The back story:
About 40 years ago the University at Aswan obtained a piece of property of nearly 100 hectares on the edge of a national monument site. The site is in the former Nile basin floodplain and the monument site was home to a few burial sites of academic interest and little else. The terms and conditions of sale of the adjacent property to the University did not exclude University construction, or any commercial use of the property on the sole condition that any undiscovered antiquities be preserved, catalogued and if possible transferred after study to the national museum archives. Undiscovered non-transferables such as a tomb or structures must remain in-situ and available for further study.
Not a bad deal for all involved. The University Extension started on the west end of the property and dug, combed, sifted used sonograph equipment to measure all the way down to the sandstone that caps the water table. Leaving a few of the more modern (less than 300 years old) structures of no historical value, a few small statues of sphinx and a ram, and some pieces of buildings, they continued to move eastward. Their biggest find was remnants of where a giant pyramid was planned. Sometime about 300 years ago the land was leveled, and some stone blocks moved in, but apparently the project was scrubbed for unknown reasons. A footprint for the foundation was carved into the sandstone, but that was all.
As the archaeologists continued their eastward work, they hit the mother lode. Less than ten years ago they moved past the pyramid-to-be site and found pieces of a giant structure. Continuing the dig, much was unearthed including segments of an incredible statue several stories high. Today much has been revealed, and there is much anticipation of what lay beyond.
Of course the University was being drained of funds to continue this Herculean effort, so a consortium of investors approached the University with a proposal. They would construct an amusement park based on the archeological theme, and half the profits would fund continued work at the site, with a tidy sum up front. All the conditions of the property sale would be honored; the continued work would be incorporated into the design; and the buildings with no historical significance would be cleaned, restored and used.
This brings me to today - where I write about the strangest of events in this entirely strange situation. As an amateur archaeologist making a living as a photojournalist chronicling the University's ongoing work, I was in the yet to be opened museum where objects are on display before being moved to the national museum archives taking photos when one wall segment caught my attention. It contained pieces of a story where in Atum "the complete one, creator of the universe" instructed Ptah to honor Ra and create a game where the cleverest would be restored from death by Isis. Ptah is his creative wisdom consulted with Geb of earthly things and decided that a structure pointing to the heavens would need to be constructed for this godly game. This structure would collect everyone in the spirit of the game and in a place of great enjoyment.
Through the missing segments I deduced that the cleverest would be the one to discover the whereabouts of Amun the hidden one somewhere in the atmosphere. To do this would entail Aten hiding Amun behind the disc of the sun as Khepri rolled it out into the sky at a time when Khonsu would have the moon out during the day. Horus would watch from the sky for the cleverest to stand before the special structure that points to both the sun and moon, and if there when an alignment takes place, Aten and Khonsu would reveal the location of Amun. With Amun revealed, the Sphinx would make the earthly contact and reveal where the cleverest could collect the reward from Isis.
An interesting story, but what of it? The area around this site was nearly ready to open as an amusement park, so I had little time to finish my work and move on. As I was taking photos of the wall segment it all of a sudden hit me. This area is to open as an amusement park - a place of great enjoyment. Oddly enough the park is named AmonRa. Is it coincidence that in this joining of names it puts the "hidden one" on the creator of all life on earth and god of the sun? This structure in a place of great enjoyment that points to the heavens - is it a coincidence that a great pyramid was constructed to house attractions on the very spot where a pyramid was to be constructed 3,000 years ago?
I looked at the newspaper article I had saved in my vest pocket as reference for my future article. The investors named in the park deal were a Ms. Maat and the firm of Shu and Hathor. The Geb construction conglomerate had built the park? Geb, god of earthly things, Maat, the goddess of truth and justice combining with Shu, god of the air and Hathor, the mother goddess who nourishes the living and dead, this means something. I exit the museum building and look up into the sky. A lonely falcon circles above. In fact circles intersecting the moon which is out and visible in daylight this morning. Horus watching from above, Khonsu having the moon out in daylight?
All too much of a coincidence? Could Amun be hiding behind the disc of the sun? I walk out to the small plaza where one of the Sphinx statues still stands, and look up at the newly constructed great pyramid. The moon is barely visible in a straight line with one of angles of the pyramid. The sun is only minutes away from being in alignment between the pyramid top and the moon. I get my tripod out set up my camera look for the shot and wait. Not quite half an hour later, as I watched through the lens I see light refraction patterns starting to form. I begin taking pictures, and captured the millisecond where the refractions formed an alignment.
The ground started to rumble. Not an earthquake, more like a piece of heavy construction equipment was driving by. But I could see nothing around but park staff doing the last bit of work in preparation for the pending park opening. To my surprise I heard a sound behind me like someone speaking, but there was no one. Just the Sphinx. As I stared in disbelief, what looked like a slip of paper ejected from the mouth of the Sphinx.
I picked it up and to my surprise - it was a press-pass invitation to the soft opening party of the AmonRa park in two days time, courtesy of a Ms. Isis.
I postponed my flight out, and made arrangements for what? - I hope to find out...
