Class Notes for February 25 (UNOFFICIAL)

UNOFFICIAL CLASS NOTES
Teacher: MIT Zerita Sharp

Maat

• Draws the medu for maat
• Opens by showing a quilt created by her grandmother, and ask how it's connected to Maat
• Students explore several ideas, including family, balance, reciprocity, etc.
• MIT Zerita shares that her grandmother abhored waste, and discusses usefulness, purpose, handiwork

• Open discussion about the place of Maat in Kemet; students reflecting on its role and how it was used in society
• No separation in the community by class

Judgement Scene from the Papyrus of Ani

• One way of knowing how our ancestors lived is examining how they prepared themselves for their passing by looking at what they said was important to them; see this site
  
• The passing was key to become a "blessed spirit", called the akh (a bird)
• Scripture reads, "soul [belongs] to heaven the body to earth"
  
• Even when you're in the physical world there is a part of you that's in heaven
• There is a part of you that you have to feed spiritually
• The deceased are traveling through the duat to get the "Hall of Maati"

Hall of Maati

• What is the hall and where is it?
• The soul is traveling to the Hall
• The heart is weighed against the feather of Maat (i.e. truth, righteousness)
• The same law that you should live by on earth or the same laws you are judged by
  
• Why is it necessary to understand the 42 punishers, representing the cities (nomes) in Kemet; thus in going before the 42 netchers is a statement that you've done right by each community
• Is this revelant for us today? It is questioned, but in general feel that the declarations are relevant
• Students suggests that everyone, including children know the difference between right and wrong inherently
• Important to understand that our people were stressing symbolism and not literally; they were not trying to communicate that literally a person stood before Asar
• None of us are perfect, but the question is whether our lives are good "on balance"
• Important to understand the basis for the symbols to understand its deeper meaning - what did the ostrich feather represent in an agricultural society or we run the risk of imposing on our assumptions on their symbols & culture
• Why chose a feather of a being which is a bird, that never leaves the ground - it's a paradox; which contain consealed truths [Baba Ray]

Papyri of Ani

• One of the largest papyri; Ani was a controller, and handled the money
  
• Asar is green because he represents regeneration (growth)
• Why is he with his wife (her name is Tutu)? Not certain whether she had already passed, although in some instances servants were killed - although this is unlikely

Reviewing the Questions
#1 Briefly summarize this narrative in your own words

• Everyone discussed their assessment of the narrative
• Narrative is an allegory - story which contains deeper meaning
• If you didn't know anything about the narrative or the spiritual system it would not restrict a person of good behavior from ascending to Amenti (Min Greg)
• Must know Nut, and sky and what is the attribute the ancestors are trying to convey
• What was the symbolism of Nut having multiple suitors
• Even Set, who's anger was justified, has a place in the Boat of Ra; he is not personified as evil
• Set represents the duality; even after having murdered his brother, and would have killed Heru, the way it is discussed is that Asar was resurrected, and Set was not put to death
• Raises the question of what is the greater value? Sometimes a Set energy is required for certain situations
• Says it is a love story more than anything else. Think of the story of Aset is finding her husband, and the woes of Nebt-het after what she had done.
  

Final Notes

• Shows the four pillars - (1) worship and praise the God of our ancestors, (2) living in harmony with Creation/nature, (3) social justice, (4) maintaining who we are as a people
  
• Raises the question of how often do we work with our hands - our children "push buttons"; how many can make biscuits or create a pot
  

[CLASSES ENDED HERE]
#2 Would you say it has one of multiple themes? Please exaplin.
#3 Why do you suppose the 360-day year needed to be adjusted?
[THERE ARE MORE QUESTIONS]

Images for February 25th Class

Images provided by Baba Ray Davis

February 18 Class Notes (UNOFFICIAL)

