CHAPTER 7

The New Kingdom
1306 B.C. to 806 B.C.

Please pardon any verbacious tendencies and bear with me now, for this period covers not only my own lifetime on earth, but yet another period in human history that is subject to much controversy.

Until recently, historians have been completely abashed at the thought
of denying the accuracy of the Bible, no doubt fearing the tremendous
power and wealth of the established churches. In modern times, however,
science has come to the aid of the historian, and theologians themselves
are endeavouring to rewrite and erase certain biblical texts to make the
context more coherent to the thinking mind.

Historians, less anxious over the possibility of retribution, are
speaking out more and more. I, having been both theologian and
historian, now beyond the reach of both, need have no compunction in
stating the facts.

First, mankind has consistently referred to "Acts of God" when
tabulating natural disasters, a handy "out" for insurance companies, but
quite inaccurate. We on the other side are fully aware of the Mind of
Deity, and know that natural disasters and happenings such as recorded
by the Israelites are natural dis-turbances, often the outcome of human
folly, or figments of the imagination based on ignorance and governed by
emotion. Man always wishes to classify the inexplicable and, in the
final analysis, the term "Acts of God" covers a multitude of events.

A small truth, twisted and magnified, gains credence as it passes into
antiquity. Even an untruth, if repeated often enough over a sufficient
period of time, will gain acceptance.

The New Kingdom has been accepted by all authorities to have covered a
period of four hundred ninety years. Thebes was the capital of Upper
Egypt and Auris the capital of Lower Egypt at this time.

Amu governed Lower Egypt for 400 years, unconcerned with the God, Ra,
or any remnants of the early history of their ancestors. They brought
with them a half-hearted form of religion which represented neither
their native customs nor any true form of new religion. Instead, the Amu
maintained a benevolent attitude to any forms of worship which did not
interfere with their political structure.

Although in the early days of their invasion of Lower Egypt, many
temple secrets fell into Amu hands, they lacked an appreciation of
cultural wealth. It was much like casting pearls before swine. A whole
religion, based on closely guarded secrets of mysticism, seemed only to
confuse the ungracious Amu, who, like men today, choose scorn to excuse
their ignorance. Temples were allowed to fall into ruins and an
atheistic attitude prevailed.

In Upper Egypt conditions were quite different. The God, Ra, continued
to reign supreme. New temples rose under the direction of Pharaohs
governed by the hierarchy of the church. Plans were laid carefully,
never hastily, in the belief that the right time would come for
conquest, no matter how many lifetimes passed in the interim.

Gravely weakened by the earlier disaster, the hierarchy recognized that
generations of time were needed to build numerical strength, national
pride, and mental education to complete the work ahead.

It took seven generations of endeavour to reunite Egypt. I, Keph-A-Ra,
lived during this epoch-making era and actually participated in the
reunification of my country.

Little need be said of the early Pharaohs; they were the cultural
caretakers. During this four-hundred-year period several advances were
made. The high priests were never idle, and exploration was done in the
fields of medicine, astronomy and writing.

Not until the reign of Ahmose I was the presence of a Pharaoh felt by
the Amu, who, after a century of rule, were now known as the Hyksos.
Easy living was having a relaxing effect on Lower Egypt, proving the
wisdom of priestly strategy which had counted on time as an ally.

Ahmose I was followed by Thutmose I, whose son Ahmose II was succeeded
by Thutmose II, who became the father of my beloved Hatshepsut, known
also as Mat-A-Ra. She was followed, yet reigned in conjunction with my
Lord, Thutmose III, known too as Swsk Shishak during his lifetime.

Because Thutmose III officially reigned in conjunction with his sister
he could not, during her lifetime, become a true oracle of the God Ra.
This subtle difference did not rankle with Thutmose because of his early
education by the priests. He was raised to fulfill a greater destiny
outside of the Church, as long-range plans were at last set in motion.

Of the three, she, he and I, were the only ones aware that we were
three vital pawns in the game of life -- that was myself.

The name Keph-A-Ra is significant in that it indicates that I was a
scribe of high rank in the temple hierarchy. The rank was sufficiently
exalted that I was the Chief Scribe of Upper Egypt and was later
accorded, partly through circumstances, the honour of becoming the first
private priest to the Pharaohs of Egypt.

