he Benben stone is a mythological artifact unearthed in ancient Egypt. This mythological stone is claimed to have been held in a shrine inside the enclosures of Heliopolis’ temple devoted to the divinity Atum. The Benben stone is also an architectural term for the pinnacle of an obelisk or the capstone placed atop a pyramid.
Benben stone from the Pyramid of Amenemhat III, Twelfth Dynasty. Egyptian Museum, Cairo. © Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Atum, according to this version of the creation narrative, created the cosmos. There was nothing but darkness and turmoil in the beginning. The primordial hill known as the Benben stone erupted from the dark seas, on top of which stood Atum. It has been argued that the term ‘Benben’ is related to the verb ‘weben,’ which is the Egyptian hieroglyph meaning ‘to rise,’ since the stone ascended from the primordial seas.
Another theory is that the Benben stone was the primordial hill where Atum originally landed. When the deity glanced about, he saw nothing but darkness and turmoil, and he realized he was all alone. Atum began the job of creation out of a need for companionship. According to certain versions of the narrative, Atum masturbated and so spawned Shu (the deity of air) and Tefnut (the goddess of moisture).
According to other versions of the myth, these deities were produced by Atum’s copulation with his own shadow. Shu and Tefnut left Atum on the Benben stone to build the rest of the world. After a while, Atum is reported to have been concerned about his children.
He removed his eye and dispatched it in quest of them. Shu and Tefnut returned with their father’s eye, and the god wept with delight when he saw his children. These teardrops that dropped on the Benben stone that Atum was standing on became human beings.
The Benben stone is also said to have been a sacred relic that was previously held in the ‘hwt benben,’ which translates as ‘House of the Benben.’ This precious relic was found in the deepest sanctuary of Heliopolis’ temple, where Atum previously served as its principal god.
The original cult item is claimed to have gone missing at some point in history. Despite this, it has been proposed that this was an upright stone with a rounded top based on visual evidence. It has also been pointed out that later on, other solar temples would also have their own Benben stones.
The Ancient City of Akhetaten at el-Amarna Ancient egyptian architecture, Egypt, Pyramids egypt. © Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
For example, the temple of Aten at El-Amarna / Akhetaten, which was erected around the 14th century B.C. by the 18th Dynasty pharaoh, Akhenaten, is said to have had its own Benben stone.
The Benben stone, in addition to being the name of a cult item, is also used to identify a sort of ancient Egyptian architectural feature. The stone was known as a ‘benbenet’ (the feminine version of ‘benben’) to the ancient Egyptians, but it is also known as a pyramidion to modern people.
This word refers to the capstone that was set either on top of a pyramid or on top of an obelisk. According to legend, in the case of the former, the pyramidion is frequently coated with electrum or gold.
The Obelisk of Thutmose I at Karnak. This is the last of four obelisks which originally stood in front of the Fourth Pylon, which, in the time of Thutmose I, was the entrance to Karnak Temple. The obelisk is 71 feet 21.7 meters in height, sits on a base 6 feet 1.8 meters square, and weighs about 143 tons. © Image Credit: Mahmoud Ahmed | Licensed from Dreamstime.Com (Editorial/Commercial Use Stock Photo)
Pyramidions have survived and can be found in museums. One example is the pyramidion that previously crowned Amenemhat III’s 12th Dynasty Pyramid and is now on exhibit in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum.
News
Exploring Peru’s Ancient Architecture: Mysteries of the Inca Civilization
I found myself at two sites where examples of Inca architecture and design could be observed in its finest form. Here below follows a visual tour. Immediately noticeable was the combination of strength, functionality, durability and visual appeal. Aesthetics always…
A Tomb Both Great and Blameless’: Marriage and Murder on a Sarcophagus from the Hellespont
Çanakkale Archaeological Museum Polyxena Sarcophagus side. Kızöldün Tumulus is the oldest known tumulus of Hellespontine Phrygia. It was found in the Granicus River valley, near Biga in the Province of Çanakkale in 1994. The discovery was the result of the…
After lying buried beneath the Egyptian plateau for over three millennia, a wooden sarcophagus finally emerges from the sands of Abydos, hinting at untold secrets waiting to be unveiled.
In 2020, a wooden sarcophagus emerges from the sand at Abydos; during archaeological excavations, after spending more than three Millennia, below the surface of the Egyptian plateau : In a breathtaking discovery that bridges chasm between ancient civilizations and the…
Parts of a marble sculpture of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius were found in Sagalassos, Turkey, revealing insights into the region’s art and history under his rule.
Parts of a giant, exquisitely carved marble sculpture depicting the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius have been found at an archaeological site in Turkey. Fragments of the statue were unearthed at the ancient city of Sagalassos. So far the statue’s head,…
Roman emperor Philippus the Arab kneeling in front of Persian King Shapur I, begging for peace, and the standing emperor represents Valerian who was taken captive by the Persian army in 260 AD, The triumph of Shapur I, Naqshe Rostam, Iran.
The triumph relief of Shapur I (r.241-272), the most famous Sasanian rock relief from Naqš-e Rustam, is very close to the tomb of Darius I the Great. It shows how king Shapur has defeated two Roman emperors. The historical events depicted are these. In 244, the Roman…
Unveiling Ancient Egypt’s Predynastic Legacy: The True Builders of the Pyramids and the Controversy of Alien Giants with Elongated Craniums
The Tomb of Akhenaton’s Seal Bearer June 2007 The tomb of Betah Im Weya, King Akhenaton’s seal Bearer was found yesterday by a Netherlands mission during their excavation work in Saqqara necropolis. Dr. Zahi Hawass secretary general of the Supreme…
End of content
No more pages to load