THESE NOTES ARE UNOFFICIAL

• Discussed the kemetic symbol for Waset (referred to by the Greeks as Thebes); shared the symbol for WAS.T, which is a feminie word
• Shared symbol for Amen-Ra; where symbols means "the hidden" and the "solar ntjr" (see above - feather, game board, water, solar disk, and male neter); Amen-Ra has a very long history
• Atum or Aten was a precursor of Ra
• By the 12th dynasty; time after the 2nd collaspe (intermediate period - where central power declined), Amen em Hat I became per-aa (pharoah) and reestablished Amen as the patron nator (his name means "Amen at the forefront - see second image above)
• Shares the "Temple Reading 300" which was referred to as a hymm, but it is not a hymm, rather it is a political declaration stating that Amen is supreme and other centers must honor their supremacy although all were respected
• Shows images of AmenRa, shows him as "blue-black"; image is important since attire is symbolic
• Amen Ra's consort is Mut, symbol is a vulture, sign of mother and fierceness
• Triad was completed with adopted son, Khonsut, symbols include the hawk and crescent (may have some association with Djehuti); wheres the side lock of a youth (third image above)
• The Fifteen Ntjrw of Was.t
• Includes Amen-Ra, Mut, Khnswu, Min, Asir (neter of the resurrection), Aset, Nbt-hwt (twin sister), Anpu, Djehuti, Hathor (several are repeated)
• Ptah was later annexed
• Discussion of whether we're monothesitic or polytheistic (some sharing from students)
  
• Given western definition it is polytheistic
• Suggests ignoring western terms, since they are irrelevant to our theology tradition
• The neters are reflective of the aspects of the One
• In the west tend to think of singular; in Africa traditions tend to emphasize the wholeness that incorporates diversity; within Kemet the various centers did practice slightly different rituals
• Although we look at a respect for diversity, clearly there were exercises of power by the central authority
• Our challenge is attempting to take multiple centers/theology and trying to incorporate them into one building
• See the variations in Christianity, such as Methodist, Protestant, Baptists, etc.
• Our youth need to have clear and specific responses
  
• Baba Ray says that all the centers do share Nu as a common element ("the flavor in the water of Nu is the same")
• Triad of Waset
  
• Draws symbol of Mut (often will see eggs displayed in the name, as symbolic of life) and Khonsu
• Provides narrative for the company; Amen declares that he is himself, his consort, and his grandfather; speaks to cyclical view of time
• Sep Tepi (first time) does not exist in Nu, which is before the One
• One survives the destruction of the 8, but requires renewal on the 10th day; so is carried to the West
  
• Khmn-nu (literally means the 8 of "nw")
• Atum, Shu and Tefnut associated with Heliopolis (Greek name)
  

Notes from Sunday, February 11, 6247 (2007)

Guest lecturer - Dr. Theopile Obenga

Qualifiers

1. I attended class late, so be sure to add your notes
2. Please note that THESE NOTES ARE UNOFFICIAL, and just represent my effort to share some of the ideas from the class
   

Notes (Baba Jahi & Mama Jumoke)

• Kemet was the first place to identify humans as divine
• Plato was the only Greek to say mortal soul is divine, and he was not supported
• Kemites didn't impose their religion on the Greeks, don't impose values, spiritual system on others
• Over 45 centuries the Kemites did not build a jail; they did have problems, but they knew how to solve them
• Creation is a perpetual event taking place in Kemet daily; thus the per-aa (pharoah) must attempt to achieve the rule of Maat on earth
• A title for the per-aa HM-NTR, is "God'S servant", that is a priest
  
• Temple was conceived as the university on a small scale - the temple cosmos
• Nile had a divine spirit, called Hapy, Kemites approached it with respect - everything was perceived as being divine
• For them a festival was to honor neters, and to celebrate life - love, peace and joy

At the conclusion of Dr. Obenga's lecture, several people asked questions. Their questions are shared below:

Questions
(1) Since we don't live in nature, how can we emulate Kemet?

• Must deal with science and technology but not give up one's soul
• Chinese don't give up everything, they keep their ceremonies; our effort to do so is called the African Renaissance
• In Europe most things are lost, even Celtic culture, their own ancestry is gone
• They deify money - to make money as God; even fatherhood is based largely on having money

(2) Ideas and thoughts are open, so is the assumption that people will arrive at the same ideas

• Because we are the same, we both originate from the universe, and we don't have to compete
• People are constantly in competition, and even so there are many forms of Christianity; baptist fight methodist, etc.; even in relationship they compete
• Buddhism for example, is basically the same, whether Chinese or Japanese buddhism
• In Kemet there is no blood, because there is no competition, the unity is given, you just try to bring the best you can

(3) Wo'se is having discussion about growing - building, theology, etc; any thoughts on building a per ankh, in reestablishing and growing a temple

• We want to do our own paradigm. We have lived too long in the Western, we have made progress at Wo'se. We are together, we must do festivals, we must continue our legacy. Missing our legacy it is the worst we could do.
  