By accident of birth, as the third male child of a wealthy princess, I
was almost automatically destined for temple life. My parents followed
custom by giving me into the care of the priests at a very tender age.

My first "school" companion was another young lad, two years my junior,
who was later destined to become one of Egypt's greastest Pharaohs,
Thutmose III. We studied, played, ate and slept together. We were often
honoured by a secret visit from Thutmose's full sister, Hatshepsut --
part of the plan which bound our three lives together.

When I was twelve years old, Hatshepsut, already past her seventeenth
birthday, was becoming somewhat of a problem to both her father Thutmose
II and the temple. It was becoming increasingly necessary to quell the
rising clamour of the population who, understandably, wanted to see
their designated future ruler. Thutmose II was suffering a long
crippling illness which afforded temple priests the necessary
opportunity to maintain the carefully built-up mysticism of the Pharaoh
intact.

A double phenomenon of Hatshepsut's birth had until now made the
priests reluctant to release her to public view. This reluctance was
shared by her father, for his child had been born with a club foot. The
fact that she had been born androgynous presented no problem -- indeed,
had this not been the case, there would have been no possibility of her
ruling Egypt, and Thutmose III would have automatically been introduced
as the next incarnation. Hatshepsut's duality of sex fitted very well
into the reincarnation of a god theory.

To avoid possible controversy, and to satisfy the people, Thutmose II's
illness was used as a sufficient excuse to set a precedent, and was
later used as a reason for similar action. Hatshepsut was raised to the
status of Queen during her father's lifetime and presented publicly as a
reincarnation that embodied in one person both Osiris and Isis, male and
female. This action neatly bypassed the necessity for marriage and
permitted Hatshepsut to break all conventional rules by appearing
publicly in the dress of either sex.

Custom dictated that the Pharaoh and the leading lady of the land set
the fashions in clothing for men and women. Only the priests had special
dispensation to dress as they pleased. At this time the styles were
similar for both sexes, but the dress or skirt for women was knee
length; thigh length for men.

To celebrate her ascension to the throne, Queen Hatshepsut was advised
that all the princes of the temple, and the princes of the land with
their ladies, would be presented at court.
Faced with the problem of concealing her club foot, a closely guarded
secret known to only a handful of confidants. Hatshepsut felt that her
secret must be preserved at all costs.

When all the nobility of Egypt had gathered in the outer hall of the
temple, each courtier resplendent in the very latest of costumes and
bedecked with jewels, anticipation ran high. The ladies fully expected
that their new Queen would appear displaying some subtle change of
style, perhaps a slight turn of the hemline, a bodice, sleeve or
neckline, apparent only to the eager eyes of the feminine connoisseur.
Any such item would be sufficient to send these wealthy ladies scurrying
to their seamstresses to prevent their ever being disgraced by appearing
in such old-fashioned styles as those they presently wore.

As the climactic moment approached, tension ran high. Suddenly the
drapes parted and their Queen swept into view. The assembled company,
too respectful to gasp, stood stunned as, with head held high, one hand
resting on the forearm of the temple's highest authority, Hatshepsut
walked towards the throne.

Probably history has never witnessed such an assembly of nobility with
faces so expressive of astonishment, for the Queen was wearing a one
piece dress which reached down to the floor so that just a hint of toes
could be seen as she stepped forward. The dress was sleeveless with
quite a high neckline for the times. It was caught at the waist by a
jewelled belt which held the upper portion in flowing fullness.

Too well-rehearsed in court etiquette to betray any emotion, a long
moment of silence reigned. Thutmose and I, from our secret hiding place
behind the drapes saw Hatshepsut smile as her fright turned to mastery
of the situation. Now and forever she would be a ruler in every respect.
The silence was more effective than applause. By the very boldness of
her step she had conquered the hearts of all. She knew that within the
hour her court would be emptied and the ladies would head frantically
for their couturiers in an endeavour to cover what they now considered
their nakedness.

B.C. 982--B.C. 972

During these years the greater part of my time was spent in studies,
primarily in the field of scribe, Much time was also spent in learning
the secrets of the temple, its procedures, dogmas, history, and
receiving indoctrination into its ambitions with emphasis on the fact
that time was irrelevant to the goal. The goal was reunification of
Egypt.

