ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ETHICS THAT STILL GUIDE US TODAY

Book of the Dead illustrating the “Opening of the Mouth” ritual

Many of us follow moral codes without ever wondering where these ideas originated. What if I told you that some of our basic concepts of right and wrong can be traced back to ancient Egypt over 4,000 years ago? The story begins with a remarkable document called the "Papyrus of Ani" and its famous 42 Negative Confessions.

What Were the Negative Confessions?

The ancient Egyptians believed that after death, a person's heart would be weighed against the feather of Ma'at ( the God of truth and justice) in the Hall of Two Truths. To pass this judgment, the deceased would recite 42 "Negative Confessions" before 42 divine judges - essentially declaring all the wrongs they had NOT committed during their lifetime.

MAAT - Goddess of Truth and justice

These confessions included statements like:

"I have not stolen." "I have not killed." "I have not told lies." "I have not caused pain." "I have not acted deceitfully." "I have not caused tears." ¨I have not debauched the wife of any man.¨

Sound familiar? They should. These basic moral principles form the foundation of ethical systems we still follow today.

The Moses Connection

Here's where things get really interesting. According to the Bible, Moses was raised in Pharaoh's household and was "educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). This means Moses would have been thoroughly familiar with Egyptian religious concepts, including these moral codes.

When Moses later received the Ten Commandments and developed laws for the Hebrew people, the influence of his Egyptian education would have been significant. Many scholars believe the similarities between Egyptian ethical concepts and early Hebrew laws are no coincidence.

From Ancient Egypt to Your Daily Life

The chain of influence continues from there. The moral concepts that may have passed from Egyptian wisdom through Moses eventually influenced:

• Judeo-Christian ethical teachings

• Western legal systems

• Modern concepts of human rights

• Common understandings of basic morality

When you decide not to lie to a friend or respect others' property, you're following principles articulated by ancient Egyptian priests thousands of years ago. The specific wording and religious context have changed, but the core ideas remain remarkably consistent.

Why This Matters

Understanding these ancient roots helps us see humanity's shared ethical heritage. Rather than viewing our moral codes as isolated developments within specific cultures, we can appreciate how human wisdom has built upon itself across millennia.

The 42 Negative Confessions remind us that our ancestors grappled with the same fundamental questions about how to live good lives that we face today. They developed sophisticated answers that continue to guide us, often without our awareness.

Next time you make a moral choice, remember you're participating in a tradition older than the pyramids - one that has shaped civilizations for thousands of years and continues to influence how we understand right and wrong today. It's truly incredible that we remain connected to this magnificent civilization across such a vast expanse of time. Perhaps most remarkable of all is how little human nature has changed since those ancient days - we still struggle with the same temptations, aspire to the same virtues, and seek the same understanding of how to live well with one another, just as our ancestors did over thousands of years ago.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas