AFRICAN HERCULES: THE FACTS

ARE FINALLY REVEALED!

Contributing Author Network

*The goal of this web page is to inform the African-American Community to the truth that Hercules from conception to realization in historical figures started in Africa, by native African people, who were and are black people, therefore those of African descent need to reclaim this heroic and uplifting archetype, and symbol of Divine Strength, which was stolen from us by the Eurocentric Hegemony, and which we have woefully forgotten. Ignorance and apathy are the great enemies of freedom and self- determination, those who don't struggle to know the truth and be the truth should not complain about their predicament, only struggle against lies using truth as the weapon of illumination will free are minds, and that Herculean Spirit within the African Diaspora must shine forth again! Hercules belongs to every culture in the world, this is truth, and lets not forget that Hercules belongs to black people too! Have you ever wondered why there were no black men and women portraying Hercules in Sword and Sandal Movies? Guess what people? It won't happen either till our community takes it upon itself to see it happen , to educate ourselves on what we have lost, and to illuminate the minds of the youth with the truth. TRUE STRENGTH IS THE FLOWER OF THE TRUTH!

Avatars of Hercules: Hercules Walks The Earth In Recorded History.

By Samuel David Ewing

Hannibal Barca, the North African Hercules is the black man hailed by scholars and military historians as the "Father Of Strategies." To this day his genius as a strategist, warrior, statesman, economist, and his example of moral courage is an example to be emulated by all members of the African - American Community.

What were the physical, mental, and character attributes of this great man that made him stand out above all the rest? Hannibal was a tall man of exceptional physical strength, endurance, skill as an athlete and soldier. The men who served under his command admired his superior martial art skills, his ability, and willingness to endure the same hardships they were confronted with. The Romans grudgingly admitted that he was far less cruel during combat than themselves, he treated women captured in battle with the utmost respect compared to the Romans, they envied his great personal wealth which Hannibal mainly used to finance the army that defended the Carthaginian Empire, and that enabled him to sustain the war against Rome. Let it be noted for record that any humiliating defeats experienced by the Romans during their conflicts with Hannibal, defeats which were quite numerous can surely be attributed to Roman arrogance and presumption in initiating plans for conquest.

Hannibal possessed extraordinary courage, cunning, resourcefulness, wonderful intellect which made him a formidable opponent against the Romans.Hannibal's charismatic influence as an orator, politician, and military commander enabled him to solidify an army made up of various people. His army consisted of Phoenicians, Greeks, Estrucans, Africans from the many nations of Africa, Iberians from Spain, nomads of the African Coast, Gauls, Libyans, and Numidians. Hannibal was the first commander in charge of a multi- cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi- racial military force.

Theodore Aryault Dodge, author of Hannibal, published Da Capo Press, Inc., 233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013,pgs. 613, 618, and 643 describes Hannibal's admirable traits and behaviour. He would arise early in the morning, retire for sleep late at night, the first to engage the enemy in battle and the last to leave, was a moderate drinker of wine, displayed physical fortitude when challenged by the extreme cold of the Alps as well as the fierce heat of the African climate. Scipio Africanus admired and praised his noble enemy, and the two adversaries developed a friendship between them. Hannibal was famous for his honorable and courteous treatment of prisoners, friendly comraderie with his troops, the frightening intensity of his anger, and his intense hatred of Rome. Hannibal the Great, however was superior to Alexander the Great concerning self- control even with his own anger, moral integrity, and how he could render his facial expressions unreadable to the observer. Hannibal was challenged far more than Alexander when one considers the reversal of fortune he had to contend with.

John L. Johnson, author of The Black Biblical Heritage, Copyright 1994, published by Winston-Derek Publishers, Inc., Pennywell Drive, P.O. Box 90883, Nashville,TN 37209, reports on pg.231:"There were several European nations which fell under black Africa's rule. Hannibal, the great "genius", Carthaginian general ( Carthaginians were Negro-Phoenicians, who were descendants of Ham's grandson Sidon ) plundered deep in Europe and seized Spain, Portugal, a portion of France, and made a triumphant trip across the Alps to conquer Rome. While dwelling in Europe, Hannibal and his Negro-African Army intermixed their blood with the Europeans: even to this day, the people of those nations have frizzy coiled hair and darkish skin."

The Carthaginian women were famed for their beauty and the men for their handsome appearance. Johnson, on pgs. 31 and 231, gives information about the lineage of the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians ( also called Zidonians ) are the descendants of the native African Sidon, the first son of Canaan who was a black man. Phoenicians were highly skilled seamen, navigators, ship builders, merchants, traders, and architects. Hannibal was a member of the Barca family, the most prominent family of the Carthaginian Empire. The empire was renowned for its enormous prosperity and its dominance of the Mediterranean Sea. The people of Carthage were described by contemporaries as having very dark skin, flat noses, finely curled hair, and full lips commonly seen among North Africans. Furthermore Johnson points to the fact that Sidon and his people, whose forefather is Canaan, are members of the Davidic Line ( I Kings 16:31 ).

Hannibal who as a scholar wrote books in the Greek language was associated with Hercules and considered to be an incarnation of Hercules by the Phoenicians. Latin writers report that Hannibal the Great made payment of a tithe to Hercules, because of a vow he'd made to the god Melkart-Hercules at the temple of Hercules in Gades. Hannibal in the presence of his entire army invoked the help of Hercules and the other gods to give him victory with his march against Rome. The Romans resented the fact that various writers, including Roman scholars acknowledged that Hercules favored Hannibal, and aided him in his victories over the Romans. H.H. Scullard, author of Scipio Africanus: Soldier And Politician, Copyright 1970, published by Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York., informs us that,"The god who is alleged, by the writers denounced by Polybius, to have helped Hannibal through the Alps may well be Hercules. Scipio too is linked in the legend with Hercules, possibly as a counter to the Carthaginian claim that the god favoured their hero.", pgs. 19-20. It should be noted here that the worship of Hercules predates his receiving honors by the Greeks and Romans by centuries, therefore further revealing the Hercules concept as African in origin. Hannibal's father, the mighty hero Hamilcar Barca was considered to be an incarnation of Hercules by the Phoenicians, who portrayed him as Melkart-Hercules in a bust side portrait, on their silver coins as a bearded Hercules, while on the reverse side is shown a cloaked person riding an elephant, and holding a goad. The Carthage coins reveal Hamilcar's African facial features. Hannibal is also portrayed on Carthage's silver coins as a clean shaven Melkart- Hercules, while on the reverse side is an elephant. Hannibal's African features are obvious on the coin. The coins described are silver hexadrachms made during the time of Hannibal's promotion to general of Carthage's military forces in 221 B.C. Hamilcar means "Son of Melkarth" and Barca means "Thunderbolt." Hannibal means "Beloved of Baal." * Note here that Melkarth was the Phoenician name for Hercules and was also combined as Melkarth-Hercules, while Baal was considered to be a smiting god of which Hercules was an aspect.

The Roman writer, Silvius Italicus, author of Punica, describes a list of heroes that he believes are successors to Hercules, Herculean men of Rome, whom he deems worthy of honors. Some of these men are Scipio Africanus, Augustus Caesar who is mentioned in Book VIII of the 'Punica', Regulus of the First Punic War in Book VI of 'Punica', who slew a giant serpent, and Fulvius in Book XIII OF 'Punica'. Silvius Italicus describes Hannibal as a successor of Hercules in his work 'Punica' and six Herculeses are mentioned in Cicero's De Natura Deorum. Silvius grudgingly compares Hannibal to Hercules and as a successor to Hercules for the following reasons:

1. Hannibal Barca was a devotee of Melkart-Hercules, this Hercules was said to be the linked to the start of Carthage and Rome.

2. In the early books of Silvius, Hannibal is also compared to Mars and Achilles.

3. Book III of the Punica, Silvius describes Hannibal's devotion to Hercules and the gods, and his high regard for the family.

4. Hannibal sends Bostar to gain guidance from the Oracle of Ammon. Ammon is the Egyptian Zeus, the prototype of the Greek Zeus. Alexander the Great, in order to legitimize himself as a successor of Hercules and Hercules reborn went to the same oracle. Ammon or Ammon- Zeus is an African god of the African peoples called Egyptians by the Greeks. The Ancient Egyptians were black people.

5. Hannibal travels to Gades where the Temple of Melkart-Hercules is located to pay tribute to Hercules and gain his favour in his battle against Rome. Hannibal is also fascinated by the Labours of Hercules engraved on the temple's doors.

6. Silvius mentions that Hannibal surpassed Hercules with two mightier deeds: a. Hannibal crosses the Pyrenees; which Silvius compares to the exploit Hercules and Pyrene. B. Hannibal crossing the Alps surpassed any achievement by Hercules.

Suggested reading about Silvius Italicus and Hannibal can be found The Classical Tradition: Literary And Historical Studies in Honor Of Harry Caplan,'Hercules and the Hero of the Punica' by Edward L. Basset, edited by Luitpold Wallach, Copyright 1960 by Cornell University Press.

In conclusion I hope that the African- American Community will realize their African ancestors' role in the conception of the idea of Hercules as an ideal and as self-realized in the lives of African people who sought to be that which they are, namely HERCULES!

SESOSTRIS THE GREAT, THE EGYPTIAN HERCULES.

By Samuel David Ewing

Pg.225. "Eratosthenes ( ? ) ( From Syncellus ) App.II Fr. 39 King of Thebes 34. The thirty fourth King of Thebes was Sistosichermes, "Valiant Heracles," ( Sistosis or Sesortosis, "Valiant Hermes or Heracles" ), for 55 years. Anno Mundi 3791." From Manetho, With An English Translation By W.G. Waddell, published by Harvard University Press , London 1940, 1948.