To help achieve this goal, the temple hierarchy trained and placed a
willing tool, myself, in a position of trusted adviser to the central
figure in their plan. Thus did Hatshepsut, Queen of Upper Egypt, acting
on advice, plan a state visit to Solomon, King of the Israelites.

By this time the Israelites had risen to a position of power and
prominence. Solomon's realm was eyed with a covetousness not untinged by
thoughts of revenge. The superstition had been handed on by past priests
of Egypt that the whole blame for the Amu invasion and the catastrophes
of earlier times were due to a curse connected with the Israelite
Exodus.

One further detail in the plan was to raise Thutmose III to the estate
of Pharaoh. Hatshepsut's ascension to the throne had already set a
precedent for this procedure. A co-ruler of Upper Egypt in Hatshepsut's
absence was essential, as her contemplated journey would be long and
fraught with much danger.

To have planned such a journey for a normal woman was unthinkable. But
for a goddess, incarnated as both man and woman, anything was possible.
As the royal priest-scribe and confidant of the Queen, I was in charge
of the operation. A whole ship was outfitted at my bidding to carry the
lesser scribe-priests. Our task had been outlined in great detail by my
superiors, and because of the long-established church rules, the task
was made easier.

On all expeditions, whether peaceful or warlike, scribes were given an
honoured place. Their duty was to keep accurate records of events,
giving particular attention to all the spoils or gifts obtained, however
or by whomsoever, that the church might obtain its full share of the
bounty.

Some may have wondered why, on this occasion of peaceful intent, such a
large number of priests was to be part of the company. Little was known
of the more confidential part of their duties which was to spread
throughout Solomon's land and to report on the conditions they found.

Again, there has since been some speculation as to why Queen Hatshepsut
risked a sea voyage in preference to an overland caravan, especially
since this method of travel necessitated a considerable land journey to
reach the final destination. This choice was made because the greater
part of the overland route was still dominated by the hostile Amu, who
would never have let such a rich entourage escape the delta unmolested,
for we carried many treasures and gifts as peace offerings for Solomon.

The extant inscription, ordered by Queen Hatshepsut, was done in the
year immediately following the reunification of Upper and Lower Egypt
and after the Queen had returned from her journey: "The abode of the
Mistress of Oes was fallen in ruin. The Earth has swallowed up her
beautiful sanctuary and children played over her temple ... I cleared
and rebuilt it anew ... I restored that which was in ruins and I
completed that which was left unfinished. For there had been Amu in the
midst of the delta and in Hanar (Auris) and the foreign hordes of their
number had destroyed the ancient works; they reigned ignorant of the God
Ra." It adds historical evidence to the dangers of overland travel.

Egyptian tradition decreed that Pharaohs were the sons of virgins made
pregnant by the God, Ra, after first receiving warning by a holy
spirit, messenger of the god, to prepare themselves for the forthcoming
event. This tradition, originated in Atlantis, later found favour in
many of the ancient religions. The Buddha's mother, Maya, was a virgin
Queen who was overshadowed by Shing-Shin, the holy spirit.

In ancient Peruvian civilization, myth held that the high priest was
always born of a virgin mother, which gave him the right to head the
church. The story then is neither exclusive to nor surprising when
attached to the Christian tradition.

During these early years Queen Hatshepsut had much to contend with, as
her inclinations pulled her first one way and then another. Though
declared female by her father, she still had to struggle with strong
masculine tendencies which dominated her personality during middle life.
Her later years, however, were ones of great peace when the beauty of
womanhood definitely shone through to soften her character.

I believe that our journeyings, and the long talks which she with
Solomon, helped greatly to bring her wisdom and peace. Solomon
undoubtedly influenced her thinking, not that she ever swerved in the
allegiance to Ra, but her prayers held more meaning. It was as though
her early life and thinking had been welded by superstition and
tradition. The simplicity of Solomon's belief in a monotheistic deity,
which eliminated the need for major and minor observances to demi-gods,
seemed to awaken recognition in Hatshepsut. That Solomon called his God
Yaweh and she Ra was irrelevant.

I came to know this woman more than any ordinary man could know her,
for I was her priest, her confessor, her friend and adviser, almost a
mother and father, always there to sympathize, to suggest, or cajole, as
the case might be. Our emotional bond was complete.

