Use the drop-down boxes above to navigate through the Website  
Return to Reasoning List
 

Here is a link to this page:
http://www.jah-rastafari.com/forum/message-view.asp?message_group=6695&start_row=1


Merit-Ptah: Ancient Afrikan Femala Gynecologist

1 - 9
Time Zone: EST (New York, Toronto)
Messenger: RastaGoddess Sent: 11/4/2016 5:57:47 PM
Reply

Who is the First Gynecologist in the world ? She is also the first Woman physician = Merit Ptah






Merit Ptah generated the oldest known medical papyrus text of any kind in gynecology. Dated to about 1800 BCE, that deals with women's health gynecological diseases, fertility, pregnancy and contraception.

PAPYRUS OF MARIT-PTAH




The text is divided into thirty-four sections, each section dealing with a specific problem and containing diagnosis and treatment; no prognosis is suggested. Treatments are non-surgical, comprising applying medicines to the affected body part or swallowing them. The womb is at times seen as the source of complaints manifesting themselves in other body parts.

There is a reproductive organ section , and fumigation procedure which causes conception to occur; materials prescribed for contraception are crocodile dung, 45ml of honey, and sour milk. Other methods include the placing of an onion bulb deep in the patients flesh, with the positive outcome being determined by the odor appearing to the patients nose. Also treatment for toothaches during pregnancy and a fistula between bladder and vagina with incontinence of urine "in an irksome place."

-posted on Facebook by brothah Mem Uzan

REFERENCES:

Female Physicians in Ancient Kemet




Messenger: JAH Child Sent: 11/25/2016 2:19:34 PM
Reply

Great share RAs Goddess! Give thankhs


Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 11/25/2016 5:27:25 PM
Reply

Meanwhile babylon will tell you it is the racist mad scientist supremacist experimental RC who known as SIMS, the creator of the metal speculum.

Since the finding of the ancient medical papyri they change their teaching now to sims being the father of 'modern' gynaecology. If you know his techniques theres nothing modern about it. This is the subtlety babylon white supremacist education system come with to constantly bigup themselves and include themselves in arguments of invention and creatiom which we know always come back to mumma africa. Ancient mumma africa at that.

Blessed love
Great find


Messenger: RastaGoddess Sent: 11/25/2016 7:04:40 PM
Reply

Seen! @ Garveys

So it go inna babywrong!


Messenger: JAH Child Sent: 11/27/2016 10:25:57 AM
Reply

More love I&I..
I want to find more about Marit Ptah/Merit Ptah, any links or books I&I can suggest? The links I am finding have very little information.
That recipe (in the original post) for contraception is... Interesting! Dung and sour milk! Haha cant say I would want to try it. More interested to hear the fumigation recipe for fertility (; haha More Life


Messenger: RastaGoddess Sent: 11/29/2016 8:00:31 AM
Reply

Awwwww, how ya mean you don't wanna try the dung n sour cream?! LOL 😂; Yeah sis, I think I'll pass on that one as well...

There really isn't much information out there that I could find, specifically on Merit Ptah. Too bad for I too am quite fascinated by this subject.

IZES I


Messenger: Black Christ Salvation Sent: 4/1/2020 3:11:12 AM
Reply

HAIL KING EMMANUEL THE 7:TH... THE BLACK KA-BA-LAH KING... THE META-PHYSICAL MASON

EMPEROR EMMANUEL I BLESS & SANCTIFY US ALL


now..to the article/paper & 2 youtube videos..

BLESSED LOVE & HAILE I SELASSIE I GUIDANCE TO 1 AND ALL


African Diaspora: Freemasonry: Ancient Afrikan/ Kemetic/ Egyptian communal Way of Life and Being


The purpose of this article is to examine the evolution of Freemasonry, its purpose, education process and communal Way of Life.

At the outset, one cannot talk about the origin of Freemasonry; the discussion must focus on the evolution of this system and the unique, ORI-gin-al Ancient Afrikan/Kemetic/Egyptian Way of Life.