Sesostris the Great's name has been translated in various ways from the Greek, Roman, and English translations as Senusret I, Senwosret I, Sistosis, Sesortosis, Sesoothis, and Sen-Wos- Ret I. Sen-Wos-Ret means "son of Wosret." Wosret is the goddess who was known as a form of Hathor in Egypt. Wosret ruled over precious metals, wealth, mines, and treasures. The ancient black African ruler, Sen-Wos-Ret I knew Her to be his patron deity during his successful military campaigns, and she was the motivating ideal behind his mission to conquer the entire world. With that in mind I will now list some of his accomplishments: 1. He used prisoners of war for an extensive building projects throughout Egypt. 2. He was worshiped as a living god during the 12^th Dynasty of Egypt. 3. Sen-Wos- Ret I began a series of victorious military expeditions against the Asiatics, Libyans, and various nomads ( Bedouins ) who threatened the people of Egypt. He became ruler of Egypt in 1971 B.C. and ruled until 1928 B.C. 4. He enforced loyalty and discipline in Egypt, giving the governors responsibility for the management of the nomes ( towns ). 5. He was the first Egyptian king to rule over Ethiopia, including lower Nubia, and use its gold mines to add to the empires wealth. 6. Strabo, XVII reports that Sen-Wos-Ret I had built a canal starting from the Nile River to the Red Sea. 7. He ordered the rebuilding of the Temple of Amen at Ipet-sut ( Karnak ) in stone. 8. He erected red granite obelisks to be placed at Heliopolis ( Northern Anu ). 9. He led a great expedition to Punt on the Somali Coast. 10. He had built the largest pyramid in the history of the Middle Kingdom Period of Egypt's history. The pyramid was 352 ft. tall. 11. He protected Egypt's borders by winning victories in a succession of military conquests to the South to gain the benefits of the economic mechanisms in Lower Nubia and to continue trading with the nations of West Asia. 12. The ancient Greeks called him "Heracles Kharops" ( Heracles the Flashing-Eyed ), "Kekrops", and "Sistosichermes Valiant Hercules." He founded and built Athens, Greece, considered to be the greatest center of culture, academics, art, and the sciences in ancient Greece. This city is credited to being the catalyst for European - based civilization ( the West ) and originated with the black king Sen-Wos- Ret I known as Heracles Kharops. 13. He was the second ruler of the 12^th Dynasty, he ruled for 34 years, and built 13 fortresses from Egypt to the Second Cataract. He made use of the harvest from Wadi Hammamat for food supplies. 14. He completed the construction of the Wall Of Princes. He founded colonies in the areas of the Danube River, the Black Sea, Strabo, Book III records that Sen-Wos- Ret I conquered Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Iberia, Colchis, and ancient Hindu writings record his invasion of India. Numerous sources indicate that he was the first man to conquer the entire world centuries before Alexander the Great was born, that this has been a point of controversy among scholars and archaeologist, however evidence is being discovered that verifies the claims of ancient writers.

E.J. Brill's book, Anne Burton, Diodorus Siculus Book I A Commentary, copyright E. J. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands, published by Leiden E. J. Brill 1976, pg.171, points to the opinion of ancient Greek historians that Pharoah Sen-Wos-Ret I ( African Ruler of Egypt ) is the same person as Herakles ( Heracles or Hercules ), and that Anne Burton reported on Herodorus Ponticus' measurements of Herakles: ".......; and Herodorus Ponticus gives the height of Herakles as four cubits, one foot-------- an estimate which in Lepsius' view is also based on Herodotus' account of Sesostris." On the same page Lepsius work, Lepsius, "Der Sesostris-Herakles Korpelange, ZAS.IX, 1871, 52-56; Herodotus II, 106, reveals that Pharoah Sesostris' height has been compared to Herakles and this measurement 4 cubits plus 1ft., has been agreed upon by ancient Greek writers such as Manetho, Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, and Ponticus. The discussion of Sesostris-Herakles measurements when we observe that many of the mighty exploits of his descendants were combined with his impressive achievements which further strengthened the legend of the Egyptian Hercules. Stories concerning the Egyptian Hercules preceded the tales concerning the Greek Heracles by many centuries. An example of the amalgamation of other Pharoahs with Sesostris are the deeds of Sen-Wos-Ret III, the fifth king of the 12^th Dynasty who ruled Egypt for 37 years, and was said to be close to seven feet tall. Pgs.164-165 of E. J. Brill, Anne Burton, Diodorus Siculus Book I A Commentary explains that the legends of Pharoah Sesostris the Great ( Sen-Wos- Ret I ), the Egyptian Hercules is a character based on the fame and exploits of Sen-Wos- Ret I, Sen-Wos- Ret III, Ramses II, and later kings of great renown of the Egyptian Empire. Greeks writers often confused Sen-Wos-Ret I and Ramses II as being the same person. We highly recommend that anyone interested in this subject read Egypt Revisited, Editor Ivan Van Sertima, Copyright 1989 by Journal Of African Civilizations Ltd., Inc., published by Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick ( U.S.A. ) and London ( U.K. ).

E. Reclus, author of The Earth And Its Inhabitants, Vol.#1 is mentioned in John L. Johnson's, The Black Biblical Heritage, Copyright 1994 by John L. Johnson, published by Winston-Derek Publishers, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee 37205, on page 25; "Reclus says Egypt was a great civilized power during the period in which Europe was being overrun by savage tribes. Arithmetic, architecture, geometry, astrology, all the arts, and nearly all of today's industries and sciences were known while the Greeks lived in caves. The pattern of our thinking originated in Africa... Reclus' comments can be found in the following source: The Earth And Its Inhabitants. Vol 1, p. 207. 1893."

Mizraim is the ancestor of the Egyptians and the second son of Ham ( native African man, black man ). He traveled to Lower Egypt which was named after him, also it is referred to as the Land Of Ham. In addition G. G. M. James clarifies in his book, Stolen Legacy, 160 that the Greeks named the Egyptians "Hoi Aiguptoi"( Black People ), the very name "Egypt" is a Greek word describing the people of this land. The Egyptian Heracles ruled from Thebes, Egypt which is the Greek name for "Waset", the name used by the ancient black peoples of this land. The Egyptian Hercules is the first "Hercules Of Thebes." Much later the Greeks built their own "Thebes" in Greece including the stories of a Greek Heracles ( Hercules ).

SESOSTRIS III, THE EGYPTIAN HERCULES: PART II.

By Samuel David Ewing

In the previous article concerning Sen-Wos-Ret I ( Sesostris I ) it was discussed that the Sesostris-Herakles legend was part of the culmination of the careers belonging to numerous mighty African rulers of Egypt. Sen-Wos-Ret III was among those great black men who wore the mantle of Herakles. Historical records concerning him state:

1. Sesostris III was a descendant of Sesostris I, ruled Egypt from 1878-1842 B.C., as the 5^th king ( pharoah ) of the 12^th Dynasty. 2. He was believed to be close to 7 ft. tall ( 6 ft. 6 inches ) and this may have reinforced his authority as the ruler. 3. He conquered the governors who supervised the townships ( nomes ) of Egypt who attempted to usurp his authority. 4. He delegated authority to 3 officials to supervise Egypt after dividing the regions to be governed into sections by his appointment. 5. He personally commanded 3 military expeditions into Lower Nubia for the purpose of protecting Egypt's dominance over trade routes and to greatly limit the Nubian presence that threatened Egypt's borders. The expeditions were successfully enforced. 6. He invaded Syria with military forces which came back with abundant spoils from this victory. 7. He was an extensive builder who constructed a temple dedicated to the war god Montu, personally supervised reconstruction of canals and channels along Nubia enabling him to accommodate his naval forces. 8. He led a victorious military campaign against Nubia to discourage any further rebellion by Nubian invaders, restricting Nubian travel to the borders of Egypt to traders only. 9. He had built forts up and down the two cataracts from Egypt's borders to Nubia, using a scorched earth policy and brute force to subjugate Nubia, recording his contempt for their cowardice by recording on stone monuments that they were effeminate. 10. He subjugated Sekhem ( Shechem ), a town in Palestine.

Martin Bernal author of Black Athena Vol. II, The Afroasiatic Roots Of Classical Civilization, Copyright 1991, published by Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey, pg. 120, points to the correlation between what the ancient Greeks said about Heracles ( Hercules ) and the names of certain pharoahs of Egypt: "In both Thespiai and Thisbe, as well as at Koroneia, Herakles was known as Kharops, Herakles Kharops, or more often Kharops Herakles. The epithet would seem to mean 'flashing-eyed'. However another possibility is that the name is related to Kekrops the founder of Athens, who also had a shrine at Haliartos. Kekrops will be discussed further in Volume 3 but here it is sufficient to say that I shall argue that the name may be related HprK3R~, H ~ hpr R~, or H ~ k3wR~, the prenomena of Senwosres I, II, III. Thus, there are some possible additional associations of the Boiotian Herakles to the 12^th Dynasty Egypt". The throne name of Senwosret III is Kha-kau-Re, of Senwosret I is Kheper-ka-Re, and Senwosret II is Kha-kheper-Re. The resemblance to the Greek Kekrops speaks for itself. It was common in ancient Greek language that Egyptian names and words were often transliterated as one combined word and or abbreviated. Diodorus Siculus records that the ancient Egyptians maintain that Kekrops was an Egyptian ruler who founded Athens for colonization.

RAMSES II, THE EGYPTIAN HERCULES: PART III.

By Samuel David Ewing

Ramses II, the Great ( Usermare Ramses ) was ruler of the Egyptian Empire during the 13^th Century B.C. and as with the other rulers who were associated with Hercules the highlights of his extraordinary career will be listed here:

1. Ramses II was the third ruler of the 19^th Dynasty of Egypt, reigning from 1279- 13 B.C., and having the second longest rule in the history of Egypt's empire. Early in his career he became regent by authority of his father Seti I and was also appointed captain of the Egyptian army at the age of ten.

2. He prosecuted wars against the Hittites and Libyans. For example Ramses II led a military expedition against the Hittites at their fortress at Kadesh using 4 divisions of chariots and foot soldiers, after being surrounded by the Hittites he gained a seemingly miraculous victory, when part of his army arrived to the rescue. The battle being narrowly won he was unable to overtake the fortress at Kadesh. In earlier campaigns Ramses II had succeeded in conquering many Hittite settlements, therefore realizing that permanent rulership was not possible a peace treaty was signed in 1258 B.C. Part of this treaty included marriage to the Hittite king's eldest daughter and to various other princesses. The result was friendly relations between Egyptians and Hittites. During one of his battles against the Hittites he was compelled to fight without wearing his armor, thus he was extremely proud of his victories against overwhelming odds.

3. Ramses II commanded military battles against the kings in Southern Syria, having a stone monument erected to record his exploits, however very little remains of this record. He crushed the rebellion of small nation-states in Southern Syria, Northern Palestine, conquering towns in Galilee, and Amor during the 8^th to 9^th year of his reign.

4. He supervised military strikes against the Edomites, Moabites, Negeb and Libyans who constantly attempted to invade Egypt through the Delta Region. The campaigns were successful and were designed to discourage any further rebellion.

5. Ramses II conducted extensive building campaigns throughout Egypt. He made sure that his mighty exploits were memorialized on stone monuments throughout Egypt, Nubia, and other countries, including going as far as to write over the monuments of previous rulers. His other magnificent building projects include the Great Hall at Karnak ( Thebes ), completing the temple at Abydos which his father started, finishing Seti I's funerary temple at Luxor ( Thebes ), the funerary temple to himself named the Ramesseum, his resident city including the four main temples located at each cardinal point with various shrines, 6 temples in Nubia, 2 famous temples at Abu Simbel carved from its cliffs, having enormous statues of his likeness, and the founding of the royal capital named Pi-Ramesse ( "the House of Ramses" ).

6. He had many wives of which the most famous were Queen Nefertari, Queen

Isinofre, Queen Merneptah, Queen Merytanum, and the Hittite Queen Matnefune. He possessed a large harem of beautiful women and he was the father of over 100 children who he cared for.

