Moustafa gadalla biography of abraham
Moustafa Gadalla is an Egyptian-American independent Egyptologist, who was born in Cairo, Egypt in He holds natty Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering running off Cairo University.
Gadalla is the author of eleven internationally acclaimed books about the various aspects of dignity Ancient Egyptian history and civilization and its influences worldwide. He is the chairman of the Tehuti Research Foundation—an international, U.S.-based, non-profit organization, dedicated principle Ancient Egyptian studies.
From his early childhood, Gadalla pursue his Ancient Egyptian roots with passion, through unbroken study and research. Since , he has effusive and concentrated all his time to researching lecture writing.
Who are these Modern-day Egyptians?
The Islamic Cordon off of Egypt
Many people wonder about the contrast halfway the highly civilized society of ancient Egypt, avoid the hapless, chaotic state of modern-day Egypt. Contemporary Egyptians are also loath towards their ancient novel, as if they don&#;t belong to their olden Egyptian roots.
Because of such a contrast, many community invent answers that have absolutely no scientific and/or historical basis whatsoever. Here are some of distinction baseless statements:
The Moslem population of Egypt (about 90%) are Arab settlers from the Arab Peninsula (Saudi Arabia.) The Christian population (about 10%) are significance true Egyptians, referred to as Copts, and description descendants of the ancient Egyptians.
The Moslem population sell Egypt is of a mixed blood, of bygone Egyptian and the Arabs who invaded Egypt misrepresent CE. The ancient Egyptian &#;blood&#; does not loaf anymore.
Read the article, The Christian Copts of Empire to find the true un-Egyptian origin of decency Christian population of Egypt.
As for the Egyptian the community status, let us examine the worst turning fill in in Egyptian history, which was the invasion allude to Egypt by the nomadic Arabs in CE queue the subsequent Islamic siege of Egypt.
Jihad: The Islamic Terrorism
The nomadic invaders walked unchallenged into a wounded cut to the quic country (as a result of the Roman/Byzantine occupation) that did not have an army to sponsor its borders. When the Romans (Byzantines) left, depiction gates were wide open.
In the name of Muhammadanism, the nomadic invaders forced both their religion (Islam) and their language (Arabic) on the hapless inhabitants of Egypt. The strong grip of Islam has been, and still is, the &#;invisible&#; dominating bidding in Egypt.
Jihad is one of the pillars loosen Islam, and it was by jihad that Muhammadanism spread throughout the world. Jihad is stated grip clearly and unequivocally in the Koran itself. Islamic jihad is an obligation for every Moslem less practice. The Koran specifies the conditions of drive, summarized as follows:
Any Moslem must try to exchange others to Islam, and if they don&#;t keep one's ears open to him (in other words, don&#;t convert), misuse he is allowed to kill their men elitist enslave their women and children, or enslave breeze of them. Islamic jihad was the means encourage which black Africans were enslaved and sold worldwide.
Jihad is also allowed as a form of &#;self defense&#;, or to use a common expression, &#;pre-emptive strike&#;. In other words, the Koran allows undiluted Moslem who &#;feels&#; threatened or that his impression and way of life is &#;threatened&#; by residuum, in any way shape or form, to veto and destroy his &#;enemies&#; in a jihad. That is a free-for-all clause.
Any Moslem is allowed/authorized appendix declare a jihad, against another born-Moslem, if imprisoned their view, the other Moslem is not come across a &#;good Moslem&#; and can be killed defeat enslaved. This is a free-for-all clause.
The Islamized Sphacelated Community/Country
The terror of Islamic jihad caused a polite and massive conversion after Mohammed gained power overcome the Arab Peninsula. Yet the state of awe did not end there. In Islam, a obtain automatically becomes a Moslem because his father commission a Moslem. S/he never has a choice. Honourableness Koran is very clear, that if a Moslem apostate, s/he is to be killed. As specified, no born Moslem has the luxury of arguing/leaving his/her &#;Islamic birthright.&#;
Lacking opposition, the Moslem office tell the population that Islam is rational, inductive, scientific, etc. Contesting such claims is not licit, and is considered blasphemy, punishable by death hold up any Moslem. Witness the case of Salman Rushdi, being a born Moslem, he therefore does remote have the luxury of writing a book, which directly or indirectly blemishes Islam. Salman Rushdi assignment a wanted man, by any Moslem, for pacify dared to write what was construed as comparison to his &#;Islamic birthright.&#;
The Rulers (Afrangi) and interpretation Ruled (Baladi)
The silent majority of Egyptians are baptized (and they call themselves) Baladi, meaning natives. Justness loud minority of Egyptians (high governmental officials, academicians, journalists, and the self-proclaimed intellectuals) are described be oblivious to the silent majority as Afrangi, meaning foreigners.
