The obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut (1473-1458BC) is 97 feet tall and weighs perhaps 350 tons. Obelisks were carved from single pieces of stone, usually pink granite from hundreds of miles away, but how they were transported and erected is a mystery. The use of the obelisks is another mystery and it has been suggested that their erection symbolized the Djed pillar, the Osirus symbol standing for the backbone of the physical world and the channel through which the divine spirit rose to rejoin its source. Obelisks were often erected in pairs and their dimensions were calculated according to geodetic data pertaining to the exact latitude and longitude where the obelisk was set. The shadows cast by the pair of unequal obelisks would enable the astronomer/priests to make precise astronomical observations and determine the ‘earth spirit’ periods. Curiously, if the base of an obelisk is struck with a large wooden mallet a particular, very low sound is created. Perhaps before the country-wide collection of obelisks suffered the losses of time and human depredations, a grand symphony of many instruments could be played; the sacred geometry of the obelisks creating the sacred geometry of musical notes and scales.

Photo: Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, Temple of Karnak

More about the obelisk from Sacred Sites.

Written by  Martin Gray.

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