The word "free" means "without hinderance"; the word "mason" refers to "one who builds, a bricklayer." As such, Freemasonry is that system, craft or art of building, not a physical building but building spiritual, an edifice within the human being. The ancient Kemites/Afrikans/Egyptians refer to this spiritual concept as the "Temple in Man."

In addition, one must reject the misnomer that has been bandied about for untold centuries known as the "Mystery System" or the "Egyptian Mysteries." The fact of the matter is that if someone invents something, then how is that invention a mystery to the inventor? The invention is only a 'mystery' to the second-third party/onlooker/visitor/ outsider.

The Ancient Kemites/Afrikans/Egyptians never called their system the "Mystery System." The Greeks (world's first Europeans) who went to Kemet to study at the Temple of Waset (world's first university) in the B.C. era called this Afrikan/Kemitic system the "Egyptian Mysteries" because it was a 'mystery' to them, not the Kemites.

Afrikan peoples are the world's original peoples with original ideas and the world's original master-thinkers and teachers. This ancient Egyptian spiritual system evolved over 1,200 years and/or 50 generations. This system and way of life predates the highly organized groups of the Roman Empire or the Roman Collegia, the French Masons of the 17th - 18th century A.D. and the Masonic lodges in the early American colonies.

The Ancient Kemites are the First to develop a communal way of life and being based on a moral code of ethics and human behavior with which to live by. These moral code of ethics existed thousands of years before the Holy Qur'an or Holy Bible. Hence, it is no small wonder that Jesus "The Christ" or "the anointed One" left home at age thirteen "to be about his Father's business" and went to study these ancient Kemetic/Afrikan/Egyptian moral code of ethics at the Temple of Waset. Therefore, the teachings of Jesus "The Christ" came out of ancient Kemet/Afrika/Egypt.

The Holy Bible also stated in Acts 7:22 that Moses, an original Afrikan-Black man, "was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds." Therefore, the teachings of Moses, the original Afrikan-Black man, including his so-called Ten Commandments, came out of the moral code of ethics in ancient Kemet/Egypt.

During this ancient period, Afrika was known as the "land of the spiritual people" under this Masonic belief system and communal way of life and being.

So what does Freemasonry mean? It "is a system of morality and spiritual advancement"; it is a "science which is engaged in divine truth and employs symbolism as its method of instruction"; it seeks to erect "the human society based on the principles of truth, justice and morality." Freemasonry means that before a person can become a Freemason, he must first be a "freeman"; a slave cannot be a mason - such a person must not be a slave to lust and avarice; such a person must not be a slave to chaos, conflict or confusion. Freemasonry deals with spiritual liberation, not physical emancipation.

Freemasonry deals with balance, order and justice in everyday life and human interaction - it is a way of life 24/7/365. It is a system of morality that is veiled/shrouded in allegory and illustrated by symbols. The use of this original, ancient Kemetic allegory was to be later called "parables" under the derived Christian religious belief system.

The spiritual Way of Life in ancient Kemet was directly related/connected to nature, cosmos, universe and a spiritual God-force, Amun-Ra. Amuna-Ra (A-MAN : the RA'S TA MAN) is the original Afrikan spiritual God-force whose birthday was celebrated on 25 December in ancient Kemet, 4,100 years before that of Jesus "The Christ" who was not born on that date.

This Ancient Afrikan/Kemetic spiritual Way of Life and being was holistic in that the Pharaoh was also the high priest; in today's religious way of life, a separation of church and state exists.

In Ancient Kemet, balance, order and harmony or the system of Ma'at existed; in today's world, the system of Isfet exits in which chaos, conflict and confusion are omnipresent - a system of full-blown European control and supremacy.

Freemasonry is "the activity of closely untied men (secret society) who work for the welfare of humankind, striving morally to ennoble themselves and others and thereby to bring about a universal league of humankind." The Masonic belief is in One God; man is immortal; character determines destiny; moreover, it is pivoted on the principle of the Brotherhood of Man and a We communal value system and a way of life and being. The human being is central or the spinal cord of all such existence.