I was the only human being close enough to share all her confidences,
as well as the secrets of the monarchy and the church. She looked to me
and I gave her all that she asked, for our souls were in sympathy. She
was a beautiful woman with a mind of her own, forceful in her demands,
firm in rulership. Yet after her journeyings there came about a subtle
humility and deeper appreciation of beauty which was hard to define. It
was best expressed in her building of a model of King Solomon's temple.

While our extended visit at King Solomon's palace was pleasant and
entertaining, I never forgot the deeper meaning of my presence. Armed
with safe conducts under the King's seal, my priests roamed the length
and breadth of his dominion gathering data on conditions, armed forces,
towns, villages and defences. No prospective invaders ever gathered more
intimate knowledge of conditions.

Meanwhile, at the palace, intrigue followed intrigue. Rumours were
started which spread like wildfire throughout the harem. After all, the
young, almost boyish Egyptian priest of such high rank was so cultured,
so easy to talk to. Our combined labours bore fruit as history can
testify.

Historians like to suggest a union between Queen Hatshepsut and King
Solomon. This was never so and would have been physically impossible on
her part. If these rumours are based on biblical interpretation, a
greater error is involved, for Hatshepsut was not a dark-skinned person
and was never at any time known as the Queen of Sheba. We can only say
that later historians were confused. The supposed "daughter of the
Pharaoh of Egypt" mentioned was in fact Balcus, a daughter of the last
ruler of the Amu who reigned in the Delta of the Nile -- a dark-skinned
woman like many of Solomon's wives. Certainly neither Solomon nor
Hatshepsut needed to worry about forming an alliance to protect their
borders one against the other.

In the Delta a quite different situation existed. Solomon's border was
open to attack from the Amu, while they, in turn, feared Solomon's
strength. Balcus was like a sacrificial lamb who entered Solomon's harem
as a link, or peace hostage, between the two countries. After Solomon's
death the smouldering hostility erupted to the extent that all the
foreign ladies in his harem were sent back to their native lands. In
Balcus' case this was Ethiopia where a new kingdom was established.

Our return from Israel was hailed with great pomp and celebration. It
marked the climax of four years of adventuring and the longest voyage
ever undertaken by Egyptians upon the inland sea.

Each gift from Solomon was examined individually, evaluated, tabulated,
and checked against the inventory in my safekeeping. The journey was
considered a great success, and the high esteem in which Solomon held
Hatshepsut was carefully measured against the value of the gifts he
bestowed.

To assess their worth we, the priesthood, first deducted the value of
the gifts we had taken, and the remaining value represented the excess,
or profit, gained. Solomon's gifts were then divided into three parts.
The first part was a tribute to the gods; the remaining two parts were
then added together as one, then again divided into three. Two of these
three portions were given to the royal treasury, and the third was
divided among the noble lords and ladies who attended the Queen.

That part which was tribute to the gods had one-twentieth part
extracted from it which was secretly given to my parents. A second
twentieth part was extracted and divided among the parents of the
remaining priests who had assisted me on the journey. The parents would
be expected to donate one-tenth part of the amount received back to the
temple.

In this way the temple received one-third of the whole expedition
bounty. They then gave away ten per cent and received back one per cent.
One of the most important duties of any scribe-priest was to keep a
detailed and accurate count of spoils. By continuously circulating among
the men of the expedition, the smallest gain by any individual soon
became known and tabulated. The chief scribe correlated the whole
through the services of his personal attendants and passed his report on
the church collectors who demanded and received the stipulated tithe.

After her return, Queen Hatshepsut never again took over the reigns of
government. Deep aesthetic qualities seemed to grow within her, and these
were manifested in her architectural enterprises.

Mine had not been an easy task during the past four years of close
association. On no two days running did I know with whom my daily duties
would lie -- male or female. But we had been most companionable and she
entrusted me with all her confidences, giving me deep insight into the
battle that raged constantly within her breast. I loved her, while at
the same time pitying her duality of sex. On our return, she seemed even
more ravaged with emotion. The keen logic of her brilliant mind pointed
to the stability of a monotheistic God - one seemingly more abstract
than real.

New vistas seemed to open before her eyes almost daily as the beauties
of nature became increasingly apparent. Solomon's God appealed to her
feminine instincts. Often she would place her hand on my arm in a
womanly gesture, while drawing my attention to some particularly lovely
scene. I was forced to admit that seeing these things through her eyes
stirred faint doubts in my mind -- doubts about the deities -- doubts I
dared not permit to linger, for mine was a grave responsibility. My god
was, of course, the temple and its traditions. No God could ever be
allowed to come between us, and all that I had sworn to uphold.

