Hi ALL

I recently saw a pic of egyptians holding light bulbs in Abydos

electricity at last

Are you sure they were lightbulbs? ..Do you have any souces (e.g. pictures, proof, etc.) of this?

I have seen these images (not in person) at Dendera. They are quite mysterious and I honestly have to say that they are very hard to dismiss as NOT being some kind of light bulb with electric cord.



I think it was Erik Von Daniken who actually made a working lightbulb from the design shown in the releifs. Others say it is has religious meaning and has nothing to with electricity and light bulbs, that its just our modern minds trying to impose our own symbols, technology and meanings on ancient civilizations to try to enhance the "fringe" element of Egyptology.

"Inside these "bulbs" there are snakes in wavy lines. The snakes' pointed tails issue from a lotus flower, which, without much imagination, can be interpreted as the socket of the bulb. Something similar to a wire leads to a small box on which the air god is kneeling. Adjacent to it stands a two-armed djed pillar as a symbol of power, which is connected to the snake. Also remarkable is the baboon-like demon holding two knives in his hands, which are interpreted as a protective and defensive power.....Von Däniken sees the snake as a filament, the djed pillar as an insulator, and claims that "the monkey with the sharpened knives symbolizes the danger that awaits those who do not understand the device."

Im still on the fence. I'm not convinced that they are light bulbs....but I'm also not convinced that they aren't!

Here is some more info but if you google it you can find other points of view and probably better pictures.

Wow, it actually exists!

Wouldn't it be something if these were just giant cartouches portraying the name of the great unknown god J?

Really, I share the same skeptical wonder about this as you do, Neb.

It is unlikely that they are cartouches. The 'cartouche' [V10] is an elongated version of the hieroglyph shen [V9] which both have the distinct line with the middle of this line on the quadrant of the circle or radius of the sign(s). The "light bulbs" shown are larger at the tip and taper down without the distinct line . Also the bulb seems to taper down into a lotus flower (socket?). So i don't think they are a representation of the shen or cartouche.

Some may argue that it is physically impossible to construct light bulbs of this size even by todays standards but I would respond to that by saying we know from many reliefs and inscriptions that things that the ancient egyptians felt were important were portayed on a scale that was typically larger than life. For instance, the pharoah wasn't really 10 feet taller than his queen yet we see this time and time again.

What adds to the mystery is that there are no other images ever found that are even remotely similar to these. What in the ancient world are they meant to represent??????!!!!!!!!! Very bizarre!

I agree with pretty much everything you say, Unas. It is indeed possible that more sophisticated glassware was constructed in Ancient Egypt - perhaps it just has not survived. It's not beyond the realms of possibility.

Another possible interpretation of the snake (particularly when connected to the creation) might be the idea of duality. The Wadjet eye and the Uraeas are both symbols of duality, and during the creation according both to the Heliopolitan and Hermopolitan myths, it was through a combination of dualistic forces that Egypt came into being. This may also be emphasised by the fact that two lotus flowers are shown - and that they are lotus flowers. You may remember that Nefertem, from whom springs forth the sun, Re-Atum, in the Heliopolitan creation myth was often shown as a man with lotus leaves around his neck, his symbol being the lotus flower. . . . .