Egyptologist-Jean-Francois Champollion 1790-1832 Written by Dr. Sherin ElKhawaga
Champollion was a French Egyptologist, who is acknowledged as father of modern Egyptology. He achieved many things during his short career, but he is best known for his work on Rosetta Stone. It was his deciphering of hieroglyphics contained on Stone that laid foundations for Egyptian archaeology. He was born in 1790. His oldest brother educated him until he turned 10, at which time he was enrolled in Lyceum in Grenoble. His brother was also an archaeologist, and it is probably from his influence that he developed a passion for languages in general and for Egypt in particular. While he was at Lyceum, he presented a paper in which he argued that language of Copts in contemporary Egypt was in essence same as that used by Egyptians of antiquity. His education continued at College de France, where he specialized in languages of Orient. He knew bits and pieces of many languages, and was fluent in several others. A partial listing of languages he was familiar with is astounding: Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Chaldean, Chinese, Coptic, Ethiopic, Sanskrit, Pahlevi, and Persian. When he finished his education, he was invited to teach Royal College of Grenoble, where he taught history and politics. By age of 19, he had earned his Doctor of Letters and his career began really taking off. He continued to teach at Grenoble until 1816. In 1818, he was appointed to a chair in history and geography at Royal College of Grenoble, and taught there until 1821.
| | Eye of HorusWritten by Dr. Sherin ElKhawaga
Horus, represented as falcon-headed god, was an important god in Egyptian legend. The symbol representing his eye, Eye of Horus, was a powerful symbol used to protect from evil. Pronounced "udjat" by Egyptians, Eye of Horus represents a human eye with cheek markings of a falcon. The ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus or wedjat ('Whole One') is a powerful symbol of protection, and is also considered to confer wisdom, health and prosperity.The ancient Egyptians considered eye of horus as a representative of eternal renewal of kingdom from Pharaoh to pharaoh. The ancient Egyptians believed that this symbol has a very powerful and magical effect on restoring harmony to unstabilized world and restoring unrightful things. According to old myth, rivalling god Seth tore Horus' eye out. Seth was his uncle, who contended with him for Egyptian throne after he had killed and dismembered his father, Osiris. Thot, wise moon god and patron of sciences and art of writing, put it patiently back in order and healed it. As an ambiguous symbol, it describes status of regained soundness. In field of astronomy it is moon symbol absolute and refers to increasing completion of moon disk; Eye of Horus symbol was inspired by "Eye of God" and "solar falcon" that are manifested during total solar eclipses; In most different sizes and degrees of preciousness of its materials, it served as an amulet worn around neck or as a graphic motif for beautiful jewels; it decorated lunettes of coffins and sarcophagi; it was part of a suspicious picture mysteries in ornament of receptacles or other personal objects.
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