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Ancient Egyptian Conspiracy Theories: The History of the Most Popular Conspiracy Theories about Egypt in Antiquity
What makes the accomplishments of the ancient Egyptians all the more remarkable is that Egypt was historically a place of great political turbulence. Its position made it both valuable and vulnerable to tribes across the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and Egypt had no shortage of its own internecine warfare. Its most famous conquerors would come from Europe, with Alexander the Great laying the groundwork for the Hellenic Ptolemy line and the Romans extinguishing that line after defeating Cleopatra and driving her to suicide.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of ancient Egyptian civilization was its inception from the ground up, as the ancient Egyptians had no prior civilization which they could use as a template. In fact, ancient Egypt itself became a template for the civilizations that followed. The Greeks and the Romans were so impressed with Egyptian culture that they often attributed many attributes of their own culture‒usually erroneously‒to the Egyptians. With that said, some minor elements of ancient Egyptian culture were, indeed, passed on to later civilizations. Egyptian statuary appears to have had an initial influence on the Greek version, and the ancient Egyptian language continued long after the pharaonic period in the form of the Coptic language.
Given how far back the Egyptian civilization goes, it’s no surprise that Egypt is still full of mystery, and the unknown continues to generate conspiracy theories that attempt to fill in the gaps. For example, generations have viewed Egypt’s pyramids and the Great Sphinx as symbols of a lost past, which in turn leads to Egypt’s portrayal as a world full of romance and mystery. The age and structural integrity of these magnificent structures also make them symbols of longevity and power, which is only fitting because those are two purposes the ancient pharaohs who commissioned them intended them to serve.
In fact, while the sphinx was a well-known mythological creature among various ancient civilizations, the Egyptian statue that is now most famously associated with the creature is full of mysteries that have been endlessly debated throughout the centuries and continue to be hotly contested among scholars. The famous “Riddle of the Sphinx”, told by Sophocles in his play Oedipus Rex in the 5th century B.C., characterized the sphinx as a clever and powerful creature, and the mysteries of the Egyptian statue were discussed even among the ancient Romans. Pliny the Elder, the famous Roman author and philosopher killed in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., wrote in his Natural Histories that contemporary Egyptians considered the Sphinx a “divinity” and "that King Harmais was buried in it". Even the source of the damage suffered by the Sphinx has become the stuff of legend, as evidenced by the story of Napoleon’s French soldiers shooting off the Sphinx’s nose.
Of course, the Sphinx is merely one object in Egypt that has been the source of endless theories. The discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb revived the legends of pharaohs’ curses and mummies, and ancient Egyptian art has been analyzed in seemingly every conceivable way possible as people come up with alternate theories for how the Egyptians built their most famous buildings and forged their enduring civilization.
Ancient Egyptian Conspiracy The History of the Most Popular Conspiracy Theories about Egypt in Antiquity looks at some of the most intriguing conspiracy theories about Egypt, from theories about Moses’ Egyptian lineage to the curse of the pharaohs and ancient astronauts.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of ancient Egyptian civilization was its inception from the ground up, as the ancient Egyptians had no prior civilization which they could use as a template. In fact, ancient Egypt itself became a template for the civilizations that followed. The Greeks and the Romans were so impressed with Egyptian culture that they often attributed many attributes of their own culture‒usually erroneously‒to the Egyptians. With that said, some minor elements of ancient Egyptian culture were, indeed, passed on to later civilizations. Egyptian statuary appears to have had an initial influence on the Greek version, and the ancient Egyptian language continued long after the pharaonic period in the form of the Coptic language.
Given how far back the Egyptian civilization goes, it’s no surprise that Egypt is still full of mystery, and the unknown continues to generate conspiracy theories that attempt to fill in the gaps. For example, generations have viewed Egypt’s pyramids and the Great Sphinx as symbols of a lost past, which in turn leads to Egypt’s portrayal as a world full of romance and mystery. The age and structural integrity of these magnificent structures also make them symbols of longevity and power, which is only fitting because those are two purposes the ancient pharaohs who commissioned them intended them to serve.
In fact, while the sphinx was a well-known mythological creature among various ancient civilizations, the Egyptian statue that is now most famously associated with the creature is full of mysteries that have been endlessly debated throughout the centuries and continue to be hotly contested among scholars. The famous “Riddle of the Sphinx”, told by Sophocles in his play Oedipus Rex in the 5th century B.C., characterized the sphinx as a clever and powerful creature, and the mysteries of the Egyptian statue were discussed even among the ancient Romans. Pliny the Elder, the famous Roman author and philosopher killed in Pompeii during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., wrote in his Natural Histories that contemporary Egyptians considered the Sphinx a “divinity” and "that King Harmais was buried in it". Even the source of the damage suffered by the Sphinx has become the stuff of legend, as evidenced by the story of Napoleon’s French soldiers shooting off the Sphinx’s nose.
Of course, the Sphinx is merely one object in Egypt that has been the source of endless theories. The discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb revived the legends of pharaohs’ curses and mummies, and ancient Egyptian art has been analyzed in seemingly every conceivable way possible as people come up with alternate theories for how the Egyptians built their most famous buildings and forged their enduring civilization.
