A Vision of Early Egypt (3/4) / © 1991-2002 by Franz
Gnaedinger,
Egypt 1 / Egypt 2 / Egypt 3 / Egypt 4
Part 3: Evidence
in the Great Pyramid / How was the Great Pyramid built? / Chamber shafts,
statues, a hidden chamber
11) Evidence in the Great Pyramid
All the
required elements and some important numbers of Hemon's method (which I
rediscovered in February 1994) are present and preserved in the Great Pyramid.
Jean-Philippe
Lauer, who spent seventy years of his long life restoring the Djoser Complex at
Saqqara, found a Sacred Triangle measuring 15-20-25 royal cubits (radius
inscribed circle 10 royal cubits) in the King's Chamber of the Great
Pyramid
width 10 royal cubits
diagonal short
wall 15 royal cubits
length 20 royal cubits
cubic
diagonal 25 royal cubits
Georges
Goyon defined the Great Pyramid as follows:
height / half
the base = 14 / 11
height / half
the diagonal of the base = 9 / 10
The
combined definitions lead to these numbers and ratios:
height 63
a base 99 a diagonal base 140 a
diagonal of
the base / base = 140 / 99
base / half
the diagonal of the base = 99 / 70
The numbers
70-99-140 are provided by my first number column. - The gangway leading down is
measured like this:
vertical
distance of ceiling and floor 72
fingers
horizontal
distance of ceiling and floor 144
fingers
corresponding
slope 161 fingers
These
numbers are found in my second number column.
Height of
pyramid 280 royal cubits
half base 220 royal cubits
slope practically 356 royal cubits
slope / half
the base practically 356/220 =
89/55
The numbers
55 and 89 belong to the so-called Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,
34, 55, 89, 144 ... which is found in my number column for the approximation of
the double square.
Height of
pyramid 280 royal cubits
double
base 880 royal cubits
double base /
height =
880/280 = 22/7 or 3 1/7
The value
22/7 was provided by the first polygon of the above sequence. Let me use this
value for calculating the area of the Taylor circle, an imaginary circle whose
vertical diameter is given by the height of the pyramid:
height =
diameter = 280 royal cubits
140 royal cubits = radius
area =
radius x radius x 22/7
140
rc x 140 rc x 22/7 = 61,600 square cubits
Now let us
calculate the area of the pyramid's cross-section:
height x base
x 1/2 =
280 rc x 440 rc x 1/2 = 61,600 sc
The
triangle of the cross-section and an imaginary circle whose diameter is given
by the pyramid's height have the same area.
12) How was the Great Pyramid built?
The Great
Pyramid, standing on a former hill sanctuary, was built as follows:
* The ground around the hill was provisionally
leveled
* Two accurate north-south lines west and east
of the hill were drawn using plumb-lines and pairs of circumpolar stars whose
connecting lines passed through the pole (near Thuban, alpha Draconis). An
astronomer observed such a pair of stars (for example Pherkad in Ursa Minor,
and Mizar in Ursa Major) using a 5 royal cubits long plumb-line. When both
stars passed the fine thread of his plumb-line, a horn was blown, the lower
star near the horizon, now staying exactly in the north, was sighted by means
of a series of 12 royal cubits long plumb-lines hanging from high scaffolds,
and marks were set on the ground. This proceeding was repeated with several
pairs of stars whose connecting lines passed through the pole, and the average
of the marks was chosen as the final mark
o short plumb-line (5 royal cubits)
l
* Pherkad
l
*
Thuban
l
l
* Mizar
l
v
* Mizar
l
l
l
v
---m------------------------------------------- horizon
mark long plumb-line (12 royal cubits)
* Starting from a north-south line, a
provisional grid of 50 x 50 squares was laid out. Each square measured 9 by 9
royal cubits (471.24 cm) while the diagonals measured 20 Horus cubits each
(666.4 centimeters)
* On every accessible cross-point of the grid a
limestone block was placed, and on every block a piece of wood was fixed
* The pieces of wood were leveled precisely by
means of a large triangle with a plumb line, hereupon the device was turned
and an eventual mistake corrected
* Now the grid of 50 x 50 squares was measured
out precisely using a wooden cross with four nails a, b, c, d:
a d
d + b
c + a
c b
a-b = b-c =
c-d = d-a = 9 royal cubits (471.24 cm)
a-c = d-b = 20
Horus cubits (666.4 centimeters)
A
measurement was carried out and marks were set on the wooden tops of the
limestone blocks. Now the cross was turned and the marks were checked. If the
nails of the turned cross matched the marks, all was fine; if not, the position
of the nails were checked at a reference cross carved in stone, and the
measurement was repeated
* A pavement was laid
