Hereafter

The photograph below is the result of the superposition of two shots taken in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie). Together, they depict a funerary Egyptian bark sailing across the sky towards our Sun. An opportunity to explore the ancient Egyptians' myth of resurrection. Read more ...

Life on Earth : Introduction|3.5 billion years of evolution|Human-Nature Cohabitation>The Anthropocene

Hereafter

In the twilight of his life,
the high-ranking Egyptian
was buried within a hypogeum
dug to the west of the Nile Valley.

A vast stone edifice
often adorned with inscriptions
relating to the sky, to constellations,
even sometimes equipped with a boat.

Signs of an upcoming sailing
- a real odyssey leading to convey
the soul of the deceased on the way
of rebirth, between Sirius and Orion.

To this end, celestial navigation charts
were engraved next to the sacred texts,
specifying each one of the key moments
punctuating the cycle of the deified stars :

their appearances, their culminations,
their temporary disappearances
below the circle of the horizon.
Invisible, they travelled

along the body of a divinity :
Nut (the Sky), then reappeared
living, in the glowing of the Ascending,
followed by the resurrected deceased.

An Egyptian bark sailing across the sky towards our Sun

Photo Infos

Photographic conditions :
- [Funerary bark] Fuji X-E2 + Fujinon Lens XF 35mm F1.4 R - F/1.4 - 1/25 second - ISO 200
- [Sky] Fuji X-E2 + Fujinon Lens XF 35mm F1.4 R + HOYA R72 - F/2 - 1 second - ISO 1250
Processing tools of the photographs : RAW file converter EX powered by Silkypix 3.2.19.0 + GIMP 2.8.10
Optimization of the display : 180 px/in + MozJPEG

Keywords : resurrection, ancient Egypt, inscriptions relating to the sky, funerary bark, Labit Museum, Toulouse, Occitanie, southern France, celestial navigation charts, sky goddess Nut

Conference Slideshow

This photograph - accompanied by 21 other shots, makes up the slideshow of a lecture entitled « What are the limits of science? » given in 2016 at the Quai des Savoirs as well as at the Maison de la Philosophie in Toulouse (Occitanie). More info ...

Book covers

This photographic composition evoking the deceased's journey to the afterlife was chosen by the Editorial Board of Les Cahiers Caribéens d'Egyptologie and i-Medjat to appear on the cover of their latest issues, dated December 2019 and June 2020 - the final tribute to their founder, renowned linguist Alain Anselin, who passed away on May 16, 2019. More info ...

Covers of the journals iMedjat and Cahiers Caribéens d'Egyptologie

Print-on-demand

The partnership established with the company Fine Art America, one of the world leaders in printing technology for works of art on various surfaces (walls, clothes, decorative objects, etc.), allows the Culture Diff' company to offer you a Museum Quality printing of this photograph.

Explore the different supports, formats and printing styles available by clicking here.