Ancient Egypt plays an important role in The Ignoble Lie, as those who've read the book are well aware. This civilization that seems older than time has fascinated people throughout history. But why? And what did I find so important about this civilization that I wrote a novel about its influence?
Ancient Egypt constructed a number of architectural marvels that have defied time. The pyramids of Giza, where The Ignoble Lie opens, represent an unparalleled mastery of engineering and construction. The Great Pyramid, built for Pharaoh Khufu around 2580 BCE, originally stood 481 feet tall and required an estimated 2.3 million stone blocks, some weighing up to 15 tons. The tip of this pyramid was originally coated in gold, which would have shined magnificently in the desert sun. The inside of the pyramid is constructed so well, you can't fit a credit card between the stone blocks. People still debate the use of such vast structures, for they are mostly devoid of internal features. In addition to the pyramids, the ancient Egyptians built spectacular temples at Karnak and Luxor. These showcased innovative techniques like the use of columns, obelisks, and complex inner chambers that influenced architectural traditions across the Mediterranean world.
Ancient Egypt also witnessed great strides in medicine, mathematics, and science. Egyptian doctors performed complex procedures including cataract surgery, dental work, and primitive forms of brain surgery. Egyptian mathematicians and astronomers developed a decimal number system and calculated the length of the solar year to 365.25 days, creating a calendar system that required only minor adjustments to remain accurate. They mapped constellations, predicted eclipses, and developed sophisticated tools for timekeeping.
The invention of hieroglyphic writing preserved Egyptian literature, religious texts, and historical records for posterity, and art of this great civilization established principles of symmetry and proportion that continue to inspire artists today.
For centuries, the predominant view has been that the foundations of western philosophy were established in ancient Greece, and it is that civilization to which we owe our greatest intellectual debt. Names like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle have become so linked in our minds with the origins of philosophic and mathematic inquiry that there seems little doubt these incredible minds were the antecedents of our intellectual pursuits throughout subsequent millennia. While this is indeed the conventional view, an argument can be made that Greek philosophy has its roots in ancient Egypt. Some go so far as to call the attribution of the foundations of western thinking and culture to ancient Greece a grave misappropriation, and that like the emergence of homo sapiens, the origins of philosophic thought belong to the African continent.
All of these accomplishments, and many others, account for our fascination with ancient Egypt. But it is their achievement of one ancient Egyptian in the field of religion that especially interested me. I won't say anything in case you haven't read The Ignoble Lie, but suffice it to say that the implications are no less than revolutionary.
Best,
Matthew