Nesu Narmer continued, “Seth had organized a large festival welcoming his beloved brother home. He invited dignitaries, politicians and guests from far away. He also invited the 72 conspirators. Before the festival began, Seth presented Osiris with the garment Nuba had created. It was magnificent; both Osiris and Isis loved the design. Osiris wore the garment proudly to the festival. The garment was wafer thin and fitted the contours of his athletic body. The festival continued well into the early evening. It was now customary for the women to retire to another room.
The men continued with entertainment more suited to a male audience. Isis kissed her husband lightly on the cheek and smiled. She left him with the festival guests, as the females vacated the great hall. Osiris was devoid of evil he did not suspect a thing. The feast continued with eating, drinking and entertainment. The feast suddenly fell silent as six men carried a beautiful box into the room. It was placed carefully in the center of the room. The box was beautifully decorated with inlaid wood, depicting hunting scenes. The workmanship was so advanced the guests were silenced by its beauty and artistry. Seth announced that anybody who fits within the box would become its rightful owner.
One by one, each of the guests tried to fit within the box. Some were too tall, some were too wide, and nobody seemed to fit the elaborate box. Laughter ensued and the light party atmosphere added to the game. Osiris was encouraged to try the box. He approached the box and lay inside. The box’s dimensions fit Osiris perfectly. He lay on his back smiling, for he knew that he had won the elaborate box. Osiris, pleased with himself, he closed his eyes and laughed at his circumstance. The box fit his dimensions perfectly
He was unaware; as soon as he lay in the box the conspirators approached. They slammed the lid closed, sealing him inside. When he finally realized what was happening, it was too late. Armed with hammers and nails, they nailed the lid closed, trapping Osiris inside. They poured molten lead into the seam of the box to seal him inside. Under the cover of darkness, the box was smuggled out of the palace and transported to the river Nile. On the banks, they lifted Osiris from the crude cart and carried him down the muddy bank. Under the moonlight, they pushed the wooden box into the strong current of the river where he was swept away.
Suspecting foul play, Ahmed a junior aide, watched the men from the shadows of the palace. He had heard the laughter from the great hall and had positioned himself at the door. He had a clear vantage point to observe the festivities. Once the laughter died down, the mood changed instantly. He was drawn to investigate the sudden change. Ahmed hid in the shadows of a recess, frightened that his discovery would mean certain death. Once he felt safe, he followed the men and ran back to the palace. It was Ahmed who informed Isis of the treachery.
Isis was overcome with grief; she remained in the palace temporarily until her safety could be assured. Isis was pregnant with Horus, a son for Osiris. She vowed to find Osiris’s body. She would bury him in a tomb with the entire ceremonial splendor, reserved for a God. This would ensure his safe passage to Duat, the Land of the Dead. She needed to find a safe place to hide from Seth. He would surely try to kill her, and the new heir to the throne. Isis hid on a floating island, located in the Nile Delta. She was protected and hidden by the Goddess Buto. She finally gave birth to Horus, leaving him in the protective care of Buto.
Isis left her newborn son, to find her husband’s body. She searched for him relentlessly; she would not rest, until he had received a proper funeral.
Isis would never abandon her search but after searching for years, she had found nothing. Nobody had seen the beautifully decorated box; nobody knew where Osiris could be. One day Isis was searching through some reeds at the rivers edge; she saw some children playing by the Nile. They looked happy and giggled with excitement as they ran from each other. She approached calmly and asked the children if they had seen a giant elaborately decorated box. They told Isis of the time they lived on the banks of the Nile, in small clay brick buildings. They pointed to the ruins of the small dwellings. They told Isis that one night, long ago, a group of men approached the riverbank. Their Father had woken them. He quickly extinguished every light source, trying to keep the dwelling dark.
Hoping they would not be noticed, they were warned to keep quiet. They watched the men carrying a large box. After some shouting, the men threw the box into the Nile, where it was swept away. Isis asked the children, if they remember where the men threw the box into the Nile. The children nodded yes.
Nesu Narmer stopped and looked at his wife Queen Nithotep. Her eyes never broke with his gaze, as she hung on every nuance of the story. He swept his gaze towards the Magicians. They sat motionless, still engaged with the story and its significance to them. Ka stood, taking advantage of a break in the story. He walked to the table and offered his palm to the pile of fruit. A large bunch of grapes flew into his hand and he returned to his chair. He popped a grape into his mouth and looked intensely at Nesu Narmer.
The Nesu waited for calm to descend in the room before he continued with his story. “The children led Isis to a place on the riverbank, near their house. They pointed to the strong current where the box was thrown in. Isis began her journey to locate the box and her husband’s body. She followed the rapids and asked anyone along the way. Finally, she was led out to sea. She managed to cross the great Green Sea, which led her to the land of Byblos.
In Byblos, she heard of a story where a tamarisk bush had grown to a mighty size. It had a fragrance that eclipsed the sweetest smelling flower. That night, Isis had a vision. She saw the box washing up onshore; lodging itself within the roots of a tamarisk bush. By some strange power, the bush grew at a rapid pace and became a magnificent tree. Isis could see deep within the tree. The tree’s roots had enclosed the box, drawing it deep within the tree. The sweet fragrance was the fragrance of the God Osiris, hidden inside.