Ancient Egyptian Conspiracy The History of the Most Popular Conspiracy Theories about Egypt in Antiquity looks at some of the most intriguing conspiracy theories about Egypt, from theories about Moses’ Egyptian lineage to the curse of the pharaohs and ancient astronauts.
- GenresHistory
100 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 3, 2023
11 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 2, 2025
This book is an explanation of the biggest conspiracy theories about ancient Egypt. Some seem possible, while some seem outlandish. However, they are interesting reading. You may enjoy this book if you are unfamiliar with these ancient theories. I found the most thought-provoking one to be about Moses. These stories are --
- Akhenaten and Moses
- The Curse of the Pharaohs
- The Secret Chambers in the Great Pyramid and Sphinx
- Ancient Astronauts
- The Lost Army of Cambyses
- Cleopatra's Death
Amenhotep IV (also known as Akhenaten, the heretic king) is thought to be related to Moses. Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus argued that Moses was the leader of Judaism and closely related to Akhenaten, possibly a son or grandson. Manetho, an Egyptian historian, said that Moses was an Egyptian priest who organized the leper's rebellion against forced labor pushed on them by Amenhotep III and others. The most interesting fact about this section was the evaluation that Judaism was unlike any other religion but very similar to Akhenaten's.
When the archeologists started opening the Pharaohs' tombs, people related to the excavations began to die. There has been wild speculation about these deaths. However, someone finally evaluated the 60 workers closest to the openings and found that ten died during the twelve years most closely associated with the excavations.
The next theory is even wilder. Erich Von Daniken said aliens came and taught the Egyptians how to create the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. His theory said that the Egyptians did not have the technology to create them. Edgar Cayce said there was a secret room in the paw of the Sphinx that would explain an advanced civilization that existed a million years ago.
After extraterrestrials in Egypt, some folks believe that long-ago astronauts influenced development on our Earth by landing and assisting humans in creating things (they could not create alone), such as the Moai statues on Easter Island. They also point (on page 59) to airships (similar to our helicopters) in Australian cave paintings of the Wandjina people.
I was unfamiliar with this conspiracy theory regarding the lost army of Cambyses. It happened during a desert storm in 534 BCE. Persian troops specially trained for desert conditions disappeared without a trace while escaping the Egyptians following them. Two Italian archaeologists think they have unearthed the solution. They came across the remains of an army in the desert. Local Bedouins told them that the wind uncovered the bleached bones briefly, and then the wind covered them again with fifteen feet of sand.
Finally, the authors recounted the Ptolemy family history in Egypt. The story ends with the deaths of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Stories are told that Egyptian archaeologists found Antony's death mask and the tomb of Cleopatra and Antony about 30 miles outside of Alexandria. They say they found 20 coins minted during her reign.
I wasn't overly convinced of the validity of these theories. There wasn't enough proof. The stories were engagingly told. I'm sure these rumors help sell travel tickets to the country. Interesting reading. Overall score = G+.
- Akhenaten and Moses
- The Curse of the Pharaohs
- The Secret Chambers in the Great Pyramid and Sphinx
- Ancient Astronauts
- The Lost Army of Cambyses
- Cleopatra's Death
Amenhotep IV (also known as Akhenaten, the heretic king) is thought to be related to Moses. Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus argued that Moses was the leader of Judaism and closely related to Akhenaten, possibly a son or grandson. Manetho, an Egyptian historian, said that Moses was an Egyptian priest who organized the leper's rebellion against forced labor pushed on them by Amenhotep III and others. The most interesting fact about this section was the evaluation that Judaism was unlike any other religion but very similar to Akhenaten's.
When the archeologists started opening the Pharaohs' tombs, people related to the excavations began to die. There has been wild speculation about these deaths. However, someone finally evaluated the 60 workers closest to the openings and found that ten died during the twelve years most closely associated with the excavations.
The next theory is even wilder. Erich Von Daniken said aliens came and taught the Egyptians how to create the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. His theory said that the Egyptians did not have the technology to create them. Edgar Cayce said there was a secret room in the paw of the Sphinx that would explain an advanced civilization that existed a million years ago.
After extraterrestrials in Egypt, some folks believe that long-ago astronauts influenced development on our Earth by landing and assisting humans in creating things (they could not create alone), such as the Moai statues on Easter Island. They also point (on page 59) to airships (similar to our helicopters) in Australian cave paintings of the Wandjina people.
I was unfamiliar with this conspiracy theory regarding the lost army of Cambyses. It happened during a desert storm in 534 BCE. Persian troops specially trained for desert conditions disappeared without a trace while escaping the Egyptians following them. Two Italian archaeologists think they have unearthed the solution. They came across the remains of an army in the desert. Local Bedouins told them that the wind uncovered the bleached bones briefly, and then the wind covered them again with fifteen feet of sand.
Finally, the authors recounted the Ptolemy family history in Egypt. The story ends with the deaths of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Stories are told that Egyptian archaeologists found Antony's death mask and the tomb of Cleopatra and Antony about 30 miles outside of Alexandria. They say they found 20 coins minted during her reign.
I wasn't overly convinced of the validity of these theories. There wasn't enough proof. The stories were engagingly told. I'm sure these rumors help sell travel tickets to the country. Interesting reading. Overall score = G+.
Displaying 1 of 1 review