1.

According to the version of Egyptian creation found in Fiona Passantino's video on Youtube how
were the earth and the universe created? How and why were people created? What is the
importance of Ma'at in this story?

Atum willed himself into existence out of Nu, the dark swirling chaos that existed before time. Atum
joined with his shadow to produce a Son, Shu, god of the air, and daughter, Tefnut, goddess of mist and
moisture. Atum tasked them with separating the chaos into the principles of law, order, and stability.
This order was known as Ma’at, which formed the principles of life. Shu and Tefnut produced Geb, the
earth, and Nut, the sky. Shu pushed Nut into the heavens to allow them to perform their functions. Nut
produced rain which Geb used to make things grow on earth. Before the chaos of the universe was fully
separated into the order of Ma’at, Shu and Tefnut got lost in the waters of Nu. Atum sent his all-seeing
eye into the chaos to find them. Upon their safe return Atum cried tears of joy upon the earth. These
tears became the first people. These people were created to uphold the order of Ma’at while honoring
and worshiping the gods. Ma’at is important in this story because it establishes as principle of truth and
order that are to be upheld by the people of earth, a standard to rule and live by that is inherently
important to sustain human life. (word count 210)

2. According to Hathor's Rage, found in Additional Course Materials, why and how did sickness and
death come into the world? Why would it be important for ancient Egyptians to have an
explanation for these life events? How were both humans and Hathor disrupting Ma'at? How
did Ra restore order?

Sickness and death were introduced as a result of the treachery of man. Mankind plotted to seize the
throne of Re, aware of their treachery, He summoned Hathor, the Eye of Re, to destroy them. The Eye of
Rye found and killed the traitors and began killing all people in villiages and towns until the sun set. Re
felt compassion for his people who were being slaughtered but could not control his daughter’s rage. To
save his subjects, he had them mix beer with red clay and pour it into the fields to resemble a pool of
blood. When Hathor returned to Egypt she drank the pool and became drunk and tired, forgetting her
blood lust and return to Re to sleep. When she awake, hungover, Re asked her if she felt ill. As he spoke
the words sickness came to the people of Egypt. It is important to establish why sickness existed for the
people of Egypt because if they worshipped the gods and served the order of Ma’at, the gods were to
protect the people. Sickness had to be a result of the folly of man and not a failure of their gods.
Human’s disputed the balance and justice of Ma’at by plotting to steal the throne of Re, while Hathor
did the same by trying to kill all humans, leaving no subjects for Re to rule. (word count 229)

3. Look at the Negative Confession and briefly describe how it also contains examples of Ma'at.
Why would you want to tell your judges in the afterlife what you had not done?

In contrast to the idea that fallible people must confess their sins to be absolved, the idea of Ma’at
requires people to maintain the principles of truth, justice, and stability. As Ma’at represents purity and
the balance of light and dark, Egyptians would want to justify that they upheld these ideals to the Gods
when passing to the afterlife. The passage states that “in truth I have come to thee. I have brought Truth
to thee. I have destroyed wickedness for thee.” Just as removing wickedness from the world upholds
Ma’at, not committing offenses to the gods also represents honoring the principles of Ma’at. This
confession was written for the Ma’at, goddess of Truth, and presented to Osiris to assess whether the
departed upheld Ma’at and were worthy of a graceful entry into the afterlife. As they believed in life
eternal, a peaceful entry into the afterlife also meant their soul would be born again, thus
demonstrating the importance of proving their worthiness to the gods on their journey to the afterlife.
(word count 172)

How does the brief Hymn to Osiris also an example of the belief in Ma’at?

Ma’at represents cosmic order and balance, which the Egyptians are to maintain by honoring and
worshiping the gods. Beginning with Osiris’s death itself. The belief of Ma’at is emulated in myth of
Osiris’s death and resurrection to be made an immortal god of the underworld. He lived a noble live in
honor of the gods and was murdered. His wife provided a proper burial and balance was restored
through is resurrection and life eternal. The Hymn of Osiris states that “the Nile appears out of the
sweat of your two hands.” As an agricultural society, they are reliant on the Nile so sustain their crops. It
continues to reference that “through your [Osiris] nostrils subsist the flowers, the herbage, the reeds,
the barley, the wheat, and the plants whereon men live.” As the Nile sustains the Egyptians lives, and
the Nile is sourced from Osiris, the Egyptians praise Osiris to maintain the cosmic balance and appease
the gods. (word count 158)