The towering tree had enclosed the box, deep within its trunk. The tree’s fragrance attracted a lot of attention. It became famous, with word eventually reaching the King of Byblos. The King arranged a royal visit. He expected to be disappointed by the common people’s exaggerations. He was pleasantly surprised and amazed by the size of the tree. It was the most fragrant tree in the land. King Malcander admired the tree so much; he left thinking about how he could use this wonderful gift. The King talked with his engineers and decided to incorporate the tree into his palace. This would make an ideal gift for his beloved wife, Queen Astarte. The next day, he ordered his army to cut down the great tree and bring it to the royal palace. It was erected in the center of the palace, as a great pillar, supporting the main roof. The pillar spread its fragrance and the palace smelled like a summer’s meadow.
Isis had traced the box to Byblos, but she was having difficulty finding the exact location of the tree. Isis finally heard the story of the fragrant tree. She learned that the King of Byblos had cut the tree down. She was told of the pillar in the center of the royal palace. Isis decided she needed a plan to retrieve her husband and turned herself into an old withered woman.
Isis rested at a fountain near the palace. She waited for the handmaidens of the Queen to visit. They gathered at the same time each day, before resuming their duties. They would go to the shore to wash clothes and bathe in the sea. Isis would talk with them as they stopped at the fountain to rest. Isis appeared to the maidens as a lonely old woman. She was always at the fountain and seemed harmless. Once she had gained their trust, she moved forward with her plan.
Isis taught the maidens how to braid their hair in intricate designs. The hairstyles had never been seen before and attracted an immense amount of attention. The men started to notice how beautiful the maidens looked. Their comments and stares did not escape the attentive Queen. One day Isis selected the prettiest maiden; she decorated her braided hair. She used an arrangement of flowers and trinkets; made from delicate seashells, collected from the seashore. When she returned to the palace; Queen Astarte noticed the beautiful new ornaments, combined
with the new modern hairstyle. The Queen could see how pleasing this style was to the palace men’s eager eyes. She wanted to please her husband; she inquired who had taught the maidens this new beauty? The maidens described the old woman at the fountain. They were asked to bring her to the palace. When Queen Astarte met the old woman they talked at length. She made the Queen feel relaxed and impressed her with her knowledge, calmness and serenity.
The Queen felt comfortable with the old woman and invited her to stay at the palace. She braided the Queen’s hair in a unique style and decorated her with a crown of seashells. King Malcander loved the new look and fawned over the Queen the entire night.
After a while, the Queen asked Isis if she would look after her sickly son, Diktys. Isis was appointed to the position of nurse, to the young Prince. She would feed him by giving him her finger to suck. Each night when the palace settled, she would pile logs onto the fire. Isis would then take the child and throw him into the fire.”
Nithotep gasped, as she raced to cover her mouth and suffocate the sound. Bener-ib winced, but remained silent. Ka remained stoic, munching on a grape. Nesu Narmer looked at his wife sympathetically. “I will continue, but you need to understand. After Isis threw the young Prince into the fire, she would change into a blue swallow, where she would chirp and fly around the room in a mournful display for her deceased Osiris. Queen Astarte was happy with Isis, as Diktys had grown stronger in her care. She was also concerned. A maiden had informed her that Isis would lock the staff out of the Prince’s room at night. She had reported strange sounds that could be heard from the hallway.
What was happening behind closed doors? Queen Astarte heard the rumors and decided to seek the truth herself. That evening she hid within the nursery of the young Prince. Isis built a strong fire and pushed the child into the heart of the flames. Isis turned into a swallow and flew around the room. Queen Astarte squealed in sheer terror as she watched her son engulfed by flames. She burst forward trying to reach the child. She managed to reach into the roaring flames and retrieve her child, only to find her baby unharmed.
Isis transformed from a small swallow into her magnificent self. She stood before the Queen in all of her majestic beauty. Isis turned upon the Queen scolding her with a force that shattered her confidence. Queen Astarte was humbled and afraid. Isis explained that she was tempering the child. Each night the magic flames would strengthen him and turn him into a God. Her unfortunate interruption had now voided the process; his path to immortality had been broken. He would now remain a mortal and die as all mortals inevitably do. The Queen begged for forgiveness and promised Isis unlimited riches, if she would continue to temper Diktys. Isis explained that her magic had been broken; she could not continue with Diktys. Diktys would die a short sickly death, unless he was blessed.
Queen Astarte begged Isis to bless her son, so that he might have a healthy life, as a mortal. Isis offered to bless Diktys, if she received her wish from the Queen. The Queen offered to grant Isis her wish, unsure of what Isis might ask. Isis asked for the fragrant pillar of Byblos. Queen Astarte agreed, knowing that her husband would value his son’s life above the pillar. In exchange for the pillar, Isis would ensure the child’s future health and happiness.
