Ramses II and “Tree of Life”

by

 

Damien F. Mackey

 

 

 

  

“On the western wall is a scene depicting Ramesses II getting his name recorded on the tree of life by the God Thoth and the Goddess Seshat, to ensure a long, everlasting life”.

 

 

 

 

Not surprisingly, if Ashurbanipal were Nebuchednezzar as I have been suggesting, then ‘the king as a sheltering Tree of Life’, an image from the Book of Daniel (4:20-22):

 

 

‘The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth’,

 

can be found as a description of Ashurbanipal, he being like a ‘cosmic tree’.

See my article:

 

Ashurbanipal, Manasseh, Necho I-II, Nebuchednezzar. Part Two (ii): Ashurbanipal as Nebuchednezzar, "Cosmic Tree"

 

https://www.academia.edu/40505475/Ashurbanipal_Manasseh_Necho_I-II_Nebuchednezzar._Part_Two_ii_Ashurbanipal_as_Nebuchednezzar_Cosmic_Tree_?email_work_card=view-paper

 

Ramses II in Tree of Life

 

Now one finds also that pharaoh Ramses II, who I believe to have been a contemporary of this era – a view pioneered by Dr. Immanuel Velikovsky (though I do not necessarily accept Velikovsky’s equation of Ramses with Necho) – was indeed associated with the Tree of Life.

For example: http://www.landofpyramids.org/tree-of-life.htm

....

 

The Tree of Life

Picture of the Tree of Life

The picture of the Tree of Life depicts a scene from the tomb of Ramses II in which his name is recorded and inscribed on the leaves of the tree of life

• The ever youthful figure pictured in the Tree of Life is the Pharaoh Ramses II, depicted with his symbols of kingship: crown, flail and scepter


• The figure to the left is the ibis headed god Thoth who was the god of wisdom, magic, and the measurement, and regulation, of events, and of time. He was the secretary of  the sun god Ra and scribe of the Underworld and inscribed the name of the Pharoah on the Tree of Life


• The first god on the right of the picture is Ptah, the lord of truth and master of justice who was present at the ceremony of justification in the Hall of the Two Truths
  The goddess on the right of the picture is Tefnut, the lion headed goddess of water, is often depicted on the coffins of the deceased pouring drink from a pitcher, to sustain the souls journeying through the Underworld. She was also one of the 42 judges present at the ceremony of justification
   
   
  And again, we read at: https://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ramesseum.html
   

.... The Ramesseum houses a Hypostyle hall which is a grand interior space where pillars and columns hold up the roof. Presently, 29 columns still stand in the Ramesseum’s Hypostyle hall. To allow in light, the middle columns are shorter than the outer edge columns. It also featured traceried windows. Depicted on the columns are additional scenes of the Battle of Kadesh.

 

© Daniel & Kate - Ramesseum Hypostyle Hall Columns

 

Two rows of Osiris columns represent Ramesses II in the second courtyard, where the best preserved statues can be found. This courtyard is in far better condition than the first. Situated to the south of this second courtyard is a second but smaller Hypostyle hall that at one time boasted eight papyrus-bud columns. Also called the Astronomy Hall, the very first 12-month calendar is illustrated here. On the western wall is a scene depicting Ramesses II getting his name recorded on the tree of life by the God Thoth and the Goddess Seshat, to ensure a long, everlasting life. ....