridian on purpose.
In what follows the "triangle phi" will stand for a triangle the proportion of which are ruled by the golden section. In the same way, I'll call "angle phi" the 51.8° angle determined by this triangle.

The diagram also shows an alignment which, as Gerald Hawkins has shown, stands out in an accurate way. It concerns here the big axis of the Temple of Amun which is oriented to the sunrise at the winter solstice. According to me, this alignment brings two problems :

• Why has a temple the entrance is to the West been oriented to the East?
  About this subject, it seemed interesting to me to quote Aufrère, Golvin and Goyon who, in "l'Egypte restituée", describe the original edifice build in -1950: " this edifice, erected in fine Toura and Ma'sara limestone, had the aspect of a square building adorned by an inner yard with peristyle. After crossing the large yard in front of it, you could enter it, to the west, through a portico adorned with osiriac colossi..."
  Moreover, it should be noticed that most of the temples in Eastern Thebes don't open on the Nile. It seems nothing compelled the successive builders of the Temple of Amun to create and keep a western entrance.
• Why should the winter solstice be brought out when the Egyptians were concerned with the summer one?
  Let's remember that the beginning of the flood of the Nile ( the " Green Nile " ) could be seen at the summer solstice. This was to play an important part, first in the lives of the fields, then in the religious and administrative domains.

• A fictive temple of Amun open to the east and oriented to the sunrise at the summer solstice.
• A terrestrial Aries II (axes CG et DB), the exact replica of the celestial Aries ( a replica which has not been overturned) .
• The triangle ACB, whose proportions are those of the Gizeh great pyramid.
  It seems useful to remind the reader about a fact : the Theban ground is dominated by an impressive pyramid-shaped mountain (the Theban Peak) at the foot of which the necropolis lies.

Now, it is possible to show that the star Sirius, here and elsewhere, has played an important part in the elaboration of the general structure of the site.

First, I may need to remind you that the heliacal rising of Sirius took place at the time near the summer solstice. Let's then remember that, at the edge between the third to the second millenary, Sirius used to rise at the time when Sheratan passed at the meridian .
So an observer, placed at the point C in a somewhat raised position and oriented to the south, could watch Sirius rise ( azimuth 112 in 1950 BC) above the counterforts of the Arabic Mountain Range and realize that Sheratan at the meridian held the same position in the sky as at its feet (point D).

He could also determine the portion of S area of the counterforts which was crossed by the aiming line of Sirius.
This area is also crossed by the Luxor parallel (AB).
Moreover, as you certainly knows, the angle CBS (128.7°) indicates the angular distance between Sirius and the north ecliptic pole in the beginning of the second millenary. This polar distance, which is only affected by the proper motion of the star, is like its "signature" during the few centuries preceeding or following the turning of the millenary.
So it is most likely that the extension in latitude of the site (almost two kilometers) should be linked to the observation of the rising of Sirius.

As a conclusion, I'll quote the text by Hermes Trimegiste to Asclepius, an extract from the Corpus Hermeticum by A.J. Festugière and quoted by Schwaller de Lubicz in Her-Bak "Pois Chiche" : " Don't you know, ô Asclepius, that Egypt is the copy of the sky, or, to express it better, the place where every movement ordered by the celestial forces are tranferred and projected? "

Commentaries? Suggestions?

Please, e-mail to : jean.pierre.lacroix@skynet.be