Hatshepsut, externally at least, was never converted, nor did she try
or even desire to convert me. Nevertheless, her head was filled with
doubts; centuries of preconceived ideas were being shifted around and
the Queen needed someone to whom she could talk with. As our ship made
its long journey home our nightly discussions had been bittersweet.
Sometimes I longed for the end of the trip, yet feared separation, as on
our return the orderliness of daily living would soon force us to drift
apart from the intimacy we then enjoyed.

My mind's eye observed all this with the freshness of youth. Unable to
accept on faith alone, I saw, too, the seeming errors of the temple
elders -- but no questions or doubts could ever pass my lips. As a
result, the cynicism of my priestly brethren prevailed externally, and
only with Hatshepsut could a measure of peace be obtained. Her lips could
express my innermost thoughts as together we became more and more
attuned to this new concept of one God.

King Thutmose III, now primed and prepared to fulfill his part in the
plan, began to initiate his campaign of conquest. In his training, given
by two masters of intrigue, Zek-A-Ra and Seneb-A-Ra, keepers of the
secrets of the snake, which included the Book of Life, Thutmose learned
of the weakness of excessive living practiced by the kings of the Delta.
Through the long tentacles of church and temple, the high priests had
maintained a continuous liaison. Now that Mak-A-Ra had returned, they
were able to correlate the reports of many priestly spies and make
detailed plans.

There was a man in Upper Egypt who had fled from the Israelite, David.
He had arrived by way of the Red sea and had been given sanctuary by the
high priests who were already formulating their plans. This man, Hadad
by name, had a son Genubath, who was raised in the temple for later use
as a prince of the conquered lands.

The first conquests of Thutmose III, now given the title of Pharaoh,
were in the Delta, and Lower Egypt quickly came under his rule. Egypt
was at last reunited. Shi-Shak, ruler of the Delta, and all his family
were slain before Thutmose arrived, and in return for this service,
Thutmose granted amnesty and unmolested travel privileges to anyone who
wished to leave Lower Egypt provided they used the east bank of the Red
Sea as an escape route.

This left them no other alternative than to return to whence their
ancestors had lived 400 years earlier.

Once the reunification of Egypt under a single ruler was consolidated,
Egypt could muster a considerable army. Word arrived telling of a split
between Solomon's people. Two divided factions under the leadership of
Rehoboam and Jeroboam was reported. The time for invasion and conquest
was ripe. II Chronicles 12:15: "Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and
last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of
Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between
Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually."

The story of Thutmose III's invasion and conquest of Palestine is
described almost identically in the Book of Kings and Chronicles, and in
the annals of Thutmose III. The only difference between the two accounts
is the biblical error of using the name Shi-Shak (Swak) for the invading
Pharaoh. This probably arose from the fact that few in later years
realized the division of Egypt, and neighbour Swak was the better known,
being the father of Solomon's wife Balcus. Swak's downfall had been
rapidly followed by the invasion of Palestine and one Egyptian ruler
seemed much the same as another. Thutmose III's holy name was Menk-A-Ra.

Relying heavily upon their prophets who had come into considerable
prominence, Rehoboam and his lords chose not to fight the invader, and
all cities, towns and fortresses were open to the Egyptians.

On such major expeditions it was the custom for the King's Scribe to
participate. No matter how great a warrior the King might be, he was
still primarily the holy head of the church. Being so, he could not
permit a single day to pass without due ceremonies to Ra, which began
each day at dawn.

A major result of Queen Hatshepsut's visit to Israel culminated in her
desire to emulate the glory of Solomon's temple and its gardens. To this
end, and after her brother's conquest of Palestine, a regular flotilla
of craft plied the red sea laden with temple trappings, gold, silver,
cloth and all possible specimens of strange flora. Though many of the
plants were lost through ignorance and bad handling, sufficient survived
to enhance the beauty of her model temple.