The original concept of One God or Monotheism has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity. It was first introduced in Kemet during the 25th Dynasty 1270 B.C. by Pharaoh Akhnaton. At this time, this Pharaoh had a HighPriest named Moses. Therefore, the derived 1st Commandment of Moses: "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me" came directly out of the original ancient Kemeti/Egyptian/ Afrikan "Forty-two Negative Confessions," not from Mount Sinai.

The fact of the matter is that Moses, the original Afrikan-Black man, married an Ethiopian woman named Zipporah; they had two sons named Gershom and Elieyer. (FATHER MOSES & ZIPPO-RA)

The purpose of education under Freemasonry was "to lead humankind to freedom and enlightenment, to assist in elevating the moral and intellectual level of society, to gain knowledge, to bring ideas into circulation and to cause the mind of youths to grow and bear fruit." The system of education worked for human betterment - materially, morally and spiritually.

Freemasonry seeks "to bring humankind from darkness to light and to form mankind into a great redemptive brotherhood." The endemic principle of Freemasonry is to achieve human perfectibility. The principles to achieve this genre of communal way of life and being 24/7/365 are truth, justice, balance, order, compassion, harmony and reciprocity.

In today's world, when a person lives by these same ancient Afrikan/Kemetic Masonic principles on a daily basis, such a person is called a "good citizen." These principles are directly linked to the education system. The ancient Kemetic education system had three grades/levels of students: (1) the mortals (2) the intelligences and (3) the sons of light (level of spiritual consciousness).

The most important objective of this system was the deification of man; the soul of man could become godlike in communication with the Gods. The ultimate aim of Kemetic education was for the Neophyte to become "one with God" or "become like God." Centuries later in the A.D. era, the world was told that man was made in the image and likeness of God as one of the founding tenets/pillars of Christianity's derived religious belief system.

The aim of education was achieved through the development of virtue - a person was seen as being spiritual in a finite human body. It is this specific, inherent spiritual component that is non-existent in Afrikan people's education system - hence, the omnipresence of Isfet.

At this crucial juncture, it is vital to insert that the foundations of governance in the United States is based on and derived from, the original spiritual belief system of ancient Kemet/Egypt, especially the Role of Numbers 7 and 13 and the use of symbols.

By way of elucidation, the spiritual significance of number 7 is that it denotes completion, while 13 denotes Transformation, Resurrection, New Life and Rebirth.(RA-BIRTH!)

Now, the United States achieved its independence on 4 July 1776. The choice of the month of July by the European founding fathers of the United States denotes that in July (7th month of the year), they completed their armed revolution/struggle for independence from Euro-colonial Britain. The choice of the 4th of July denotes that on that day, the United States was transformed from a colony of Britain to a sovereign independent nation-state; in addition, the 4th July falls within the summer solstice of ancient Kemet/Egypt which runs/lasts from 21 June - 4 July, a period of 13 days. It is no accident, therefore, that the European founding fathers of the United States specifically choose this day to coincide with the spiritual belief system/blessing/protection/guidance of ancient Kemet. Moreover, the choice of 1776 denotes that 7 plus 6 also equals 13. So the European founding fathers of the United States purposely veiled/shrouded their new State in the swaddling clothes of ancient Kemet/Egypt.

In addition, the 13th amendment of the U.S. constitution freed the slaves; this denotes that this amendment gave the slaves a "new life" as freed men; when the United States achieved its independence, there were only 13 colonies - accident? This denotes that there was a "rebirth" in this former colony of Britain.

Furthermore, the most powerful political weapon in the armory of the United States, namely, the official seal of the government, has 13 layers - accident? The most powerful economic weapon in the armory of the United States, the one dollar bill, bears a picture of the ancient Kemetic/Egyptian pyramid with 13 layers; there is also the eye of the Kemetic God Heru (called Horus by the Greeks and Jesus by Christians) as the all-seeing eye for protection -accident?

