The painting of “Apophis” “Apep”, symbol of evil in the other world’s books in ancient Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Faculty of Education King Faisal University

Abstract

The Ancient Egyptians tried to find reasons for the chaos in the universe, which didn’t stop at wild or harmful animals and venomous reptiles, but skipped it and looked at the natural disasters like storms and earthquakes and volcanoes. And the priests gave explanations for the things which faced them. These explanations evolved from just transient thoughts, to be a basic thing in the ancient Egyptian. And for fighting evilness that was an outcome of it another political dimension. As it was took as an enough reason for the importance to look at the authority and providing all kinds of support to it to face the people against the regime, calling them “evils”. Every morning was considered as a new start in renewing the allegiance between the Egyptians and the ruling king the representative of the “God of the Sun” “Ra”, which was able to pass the obstacles which was put by the snake “Apophis” “Apep”, the devil of the other world. And that with a support of "Heliopolis” and the God “Set” at the front which was known as the only symbol of evilness according to the ancient story of “Isis and Osoris”, but he didn’t save any effort for supporting the “God of the Sun” in his fight against the Snake which had many forms and structures. Starting for the first time as a turtle, sometimes a crocodile, or a scary monster, he also changes structure from one snake to another according to every stage of the fight.
And this research cares about tracking “Apophis” historically in ancient Egypt, either on papyrus or as wall drawings. And this is through analytical analysis for these works, which explains the stages of fight between “Apep” from a side and “The God of the Sun” “Ra” and his helpers from another side, so that “Ra” would be able to control and destroy him so that the sun would be able to rise again starting a new day. While “Apophis” would stay waiting at his other side of the world. Waiting for the boat of the Sun starting a new forever fight.

Keywords

References

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مجلة العمارة و الفنون و العلوم الإنسانية
Volume 4, Issue 17
September and October 2019
Pages 422-442

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