• If you were establishing a Per Anhk ("House of Life") what would it look like, e.g. an inner sanctuary?
  
• In Kmt the PER ANKH needs to follow the orientation - East is the school; business is south; cornerer carries on activities; people were not allowed in the center. They could come and take classes, such as astronomy, astrology, etc, but when scholars met around the table they had to be from Kmt
  
• Priest's place was to think and to be Need spaceof silence. SWe don';t deal too much for the silenece but we need this too.
  
• We need sleep. In Kmt they make you sleep. 17 hours of sleep brings you vision (?). Currently we don't know things . We need a secret society.

Home work assignment:

• The importance of names. What is the appropriateness of names? Please talk about the conceptions . How much is left to the framework? How important are names of the Creator and how does it fit into one's own search?
• The names are mere images, more importantly - what is the function?
• Spiritual geography exisited in KMT In Eunu City There was a pillar Memphis meant The place were beauty was set, WOSE WASET meant- the place of power
• Neopolis Memphis- old capital the archieves were kept but you were crowned in Waset
• The name is part of your being we know that very well throughout Africa

Notes from the Second Class (Unofficial)

NOTE: These are notes posted by Baba Jahi. They are not the classes' official notes, but are just my efforts to share with others. Feel free to post corrections, disagreements, or omissions.

Baba Ray provided several handouts:
(1) Brief Chronology of Kmt
(2) Map of Kemet
(3) Pyramid Text Excertps Pertaining to Nu

Discussed the different periods, a brief summary of the dynasties and the intermediate periods

Shared a passage from Cambridge University that humans can process what they read, even if the words are jumbled as long as the first and last letters are correct. A sample of the passage is shown below:
"i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg..."

Kemites took advantage of this understanding by elimating most of the vowels from their writing. "e" is often written in mdu words as a convenience. The spoken word is unknown except as it relates to the Coptic language, which itself has gone through many changes (notably Greek).

Baba Tyrone shares the stella showing the "Record of Nations" which shows the way Kemites depicted people from other nations (see the previous link, and the image above). There is a book which has a picture of a "Nubian" (actually Kemite) by Robert Bianchi. Baba Ray shared the image in class from the book's cover (see the previous link).

The class spent some time discussing the issue of race and ethnicity, but generally felt we wanted to focus on the people's culture, lifestyle, beliefs, and less on their race, while ensuring it was clear that they were Black people in Africa.

Shows picture of Senwrset (?) (name means "A man of the powerful[one]) - where the "powerful one" is the goddess Woset. [Woset is actually the patron neter of the city of Woset, and is a female name]. Thus the church is named in honor of a neteret (female goddess).

"Kemites" referred to themselves in written record as "Remetj" (also spelled "remet", and there are other spellings). Kemet refers to a area, not a specific city. Baba Ray shares a map of ancient Egypt, and there is no city named Kemet. Kemet does mean "black" but refers to the fertility of the land, Asar is often shown as black (sometimes green) since he represents rebirth and resurrection (see the picture above).

How is religion different from spirituality. Students offer that religion is more like a "prescription" or "dogma" identifying the way that one should practice. Many in this community have had difficulties with Christianity and therefore have a bad association with the word "religion". The word "religion" comes from the word "right", which literally means "to tie back" that thing which has been alientated, and return it back to its source.

Discusses role of ibis bird. Believed that the image of Tehuti (with head of ibisi bird) was a good depiction to illustrate the idea of separation - separating the good from the bad. His consort was Sheshot (?) - the devine librarian.

NOTE: I missed the last 10 minutes of class (church setup), so if someone can post the final minutes of notes.

HOMEWORK:
Read "Pyramid Text Excerpts Pertaining to Nu" and understand how it relates to the utterances of Nu

Week 1 Assignment

The assignment is to read the handout (see below) and return prepared to discuss the function of each netjer in the narrative. I'm looking forward to a very exciting session next Sunday.

========== HANDOUT BELOW =================

THE PAPYRUS OF KNOWING (THE) FORMS OF RÉ
[AND THE] OVERTHROWING APEP

The Words [of] /nb-r-djr/ [Which] He Spoke After Coming into Being

I am The Creator as [The One Who] comes into being. I was The Creator [of the] forms which came into being, The Creator [of] all the forms that came into being. After my coming into being, many were the manifestations that came into being by coming forth from my mouth.