* The slowly growing building under
construction enveloped in the spiraling ramps was kept in shape by means of an
imaginary 3-dimensional grid whose base measured 450 by 450 royal cubits, while
its height measured 450 Horus cubits. A module measured 9 royal cubits x 9
royal cubits x 18 Horus cubits (471.24 cm x 471.24 cm x 599.76 cm)
* Now the first layer of core blocks (local
nummulite limestone) and of casing and ramp blocks (fine Tura limestone) was
placed on the pavement; height 1/4 module = 18/4 or 9/2 Horus cubits = 149.94
cm or about 150 cm (actual height of the first layer of core and mantle blocks)
* Four ramps began at the corners and spiraled
up around the building, each time ascending by one module (18 Horus cubits or
practically 6 m). The angle of the lowest ramps measured less than 1.5 (one
point five) degrees. The angle slowly increased higher up; however, most of the
blocks were needed for the first layers. At the base, a ramp was 10 royal
cubits wide - 1 royal cubit was needed for protecting the building, 1 royal
cubit for a balustrade, while 8 royal cubits remained as slide way for the
sledges. - Volume of the ramps: less than 1/7 (one seventh) of the pyramid's
volume. The ramps were made of fine Tura limestone, which, when freshly broken,
is shining pure white. The building under construction, enveloped in the
spiraling ramps, was very attractive
* 3 of the 4 ramps were used for climbing the
structure; one ramp was used for bringing down the empty sledges. An average
load of twenty tons was placed on a specially designed sledge and pulled by
oxen
* Mechanical devices were used for solving
special tasks
* When the pyramidion was placed on top of the
pyramid, the blocks of the ramps were no longer needed, and so they were
brought down and reused for other buildings in the pyramid complex: temenos
wall, temples
cult pyramid,
queen's pyramids, boat pits, mastabas, and so on. The protruding ends of the
casing blocks were carved and polished and were beautiful, in pure white.
Building
the pyramid was hard work. However, Hemon and his helpers invented several
ingenious methods in order to ease the labor involved. The workers were also
well paid, and highly motivated, as the pyramid program was the greatest task
on earth, promising eternal life not only for the king but also for his people.
What is a
king without his people? A flame without a candle, a sail without a wind, a
boat without a river, a roof without a house, a pyramidion without a pyramid.
In fact, the gilded pyramidion symbolized the king while the millions of blocks
making up the giant building symbolized his people, who also gained eternal
life if only in the memory of mankind.
13) Chamber shafts, statues, pyramidion, a hidden chamber
The shafts
of the King's Chamber and of the so-called Queen’s Chamber represented the
raised arms of Shu, god of air and light, and Tefnut, goddess of moisture and
fire
The hands of these deities were symbols of
the stars, the 5 fingers of a hand corresponding to the five rays of an
Egyptian star.
King's
Chamber
Northern
shaft, Shu’s arm of air, curving around the upper end of the Grand Gallery,
aligning towards Draco:
vertical
part 87 royal cubits above the base, 5rc
long
short
slope rise-run-slope 32-100-105 fingers
long
slope tangent 2/3
model
triangle 6 rc - 9 rc - 17 Horus cubits
floor line
mouthing at a height of 155 19/32 rc
ceiling line
mouthing at a height of practically 156 rc
Southern
shaft, Shu’s arm of light, aligning towards Sahu/Orion, heavenly abode of
Osiris:
vertical
part 87 royal cubits above the base, 3
rc long
short
slope rise-run-slope 71-84-110 fingers
long
slope tangent 1/1
floor line
mouthing at a height of 157 33/50 rc
ceiling line
mouthing at a height of practically 158 rc
Shu was the
god of air and light. His hieroglyph was an ostrich feather. He lifted
Pharaoh's ba (soul) to Draco. Thuban, alpha Draconis, the then pole-star, and
10 Draconis nearby were the heavenly abode of Maat, goddess of truth, justice,
order, and harmony. Her hieroglyph was also an ostrich feather. The age-old
constellation of Draco was the Celestial Serpent. Its many stars were the 42
heavenly judges, namely Osiris and his assistants, among them ibis-headed
Thoth, and jackal-headed Anubis. Draco's head was the Hall of Justice or
Judgment Hall. Its four corner stars Rastaban, Eltanin, Grumium and Kuma were
the four incorruptible sons of Horus:
Imsety, Hapi, Duamutef and Kebehsenuf, who
live by Maat, lean on their staffs and watch over Upper Egypt - In July,
when the Nile rose, the head of Draco stood high in the sky at midnight,
watching over Upper Egypt.