In terms of symbols, there is a stone monument in Washington, D.C. mistakenly called the "Washington monument." Now, this monument has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the European founding father of the United States, George Washington. This stone monument is directly connected/related to the ancient Kemetic/Egyptian spiritual phenomenon known as the "Osirian Drama."

In other words, in keeping with the ancient Kemetic/Egyptian spiritual belief system, the Washington monument denotes that even though President George Washington is physically dead, he is still spiritually alive to govern and oversee the nation ad infinitum - the lifetime of stone is infinite.

In terms of symbols, the colors red, white and blue of the US flag that symbolizes the American sign of global power and control are derived from the original ancient Kemetic/Egyptian Red Crown of the South, White Crown of the North and the Blue Crown of War that symbolized the Masonic system of governance, communal way of life and being as a result of the unification of Upper and Lower Kemet/Egypt by Pharaoh Narmer in 3200 B.C. The ideas of "government of the people, by the people and for the people" also came out of this ancient system and not from the thought process of President Thomas Jefferson. These original ideas/ideals came out of the system of governance and decision-making called Afrikan Communalism in ancient Kemet.

The Greeks who were studying at the Temple of Waset at that time in the B.C. era, renamed this system "Demos" from which is derived the modern A.D. concept Democracy.

In addition, the U.S. constitutional mandate/guarantee that each individual "has the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is ancient Kemetic in origin.

This Ancient Kemetic/Egyptian/United States direct connection exists because all the founding fathers of the United States were masons steeped in the spiritual teachings and belief system of ancient Kemet. They are President George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Munroe, Andrew Jackson, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, William McKinely, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Trueman and Gerard R. Ford.

In addition, about one-third of the 56 signatories of the American Declaration of Independence were masons, including John Hancock, Lyman Hall, Benjamin Franklin and Robert Paine.

Truth be told: These Europeans have deliberately, viciously and completely dehumanized, contaminated and fleeced this original ancient Kemetic/Egyptian system of governance, spiritual belief value system, communal way of life and being in order to maintain, ossify and consolidate their global power control and dominance under the rubric of such geopolitical code words/slogans as "illuminati," "Great Western Design," "Manifest Destiny," "La Mission civilisatrice," "the white man's burden," "liberty, justice and fraternity," "making the world safe for democracy," "Atlantic Charter," "New World Order," cum "Third Reich," via Mein Kempf, "Cold War," "War on Terrorism" per "USA Patriot Act," and finally "Globalization," that is making the global economy safe for American Trans National Enterprises (TNE's) and free movement and liberalization of international capitol.

Truth be Told: The ancient, original Kemetic/Afrikan/Egyptian Freemasonry is the system of governance and We communal way of life and being of yesterday and tomorrow; the derived European-capitalist system of governance and Me individual way of life ad being is only the global system of today.

Ancient Kemet will rise again!

Shem Hotep ("I go in peace").


Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies and University of the West Indies.

Reprinted from:
www.trinicenter.com/kwame/2007/0903.htm




In this episode of Kemetic Legacy Today,

Co-Hosts Anika and Jabari Osaze discuss "living the legacy" with 5 Kemetic priestesses.

Why choose Kemetic spirituality?

What does practicing the way of Kemet look like in their modern, day-to-day lives?

The priestesses conduct a sacred ceremony call "the Ankh Ceremony" and maintain an alter on set.

Kemetic Legacy Today is a weekly, hour-long TV show produced by the Center for the Restoration of Ma'at


(www.centerformaat.com).





In summary: The 7 principles of Ma'at

1.Truth
2.Justice
3.Balance
4.Order
5.Reciprocity
6.Harmony
7.Righteousness


#1: The one and the many. The ancient Khamites believed in one divine force which differentiated itself into an array of divine principles

#2: The force from within. The ancient Khamites believed that the divine force existed in all things. Through the practice of spiritual discipline and study the divine force could be refined creating the divine being.