The sky did not exist. The earth did not exist. The offspring of the earth had not been created, [nor] the crawling (literally, “snakes”) in that place. [I] wove them while they were in /nw/, [in a condition] of great inactivity. I found no place in which to stand. I uttered an incantation in my heart, [and] I laid a foundation in truth. I fashioned every image.

I was alone. I had not spit as /shw/, I had not emitted as /tfn.t/. There did not exist another who worked with me. [So] I laid a foundation in my own heart, [and] there came into being [the] multitude emanations which came into being from the manifestations of births, [and] from that which came into being from their births. I, even I, husbanded with my fist. I had intercourse with my shadow. I poured seed from my own mouth. I spat out as /shw/. I emitted as /tfn.t/ (sic).

Said my father /nw/, “They weakened my eye behind them, since for double eons they proceeded from me after I had become from /ntr/ one, /ntr/ three, that is [to say], from [out of] myself, [after] I had come into being in this earth.”

Rejoiced, therefore, /shw/ [and] /tfn.t/ (sic) in the inert primeval waters in which they were. They brought me my eye from among them. Therefore, after I had united my members, I wept over them. [The] People [of kmt] came into being from [the] tears which came forth from my eye, [but] she raged against me after she came [and] found I had made another in her place. [So I] adorned her with the power I had made. I placed her on my forehead, which is to say, [in] her place on my face. Afterwards, therefore, she has ruled this land to its whole extent.

Have fallen their seasons upon these plants. I adorned them with that which is in them.
I came forth as plants, all crawling things, [and] all that has come into being within them.

Gave birth /shw/ [and] /tfn.t/ [to] /sb/ (sic) and /nw.t/. Gave birth /sb/ and /nw.t/ [to] /Asir(t)/, /hr-khnt-in-maa/, /stsh/, /As.t/ [and] /nb.t-hwt/ from the womb, one right after the other. [And] they gave birth [and] multiplied in this earth.

______

Source: Papyrus Nes-Min (Bremner-Rhind), British Museum No. 10188, 4th Century A.D. (Greco-Roman Period). Also appears in E.A. Wallis Budge, The Gods of the Egyptians. Vol. I, pp. 308-313. © Retranslation, Raymond A. Davis, 2007.

Notes from the first class

Add your own notes to this page.

• Reviewed location of Kemet, and discussed why it has importance to us
• Reviewed images of various per-aas (pharoahs) and others
• Examined picture showing Kemetic artists depicting people of various hues, although all clearly "black"
• Discussed origin of the name, Kemet (Kmt); where Km means "black", and the "t" indicates feminine; and Kemet means "the Black place" or "the Black land"
  
• Are the people of Kemet did they refer to themselves as Black or is it result of other factors; would a people controlling a land have a need to refer to themselves as "black"?
• Would invasions into Kemet influence the way indigienous Kemeties saw themselves
• Addresses the scroll of the "Tale of the Eloquent Peasant" and examine the name of Khun-anup, where "Anpu" occurs first in the name; attempting to determine from the story where is Kemet, since he describes himself as going "to Kemet"
• The story says that he is going south, selling his wares from the salt fields to the people
• Going to the Banks of the Nile is not a reference to people (Mdnyt)
• KM (t) as the medu (symbol) is considered either as the hide of crociddle or charcoal
• From a Hymn to the 12th Dynasty per-aa Senwoset; the text says that "He ruled kmt... He placed the Red Land in his company ... He caused kmt to live. He dispelled her troubles"
• Red Land is a reference to the desert
• If Kemit means people then the references should be plural; or rather it says Her troubles and suggests it is singular
  
• Kmt ends in "t" and therefore it is either femine or a collective singualr pronoun (i.e. "the people" or "the community")
  

What is the name of the language?
Mdu Ntr, Controversy of how this word should be written Insert:Mdu Ntr
Different regions, different periods used langauage


References to The People.
Kemites not what they called themselves
They called themselves Remetj or Remet, stop using the term Kemite

First Posting

Our class has begun! Taught by Baba Ray Davis and assisted by MIT Zerita Sharp. Click here for the course outline. The class meets every Sunday at 9:00 am sharp.