In the
Judgment Hall of Osiris, Pharaoh's heart was weighed against the Maat's
feather. If the king's heart was light, he was permitted to live; but if his
heart was heavy with sins he was fed to a crocodile, and his soul and shadow
were burnt by the snake Aarutankhut. If the king was true of voice and passed the weighing of the heart, he became a
god, and Shu returned him to the pyramid, where he was raised as the sun child.
When he had grown, Pharaoh left the pyramid, traveled with Re along the swaying
kha-channel (or the band of the ecliptic: Rolf Krauss), and through the liquid
fields (the Milky Way) where he, now in godly form, once again encountered the
Celestial Serpent. Pharaoh's ba then traveled across the southern sky, to reach
the magnificent constellation of Sahu/Orion, heavenly abode of Osiris.
So-called
Queen's Chamber
Northern
shaft, Tefnut's right arm, bending upwards and towards the northwest:
vertical
part 45 royal cubits above the base, 4
rc long
short
slope rise-run-slope 20-21-29 rc
(triple)
long
slope bending upwards and towards the
nordwest
run - run -
rise - slope 44-44-65-90 rc
(peudo-quadruple)
10 blocks 2/3 Hc by 2/3 Hc by 19/140 rc each
10
purification chambers 2/3 Hc by 2/3 Hc
bx 121/140 rc each
total length
of the ten block and chambers 10 royal cubits
chest in
oblique position, 51 fingers wide, 68 fingers deep,
diagonal 85
fingers (Sacred Triangle 51-68-85), 132 fingers
high, cubic
diagonal 157 fingers (quadruple 51-68-132-157);
outer
measurements 67 by 84 by 148 fingers; statue of Khufu,
7 Horus cubits
tall, facing Cygnus, Wega and Draco
total length
of blocks, purification chambers and chest
13 royal
cubits, projection on the floor 9 royal cubits,
cosine NW 9/13
(pseudo-triple 45-47-65)
Southern
shaft, Tefnut’s left arm, aligning towards Sirius, heavenly abode of Isis:
vertical
part 45 royal cubits above the base, 3
5/6 rc long
slope 121
royal cubits (National Geographic), rise 77 rc
= 121 Horus
cubits, run 93 1/3 rc (pseudo-triple 231-280-363),
model triangle
5Hc - 27 palms - 5rc (pseudo-triple 245-297-245)
10 blocks 2/3 Hc by 2/3 Hc by 19/140 rc each
(depth of
Gantenbrink block 6-7 cm, National Geographic;
ideal
measurement 17/140 rc = 7.106 cm)
10
purification chambers 2/3 rc by 2/3 rc
by 121/140 rc each
(length of
Hawass chamber some 45 cm, National Geographic;
ideal
measurement 121/140 rc = 45.254 cm)
vertical
distance floor ceiling 11/20 Hc = 7/11 rc
horizontal
distance 2/3 rc
total length
of the ten blocks and chambers 10 royal cubits
chest, 51
fingers wide, 68 fingers deep, diagonal 85 fingers
(Sacred
Triangle 51-68-85), 132 fingers high, cubic diagonal
157 fingers
(triple 85-132-157, quadruple 51-68-132-157),
outer measurements
67 by 84 by 148 fingers, containing
a statue of
Khufu, 7 Horus cubits tall, facing Sirius
(chest and
statue in oblique position)
Imaginary
chest of Osiris, standing upright, 84 fingers
or 21 palms or
3 royal cubits wide, 120 fingers or 30 palms
deep, 280
fingers or 70 palms or 10 royal cubits high, cubic
diagonal 316
fingers or 79 palms (quadruple 21-30-70-79);
outer
measurements 4 royal cubits by 37 palms by 11 royal
cubits; upper
southern edge meeting the pyramid's ideal
southern face
at a height of 133 rc or 209 Horus cubits;
imaginary
statue of Osiris, standing upright, 14 Horus
cubits tall
Cross-section
of the shafts:
2/3 by 2/3
Horus cubits, diagonal 3/5 royal cubits
(actual
cross-section 22 by 22 cm, Rainer Stadelmann;
ideal
measurement 2/3 Hc = 22.21333 cm)
Transforming
the hypothetical chest into the pyramidion
height 84 fingers = 21 palms = 3 royal
cubits
base 132 by 132 fingers
diagonal