My ample staff was kept busy day and night in an effort to keep full
and accurate records of the spoils that were taken. The temple fathers
looked benevolently on Hatshepsut's efforts, believing rightly that some
reward for her hazardous expedition was due. Their psychology was
excellent as their approval kept the Queen busily occupied and away from
state affairs, leaving them solely in the hands of her brother Thutmose
III. The Karnak Temple walls were to carry the complete story of her
trip, but first they had to be written on papyrus for the masons to
follow. These inscriptions are still discernible today.

There are many small circumstances destined to alter the pattern of our
lives. Under the normal circumstances of the times, my position would
never have placed my person in a position of jeopardy.

It was habitual for battles to end at dusk; then the battlefield was
cleared of the dead and wounded. There was good reason for this, for
with the approach of darkness hordes of rats and mice came out to feed
upon the human flesh, often, still warm. The human bones were picked
clean regardless of whether the victim was dead or alive. No one could
bear the screams of the critically wounded, unable to move or defend
themselves against the ravishing hordes chewing at their living flesh.

To the dead it mattered not, but the living had to be quickly rescued
or dispatched with a swift thrust of sword or spear. Though brutal
slaughter, it was the only humane thing to do. The camps of weary
troopers could not have borne up under the horrible screams of the
living-dead as their flesh was eaten from their bones.

On one particular night I was among the squads whose duty it was to
dispatch or rescue the wounded. It had gnawed at my conscience for some
time that many a life was needlessly taken for expediency when it could
have been saved. This was particularly true of the enemy who were always
dispatched. It was standard procedure.

With this in mind and hopeful of preserving lives, I walked out towards
the enemy's lines under the cover of darkness, drawn to direct my
efforts to their benefit. Suddenly, without warning, I was struck down
from behind, whether by enemy or friend I had no clue. The hours of
remaining darkness became a living nightmare of horror. That I lived
till the light of dawn was a miracle of a higher ordination than any
earthly power.

My absence was discovered just before sunrise. Immediate enquiry
elicited the information that I had last been seen going towards the
battlefield. A concentrated search at last revealed my presence, and
finally I had assistance for the wound that had bled profusely leaving
me more weak than injured. All night long I had fought off hordes of
rats and mice thirsting to taste my flesh.

Before leaving this area, Canaan, perhaps I should re-clarify any
remaining errors in conventional thinking. Since time immemorial each
Pharaoh was given a holy name to be used only in the temple, for he or
she could not enter the most holy places in any way mortal. Thus
Thutmose III was Menk-A-Ra, just as Mak-A-Ra was the feminine gender for
Queen Hatshepsut. Shi-Shak was the last of the Amu rulers, a descendant
of those who had overrun the Delta of Lower Egypt. Balcus, his daughter,
had been given in marriage to Solomon. She alone survived when Shi-Shak
and his family were slain during the Thutmose invasion. During the
invasion of Canaan when the foreign widows of Solomon were returned
where requested under escort, Balcus with her children and her servants
went to what is now known as Ethiopia.

For reasons that I cannot understand, history has placed Thutmose III
in the days preceding the time of Joshua (Jasher), who has recorded
entirely different events. These must have happened about 1650 B.C. when
Venus, towards the end of its wild circling, once more approached close
enough to Earth to cause the events recorded in Chapter 10:13: "And the
sun stood still, and the moon stayed ... So the sun stood still in the
midst of heaven and hastened not to go down about a whole day."

Further evidence of historical errors is given in the evidence of towns
captured by Thutmose III. The complete list of Canaanitic towns given by
Joshua in his conquests does not contain the names of many cities which
were later built by Solomon and his successor, Rehoboam, as fortress
towns, but which are to be found in the list of towns and cities
captured by Thutmose III.

Judea became a vassal state to the Pharaoh and on his many expeditions
there, Thutmose always returned with a good supply of Frankincense -- a
favourite of Hatshepsut's since she had brought back the first supply.
Her continued interest in her temple led Thutmose to transport by sea as
many specimens as possible of Solomon's great zoological collection.

With the passing years, Queen Hatshepsut's power dimmed besides that of
her hero brother. I was privileged to watch the new personality
developing. Solomon had taught the meaning of faith, and her faith in Ra
brought her to a closer understanding of truth. Her spiritual strength
grew -- the whole world took on a greater beauty.

Though fully aware of Solomon's idolatry (for he was heavily influenced
by the customs and religions of his many wives,) she had a deep respect
for his wisdom. Her fertile mind struggled unceasingly to find the
answers to many questions which tore at her basic religious beliefs.