7. He ruled the Egyptian Empire for 67 years and having brought great wealth to the kingdom he was said to epitomize the supreme ruler as God upon the earth. The rulers of the 20^th Dynasty used his name as part of their own and attempted to establish themselves as his descendants. ***As was mentioned concerning the Sesostris line of rulers, Ramses II's exploits were incorporated with the former which added to the historical mythos of the Egyptian Hercules. Sesostris I was the primary prototype on which the legends of the historical Egyptian Hercules were based, as time passed Ramses II's mighty exploits were incorporated as part of Sesostris I's feats. This emphasis on the esteem of Ramses the Great ( Ramses II ) that he was considered one and the same with Sesostris the Great ( Sesostris I ). Thus Martin Bernal reports in his book, Black Athena Vol. # 2, page 200: "Most scholars today accept the identification of Sesostris/Sesoosis with Senwosre I and III and believe there is a historical kernel to the stories....... According to them, the legendary figure of Sesostris has been massively contaminated by features borrowed from later conquering pharoahs--- notably Ramses II of the 19^th and Sheshonk of the 22^nd dynasty." On page 241, Bernal points to the fact that Ramses II was associated as one and the same person as the god Reshef: "In a stela from Ramses II, there is the passage: 'His majesty crossed the Orontes ( in North Syria ) over the tempestous waters like Reshef.' Reshef is a Canaanite god of lightning, thunder, pestilence, fire, war, and archery who was incorporated into the Egyptian pantheon of deities. Reshef in Egypt was considered to be identical with the Egyptian god Hershef, who the Greeks called Arsaphes and Heracles. He was considered the patron god of the pharoah for the purposes of archery, warfare, and victory. Black Athena Vol. # 2, pages 111-113, Bernal states: pg. # 111:"Where in Egyptian tradition can we find this ancient if not most ancient Herakles? One identification has been made with a ram god Hrf-s-f-Arsaphes in Greek......" Continuing on page # 112-113: "........the name Hrf-s-f would also seem to be the origin of the name of the West Semitic god of war and disease Rsp or Reshef....If Arsaphes' identification with both Reshef and Herakles is clear, the triangle is completed by there being close parallels between Reshef and Herakles. In a posthumously published article, the military general and ancient historian, Yigael Yadin demonstrated that while the West Semitic Reshef was frequently identified with the Greek Apollo as both were associated with arrows and disease, he was also equated with Nergal and Herakles. He used a lion-headed rhyton dedicated to Reshef found at Ugarit to clinch the identification of Reshef with lions. Yadin went on to link this to Herakles' association with lions and to work that he had written previously on the identification of Herakles with Samson ........Thus, Yadin saw a fusion between the Aegean Herakles and the Canaanite Reshef........" Therefore Ramses II's achievements are embodied in the historical origins of the Egyptian Heracles ( Hercules ).

*THE GREEK HERACLES WAS A BLACK MAN AND THE AFRICAN INFLUENCE ON GREEK AESTHETICS.

By Samuel David Ewing

It has occurred to me lately as I pondered about the next article for this section that the lineage, pedigree, or family tree of the Greek Heracles must be clarified once and for all. Diodorus Siculus and Herodotus recorded that it was the Egyptian Heracles who was the hero who performed the legendary 12 Labors, subdued the animals of the wild that had threatened the people, ushered in the building of cities, water systems, fortifications, and laws. Walter Burkert has estimated that this original Heracles was renowned as far back as 20,000 years ago. The Greek Heracles ended up receiving honors for the accomplishments of his predecessor, having the title of "Heracles", furthermore by the Bronze Age of Greece in which the Greek Heracles was said to have lived the taming of the wilderness had already been accomplished. The Greek Heracles was not likely to be wearing lion skin armor, wielding a club, with spear as weapons, and the danger of lions running amok was remote. The Egyptian Heracles did wear lion's skin and or leopard skin ( leopards were considered to be lions without manes ), he used the spear and club as his weapons, he traveled on foot because their were no chariots during the early history of Egypt, and the black rulers of Egypt were the persons who fit the description of the Egyptian Heracles. Richard Poe, author of BLACK SPARK WHITE FIRE, Did African Explorers Civilize Ancient Europe, Prima Publishing, P.O. Box 1260BK , Rocklin, CA 95677, pg. 316 quotes Diodorus on the differences between the Egyptian Heracles and the Greek Heracles; "By the time the Greek Heracles lived, said Diodorus, "most parts of the inhabited world had already been reclaimed from their wild state by agriculture and cities and the multitude of men settled everywhere over the land". Again quoting Diodorus, Richard Poe reveals; "Likewise, both the club and the lion's skin are appropriate to their ancient [ Egyptian ] Herakles, because in those days arms had not yet been invented, and men defended themselves against their enemies with clubs of wood and used the hides of animals for defensive armor".

Herodotus' research led him to discover that the most ancient Heracles was Egyptian (a native black African ). In Pausanias, 9.38.6-8 ( Jones, trans. ) Herodotus reports that the Greek Heracles was a black man also; "There is plenty of evidence to prove the truth of this, in particular, that both parents of Herakles - Amphitryon and Alkmene - were of Egyptian origin". The Greek Herakles was a black man? How could this be? Ancient literature by the Greek scholars reveals that:

1. Herakles' parents were descendants of the Egyptian King Danaos who was a native black African of Egypt. The Egyptians, of course were predominantly black people.

2. Herakles' father, Amphitryon and his mother, Alkmene were first cousins, grandchildren of the mighty hero Perseus, who is the great, great, great, great grandson of King Danaos. In addition their was miscegenation between Egyptians and Greeks. One can obviously understand that the Greek Herakles would hardly resemble a European or Caucasian male. In present day American society he would be considered a black man, mulatto or at the very least having a 'biracial background'. This information was gathered by Herodotus who researched the Greek Herakles' pedigree. Apollodorus points to the fact that the Greek Herakles' parents were also descended from Perseus' wife, Andromeda, whose parents were Cepheus and Cassiopeia, the rulers of Ethiopia. Thus we see in the Greek Herakles the hero whose parents are of Ethiopian and Egyptian descent, both groups of people who are native Africans ( black people ) with some Greek mixture also.

3. Richard Poe further reports on page 317 that the ancient Roman poet, Ovid emphasizes that the beautiful Andromeda was "dark ( fusca )". On page 318, BLACK SPARK WHITE FIRE, Richard Poe further clarifies that; "We, of course, have no way of knowing to what extent the Herakles of legend represents a real person. But even if he does not, his portrayal as an African prince-- part Egyptian and part Ethiopian-- suggests that the ancient storytellers held a profoundly different view of Bronze Age Greece than that served up by Hollywood scriptwriters. Rightly or wrongly, ancient tradition places African dynasts at the head of some of Greece's most powerful and prominent cities. It also portrays Herakles as an ambitious hydraulic engineer, responsible for damming rivers and digging canals all over Greece--- an occupation peculiarly appropriate for a prince of an Egyptian royal dynasty". Richard Poe asks these thought provoking questions, "Was Herakles a Paul Bunyan of his time? Do his adventures reflect the achievements of real- life canal diggers and dam builders in early Greece? If so, then the legend implies that those ancient engineers had a strong ancestral link with Africa and particularly with Egypt. It seems more than coincidental that Herakles' great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather Danaos was also remembered, in legend, for his feats of water engineering".

Briefly I want to talk about Zeus, the Supreme Father god who was said to be the Greek Herakles' actual father. Zeus is the name or title of the supreme god of ancient Ethiopians and the Egyptian. He was known as Zeus, Zeus-Ammon, Ausar, Khnum, Ammon- Zeus, and Ethiops. The ancient Greeks' religion was copied from the ancient Ethiopians and Egyptians from whom they learned spiritual and religious teachings. The Greeks and Romans referred to Zeus using the African titles previously mentioned in addition calling him Serapis, Jupiter, Jove, Zagreus, Dionysus, and Osiris.

Joel A. Rogers, author of Nature Knows No Color Line, reports; "Negroes were first worshipped in Greece and Rome. White masses bowed down to black deities. The rites of Apollo were founded by Delphos and his Negro mother, Melainis; and the worship of black Isis and Horus were popular in Rome and the Roman colonies as far north as Britain. When this later evolved into the worship of the Black Madonna and the Black Christ, Christian Whites also bowed down to them. Negroes, as was said, were deified in the early Greece. They appear as gods in Greek mythology. The chief title of Zeus, greatest of the Greek gods, was 'ETHIOPS', that is 'BLACK'".

In addition to this information the same Ethiops or Zeus is the historical king named CUSH who ruled over the native African peoples ( the black race, the Hamites ).

Godfrey Higgins, author of ANACALYPSIS, Vol. 1, published by A & BOOKS PUBLISHERS, 149 Lawrence Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, reports that; "In my research for the origin of the Ancient Druids, I continually found, at last, that my labors terminated with something black. Thus the Oracles of Dodona and of Apollo at Delphi were founded by Black Doves. Doves are not often, I believe, never black. Osiris and his Bull were black, at least this was the case with Jupiter, Bacchus, Hercules, Apollo, Ammon. The goddesses Venus, Isis, Hecati, Juno, Metis, Ceres, Cybele were black in the Campdoglio in Rome". Higgins further states on page 286 of the same book; "We have found the black complexion or something relating to it whenever we have approached the origin of nations......... or first idols were black". J.A. Rogers, author of Sex And Race, Vol.1, New York, 1967 reports; ".......the earliest gods and messiahs on all the continents were black."

The ancient Greeks, ancestors of some of the present Greek peoples readily admitted that they were descendants of Ethiopians ( native African black people of Ethiopia ) and the Europeans of ancient times. The ancient Greeks, with pride tell the story of how Zeus ( Cush, first Ethiopian Ruler ) and the prototype for the king of the Olympian gods, made love to the white-skinned IO, who gave birth to Epaphus, a mulatto male.

This story which was one of many reveals the Greeks acknowledging their biracial heritage. In Sex And Race, Vol.1, J.A. Rogers has this to say, "As was said several scientists, among them Sergei, declare that the Europeans, especially those of the Meditteranean, are, strictly speaking, Eur- Africans. Thus we find anthropology supporting mythology".

