Today was a holy day in some ancient Egyptian calendars, the Day Ma’at Judges. 10 facts about Ma’at:
Her name is pronounced “Muh-aht”.
She is the ancient Egyptian goddess of truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice. She is important because she represents the principles that ensured the stability and prosperity of ancient Egyptian society. Her ideological opposite was Isfet, who represented injustice, chaos, violence and evil.
The first known written reference to Ma’at is in the Pyramid Texts of Unas which date to 2375 – 2345 BCE.
She is said to be the daughter of Ra, the sister of Shu, and her masculine counterpart was Thoth. There is no particular evidence that she had any children.
She is pictured as a young woman, sometimes kneeling. She has wings and wears a headdress with one Ostrich feather on it. Ma'at is sometimes depicted holding an ankh, the symbol of life, and a sceptre, a symbol of authority.
The best known myth about her is that she is the one who weighs the Heart of a recently deceased person to ascertain whether they make it to the afterlife successfully or are devoured by the demon Ammit, resulting in eternal damnation. If the heart is lighter or equal in weight to Ma’at’s feather, essentially, the soul goes to heaven; if the heart is weighed down with misdeeds the soul goes to hell. Part of the process is for the deceased person to make what is known as the negative confessions, which involves them denying that they are guilty of 42 sins. Ma’at will know if the person is lying.
She’s not just responsible for balance and order in society, but in the universe as a whole. Part of her job is making sure the stars keep to their proper courses; and it’s said that she would guide her father, the sun god, across the sky each day to make sure his journey was smooth and not interrupted.
Some Pharaohs would incorporate Ma’at’s name into their titles to mark them as fair and just rulers. They would be known as Lords of Maat, or Meri-Maat (Beloved of Maat). Pharaohs are often depicted with the emblems of Ma’at to emphasise their roles in upholding the law.
The vizier responsible for justice was known as the Priest of Maat and judges wore images of Maat.
Ancient Egyptians would make offerings to Ma’at. Common offerings included small statues or amulets, Bread, Beer, and Water.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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