We spent many lovely hours together discussing life, beliefs and work.
Our relationship was an ideal one. She secretly caused me to put on
papyrus all the things in her heart. Her dictated writings were as
herself, bringing to light her inner strength and personality, that in
later times would have changed the history of Egypt. Yet she served her
country and her temple well, betraying her inner struggle to no one but
myself, her faithful scribe-priest, who even had an opportunity to
confess some of his own inner feelings in an atmosphere of deepest
attunement.

In her writings, Hatshepsut had me write all the things she had learned
about Solomon's one God, and her visit to his temple. Especially did
she emphasize the beauty to be found in the world when viewed through
the eyes of equality, truth and love. She radiated a spiritual humility
that infused my soul when I saw the world through her eyes. Her new
eyes, the same eyes in which I had long been accustomed to see boldness,
suffering and sadness, but which now came to glow with an inner light of
knowledge which she tried hard to share with me.

Still her confessor and only true friend, I endeavoured to set down her
words in my very best style. The papyri were returned to her on
completion and she kept them hidden among her personal belongings,
referring to them constantly. Her good works continued and for the first
time in her tempestuous life she found peace.

In the years following the catastrophe and struggle for survival, Egypt
had failed to teach its people much in the way of arts and crafts.
Thutmose endeavoured to resolve this omission by bringing many craftsmen
back with him from conquered lands. He was one of the first men to
inaugurate a form of school for the common people.

When writing of many battles and wars between men of different
traditions, historians give credit for the victories to this king or
that. Rarely do they mention the gruesome details of the actual battles,
or the unutterable sufferings of the wounded who begged for the swift
thrust of the mercy sword to end the interminable hours of agony.
Consider the crudeness of medication at this time. Cauterization, for
example, was done by pressing a red hot iron to open wounds. And the
mice, millions and millions of mice, who appeared nightly out of their
burrows as if by magic, gnawed at the still-living flesh till the bones
lay bare. Has civilization come so far? The numbers slain and injured in
our battles were few in comparison to present day armies. Yet rulers
today still choose to subject their people to the risk of such tortures,
that ideologies might be furthered, that human pride be satiated.

In the conquered lands, kings rose and fell and with the advent of each
new monarch, church and state drifted further apart. Kings preferred
priests who were appointed by themselves, temple leaders whom they felt
they could control and trust. Thus, in time, there arose in Canaan and
Palestine a host of protected prophets attached to royalty who came to
be regarded as "holy men." At this time superstition was rife; idolatry
was rampant. Every conceivable ill was represented by an idol cast in
gold. Thus the feared mouse became a god and was revered in every
household in hope that it could be appeased and turned away from its
hostility towards mankind. Custom decreed that the mouse be cast in its
own image and associated with one of the higher gods. I Sammuel 6:4:
"What shall be the trespass offering? They answered five golden emerods,
and five golden mice."

Thutmose III was succeeded by his son, Amenhotep III, who also had a
male heir, Amenhotep IV, sometimes called Anknaton, the great heretic.

With Amenhotep III, destiny once again took a hand in the affairs of
men. The early influence of his Aunt Hatshepsut fired him with desire to
build great temples to Ra.

His son Amenhotep IV was even more influenced by his great aunt. It is
rumoured that he was a student of the Queen's papyri. Her words found a
kindred spirit in the lad, and as a young man he became awakened to the
depth and breadth of her spiritual enlightenment. He saw through her
eyes, he relived the things which she had experienced.

He became Egypt's first believer in a monotheistic deity. Starting
with the basic principle that in the sight of god all men are born
equal, that wealth and royal trappings are temporary and only bring a
greater degree of responsibility to their possessor. In his lifetime he
did more for his common subjects than any before or after him.

This gentle man gained deep insight into man's motivations, but they
called him a dreamer among the solid materialists of his day. Though he
lived in joy, his mission was a failure, for he was beating himself
against the stony walls of the temple and the hearts of its hierarchy
(the powers of which had been greatly enhanced by his well-intentioned
but misguided father).

They say "he lived before his time," meaning that no one could grasp
his message and that no one who might lose an iota of his wealth or
power would listen. Yet today, nearly three thousand years later, how
many still can accept progressive ideas? How many yet will listen?