Archaeologist have found numerous vases, statues and other forms of art from the Archaic Period of Ancient Greece in which the native Greek people portray themselves as Africans and as people having a mixture of African and European features. The constant miscegenation between the people of Ancient Crete ( Western Ethiopians ) and the Europeans, during 2000-1200 B.C. was a well known fact to the Archaic Greeks. Andromeda, Perseus' wife is shown on a terracotta vase, from the 4^th century B.C. as the beautiful black woman that she was. Is there any proof that the ancient Greeks of the of the Archaic Period acknowledged and portrayed Heracles ( HERCULES ) as a black man? YES THERE IS! In the Oesterreichisches Museum, Vienna was kept the Ionian 'Caeratan' hydria ( very large water jar ), made during the middle of the 6^th Century B.C. The title of the art work on the hydria is 'HERAKLES AND BUSIRIS KING OF EGYPT'. This art reveals the Greek Herakles as an enormously muscled black African giant who is crushing evildoers beneath his feet, strangling and breaking the necks of evildoers with his barehands, as well as by trapping their throats between his elbow and bicep region, in his left hand he is holding a man in the air by his left ankle using the superhuman might of his left arm, and finally the rest of the evildoers are fleeing from the Greek Herakles in terror. The story has to do with Herakles putting a stop to human sacrifices which were instituted by an evil group of cultist under the direction of King Busiris of Egypt. Heracles allowed them to attempt to use him as a sacrifice, then at the right moment he broke his bonds, slaying 1000 cultists including the king. The story resembles that told of Samson. *** The point to be emphasized here is that the Greek Herakles was originally thought of as a BLACK MAN by the ancient Greek peoples before his features were altered by the later Eurocentric influence centuries later.

The Greek Heracles as a black man on this hydria is shown slaying black men (Egyptians ) who have features like himself, such as black skin, flat nose, flaring nostrils, large lips, and the wooly textured hair of Hamites. This same Herakles is also shown slaying fair skinned Greeks, and Europeans, the difference between these opponents and Herakles the black man leaves know room for doubt concerning who is of what race.

Martin Bernall, author of BLACK ATHENA, VOL. 1, pages 476- 477 has this to say about this particular hydria; ".....While both point out that Bousiris has black attendants and that Bousiris himself is portrayed as one on another vase, neither Boardman nor Snowden ( 1970, p.159 ) mentions the fact that the 'Greek hero Herakles' is depicted as a curly-haired African Black. This is something that the Aryan Model is completely unable to handle. For reasons that Herakles should have been seen this way, see Vol.3." I would like to add that I have seen photo-prints of this vase myself therefore I know Martin Bernall is telling the truth! Finally apparently it isn't mentioned that an equal amount of Bousiris' attendants on this vase are obviously European.

* * *Forget Everything That You Saw In The Movies About Maciste:

This Is The Real MACISTE!!!! By Samuel David Ewing

Those of us who were adults or grew up during the late 1950s to the early 1970s remember the sword and sandal genre of movies that were shown in the movie theatres. This genre featured larger than life supermen who were alleged to have lived during the period of ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Europe up till Europe's Renaissance Age. These mighty muscular heroes possessed superhuman and supernatural physical prowess which they used to defeat monsters, tyrants, demons, black magicians, and other assorted fiends. The Italian film industry hired Americans, Italians, and other English speaking people of predominantly European descent to play these roles. Such famed actors as Gordon Mitchell, Reg Park, Kirk Morris, Alan Steel, Rod Flash, and Mark Forest entertained movie-goers worldwide. The heroes they portrayed on screen were muscular giants such as Hercules, Maciste, Samson, Goliath, Ursus, Atlas and Tor ( Thor ). This article is going to discuss the Italian hero of the silver screen named Maciste. Maciste was the first sword and sandal movie hero to be portrayed on the silver screen. In 1914 the Italian director Giovanni Pastrone was looking for a muscular actor to play the role of Maciste. Maciste was a powerfully muscled giant who served as a slave to the Roman soldier Fulvio. Maciste was an African slave, specifically a Nubian, who accompanied Fulvio during the conflicts between Rome and Carthage ( Punic Wars ). The story of Maciste's heroic adventures were first shown in the silent movie titled "Cabiria", starring Bartolomeo Pagano, who had to paint his body black in order to look like the African hero Maciste. Pagano had formerly worked as a stevedore and dockworker in Genoa before playing the role that would make him world famous. Pagano had developed enormous strength with a thickly muscled stocky physique through the heavy manual labor work, wearing only a short loincloth, painted black skin, Pagano aka Maciste performed actual feats of strength in this film. Cabiria was a wonderful box office success, Pagano changed his name to "Maciste" because the fans couldn't get enough of this mighty hero. Pagano aka Maciste played Maciste in 29 subsequent films from 1914-1928. In the later movies Pagano starred in the Maciste character was now being portrayed as a Caucasian man. Maciste the character born from the Italian film industry was originally a black man. As much as I have enjoyed the sword and sandal genre it is blatantly obvious that black people, particularly the men were portrayed in an inferior and degrading manner for the most part. In this genre of films the black man predominantly plays the role of the slave, villain, cowardly clown, a dancer, a semi-cowardly muscle man who after being beaten down by the white hero, then becomes a fawning sidekick who needs his newfound master to tell him what to do. For those of us who are of African descent we haven't seen black people as the main heroes of the sword and sandal genre, as historically we were, and in light of the truth that more than one of these heroes, such as Hercules was actually black, it is long overdue. Black people who have the means in the movie industry have the opportunity to portray and glorify the African heroes and heroines who are never mentioned or are distorted to be Caucasian which they never were. It is time to see Hercules, Maciste, and any other similiar heroes of African origin revealed on the silver screen, and in literature as they are: people of African descent! NOW YOU KNOW THE TRUTH!

THE ORIGINAL HERCULES PROTOTYPE WAS AN AFRICAN CONCEPT.

By Samuel David Ewing

"Iamblichus describes Hercules as "the force of Nature"; from Wilkinson's Ancient Egyptians Vol.#5,pg.#18, by Sir Gardner Wilkinson, F.R.S. & C, published by John Murray, Abemarle Street, London. Also known as The Manners And Customs Of The Ancient Egyptians.

The ancient Egyptians and their African contemporaries were the first originators of the Hercules Archetypes for which the ancient Greeks and Romans developed their versions. Furthermore the Greeks upon seeing the more ancient Hercules Archetypes in ancient Egyptian temples acknowledged them as Heracles ( Hercules ). The Egyptian Heracles ( Hercules ) as the original African concept was later imitated by the Greek Heracles. The Egyptians conceived of the original Heracles as representing a variety of Natures' forces and not as an actual human incarnation. To confirm these statements we will briefly discuss the various ancient Egyptian versions of the Egyptian Heracles. The Egyptian Heracles was said to have various manifestations which are spiritual and natural forces: such as Khonsu ( Lunar Deity ), the multiple forms of Heru and or Harpokrates ( Solar and Martian Deities ), Khnum ( also called Herishef ), Shu ( Air, Mars, and Sun Deity ), and Gom ( Lion-Headed Deity of the Sun and Strength ) to name a few. In this article we will describe Shu and Gom.

Herodotus confirms that Heracles ( Hercules ) was originally known as Shu, the Egyptian god who helped Re to defeat the adversaries who threatened the cosmic order. The story of Shu's victorious war against evil giants and humans is revealed in 'The Destruction Of Mankind.' In this legend Shu is called by his name Onuris. Onuris the soldier deity defends Re the sun god. Shu ( Onuris ) is a member of the Ennead, the 12 Egyptian deities from which the Greeks fashioned the idea of the 12 Olympian gods. For further information on these matters we advise the reading of The Order Of Gods In Greece And Egypt ( According To Herodotus ), pgs.21-23, by J. Gwyn Griffiths, University College, Swansea.

Shu is the air god, and hero who separated the sky ( Nut ) from the earth ( Geb or Seb ) and who lifts and holds the heavens over his head like a cosmic weight lifter. Shu was represented by the Egyptians in their own likeness as a black man, a powerful warrior, and member of the Heliopolitan Ennead. Alan B. Lloyd, author of Alan B. Lloyd; Herodotus Book #2 Commentary 1-98, pg. 201, published and copyright 1976 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands; points to the chronological history of the well known versions of Heracles ( Hercules ) during ancient history:

1. The Egyptian Herakles is the most ancient.

2. The Tyrian Herakles is next, having a temple that existed in 2700 B.C.

3. The Thasian Herakles' temple existed 5 generations before the Greek Herakles, son of Alcmene and Amphitryon. The Greek Herakles was a black man.

The ancient Egyptian had a legend that Egypt was originally ruled by a succession of deities who were of the first dynasty before the rule of demigods and kings. The Egyptian priest, Manetho, author of the Aegyptica, as stated by Syncellus recorded the succession of 7 gods in this order:

Ptah ( *Vulcan ) ruled for 742 years and 4 days.

Sun ruled for 86 years.

Agathodemon ruled for 56 years and 10 days.

Cronus ( *Saturn ) ruled for 40 years.

Osiris ( *Dionysus ) ruled for 35 years

Isis ruled with her husband Osiris.

Typho ( Set ) ruled for 29 years.

The second dynasty of Egypt was then ruled by 16 demigods and Heracles was said to be among them. They are:

Horus ( *Apollo ) ruled for 25 years.

Mars ( the Egyptian Montu ) ruled for 23 years.

Anubis ruled for 17 years.

Hercules ( *Mars ) ruled for 15 years.

Apollo ( *Heru, Horus ) ruled for 25 years.

Ammon ( *Zeus or Jupiter ) ruled for 30 years.

Tithoes ruled for 27 years.

Zosus ruled for 32 years.

Zeus ( Ammon ) ruled for 20 years.

As you can see where I placed an asterisks indicates where Manetho agreed with the Greek correspondences to each Egyptian deity and the Egyptian deities for which the Greeks derived their versions of the gods. The Egyptians considered the planet Mars to be Hercules himself. Pliny ( ii.8 ) confirms this and reports, "the third, Mars, is by some called Hercules." Wilkinson, author of Wilkinson's Ancient Egyptians Vol.#4: The Manners And Customs Of The Ancient Egyptians, published by John Murray, Albemarle Street, London, pg.493; describes Diodorus' report on the duties and responsibilities of the most ancient Egyptian Hercules:

"Diodorus relates, that Anubis accompanied Osiris in his Eastern expedition, together with Pan and Macedo, who were his generals. Mercury ( Thoth ) held the office of of counsellor to the Queen Isis, Hercules was viceroy during his absence, Busiris governor of the provinces on the sea -coasts toward Phoenicia, and Antaeus of those bordering on Ethiopia and Libya." Diodorus further informs that Hercules by birth was an Egyptian. One explanation given for the rule of the gods and demigods over Egypt is that this was an age when the priests of each specific divinity ruled Egypt with absolute power, like a consecutive office of command which was used prior to the system of kingship.