#3: The blessings in balance. The ancient Khamites often used the principal of balance(Ma'at) when describing the concept of spiritual refinement

#4: Tools to the path of spiritual development include prayer, ritual/ceremony, study(often in allegory) and meditation.

#5: Sacred Myth~Sacred Message. Myth is not a simple description of things not understood by the primitive minds. Myth is not that which is not true but that which is always true. History is that which as once true.

#6: The sacred in symbolism. Similar to the Heru em Aket, deep spiritual meaning is often ensconced into symbol. These symbols were perceived very differently by the "initiated" than by the general public.

#7: The final judgement. In the end we are all judged by our deeds.


JUDGEMENT GOD JAH RASTAFARI SELAH: SELASSIE I JAH RASTAFARI


Messenger: JAH Child Sent: 7/7/2022 11:45:25 PM
Reply

Wow I came across this and I thought it was interesting, whether or not they are right about Merit-Ptah I am definitely going to look into Peseshet next...

Article Title:
Celebrated ancient Egyptian woman physician likely never existed

Merit Ptah is often called the first woman doctor, esearcher calls it a case of mistaken identity

Date:
December 16, 2019
Source:
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Summary:
For decades, an ancient Egyptian known as Merit Ptah has been celebrated as the first female physician and a role model for women entering medicine. Yet a researcher now says she never existed and is an example of how misconceptions can spread.
Share:

FULL STORY

For decades, an ancient Egyptian known as Merit Ptah has been celebrated as the first female physician and a role model for women entering medicine. Yet a researcher from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus now says she never existed and is an example of how misconceptions can spread.

"Almost like a detective, I had to trace back her story, following every lead, to discover how it all began and who invented Merit Ptah," said Jakub Kwiecinski, PhD, an instructor in the Dept. of Immunology and Microbiology at the CU School of Medicine and a medical historian.

His study was published last week in the Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences.

Kwiecinski's interest in Merit Ptah (`beloved of god Ptah') was sparked after seeing her name in so many places.

"Merit Ptah was everywhere. In online posts about women in STEM, in computer games, in popular history books, there's even a crater on Venus named after her," he said. "And yet, with all these mentions, there was no proof that she really existed. It soon became clear that there had been no ancient Egyptian woman physician called Merit Ptah."

Digging deep into the historical record, Kwiecinski discovered a case of mistaken identity that took on a life of its own, fueled by those eager for an inspirational story.

According to Kwiecinski, Merit Ptah the physician had her origins in the 1930s when Kate Campbell Hurd-Mead, a medical historian, doctor and activist, set out to write a complete history of medical women around the world. Her book was published in 1938.

She talked about the excavation of a tomb in the Valley of Kings where there was a "picture of a woman doctor named Merit Ptah, the mother of a high priest, who is calling her `the Chief Physician.'"

Kwiecinski said there was no record of such a person being a physician.

"Merit Ptah as a name existed in the Old Kingdom, but does not appear in any of the collated lists of ancient Egyptian healers -- not even as one of the `legendary'; or `controversial cases," he said. "She is also absent from the list of Old Kingdom women administrators. No Old Kingdom tombs are present in the Valley of the Kings, where the story places Merit Ptah's son, and only a handful of such tombs exist in the larger area, the Theban Necropolis."

The Old Kingdom of Egypt lasted from 2575 to 2150 BC.

But there was another woman who bears a striking resemblance to Merit Ptah. In 1929-30, an excavation in Giza uncovered a tomb of Akhethetep, an Old Kingdom courtier. Inside, a false door depicted a woman called Peseshet, presumably the tomb owner's mother, described as the `Overseer of Healer Women.' Peseshet and Merit Ptah came from the same time periods and were both mentioned in the tombs of their sons who were high priestly officials.

This discovery was described in several books and one of them found its way into Hurd-Mead's private library. Kwiecinski believes Hurd-Mead confused Merit Ptah with Peseseth.