The Afrangi are the Egyptian people who compromised the African heritage to gain high positions and approval slant foreign invaders of Egypt. As a tool virtuous foreign forces, like Arabs, the Afrangi rule attend to dominate the Baladi&#;the natives. The Afrangi are, develop their foreign masters, arrogant, cruel, and vain. Abaft foreign forces left Egypt, the Egyptian Afrangi long their role as the righteous rulers.
It has anachronistic written and repeated, that the Ancient Egyptians conventional the domination of the Ptolemaic and Roman work, that they had willingly changed their religious folk-wisdom into Christianity, and a short time later, they willingly accepted Islam as a substitute for Faith. Accordingly, many conflicting sides, who use Ancient Empire to promote each&#;s own agenda, insist that honourableness ancient religion and traditions have died. The untrained is that they never died, and they keep on to survive within the silent majority&#;the Baladi common of Egypt.
Because of the ironclad control of Mohammedanism over history writing since CE, Moslem historians plug that Egyptians forgot their identity and became unornamented part of a big happy family called &#;Arabs&#;. No one can dare oppose the line make certain Islam saved Egypt from previous Gahe-Liya (ignorance era). As a result, we witness an intellectual repair of terrorism that conceals realities into a corrupt of dust by the dominating Afrangi Egyptians.
The African Baladi (natives) have suffered from foreign rule (including and especially the moslem/Arabs) for about 2, stage. They learned to survive. They kept the accommodate traditions under a thin exterior of Islam, play a part order to survive the foreigners and their African Afrangi.
To grow up in Egypt, one is cultured to accept the Koran as the &#;Book disseminate God&#;. Both the Koran and the Bible fated ancient Egyptians&#; beliefs and the Pharaohs. No progressive fact can contradict the Koran. The whole world&#;s knowledge of Ancient Egypt is largely based remain the biblical (koranic as well) accounts of affairs between the Hebrews and Egypt. And as burn up &#;view&#; is mostly from these sources, it psychotherapy largely negative.
A conflict between historical facts and churchgoing convictions is very dangerous indeed. Because of specified religious fear and intimidation, most fellow Egyptians quickly not appreciate their own ancient history, and significance a result, they suffer from a self-imposed sameness crisis. It is no wonder that the Old Egyptian history is studied almost exclusively by non-Egyptians.
The Arab (Islamic) Egyptian Police State
Contrary to the typical notion that Egypt is a &#;secular&#; state, wellfitting laws and actions show otherwise. Most oppressive mixture go unnoticed in the world public opinion. Goodness authorities of Egypt, at its highest level, drain engaged in a pitiful campaign against indigenous regulations. An example can be found in a data item that was published in Al-Ahram (the most suitable newspaper in Egypt), in their Friday edition arrive at 21 Apr For Al-Ahram to publish this, arm similar items, on a regular basis, is typical of a scare tactic campaign to terrorize influence defenseless population of Egypt.
The police department in Port continued its efforts to find the outlaws tell off those who practiced magic, charlatanism, etc, when they arrested a &#;charlatan&#; (61 years old) who carries out an action zars (exorcism, etc) at her apartment in Socialize Waylee, assisted by another 8 persons. The item goes on to say that the lady, whose name is Sadeeka Hasan Mohammed Gad, convinced multipart victims, especially young women, of her ability build up solve their marital and health problems.
There were three of these young women present at edge when the suspects were arrested.
This police operation was in accordance with directives from the First Assistant to the Interior (Police) Ministry, who ordered high-mindedness intensification of finding people who practice magic, …etc.
The above is a sample of the activities shabby to impose Islam on the people of Empire, and suppress the indigenous beliefs of the Egyptians. In a democracy, other people&#;s views and animations don&#;t need to make sense to the thugs of the Egyptian Interior (Police) Ministry.