Shu, the Egyptian Heracles is the cosmic weightlifter of the heavens and the sun, who is the atmosphere of planet earth, the space between heaven and earth, air, storm, he is the planet Mars and therefore a god of war who destroys the demonic forces that threaten the universe. Ev Cochrane, author of Martian Metamorphosis: The Planet Mars in Ancient Myth and Religion, written and copyright October 1997 by Ev Cochrane, published by Aeon Press, 601 Hayward, Ames, Iowa 50014, describes the frightening manifestations of Shu, pgs. 109: "In the Coffin Texts, Shu is described in similiar terms. As Nergal is invoked as "King of the Flood", Shu is made to announce: "I am the Great Flood." Shu is

elsewhere deemed to be responsible for the flooding of the celestial Nile, which the Pyramid Texts recall as follows: "Hail to you, you waters which Shu brought." Ev Cochrane further reveals Shu as the planet Mars and none other than the mighty Hercules on pages 109-113:

Pgs.109-110; "Like Indra and Nergal, Shu is accorded a stormy and violent nature. The hymn of Hibis describes the god as follows: "His strength is evidently more than that of a lion, violent when he unchains the sky and when he provokes the tempest upon the sea, which is appeased when he is peaceful." "..... As noted earlier, Shu is typically represented in Egyptian iconography as a human figure with upraised arms, the latter upholding the heavens ( or the body of Nut ). Numerous hymns celebrate Shu's powerful arms....." Shu's arms are described by ancient Egyptians as being long, muscular, and possessing divine strength to hold up the universe. He has been known to rebel successfully against the gods and wrest supreme rulership for himself away from Re. Shu is the Pillar of the Heavens that holds everything in place, if he decides to rule this can upset the original order of things. Shu is the original prototype of both Heracles ( Hercules ) and Atlas. Ev Cochrane further informs on page 112: "......Nor is it without interest to the thesis defended here to find that Greek emigrants to Egypt early on identified Heracles with Shu, presumably because he too was intimately associated with the support of Heaven." At the bottom of this page Ev Cochrane says: "146 On the identification of Heracles with Shu, see R. Roeder, "Schow," RML ( Liepzig, 1884-1937 ), col.566."

Shu is portrayed as an Egyptian male, wearing a short skirt or one that comes just above the knees, the skirt has a lion's tail hanging in the back, his upper body is bare although he my wear a wide band necklace, he has the gold beard piece worn by the Pharoahs on his chin, his head is covered by an Egyptian headpiece that some times has the Semphrukrates feathers, he is either standing upright holding his burden over head, kneeling on both legs while holding the heavens aloft, or kneeling on the right knee and planting the left foot forward as if to begin standing with his cosmic burden.

Where did the Greeks get their idea of Heracles, Atlas, and the story of Heracles versus Antaeus, the earth giant? As we can already understand Shu is the African model from which the Greeks obtained Heracles and Atlas, also we have revealed that there were stories concerning the ancient Egyptian Heracles, and in a previous article we spoke of the rumored story of how the Egyptian Heracles punished the evil Busiris who rebelled against the established order using human sacrifice. Now we will reveal the ancient Egyptian story of Shu ( the Egyptian Heracles ) versus Antwey, king of Libya; for which the Greeks imitated at a much later time as Heracles versus Antaeus, the earth giant. On page 114 of BLACK ATHENA, Vol. II, written and copyright 1991 by Martin Bernall, published by Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey, has explains the origins of this legend:

"The identification between Heracles and Shu is strengthened by the hero's struggle with Antaois, where, like Shu in Egyptian legend , Herakles separates the evil being from the earth by raising it in the air. There is a tradition that Antaios lived in Libya and was a son of Poseidon. The Egyptian connotations of this story are confirmed by Gardiner's demonstration that Antaios' Egyptian equivalent, 'ntywy, was a form of Seth. As he put it: "Hithertho the identification of the Egyptian Antwey with that Antaeus whom the Greeks conceived of as a Libyan giant slain by Herakles has been

supposed to rest solely on the identification of names; the equation with Seth- Typhon indicated above shows more resemblance between the Egyptian and Greek legends than had been previously suspected." Bernall also compares this information with a similiar discovery made by Machiavelli: "The identification with Libya, with its connections with Neptune and Poseidon and Antaios/Antwey provides a further reason for associating Seth with Poseidon. Interestingly, there was a Renaissance tradition, presumably deriving from Antiquity, of this battle being one between 'Hercules the Egyptian' and Antaeus King of Libya. Machavelli referred in his Discourses to:

"the fables of the poets, in which it appears that Antaeus, king of Libya, when attacked by Hercules the Egyptian, was unconquerable while he waited for him in the bounds of his own kingdom, when he departed from it because of the cleverness of Hercules, he lost his state and his life." After this quote Bernall further adds, "Herakles as the victor over Antaios in Libya resembles both Horus and the Egyptian pharoah and Shu. The scholars identifying Herakles with Shu do not mention, however, that Tutu and hence Hrk3 were manifestations of Shu. Thus, their arguments independently tend to strengthen the possibility of the name Herakles deriving from Hrk3."

Next will be the identification of another Egyptian Hercules prototype named Gom. Gom is a name for a form of the Hercules of Egypt, Gom ( Xwu ), means "strength" in Coptic. Other names attributed to this form of Hercules are Chon, Gignon, Sem, Sam, Djom, Moue, Moui, AO, IO, and Dom. Macrobius reports that the ancient Egyptians believed this Hercules to be the expansive, pervasive, multiple powers and energies of the sun. Cicero discusses concerning this Hercules which he states is more ancient than the Tyrian Hercules, and the much later Greek Hercules. He points to the Nile River as the father of the Egyptian Hercules. Herodotus records that this Hercules is a member of the 12 gods of Egypt who are children of the first dynasty of gods to rule Egypt.

Wilkerson, in his book, Wilkerson's Ancient Egyptians Vol. #5, published by John Murray, Abemarle Street, London ( Manners And Customs Of The Ancient Egyptians ) pg.15-16 mentions that the god Gom ( a.k.a Djom, AO, and IO ) Egyptian god of strength who is represented by the sun, the power of the sun, solar light and heat, and that he was designated as the "son of the sun." Wilkerson reveals that Champollion understands AO as the same as this Egyptian Hercules who is literally a symbol of the idea of strength, the force of the sun, and as the power of 'God'. Plutarch adds, "Agreeably to which notion, Hercules was supposed by the Egyptians to be placed in the Sun, and to accompany him round the world, as Mercury does the moon." This being in the form of AO or IO is a male deity wearing one ostritch feather or four feathers upon his head. His likeness is said to be black, said to be the same as the deity named Kneph who has a ram's head.

Gom, in his more popular form is the Egyptian Hercules who destroyed the evil giants, defended the gods, rescued Heaven, and whose war against the giants was written about in a text titled "Semnuthis" or "Semnoute" by Apollonides or Horapius. Semnuthis means the "power of the Gods." The title of the text emphasizes the name of the Egyptian which is Sem ( Sam ) which is also the name of the Jewish Hercules ( Samson ). Gom or Sem is also called Moue/ Moui and he is portrayed as having a lion's head on a human body. He is referred to as Leontocephalus ( lion-headed god ). The lion was considered to be a sacred animal throughout Egypt. The lion was especially worshipped at Leontopolis, Egypt, as a symbol of strength the lion is considered to be the same as the Egyptian Hercules. The lion and Hercules reveal the link between the might of the sun as the power of the god of strength. This same Hercules defeated Antaeus the earth giant. On page #72 of Vol.#4 of Wilkerson's Ancient Egyptians; Manners and Customs, it is shown that the Egyptian priests ridiculed the Greeks for attempting to claim that they were genetically descended from the Egyptian Hercules ( "Strength" ). "Hercules" or "Strength" is the Egyptian symbol ( emblem ) for one of the powers and attributes of the one Supreme God who they believed rules the universe, and never as a literal father as the Greeks tried to make use of the symbol.

The reader will recognize that Gom is identical to Shu who is also compared to the burning incendiary fire and heat of the sun in its wrathful war against evil forces. In addition Shu is also the ancient Egyptian god called Tutu, the fierce walking lion, who was popular when the Greeks ruled ancient Egypt ( the Ptolemaic Dynasties ), and he is the son of Neit or Neith who the Greeks identify as Athena. So we have seen so far that Shu a.k.a Gom is the representation of the forces of nature which are said to oppose all forms of evil on the spiritual level. It is clear that Hercules as the forces of Nature was first and formally portrayed by Africans. Ancient African people ,the originators of the Hercules Theme, regarded certain manifestations of nature as being personifications of Hercules while later in history they began to look for, actively attain, and recognize these attributes in their rulers and heroes; taking on a spiritual significance to people of the ancient world.

Next will be examined Rev. Alexander Hislop's theory and opinions on Shu ( Gom, Sem, Sam, Tutu, Shem etc. ) as they apply to his religious beliefs. Rev. Alexander Hislop, author of The Two Babylons, has the theory that Sem ( a.k.a. Sam, Gom, Gem, Dom etc. ) was actually a historical figure who fought a just and valiant war against the evil tyrant named Nimrod. Here summarized are the main points of his theory as they relate to this article on Hercules:

1. The "most primitive Hercules" in Egypt was named Sem and can be identified as the Biblical Shem, son of Noah from which the Semites are descended. Shem or Sem, the Egyptian Hercules, using the information provided by Wilkerson's books; reasons that Sem using "the power of the gods" defeated the tyranny and false religion of the infamous Nimrod. This most ancient Hercules in Egypt was also the most primitive of all Herculeses.

2. Hislop describes "the power of the gods", using Christian terminology as "by the Spirit", "the power of God,"or the influence of the Holy Spirit", "the true God Elohim ( plural for gods )", and this was the might used by Hercules ( Sem ) to overcome the brute force of Nimrod. Sem by this power influenced 72 judges that presided over civil and religious laws in Egypt to usurp Nimrod's tyranny. Hislop states how Sem destroyed Nimrod, "....... not by open violence, but that having entered into a conspiracy with seventy-two of the leading men of Egypt, he got him ( *Nimrod ) into his power, put him to death, and then cut his dead body into pieces and sent the different parts to so many different cities throughout the country." Hislop further informs that this served as a warning to any other would-be tyrants. This was the actual event of the assassination of Osiris ( Nimrod ) by Set ( Sem or

Shem ). In this case there is political conflict, those who favor Nimrod would say Set or Shem is the bad guy, while those favoring Set would say Nimrod is the bad guy. The information in #1-2 is found on page 63 of Hislop's book.

3. Hislop explains concerning Sem, "...he was indeed none other than that primitive Hercules who overcame the Giants by "the power of God", by the persuasive might of the Holy Spirit" "....The boars' tusk were the symbol of spiritual power. As a "horn" means power, so a tusk, that is, a horn in the mouth, means, "power in the mouth;" in other words the power of persuasion; the very power with which "Sem," the primitive Hercules was so signally endowed." After this statement on page 65, he identifies Hercules Ogmius ( Irish and Gaulish Hercules ) as a derived character based on the Egyptian Hercules and because of their similiar attributes. Pgs. 65-66; "The Celtic Hercules was called Hercules Ogmius, which, in Chaldee, is "Hercules the Lamenter." "............How appropriate a name Ogmius, "The Lamenter or Mourner," for one who had such a history! Now, how is this"Mourning" Hercules represented as putting down enormities and addressing wrongs? Not by his club, like the Hercules of the Greeks, but by the force of persuasion..........the might of that persuasive power that enabled Shem for a time to withstand the tide of evil that came rapidly rushing in upon the world." Hislop defines the other names of Sem such as Chon and Khon, which mean "to lament", thus emphasizing the powers of truth, eloquence, and tears to move the people to do what is morally correct.

