Going back, now, to the world’s most ancient records, in the
monuments of Egypt, we find evidence of the existence of the covenant
of blood, in those early days. Even then, it seems to have been a
custom to covenant by tasting the blood from another’s arm; and this
inter-transference of blood was supposed to carry an inter-commingling,
or an inter-merging, of natures. So far was this symbolic thought
carried, that the ancient Egyptians spoke of the departed spirit, as
having entered into the nature, and, indeed, into the very being, of
the gods, by the rite of tasting blood from the divine arm.
“The Book of the Dead,” as it is commonly called, or “The Book of
the Going Forth into Day,”--(“The path of the just is as the shining
light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day,”[153])--is
a group, or series, of ancient Egyptian writings, representing the
state and the needs and the progress of the soul after death.[154]
A copy of this Funereal Ritual, as it is sometimes called, “more or
less complete, according to the fortune of the deceased, was deposited
in the case of every mummy.”[155] “As the Book of the Dead is the
most ancient, so it is undoubtedly the most important of the sacred
books of the Egyptians;”[156] it is, in fact, “according to Egyptian
notions, essentially an inspired work;”[157] hence its contents have an
exceptional dogmatic value. In this Book of the Dead, there are several
obvious references to the rite of blood-covenanting. Some of these are
in a chapter of the Ritual which was found transcribed in a coffin of
the Eleventh Dynasty; thus carrying it back to a period prior to the
days of Abraham.[158]
“Give me your arm; I am made as ye,” says the departed soul, speaking
to the gods.[159] Then, in explanation of this statement, the
pre-historic gloss of the Ritual goes on to say: “The blood is that
which proceeds from the member of the Sun, after he goes along cutting
himself;”[160] the covenant blood which unites the soul and the god is
drawn from the flesh of Rā, when he has cut himself in the rite of that
covenant. By this covenant-cutting, the deceased becomes one with the
covenanting gods. Again, the departed soul, speaking as Osiris,--or
as the Osirian, which every mummy represents,[161]--says: “I am the
soul in his two halves.” Once more there follows the explanation:
“The soul in his two halves is the soul of the Sun [of Rā], and the
soul of Osiris [of the deceased].” Here is substantially the proverb
of friendship cited by Aristotle, “One soul in two bodies,” at least
two thousand years before the days of the Greek philosopher. How much
earlier it was recognized, does not yet appear.
Again, when the deceased comes to the gateway of light, he speaks
of himself as linked with the great god Seb; as one “who loves his
arm,”[162] and who is, therefore, sure of admittance to him, within
the gates. By the covenant of the blood-giving arm, “the Osiris opens
the turning door; he has opened the turning door.” Through oneness of
blood, he has come into oneness of life, with the gods; there is no
longer the barrier of a door between them. The separating veil is rent.
An added indication that the covenant of blood-friendship furnished
the ancient Egyptians with their highest conception of a union with
the divine nature through an interflowing of the divine blood--as the
divine life--is found in the amulet of this covenant; corresponding
with the token of the covenant of blood-friendship, which, as fastened
to the arm, or about the neck, is deemed so sacred and so precious,
in the primitive East to-day. The hieroglyphic word, _tat_, _tet_, or
_tot_, ([Illustration]) translated “arm,” is also translated “bracelet,”
or “armlet,” ([Illustration])[163] as if in suggestion of the truth,
already referred to,[164] that the blood-furnishing arm was represented
by the token of the arm-encircling, or of the neck-encircling, bond,
in the covenant of blood. Moreover, a “red talisman,” or red amulet,
stained with “the blood of Isis,” and containing a record of the
covenant, was placed at the neck of the mummy as an assurance of safety
to his soul.[165] “When this book [this amulet-record] has been made,”
says the Ritual, “it causes Isis to protect him [the Osirian], and
Horus he rejoices to see him.” “If this book [this covenant-token] is
known,” says Horus, “he [the deceased] is in the service of Osiris....
His name is like that of the gods.”
There are various other references to this rite, or other indications
of its existence, than those already cited, in the Book of the Dead.
“I have welcomed Thoth (or the king) with blood; taking the gore from
the blessed of Seb,”[166] is one of these gleams. Again, there are
incidental mentions of the tasting of blood, by gods and by men;[167]
and of the proffering, or the uplifting, of the blood-filled arm, in
covenant with the gods.[168]
On a recently deciphered stéle of the days of Rameses IV., of the
Twentieth Dynasty, about twelve centuries before Christ, there is
an apparent reference to this blood-covenanting, and to its amulet
record. The inscription is a specimen of a funereal ritual, not unlike
some portions of the Book of the Dead. The deceased is represented
as saying, according to the translation of Piehl[169]: “I am become
familiar with Thoth, by his writings, on the day when he spat upon his
arm.” The Egyptian word, _khenmes_, here translated “familiar,” means
“united with,” or “joined with.” The word here rendered “writings,” is
_hetepoo_; which, in the singular, _hetep_, in the Book of Dead, stands
for the record of the covenant on the blood-stained amulet.[170] The
word _peqas_ ([Illustration]) rendered “spat,” by Piehl, is an obscure
term, variously rendered “moistened,” “washed,” “wiped,” “healed.”[171]
It is clear therefore that this passage may fairly be read: “I am
become united with Thoth, by the covenant-record, on the day when he
moistened, or healed his arm”; and if the arm were healed, it had
been cut, and so moistened. Indeed it is quite probable that this word
_peqas_ has a root connection with _peq_, _peqa_, _peqau_, “a gap,”
“an opening,” “to divide”; and even with _penqu_, ([Illustration]) “to
bleed.” Apparently, the unfamiliarity of Egyptologists with this rite
of blood-covenanting, by the cutting of the arm, has hindered the
recognition of the full force of many of the terms involved.
Ebers, in his “Uarda,” has incidentally given an illustration of the
custom of blood-covenanting in ancient Egypt. It is when the surgeon
Nebsecht has saved the life of Uarda, and her soldier-father, Kaschta,
would show his gratitude, and would pledge his life-long fidelity in
return.
“‘If at any time thou dost want help, call me, and I will protect thee
against twenty enemies. Thou hast saved my child--good! Life for life.
I sign myself thy blood-ally--there!’
“With these words he drew his poniard, out of his girdle. He scratched
his arm, and let a few drops of his blood run down on a stone at the
feet of Nebsecht.
“‘Look!’ he said. ‘There is my blood! Kaschta has signed himself thine;
and thou canst dispose of my life as of thine own. What I have said, I
have said.’”[172]