"Unfortunately, Hurd-Mead in her own book accidentally mixed up the name of the ancient healer, as well as the date when she lived, and the location of the tomb," he said. "And so, from a misunderstood case of an authentic Egyptian woman healer, Peseshet, a seemingly earlier Merit Ptah, `the first woman physician' was born."

The Merit Ptah story spread far and wide, driven by a variety of forces. Kwiecinski said one factor was the popular perception of ancient Egypt as an almost fairytale land "outside time and space" perfectly suited for the creation of legendary stories.

The story spread through amateur historian circles, creating a kind of echo chamber not unlike how fake news stories circulate today.

"Finally, it was associated with an extremely emotional, partisan -- but also deeply personal -- issue of equal rights," he said. "Altogether this created a perfect storm that propelled the story of Merit Ptah into being told over and over again."

Yet Kwiecinski said the most striking part of the story is not the mistake but the determination of generations of women historians to recover the forgotten history of female healers, proving that science and medicine have never been exclusively male.

"So even though Merit Ptah is not an authentic ancient Egyptian woman healer," he said. "She is a very real symbol of the 20th century feministic struggle to write women back into the history books, and to open medicine and STEM to women."

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Jakub M Kwiecinski. Merit Ptah, “The First Woman Physician”: Crafting of a Feminist History with an Ancient Egyptian Setting. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, 2020; 75 (1): 83 DOI: 10.1093/jhmas/jrz058




Messenger: JAH Child Sent: 7/7/2022 11:50:53 PM
Reply

Another interesting one, similar:

Article Title:
Mystery Of Merit Ptah And The Unknown Identity Of Peseshet Who History Forgot

AncientPages.com | January 8, 2020 | Archaeology, News

Share via FacebookShare via TwitterShare via PinterestShare via RedditShare via Email

Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – The ancient Egyptian woman Merit Ptah is said to have been the first female physician and her accomplishments have inspired many women entering medicine.

No one questions ancient Egyptians’ knowledge of medicine, but Merit Ptah is a historical mystery because there is no solid evidence of her existence at all.
Egyptians Mastered Medicine Thousands Of Years Ago

An ancient inscription made by her son indicates that she was a female chief physician of the pharaoh's court during the Second Dynasty of Egypt, (c. 2890 – c. 2686 BC) and she is buried at Saqqara, but archaeologists haven’t been able to confirm this is true.

Mystery Of Merit Ptah And The Unknown Identity Of Peseshet Who History Forgot

Was Merit Ptah misidentified with another woman in ancient Egypt? Credit: CU Anschutz Medical Campus

What is known with certainty is that prehistoric physicians in Egypt had an impressive knowledge of the human body and its inner workings, as well as the treatment of illness and disease.

“Proof comes from burial sites, tombs and underground temples where archeologists have found extensive sets of medical documents and scrolls, including the Ebers Papyrus, the Edwin Smith Papyrus, the Hearst Papyrus, and the London Medical Papyrus, which contained the earliest documented awareness of tumors.” 1

Many may be unaware of this, but the first governmental health system was introduced in ancient Egypt. This system was designed to ensure that workers making the king’s tomb were productive.



Prosthetic toe from ancient Egypt. Credits: Jon Bodsworth

Being intelligent and resourceful people, ancient Egyptians also learned to master prosthetic foot technology and produced functioning toe prostheses for amputated limbs.

More than 2500 years ago, Egyptians created artificial toes that helped people to walk. So, there can be little doubt ancient Egyptians possessed extensive knowledge in the field of medicine.
Did Merit Ptah Exist?

Merit Ptah (`beloved of god Ptah’) has been celebrated as the first female doctor for decades, but vital pieces of her history are missing.

Jakub Kwiecinski, PhD, a medical historian, and instructor in the Dept. of Immunology and Microbiology at the CU School of Medicine became interested in Merit Ptah because she seems to be mentioned everywhere.