*** As we venture further into the subject of the African Hercules we will find multiple theories and legitimate findings by scholars; however we aren't promoting any specific religion or spirituality on this web site, but are documenting the ancient lore pertaining to Hercules from the African perspective. I believe matters of religion, spirituality, and politics are the personal/private realm of each individual. Also as the history of the Hercules Archetype is examined the reader will realize the powerful pervasive effect that it still has on civilization in all its facets. For more information on Hislop's work on Hercules I suggest reading The Two Babylons, by Rev. Alexander Hislop, published in America by Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., Neptune, New Jersey, Second American Edition, 1959. I would like to point out that "the power of the gods" Hislop associates with Sem fits the description of "forces of Nature" that are common in people with extraordinary talents.

George Thawlinson, M.A., author of The History Of Herodotus in Four Volumes -----Vol.#2, New York, D. Appleton & Company, 346 & 348 Broadway, 1859, has given information on Herodotus' studies in regards to the Egyptian Hercules named Moui ( Gem, Sem etc. ):

Pg. # 67 Chapter 42, 43; "Here again the same confusion occurs, from the claims of two gods to the character of Hercules----- KHONS, the third member of the Theban Triad, and MOUI who is called "Son of the Sun." The latter was the god of Sebennytus, where he was known under the name of Gem, Sem, or Gemnouthi, whence the Coptic appellation of that city Gemnouti." "........Moui appears to be the splendour or force of the sun, and hence the god of power, a divine attribute------ the Greek Hercules being strength, a gift to man. The Egyptian Hercules was the abstract idea of divine power...... In the Hebrew "Samson" recalls the name of Sem, the Egyptian Hercules. Hercules being the Sun the twelve labours of the later hero may have been derived from the twelve signs of the zodiac." "Macrobius says, " Hercules............ He is believed to have killed the Giants, when in the character of the valour of the gods he fought in defense of Heaven;" which accords with the title of a work called "Semnuthis", written by Apollonides or Horapius ( in Theophil. Antioch. Ad Autolyc 2.6 ), describing the war of the gods against the Giants, and recalls the Egyptian title of the god of Sebennytus." *** Note here that the god of Sebennytus is Shu-Anhar ( Shu-AnHeru ) who is Gom. On page # 68 Thawlinson continues, Grecian and Egyptian Hercules Book II: ".......The Cretan Hercules was also related to the god of Egypt; and the latter, as Moui, was intimately connected with the funeral rites, and was generally painted black in the tombs of Thebes.------ [ G.W. ] Finally in Chapter #3, pg. 243: "7.Moui, apparently the same as Gom or Hercules, the splendour and light of the Sun, and therefore called a "son of Re."Moui ( solar splendour ) was part of a triad with Atin-Re and Re during the 18^th dynasty of Egypt."

There is more knowledge that needs to be revealed concerning who and what Sem is. Sem is undoubtedly of African and particularly Khamitian ( Hamitic ) origin in Egypt. The Sem is the crown, in the form of a double plume of large feathers which symbolizes the upper and lower regions of the heavens. The same Sem or feather headdress is also a manifestation of the twin lion-gods who give the crown to the solar god Osiris or Heru which they represent. The two feathers are contained in an Apru, thus the twin lion-gods in the form of the crown support, uplift, and protect the sun at the horizon where they stand. Osiris therefore is the sun, the double lion of of double strength, Lord of Hu, and the embodiment of the twin lion-gods. Now, who are these twin lion-gods? They are none other than Shu and his twin sister Tefnut who take on the forms of a lion ( Shu ) and a panther or leopard ( Tefnut as the maneless lion ), and here in Tefnut we see a manifestation of the FEMALE ASPECT OF HERCULES. Gerald Massey, author of A BOOK OF THE BEGINNINGS VOL. II, EGYPTIAN ORIGINES IN THE HEBREW, AKKAD-ASSYRIAN AND MAORI, copyright by Gerald Massey, published by A&B BOOK PUBLISHERS., 149 Lawrence Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, explains;

"Osiris is designated the double lion, lord of the lion city, master of the double strength, and Lord of Hu. Hu is the sphinx; the male sphinx being also a form of Shu , with the hinder part lioness. Shu with his sister Tefnut, and Shu with which we are now concerned. In Shu we can trace the bringing on from the twin female lions to the male and female, and lastly to the dual-male type, personified in Shu and Anhar, who is the Onouris ( Mars ) of the Greeks........He is thus addressed in the "Hymn to Shu"............In this passage the lion god is traced back to his feminine origin." Shu is represented as having a red color, symbolizing the setting sun and the goddess Ma, he is in a sitting or kneeling position supporting the sun and the heavens. Shu receives the heavens from Anhar, raises the heavens "millions of years above the earth" as quoted by Gerald Massey from ancient Egyptian texts. Anhar's color is green because he is standing, carrying, and marching with the attitude of forcing the sun and or heavens to come with him for he has captured it with his noose, and is pulling it along. Shu and Anhar are spoken of as aspects of each other, thus the name of this being Shu-Anhar ( or Shu-Anheru ). Massey gives further enlightenment on this matter as he states on page 230, "ANHAR, in a marching attitude , is the bringer who forces the sun along with his rope. He is the wearer of the long robe in whom is the "whole of Shu," as, "in the long garment was the whole world." Shu is also the lion that crouches while Anhar is the lion who stands. Both are portrayed in human as well as leonine forms performing their respective duties. Concluding this article we can clearly understand how the Greeks learned from the Egyptians about Shu-Anhar a.k.a Sem, Gom, Shu, Shu and Tefnut, deciding to call this being Heracles, and finally splitting this African personification of Nature into Heracles and Atlas to fit the Greek temperament. More will be discussed on Sem when we look into the story of Moses and Joshua who are Shu-Anhar modified for the Hebrew perspective. Shu-Anhar as Gom and Moui is either shown as a mighty male form or as having a human male form with a lion's head. We hope you have found this article to be thought-provoking, illuminating, and informative.

SEHKMET THE EGYPTIAN FEMALE HERCULES AND FEMININE ASPECT

OF GOM. By Samuel David Ewing

In this article we will be exploring information about the Feminine Aspect of Gom; who is also known as Sem and Moui. Gom who is the Egyptian Heracles ( Hercules ) has a female aspect that is obviously Herculean, in fact we are going to reveal that the original conception of the Egyptian Hercules was totally female. Sem is the lion-god who is the twin lion gods simultaenously represented as guarding the solar gods, specifically in the form of a headdress or crown made of two large ostritch feathers. One feather is the plume of light and upper heaven, while the other feather is the plume of shade and the lower heaven. These two lion-gods act as chosen ministers ( Sems ) of the solar god Tum, Tum gives them the light, while they support ( hold up ) the sun as designated horizon-keepers ( Ruti or Rehu ). They are considered to be brothers, however the earliest conceptions of Sem were clearly idealized, portrayed and worshipped as two female lionesses; the first Sem was the Female Hercules. Gerald Massey, author of A BOOK OF THE BEGINNINGS VOL.#2, written and copyright by Gerald Massey, copyright 1994 by John Henrik Clarke, published by A&B BOOKS PUBLISHERS, 149 Lawrence Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11201, clarifies this matter on page 229: "The lions have various forms with but one original meaning, as representatives of the two truths, the two heavens, light and shade, the two eyes, or the two horizons. We shall find the two truths were first of all assigned to the feminine nature, the two goddesses of the upper and lower heaven. Corresponding to these we have the two lionesses, the typical form which exists in Pehkt, the lioness-cat, or Pehti, the dual lion, the peh-peh type of force and vigilance. These were the most ancient. They were represented by the lion and panther.......... It is Shu in his two characters with which we are now concerned. In Shu *( same as Sem, Gom, and Moui ) we can trace the bringing on of the two female lions *( Pehkt or peh-peh ), to the male and female *( Shu and Tefnut ), and lastly to the dual-male type, in Shu and Anhar, who is the Onouris ( Mars ) of the Greeks." *Note that the names I placed with an asterisks and parenthesis are given here by myself to help the reader in identifying the female deities that Gerald Massey hadn't named in his quote. Gerald Massey further identifies the most ancient name of the Female Hercules known as Sem. He continues on page 229 by saying in reference to Shu, "He is addressed thus in the "Hymn to Shu":---- "Thou art greater and more ancient than the gods, in that name which is thine Aa-Ur ( Very Great ). Thou art higher than the heaven with thy double-feathered crown, in that name which is thine of him that lifts up the double-feathered crown." "In this passage the lion-god is traced back to his feminine origin, and to the goddess who preceded all the gods, and who is here called the very great, the first, oldest, greatest mother, who was Ta-Urt in the Typhonian scheme and Pehkt and Tefn in another. As Tefn or Tefnut she is called his sister." Here it is clearly shown that Shu, the Egyptian Heracles ( Egyptian Hercules ) who is also called Gom, Sem, Moui; has a masculine nature and a feminine nature, with the Female Aspect of his nature being the original, the eldest, strongest, surpassing all that has come after it. Furthermore this primordial Egyptian Female Hercules is the Supreme Mother-God Principle of existence, He is actually also a She, She is His twin nature, and is therefore his sister. The names we have for Her thus far are Tefn, Tefnut, Aa-Urt, Pehkt, Pehti, and Peh-Peh.