The King made immediate arrangements to remove the pillar from the great hall. Isis asked the workmen to split the pillar in two, carefully along the middle. Deep within the center of the pillar, was an elaborately decorated box; it contained the body of Osiris. Isis removed the box. She poured scented oils and heavenly perfumes on the pillar. She instructed the workmen to reassemble the pillar and place it in a temple, next to the palace. Isis informed the priest that the pillar had once contained the body of a God; it would possess strong healing properties. Many pilgrims flock to Byblos and the Temple of Baalat to this day. They wait patiently to worship. Once inside, they touch the wooden relic; it’s referred to as The Lady of Byblos.
Isis brought her husband’s body home. Her intention was to give him a proper funeral, worthy of a God. She wanted to bury him and prepare him for the journey to Duat. When Isis returned home, she opened the box and wept uncontrollably over her dead husband. Isis was consoled by her Sister Nephthys. The Sisters turned into the beautiful birds. Two Kites circled the box, darting and weaving patterns in the air with their feathered wings. After an appropriate amount of mourning, Isis began to miss her son Horus. She needed to tell him of her journey; she needed to reclaim him. She was always confident that the Goddess Buto would protect him, but she was his natural Mother.
Isis found a safe hiding place for the box and continued her journey to retrieve her son. She bid farewell to her supportive sister and headed for the Nile Delta. It was a fateful night; Seth was hunting by the moon’s strong light. Seth and his hunting party stumbled upon a strange object. It was partially concealed by rocks and brush. Upon closer inspection, Seth recognized the elaborately decorated box. Seth was astounded to find the box again. He could not understand why it was hidden within his land. His rage grew as he opened the lid. The sight before him was his dead Brother. Seth sliced Osiris into fourteen pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt.
Isis was distraught; her anger towards Seth was renewed. Isis was left with no choice. She had to resume her search and find all fourteen pieces of her husband’s body. When Isis found a piece of his body, she would ask workers to construct a temple dedicated to Osiris. Horus grew to be a fine, strong, honest man. Outraged by his Father’s death, he vowed to avenge him. Osiris was resurrected as The King of the Dead; he who judges all souls. He resides in Duat but one day, he decided to visit Horus, in the mortal world. He convinced Horus to avenge the foul deeds that Seth committed. Horus finally found Seth and a great battle between good and evil ensued. Victory is not easy, with one side about to win, when the other gains the upper hand. The battle still rages today but we have to believe that one day Horus will be victorious. That will be the day that Osiris will return to rule Egypt and all lands across this world.”
Nesu Narmer broke into a deep, warm smile. He gazed across at Queen Nithotep; she nodded slightly, to encourage her husband. He had told the story in an engaging way. His audience was captive, waiting to hear the conclusion of his story. Ka held out a grape cluster picked clean of its fruit. He let it fall to the stone floor but before it collided with the ground it burst into flames. It sent small plumes of smoke into the air that quickly dissipated in the dry heat. “When Isis ordered the pillar of Byblos to be split, the workmen chopped at the wood. Most of the attention was drawn to the beautiful box hidden within. As the men toiled, a piece of wood splintered across the floor and came to rest at the feet of Isis. She took this as a sign and bent to retrieve the shard of splintered wood. She tucked it into her hair and kept it.
The sweet smelling wood traveled home with Isis. She presented the wood to Horus, so that he may carry with him an artifact from his Father; for good luck. When Osiris visited his son in the mortal world, Horus gave Osiris the piece of wood. He wanted to show his respect for his Father. The journey of this amazing artifact does not stop there. Osiris was now Lord of the Underworld and Judge of the Souls. He would weigh hearts and decide who would be worthy to enter Duat. His loyal assistant in this important passage is Anubis. As a reward for his service, Osiris carved the sweet smelling magical wood into a highly polished and hardened Amulet. He wove a chain of gold and presented Anubis with the magical Amulet. It provided health and wellbeing to anyone who touched it. The sweet smelling Amulet depicted a black jackal’s head, which hung proudly around the neck of Anubis.”
Ka listened but was tiring of the stories. He was starting to wonder why he had been called and how he was supposed to help the Nesu. Like Ka, Bener-ib was always aware. Her trained eye never missed anything. She had inspected the Nesu from head to toe and noticed one constant. He always wore a black polished Anubis pendant, around his neck. Queen Nithotep tried to restrain her facial expressions; she instantly recognized the pendant in the story. Sh
e had seen it many times before. She thought the sweet smell of meadows was her husband’s divine smell. He always smelled like a God should.
“I have strained your ears and stretched your concentration enough for this morning. I suggest we reconvene later. Relax and enjoy the palace. I will send a guard when it’s time to reconvene. I promise, that the purpose of your visit will now become clear.” With a wave of his hand, Nesu Narmer signaled Queen Nithotep to rise. She was to accompany him as they walked from the great hall. Queen Nithotep carried the Golden box. Ka crinkled his forehead. He failed to understand why Nesu Narmer was stopping. He was confused and irritated. He had wasted the morning listening to tired old tales. He looked across at Bener-ib for some answers. Bener-ib sat quietly, with her head bowed slightly.
“Are we going to be told why we’re here?” Ka’s irritation was clearly evident.
“When he’s ready, he will tell us.” Bener-ib remained still.
The Skin of the Gods Page 19