Zep Tepi and the Djed Mystery: Backbone of Osiris - Part I
The Djed, by its very nature, is one of the highest mysteries in the Ancient Egypt history. It was built in the core of the so-called Cheops pyramid, just off the King Chamber, perfectly integrated in the monument symmetry.
Actually, scholars cannot yet explain what its original purpose was. There is a quantity of theories, which seem to have a great deal of reliability. Nevertheless, as is often the case, the official theory is the least convincing.
The Great Pyramid of Giza, or Cheops’ Pyramid (Nina Aldin Thune/CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Mysterious Djed
Egyptologists believe the Djed was built into the Great Pyramid with an engineering purpose due to its architectural peculiarity. In fact, its chambers should have had a specific function: unload the weight of the top of the monument, in order to avoid any structural effect on the King Chamber.
Diagram of the interior structures of the Great Pyramid. The djed is highlighted with the King’s Chamber. (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Along the years, alternative researchers have broken down, piece by piece, the Egyptologists’ proposal through very exhaustive reasoning focused on scientific and symbolic issues detected during the archaeological investigations.
Hieroglyphic symbols from left: the Ankh- symbolizing life, the Djed- symbolizing strength and stability, and the Was scepter- symbolizing power. Reliefs at Deir el-Bahri, Egypt. (CC BY 2.0)