base 6.666 royal cubits
slope 6 Horus cubits
edge 7 Horus cubits
area of one
face 9 square cubits
gilded
surface 4x9 = 36 square cubits = 6
by 6 royal cubits
inner surface
chest 7 by 7 royal cubits
The
mistakes are tiny. - Imaginary chest of Horus
72 by 72 by 84
fingers or 18 by 18 by 21 palms
cubic diagonal
132 fingers or 33 palms,
quadruple
6-6-7-11, cosine 84/132 = 7/11
Tefnut, in
the Great Pyramid, observed the western sky, where Pharaoh was reborn: Nut, the king's mother, gave birth to him in
the Occident. Pharaoh was seen in the constellation of Cygnus. Deneb was
his head, and Wega his heart in a white alabaster canope. Pharaoh, in Cygnus, traveled
through the liquid fields, where he encountered the Celestial Serpent Draco,
whose head was the Judgment Hall of Osiris. In this hall Pharaoh' heart would
be weighed against Maat's feather. Would he survive and become a god? Would he
be true of voice? Would his heart be
light, or heavy with sin? Would he be devoured by the crocodile Amemait, his
soul and shadow burnt by the snake Aaruthankut? Fortunately the king could rely
on the help of Tefnut. She was his purifying fire; she guided him across the
sky and protected his heart (Wega) against the heavenly snake (Draco); and if
the king were still attacked by the snake, she could save him by wielding
Aquila, which follows Cygnus. In the constellation of Aquila was seen the magic
device used for the ritual opening of the mouth. According to a modern
physician, this mysterious device, a small adze, was actually used by Egyptian
doctors to force open the tracheas of scorpion sting or snakebite victims: and
if the king were attacked by the Celestial Serpent, Tefnut would employ it to
save his life.
When Atair
in Aquila rose above the western horizon, Tefnut in the pyramid looked towards
Pharaoh's southern hand (zaeta Cygni) while reaching for his northern hand
(iota and kappa Cygni): ... and Tefnut
takes his hand in order to install him at the head of the two Enneads and the
gods
(Cygnus as Pharaoh, Deneb his head, Wega
his heart, Draco as the Celestial Serpent, Atair in Aquila rising above the
western horizon; Tefnut reaching out for the king's northern hand, guiding him
safely across the sky, protecting his heart, and receiving him back in the
pyramid)
(Osiris in the Judgment Hall, together with Maat, further deities, and a
large snake; from the funerary papyrus of the priestess Nesitanebetisheru, ca.
900 BC)
(Atair and Aquila as the device used for the ritual opening of the mouth)
Tefnut was
the life-giving goddess of moisture, and the goddess of fire. The bronze
markings in the stones closing her shafts were hieroglyphs of the four holy
torches tekau. A statue of the lion-headed goddess stood in the niche in the
eastern wall of the so-called Queen's Chamber.
Nut, the king’s mother ... Nut is present in the imaginary
hemisphere whose radius measures 262 Horus cubits (according to the golden
sequence 8, 8, 16, 24, 40, 64, 104, 168, 272, 440 ...) or practically 173 royal
cubits (according to the golden sequence 9, 16, 25, 41, 66, 107, 173, 280 ...).
A chamber was built at the zenith of the imaginary hemisphere, 272 Horus cubits
or practically 173 royal cubits above the base (90.6 m). This chamber was the
womb of Nut, where Pharaoh grew as the sun child
length
(E-W) 20 Horus cubits or 666.40 cm
width (S-N)
16 Horus cubits or 533.12 cm
lateral
height 12 Horus cubits or 399.84 cm
axial
height 15 Horus cubits or 499.80 cm
In the Sun Chamber,
a statue of the young king 7 Horus cubits tall was placed, representing him as
the sun child
Egypt 1 / Egypt 2 / Egypt 3 / Egypt 4