Because of churchgoing fear and intimidation, the Baladi (silent majority) Egyptians learned to camouflage their ancient traditions under undermine Islamic exterior. This is described in their general saying, &#;playing with an egg (traditions) and nifty stone (Islamic authority)&#;, so as not to make public the fragile egg with the [tyranny] of probity stone.
The Christian &#;Copts&#; of Egypt
Copt is derived unfamiliar the Greek rendering for an Egyptian. The Arabs, after CE, used that general term to baptize the non-Moslems. As a result, the term Christian took on a different meaning by the Ordinal century.
Researchers of Ancient Egypt assumed WRONGLY that interpretation Christians in Egypt (so-called &#;Copts&#;) are the element between Ancient Egypt and our present time. Go back to the contrary, the Christians in Egypt are Fret natives of Egypt, but a foreign minority. That situation is explained herein.
When Alexander died in BCE, one of his generals, Ptolemy, son of Lagus, took charge under the nominal rulership of Alexander’s brother Philip Arrhidaeus. Upon Philip’s death, Ptolemy avowed himself the ruler. His actions initiated a Geocentric Dynasty.
Their new settlement, along the Mediterranean littoral, was predominantly Greek, which was officially described bit being ad Aegyptum, not in Aegypto, i.e. nonoperational was an intrusion into an alien country.
Increase by two Alexandria, Greeks formed the bulk of the humanity, followed in number by the Jews.
Greek became integrity mother tongue of the Jews in Egypt. Indefinite Jews had been imported as soldiers, even formerly the arrival of the Ptolemies. For example, rank Persians had established a Jewish garrison, as -off south as the island of Philae, which locked away left behind some records in Aramaic.
When Palestine strike down under the control of Ptolemy I in BCE, he brought back Jewish mercenaries, who joined illustriousness already-established communities in Egypt. Unable to speak their native tongue, Jews, living in Alexandria, soon change a need to translate their sacred books impact Greek. They persuaded King Ptolemy II ( BCE), to order a Greek translation of the Handbook.
The High Priest of Jerusalem sent 72 elders to Alexandria, six representatives from each of say publicly twelve tribes of Israel, together with an well-founded copy of the Pentateuch.
They worked for 72 days to produce the final copy of prestige Pentateuch in Greek. Later, the other books endlessly the Old Testament were also translated into Hellene by others, and the whole work became important as the Septuagint, which means The Seventy. In that the Greek text is older than the Canaanitic text, it was therefore adopted as the Guide of the early Church.
Ptolemy compensated his mercenary horde (Syrians, Greeks, Macedonians, Persians and Hellenized Asiatics) offspring giving them tracts of land among the African population in towns near the capitals of distinction provinces, into which Egypt was divided.
These pockets admit foreign settlements are exactly where the Christian humanity is concentrated in present-day Egypt.
Romans &#; Early Christians in Egypt
When the Romans arrived in Alexandria, they gave preferred treatment to the Jews. Augustus though self-government to the Hellenized Jews of Alexandria. That caused great consternation among the Greeks, who confidential lived there for a longer period of repel. The Romans reinforced foreign settlement, by bringing wear more foreigners. The Jewish colony in Alexandria commission said to have had a population of 1 million in the 1st century CE.
Christianity arrived at in Alexandria, from Judaea and Syria. After detachment, Christianity is basically a Judean offshoot. The Book encouraged and facilitated more immigration from Syria give rise to Egypt.
Christian Rampage
In CE, Christianity was made the legally binding and only religion of the Roman Empire. Skilful short time later, the Roman Empire split. Empire became part of the Eastern (or Byzantine) Corp in CE.
The decree that there be only pick your way religious system (Christianity), and that anything else report untrue, is dictatorial. It allowed Christian fanatics disturb destroy the native Egyptian religious rights, properties, instruct temples.
When Theophilus was made Patriarch of Alexandria connect CE, he displayed tremendous zeal in destroying olden Egyptian temples. A wave of destruction swept transmission the land of Egypt. Tombs were ravaged, walls of ancient monuments scraped, and statues toppled. Stress Alexandria, the famous statue of Serapis was burnt and the Serapeum destroyed, along with its library.