“Merit Ptah was everywhere. In online posts about women in STEM, in computer games, in popular history books, there’s even a crater on Venus named after her,” Kwiecinski said.

“And yet, with all these mentions, there was no proof that she really existed. It soon became clear that there had been no ancient Egyptian woman physician called Merit Ptah.”

Kwiecinski started to explore Merit Ptah’s historical background and discovered something was very wrong.

According to Kwiecinski, Merit Ptah the physician had her origins in the 1930s when Kate Campbell Hurd-Mead, a medical historian, doctor and activist, set out to write a complete history of medical women around the world. Her book was published in 1938.

See also:

Ankh – Mysterious Ancient Egyptian Symbol With Many Meanings And Unknown History

World’s Oldest Tattoos Discovered On Egyptian Mummies Re-Write History Of Tattoos

How The Hyksos Invasion Of Ancient Egypt Changed History

She talked about the excavation of a tomb in the Valley of Kings where there was a “picture of a woman doctor named Merit Ptah, the mother of a high priest, who is calling her `the Chief Physician.’”

Kwiecinski said there was no record of such a person being a physician.

“Merit Ptah as a name existed in the Old Kingdom, but does not appear in any of the collated lists of ancient Egyptian healers – not even as one of the `legendary’; or `controversial cases,” he said.

“She is also absent from the list of Old Kingdom women administrators. No Old Kingdom tombs are present in the Valley of the Kings, where the story places Merit Ptah’s son, and only a handful of such tombs exist in the larger area, the Theban Necropolis.”
Mystery Of Peseshet Who Bears A Striking Resemblance To Merit Ptah

In 1929-30, an archaeological team in Giza uncovered a tomb of Akhethetep, an Old Kingdom courtier.

Inside, a false door depicted a woman called Peseshet, presumably the tomb owner’s mother, described as the `Overseer of Healer Women.’ Peseshet and Merit Ptah came from the same time periods and were both mentioned in the tombs of their sons who were high priestly officials.

Peseshet was very similar to Merit Ptah.

This discovery was described in several books, and one of them found its way into Hurd-Mead’s private library. Kwiecinski believes Hurd-Mead confused Merit Ptah with Peseseth.

“Unfortunately, Hurd-Mead in her own book accidentally mixed up the name of the ancient healer, as well as the date when she lived, and the location of the tomb,” Kwiecinski said.

“And so, from a misunderstood case of an authentic Egyptian woman healer, Peseshet, a seemingly earlier Merit Ptah, `the first woman physician’ was born.”



Egyptians mastered herbal medicine thousands of years ago.

The Merit Ptah story spread far and wide, driven by a variety of forces. Kwiecinski said one factor was the popular perception of ancient Egypt as an almost fairytale land “outside time and space” perfectly suited for the creation of legendary stories.

The story spread through amateur historian circles, creating a kind of echo chamber not unlike how fake news stories circulate today.

“Finally, it was associated with an extremely emotional, partisan – but also deeply personal – issue of equal rights,” he said. “Altogether this created a perfect storm that propelled the story of Merit Ptah into being told over and over again.”

Yet Kwiecinski said the most striking part of the story is not the mistake but the determination of generations of women historians to recover the forgotten history of female healers, proving that science and medicine have never been exclusively male.

“So even though Merit Ptah is not an authentic ancient Egyptian woman healer,” he said. “She is a very real symbol of the 20th century feministic struggle to write women back into the history books, and to open medicine and STEM to women.”

Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Expand for references

Sutherland - Egyptians Mastered Medicine Thousands Of Years Ago, AncientPages.com
Jakub M Kwiecinski, Merit Ptah, “The First Woman Physician”: Crafting of a Feminist History with an Ancient Egyptian Setting, Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Volume 75, Issue 1, January 2020, Pages 83–106, https://doi.org/10.1093/jhmas/jrz058


1 - 9

Return to Reasoning List




RastafarI
 
Haile Selassie I