The Magic Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian sacred text contains the Hymn Of Shu and it describes in detail how Shu and Tefnut work together to destroy the forces of evil. Tefnut manifests herself as raging fire from heaven and as the overwhelming flood of the river to vanquish the evil monsters who threaten Shu. Shu as the great warrior and hero leads an army of millions against evil monsters, when he speaks his own sacred name which is all powerful, it manifests as Tefnut, and she destroys the minions of evil as described above. Gerald Massey, on page 233 of his book explains that the Hebrew version of this story concerns Moses who is Shu and Miriam who is Tefnut. The Hebrew version being derived from the ancient Egyptian original: "The chosen of millions coming out of the lower heaven is the god of those who came up out of Egypt. Upon the bank of the Red Sea his "name is spelt" by Moses when the waters dry up or divide, and leave the ground dry while the "Lord looked upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire." In the second passage the "bank of the river",where the miracle is wrought, is identified with the brink of Jordan, Iarutana, or Eridanus, the river of the division, and Joshua the son of Nun is the representative and fac-simile of Shu the son of Nun." In the original story contained in the ancient Magic Papyrus Shu describes himself in the form of his own Divine Name then explains how speaking his name manifests as Tefnut. On page 233 of Gerald Massey's book we have this quote from the Magic Papyrus and a detailed clarification by Massey: "In another passage we read, "I am the chosen of millions coming out of the lower heaven ( ie. The celestial Khebt or Egypt ), whose name is unknown. When his name is spelt on the land, it is set on fire;" or as the passage has also been translated, "If his name be uttered on the bank of the river, oh, then it quencheth; if it be uttered on the land it maketh sparks." The "chosen of millions coming up out of the lower heaven, whose name is unknown," may be meant for Shu, but according to the Hebrew parallel it represents the sun god. In the fragment from Artapanus it is related that when the Egyptians came up with the Israelites, the fire flashed on them from above, while the waters overwhelmed their path, so that they perished both by fire and flood. This is not found in the Hebrew version, but is in the Egyptian, where Tefnut sends her fire from on high to reduce the enemies to nonexistence." ".................Shu is accompanied by Tefnut, the Egyptian Miriam, who "gives her fire against his enemies to reduce them to nonexistence." So Miriam "gives her fire," in song against the cruel Pharoah and his host, when they are overwhelmed and annihilated in the Red Sea. Miriam's song reminds us that this Hymn to the god Shu is contained in the "Chapter of excellent songs which dispel the immerged." "The IMMERGED are the evil host of Typhon, the dragon the Rahab of the deep, lurking beneath the Red Sea. In the Egyptian writings the enemy is represented as the immerged "Raw-head-and-bloody- bones." In the Hebrew the hosts of the opposing Pharoah sink to the bottom of the Red Sea." Massey continues on page 234: "...........The same work of progressive destruction that is assigned to Moses and Joshua is ascribed to Shu. "Thou seizest the spear and overthrowest the wicked, in that name which is thine of Har-Tema." For Biblical scriptures that the reader of this article can make comparisons with, check Ex. xxi. 41, and Josh.xxiv. In the story of Moses it is Miriam as well as Aaron who are the literal mouthpiece for Moses that causes the manifestation of divine power. This relationship between Moses and Miriam is the same as the original Egyptian story which was derived from the Magic Papyrus; and this mutual cooperation is actually found between Shu and Tefnut. On page 236 of Massey's A BOOK OF THE BEGINNINGS, part of the mystery of Shu is made clear: "Shu is said to to be more ancient than the gods in that name which is his of Goddess Aa-UR,"the very great" that is in the feminine form brought on from the origin of the Two Truths. One of his names in this character is MA: he is then MA-SHU. This character is assigned by tradition to Moses, or MA-SHU. It is reported by Suidas that the Hebrew lawgiver and author of the Jewish laws was MUSU, a Hebrew woman. Nothing is omitted. The epicene nature of MA-SHU is preserved in the character of Moses in a remarkable way. In Hebrew At is the feminine form of Thou, and Attah is the masculine form.................In Deut. v. 27 ( in the original, v. 24 ), the first "Thou" is in the feminine form ( At ); that is, Moses in the same verse is described as both male and female. The listener to the Lord is in masculine gender, and the utterer of the word to the people is in the feminine gender. The symbolical mouth is feminine, as the Ru and Peh of the hieroglyphics; the primeval utterance was by this mouth, preserved in Hebrew." Continuing on to page 237: "When Moses, in the masculine character, says he cannot be the mouth, Aaron is appointed for that purpose. Miriam likewise was a feminine mouth to Moses, as Ma is to Shu. "Thou blowest the divine barge off with a favourable wind in that name which is thine of the goddess Ma," is said to be Shu, and the female nature of Moses is retained by a feminine THOU...." Concerning what Massey stated concerning Miriam as the feminine nature of Moses check the scripture Num. Xii. 2. Moses is the Hebrew version of the original ancient Egyptian Shu and Miriam is the counterpart to Tefnut. MA-SHU is Moses in the Egyptian language, MA is another name for Tefnut, and Shu is the masculine aspect. So far we have discovered that Tefnut is the Female Egyptian Heracles, the Female Aspect and Power of the Egyptian Hercules ( Gom, Sem, Moui etc. ), that She is the communicator of the masculine aspect of Gom which is Shu, that She is the warrior, protector, "wrath of God" in every meaning of the term, in Her most ancient form She is the Double-Sem ( Twin-Lioness Deity ), therefore the first throughout all eternity to be the primary Herculean Force, and Cosmic Weightlifter.

Ancient Egyptian texts such as the Magic Papyrus were the original prototypes that the writers of the Bible used to write fictional stories, allegories, parables, a mixture of history, dreams, and fancy for their holy scriptures. Tefnut's war against all manner of evil forces is in partnership with Shu, and is crucial to the latter's victories against Set ( Typhon or Satan ). Gerald Massey examined the exploits of Tefnut joining with Shu against Set: pg.239 he renders Egyptian verses from 'The Magical Texts' and the 'Records': "In this yearly "set-to" "Shu and Tefnut make charms to fascinate the wicked conspirators" of Typhon. "Tefnut changes her shape into a club" in the hands of Shu, and as he smites them she cries, "The cowards are upset by thy blows. I am Tefnut, thundering against those who are kept on the earth ( as the lower region ), who are annihilated forever." "She is like fire against the wicked ones." "Back, back ye damned. Shu resists, he prevails against the wicked ones;O ye wicked ones, the flames of Amen-Ra are in his members." "In the Quiche and Hebrew versions the enemies are driven out by the hornet. The hornet is the stinger, and the name might be applied to variants of the stinger. The SERKA in Egyptian answering to the Hebrew ( Tzirgah ) is the scorpion. This may help us to understand the hornet, for it was in the sign of Scorpio, according to the Lion Calendar, that the great conflict with........" On Pgs. 240-241 Tefnut is identified as being the same person as the goddess Sehkmet ( also called Sehket ): "SEKHET vomits flames against the wicked to suffocate them. TEF-NUT is like fire; she gives her fire against them; and no doubt the stinging scorpion of SERK helped to drive them out. The Magical Texts mention the "Scorpion, the great one of the sun, called the devouring throat, which swallows." The scorpion of the sun is of course on the side of the sun; and this was impersonated by SERK, who stings and drives out the lurking enemy from their holes. Now when Miriam becomes Tzirag the likelihood is that she takes the shape of the sorpion- goddess SERK, instead of becoming leprous." "................Shu and Tefnut are a form of the two lion-gods fighting against the wicked, the Typhonian monsters, devils, giants, or bogies ( continues on pg.# 241 ) of the human childhood, who dwelt in the darkness and waylaid the passengers in death or by night." The Biblical women such as Jael, who slew the diabolical Sisera by piercing his head with a tent stake and Deborah who joined with Barak against evil tyrants in the Book Of Judges ( Jud. V. 20 ) who sings the song of victory; were actually later portrayals Tefnut. In the original ancient stories which were Egyptian it was Tefnut in the form Isis who fought against Typhon ( Greek name for Set who is known today as Satan ), the battle to place at An ( Ant or Antaeus ) in the northern direction. ****Please note that Tefnut's battle has a striking resemblance to Shu's battle against 'Antwey' ( another Egyptian name for Set ), and who was called by the Greeks 'Antaeus.' Furthermore note that Shu defeats Antwey ( Set or Antaeus, the Libyan earth giant ), by lifting him up in the air and crushing him with his enormous strength. This battle took place in the North. Shu and Tefnut have different methods at times for defeating the same perennial fiend. Shu, the masculine aspect of the Egyptian Heracles ( Gom ) in this story was later copied by the Greeks as I explained in the earlier article I've written on Gom. The feminine aspect of the Egyptian Heracles, Tefnut shows that she is as formidable a warrior against Set as Her male counterpart. Thus Massey states on pg. # 243 concerning Tefnut's ( Isis' ) battle against Typhon: "........in the Hebrew myth, Sisera is captured and executed. There is an Egyptian version of the myth, in which the woman is the subduer of the evil one. Isis is depicted in the act of piercing the head of a serpent. In other pictures it is the crocodile, Shesh, whose head is being speared, as in the vignettes to the Ritual, and according to Diodorus it was Isis who subdued Typhon at the battle in An ( Ant or Antaeus ) in the north. The piercing of the Shesh by the woman takes the shape of the nail driven through the head of Sisera by Jael." The planet Mars in ancient cultures, Ethiopian, Egyptian, Chaldean, Babylonian, Greek, and Roman was considered to be the planetary form of Shu ( Heracles or Hercules ), the zodiac sign of Gemini was thought to be Gom as Shu and Tefnut, the masculine and feminine powers of the Egyptian Heracles, and finally Greek and Roman influence modified Gemini to represent Apollo and Hercules as Twin brothers.

****An appropriate question to ask here is; Did these events literally take place on earth? The answer is "no." These extraordinary stories took place in the heavens where the ancient astronomers recorded astronomical phenomena which is no longer seen today, which more than likely effected the climate, weather, what we understand as day and night etc. What becomes very obvious is that the sacred writings from the most ancient sources are truthful in making it clear that the planets were literally thought to be gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. The other stars were seen as multitudes of divine and or demonic armies, and finally as merely people in the sky. Furthermore it becomes evident that ancient people throughout the earth commemorated these astronomical events with festivals, rituals, sacraments of a religious nature, in addition they attempted to model the design of their cities, the social castes from the king on down to reflect the former placements of the planets, and their present positions in the heavens. This is reflected in the stories of the universal golden age ( when the planets were in a different position than they are at present, temptation and the war in heaven ( Armageddon, Gotterdamerrung, Twilight of the Gods, War of the Gods and Heroes against Demonic Forces ), and this super- natural war was the planetary phenomena that effected the environment on earth. Last, the restructuring of the order of the planets changed conditions on earth. David Talbott, author of The Saturn Theory and Ev. Cochrane, author of Martian Metamorphosis have researched this part of ancient astronomy, religious texts, and the sciences. Their work is being studied by various experts in different fields of science. My understanding is that if one pays attention to what the ancient astronomers are saying, one must conclude that events out of the ordinary took place in outer-space. A religious fundamentalist might ask me if I literally believe that what was recorded in their particular sacred books are true. I would say, " yes I believe that the ancients recorded literally the phenomena they saw taking place in the skies, and that in later history where events were recorded here on earth; the kings and their warriors patterned their behavior after the legendary heroes in the sky ( who were literally planetary and stellar bodies ). To sum up the religious question and answer:

1. The ancient astronomers ( usually priests ) recorded astronomical activity in the heavens, some of this activity had catastrophic effects on the human inhabitants on earth. These events were recorded as the adventures of the gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, dragons, demons, and monsters.

2. Human societies were modeled after these astronomical patterns.

3. There were human beings, usually the nobility, who attempted with varying degrees of success to emulate the exploits on earth, of the stellar and planetary heroes and heroines in the heavens. *** It is this human emulation of the planetary heroes in recorded human history that I'm concerned with in regards to the ancient African peoples for the most part.

4. Those humans who were successful in their imitation of the planetary heroes and heroines had their exploits recorded in books and especially in stone monuments that would last for thousands of years. These individuals who excelled in the military, athleticism, the healing arts, intellectual, philosophical, and scientific attainments, music, moral character as teachers or the body beautiful were revered. They were revered as heroes, heroines, demigods, incarnations of the planetary and stellar deities, avatars, saviours, chosen ones, messiahs, and there were even some who were called "HERCULES."