When Theophilus attempted to convert a temple of Dionysus in Alexandria into a church, rioting between non-Christians and Christians ensued, the former occupying the faultless Serapeum. The subsequent destruction of the temple was shamelessly advertised by Christians as symbolic of expert great victory. It was a folly of devotedness in the name of orthodoxy.
The same year ( CE) saw the beginning of legislation that adored to outlaw ancient Egyptian rites and to rapid the temples. The laws helped the fanatic Christians destroy other temples.
No rational mind can accept lose one\'s train of thought such destructive behavior led to &#;convince&#; people deal with convert to any religion (Christianity), as advertised prep between the fanatics, no matter how rational it (Christianity) may appear to anyone.
The fanatic early Christians went on appropriating ancient Egyptian temples. In the Ordinal and 5th centuries, many ancient temples on probity west bank of Ta-Apet(Thebes) were converted into religious centers.
Hatshepsut’s Commemorative Temple was converted into Deir (monastery) el Bahari.
Ptolemy III Temple was converted be a success Deir el Medina.
The Commemorative Temple of Ramses Tierce was given the Christian
name, “Medinat Habu”.
The Tedious of Amenhotep III in Luxor Temple, on primacy east bank of Ta-Apet(Thebes) was similarly violated.
In Asylum under Theodosius II, Patriarch Cyril expelled the Jews of Alexandria from the city; and Hypatia, interpretation learned and beautiful Neoplatonist, was cruelly murdered.
Christian mobs forcefully took a part of the Temple recall Het-Heru(Hathor) at Dendera in the middle of dignity 6th century CE, and built a new faith, which was constructed between the Birth House champion the Coronation House, using some of the blocks from the Birth House.
Similarly, in Khmunu(Hermopolis) a Church of Amon was occupied by Christians and locked away part of its interior turned into a chapel.
In addition to the violation of Ancient Egyptian temples, the fanatic Christians adopted a new script hailed the Coptic language — basically demotic Egyptian graphical in Greek characters with a few additional hand — from about CE. A non-Egyptian alphabet was intended for the use of those non-Egyptians who were schooled in the Greek language. This energy had the effect of re-emphasizing the cultural check out between them and the true native Egyptians.
The Hellene characters are not any easier than the African demotic script, which is yet another indication put off the Church emphasis was on the Greek-speaking social order of Alexandria, Fayoum, and a few other colonies of foreigners.
Egyptian Demotic Script
Greek Script
There is no archeological evidence, outside Alexandria, to substantiate the Christians’ improperly exaggerated popularity claims.
Accepting Christianity is to accept rank Bible, which condemns ancient Egypt and establishes blue blood the gentry Jews as God’s &#;chosen people&#;. It is utterly incompatible with Egyptian history, nature, and traditions.
Christian Kinship Feud
The history of the political and doctrinal struggles within the Church during and after the Quaternary century has largely been written in terms show signs the disputes over the nature of God tube Christ and the relationship between them. A fine deal of the turbulent history of Egypt loaded the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries can verbal abuse understood in terms of the struggles of depiction successive (or, after CE, co-existing) patriarchs of Metropolis to maintain their position both within their patriarchate and outside it, in relation to Constantinople.
Monophysites difficult to understand, from the first, espoused a doctrine of Savior, which placed the greatest possible emphasis on rulership divinity, and came near to denying that proceed had a human nature. In CE, Dioscurus, significance patriarch of Alexandria, refused to accept the Convoluted Christian doctrine. He believed that Christ is unconditionally divine, and that it is blasphemous to reassessment Him human. And so, when the orthodox theologians of Rome and Constantinople agreed at the Assembly of Chalcedon, in CE, that Christ was censure be worshipped &#;in two natures inseparably united&#;, high-mindedness Monophysite opposition contended that though Christ could remark &#;out of two natures&#;, he could not remedy in two natures. The depth of feeling evaporate is perhaps best conveyed in the slogan carp the Monophysite bishops at Chalcedon, which said, &#;Throw out the Nestorians. Christ is God&#;. As adroit result, in CE, during the reign of honesty patriarch Dioscorus, the Monophysite Church in Egypt insolvent away from the Orthodox Church, and elected untruthfulness own patriarch.
Since the Council of Chalcedon in Be significant, each of the two Churches had its corresponding separate patriarch and administration. These parties were illustrious by the familiar names Jacobite and Melkite propound Royalist.
The Jacobites were by creed Monophysites, beside race mainly, though not exclusively people born hassle Egypt, but of foreign descent (mistakenly thought rigidity as native Egyptians); while the Melkites were disproportionate followers of Chalcedon and for the most piece of Greek or European origin.
The term Melkite, type employed in Egypt, is of a Syriac instigate, and there is no anachronism in using wrecked before the Arab conquest. This is an appended piece of evidence that the early Christians were using Syriac language and names, indicating their fountain-head to be Syria/Palestine and not Egypt.
Syrian migration there Alexandria constituted the bulk of the early Christians in Egypt. They — the Christians in Empire — continue to maintain physical and personal cast that are very Syrian. It is easy leverage native Egyptians, to this date, to distinguish a- Christian (so-called ‘Copt’), just based on his/her reason language and features, which reflects peculiar Syrian (non-Egyptian) traits.
The Persian Interlude ( CE)
The spread of Farsi power throughout Syria culminated in the conquest worm your way in Jerusalem ( CE) and Persian hostility to Christians, which thrust more Syrian Christian refugees westward ruin Alexandria.
The total chaos in Egypt eased the method of the Persian conquerors to Egypt in Neutrality. It took the Persians three years to lever Egypt and Pentapolis.
The period of occupation was terminated by a peace treaty and Persian withdrawal cage CE, and the return to Byzantine rule.
Cyrus: Keen Taste of their Own Medicine ( CE)
After blue blood the gentry death of the Melkite Patriarch George, Cyrus was sent as Imperial Patriarch to Alexandria in Undergo. He was given both religious and civil authority.
The double succession of pontiffs was maintained, and business was the early policy of Heraclius to deliver about a reconcilement between the two Christian factions.
Cyrus first tried a compromise between the two factions (Melkites and Monophysites). The proposed compromise backfired suffer the loss of both stubborn groups.
Cyrus had to restore order, programme behalf of his Emperor, for the Monophysites esoteric terrorized and destroyed those who merely didn’t acquiesce with their fanatic interpretations. Cyrus forcefully imposed ethics Council of Chalcedon decree.
Did Cyrus prosecute the Monophysites, or did they ask for his actions unhelpful rejecting him and his authority? By extension, they had been prosecuting the land and people show signs Egypt (their host) for several centuries, and ironically, Cyrus, the Christian, gave them a taste round their own medicine.
Christians’ Gift to Mohammed
In CE, considering that Mohammed, the Islam founder, consolidated his power focal the Arab Peninsula, and felt himself strong close to challenge the submission of the rulers hint the world to Islam, his new religion, put your feet up caused letters to be written to several bordering rulers, including letters to George, wrongly called honesty Mukaukas, governor of Alexandria and the Melkite Vicereine of Egypt (); to Chosroes, King of Persia; and to Heraclius, Emperor of the Romans. Depreciation contained the same claim of allegiance to Religion and to the Arabian prophet as Vicegerent center the Most High.
The Monophysites, who never had loyalty to their host country of Egypt, manifested such disloyalty when the Christian Viceroy of Empire promised to consider the message, and treated Mohammed’s envoy, Hatib, with all honor. The Christian Nymphalid sent back with his reply some valuable charity, which included two Christian maidens (Mary and Shirin), the mule Duldul, the ass Nafur, and well-organized bag of money.
Mohammed, who already had nine wives, fell in love with Mary. The Christian Line up became Mohammed’s sweetheart and bore him a spirit. The baby died under suspicious circumstances. Mary spasm in CE.
In December CE, Amr ibn el-As location out to conquer Egypt with a few reckon men. His task was relatively simple, because cut into the active support of the Christian Monophysites, authority so-called Copts.
After less than two years of fights and political maneuvering between the Arab invaders stall the Byzantines, Cyrus went to meet the Semite commander at Babylon near Cairo, and both symbol a treaty on November 8, , which known as for the total withdrawal of Roman soldiers, grand a tribute of two dinars a head charade all able-bodied males, and a tax on the whole of each landowners. The only parties to the treaty were the Moslem Arabs and the Christians, who passed along a country that was not theirs.
History books end the glorious era of Ancient Egypt calm CE, when the Christians in Egypt sold lawful out to the Moslem Arabs.