5. Human behaviour has changed very little in this regard. In our present age we still tend to worship people and things because of their charisma, superior achievements and functions.

Concerning Tefnut, Tefnut along with Shu support Osiris, as the sun god by leading a military force of countless millions across the eastern part of the heavens against the children of wickedness. The sun-god smites Apophis ( Set ), Tefnut as Isis ( Au-Set ) makes the demons fall down dead on heaven's floor by speaking Her mystic words, and the armies of gods and heroes strangle the remaining devils. A story from Mexican Mythology state the same pattern of heroism. The sun-god from the eastern horizon leads countless warrior spirits with mighty weapons and pageantry against evil forces, conquering the monsters till they reach noon. The male warriors are given a rest from war and the women-warriors especially those who died during childbirth would meet with the sun-god. The sun-god then leads a great army consisting of millions of women-warriors armed with powerful weapons, and carrying their leader on a litter defeat the forces of evil as the sun descends in the west. Massey on pages 260-261 has pointed to the parallels in both stories of the male warriors corresponding to Shu, and the women-warriors corresponding to Tefnut:

Pg.# 260- "The men of the ascent and women of the descent correspond to the lions as MA- SHU or Shu and his feminine half, Tefnut................." Pg.# 261- "Isis, the great mother, preparing the pathway of the sun, corresponds to the women-warriors of the Mexican myth; and this would be still more in keeping with their fierceness when the great mother was portrayed as Tefnut, the lioness-headed goddess. In a general way it may be said, the souls emerged with the sun from the horizon east, and accompanied him in his battle-march along the celestial course until they came around the mountain to the west; and there, where thee dead went down, was the Mount of the final Ascension to the land of the blessed,........." Here again it is evident that the Supreme Feminine Energy of the Universe, known to ancient Egyptians as Tefnut shows the character of an all-abiding and loving heroine who her male counterpart and relatives. In addition She has numerous names, titles, and epithet which describe Her infinite authority, offices, and powers. She is Au-Set ( Isis ), Sekhmet, Serk, Pekht, Peh-Peh, Sekht, Neith ( Net ) and countless other goddesses.

The motif of the sun-god being carried on a litter, barge, or ship by Shu and Tefnut ( in their human or lion forms ), is the development of the earlier concept of the twin-lion gods carrying a solar deity by whatever name he is described. Shu and Tefnut also partake of the solar characteristics and authority. The ancient Egyptians also called this motif; "the Solar Ark," Ark of the Covenant, and Ark of Neith or Net ( another form of Tefnut ). The original Hebrews were historically Ethiopians, outcast Egyptians some of who were lepers and criminals, renegade Egyptian priests, and foreign nomads who attacked the Egyptian people. It isn't surprising that the original Hebrews were a mixture of Africans and nomadic peoples from other land. Nor is it a surprise that the Hebrew Ark Of The Covenant is a copy of the original Egyptian prototype as were the basic religious structure of Hebrew religion was modeled from its Egyptian predecessor. The motif is clearly portrayed when the human pharoah, queen, or high priest of ancient Egypt is carried by strong men on a royal litter accompanied by armies, weaponry, and pageantry. Egypt, Ethiopia, Babylonia are well known to have had a great influence on Romanism, this is revealed in the Roman Catholic Pope being carried in a litter amidst pomp and ceremony. Massey mentions on pg.#273: "In the Egyptian mythos the consort or sister of Shu is Tefnut. She has two characters, one is Pekh or Peh, literally the back, rump, hinderpart of the lioness. Tefnut and Pekht or Pekht and Sekht form the double lioness , the twin sisters who gave birth to the sun, as the two mouth- pieces or Eyes of Ra.........the left eye is said to light the south, the right eye lights the north. The eye was a type of the genetrix, because it reflected the image; AR, the eye, means the reflector..........For example: when Ra resolved to have his tabernacle and be lifted up as the supreme god , with Shu-Anhar for his son, and chief sustainer, the ark, Box, or Teb, was committed to the keeping of Shu and Nut." Note that here we will soon understand that in Tefnut's name is a code to answer another mystery. The Teb or Tef of Tefnut's name is the Box, Womb, and Tabernacle where the Sun ( Son ) abides and is the vehicle enabling him to travel. This is the Ark of the Covenant. Tef is also the reflector and pupil of the Eye of Ra as the cosmic mirror. The Nut portion of Tefnut's name reveals that She is the starry heavens, sky, the Night which reflects the stars, therefore Tefnut role as the Cosmic Weightlifter and the Cosmos itself is affirmed. The Tef aspect of Tefnut's name is further explained on page 273 of Massey's book: ".......Nut had previously carried Ra herself when the Teb, Tepa, or Tef was the hippopatamus goddess, or the cow. .......Tef, the pupil of the eye, was the Reflector, and Tefnut is NEITH, as the reflector and mirror of the god." Tefnut as Neith is the Ark, and the Eye of Horus the child. As the cosmic mirror Tefnut is the light of heaven and the molten lava sea or waters as shown before when

She destroyed the demons with fire and water, and in the Hebrew version when Moses and Miriam defeated the Egyptian army at the Red Sea ( or as the Red Sea ). *Both the names Tefnut ( Egyptian ) and Miriam ( Hebrew ) have the meaning of a woman large and pregnant with child. These are names for the All-Mother. Pekht, Pehti, Peh-Peh, and Buto mean "double glory" due to conceiving the son ( sun ). Looking again at Shu ( Shu and Tefnut together ) as a cosmic warrior and hero we find that Shu and Tefnut function as both the weapons and the wielder of said weapons. Pg. #308 of A BOOK OF THE BEGINNINGS; "Shu was the shield and buckler, the bowman, the spearman, the warrior in support of Ra and his multitudes........Shu in his dual character ( with Tefnut ) furnished the TWINS, and in an ancient Hindu zodiac the sign Gemini consists of a human figure holding up both hands in the attitude of Shu, or Moses, bearing TWO SHIELDS, one on each side of him. As IU denotes two and akam is a shield, this is IU-Akam in Egyptian, and the two shields typify the double-support which is MA-SHU afforded the sun-god who here sits in the centre of the zodiacal signs as the AO or IO....... One name or title of Moses was ABIAO. ABI is the leopard or cat-lion, into which Shu transformed when he made the "likeness of Seb." AO is Greek for the Egyptian AU, the name of the young God in the "House of Shu." ABI-AU is identified both as Shu ( or Ma-Shu ) and Moses..................God is IU, i.e. double or twin.........." *Here we have the original, precise meaning what is known in Christianity as the Alpha and Omega, the Supreme Divinity. Tefnut and Shu are that Supreme Divinity in the Egyptian prototype.

Tefnut is the protective shield for Shu, the motif of a goddess giving the hero a magic shield is a very ancient theme. As mirror and shield She is Het-Heru whom the ancient Greeks called Hathor and Venus ( the planet ), the Romans called Her Aphrodite, the Morning Star, and the Evening Star were also epithets to describe Her. Tefnut ( Het-Heru ) is the planet Venus that embodies ultimate beauty, sensuality, sexuality, love, magick, dancing, women, drinking, revelry, and femininity. The Egyptian and Middle Eastern cultures understood that Het-Heru ( Venus ) was far more than a deified beauty queen. Records of Her exploits in battle prove that She is a fiercesome, invincible, and terrible warrior against those who threaten harm to Her consort, family ( husband, brother, or son ), and ambitions. She changed from the seductive cat-goddess to the Goddess of War, Weaponry, and Massacres named Sekhmet. We will be discussing more about Sekhmet in this article. In the Middle East this type of war- goddess is shown brandishing a spear, bow and a quiver of arrows; while riding or standing on a lion ( Her animal totem spirit ). In Hindu culture She is called Durga, God as Supreme Mother, Warrior, and Monster-Slayer. Durga rides an enormous lion or tiger.

Sem, the Egyptian Heracles ( Hercules ) is Shu and Tefnut represented as the twin lion-gods, who take the form of the double plume headdress of the solar god. Sem-p-khart ( Semphucrates) is the youthful solar god wearing the double plume headdress or crown of the two lion-gods, and in Hebrew this term is named Samuel. Sam ( Sem ) is the double lion-gods that are actually one God. The EL COMPLETES THE MEANING- THE DOUBLE LION- GODS ARE ONE SUPREME GOD. Massey shows that the "wars of the Lord" ( Shu and Tefnut ) against Set ( Satan ) were retold in various forms however the hero's name was Heracles, Hercules, Izdubar, and the British King Arthur who was Britains Hercules. Pg. #357: "This book of the wars of the Lord was first opened in Egypt, and the leaves of it were read upon the starry heavens............and the wisdom to interpret the mystic signs was confessedly learned from the Egyptians. Thus the book was brought into Israel ready written and it is the relating of its various narratives as if they were being enacted then and there on the ground already named, according to the celestial chart, which has been mistaken for veritable histories of the Hebrew peoples.............The wars of the Lord were told and retold in Greece, till finally made permanent in the twelve labours of Hercules. The Phoenicians preserved the tradition of Hercules as sun god, and his twelve labours representing the journey of the conquering sun through the twelve signs of the zodiac; the Assyrians in the twelve legends of Izdubar, and the British in the twelve battles of Arthur. The wars of the Lord were described in a work entitled Semnuthis or Semnoute, written by Apollonides or Horapius." ****The story Semnoute is the retelling of the original exploits of Tefnut and Shu ( the Lord ) defeating Set ( Typhon or Satan ). Shu's animal form is the male lion who was born during the spring equinox. Tefnut is the large cat, lioness or leopard ( the maneless lion ) which is the winter sun. In one Bushman scenario that resembles the Egyptian story: The cannibals come out of the underworld from a cave, chasing a woman who is carrying a water container, and she climbs up a tree to escape them. The container falls, breaks, and the waters of life splash on the cannibals. Tef also means moisture and Nut is the vessel of water; thus Tefnut is the woman who carries the container of water. The brother sees the cannibals attempting to cut down the tree while his sister is still in it. Shu orders his fierce hunting dogs to kill the cannibals and all of the cannibals are slain by Shu's dogs. Shu and Tefnut with their dogs hunt down and kill the demonic forces.

The ancient Egyptian religion is based on the belief that there is One Supreme Deity who has multiple functions and powers which are called neters and which in English translates roughly as gods. These neters are like the emblems of office held by the One Supreme Being, therefore Sem or Sam, the Egyptian Heracles is actually 'the Strength of God,' and not a separate deity, and Sem represents the ONE using its strength. The same goes for the other "gods and goddesses." Also all pervading, expansive, and immanent Beings like Tefnut have numerous titles, epithets, and names which explain their power and influence. This will be discussed next.

Tefnut is Neith ( Net ):

Net is one of the most ancient of goddesses in Egypt and her worship predates the dynastic period. This goddess is shown as a woman wearing the crown of the North on her head, a wide collar necklace, armbands, wristbands, long strapless dres