Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt

of the pyramid, and 12,000 BCE, which represents a date in the remote past that has to do with the beginning or first time
of the ancient Egyptians’ history defined with calendrical computations of the Sothic cycle and precession cycle of the
star Sirius. But is there confirming evidence of such long-term date reckoning in Egyptian pyramid designs?
Figure 6.3. Sirius culminated south so that it just met the horizon—as seen from the latitude of the Great Pyramid at
Giza.
THE GREAT WALL OF TIME
In The Egypt Code, we demonstrated that evidence of both the Sothic cycle and precession involving the star Sirius could
be found in the elaborate design of the step pyramid complex of King Djoser at Saqqara or, more precisely, in the design
of the gigantic boundary wall that surrounds the complex (see figure 6.4). The step pyramid complex is dated to about
2650 BCE and is said to be the very first major architectural complex of ancient Egypt and, according to many, the oldest
in the whole world. It is one of those curious facts of history that we actually know the name and function of the
architect who was responsible for its design: his name was Imhotep, and he was vizier to King Djoser. According to
professor I. E. S. Edwards, “Imhotep’s title ‘Chief of the Observers,’ which became the regular title of the high priest of
Heliopolis, may itself suggest an occupation connected with astral, rather than solar observation. . . . It is significant that
the high priest of the centre of the sun-cult at Heliopolis bore the title ‘Chief of the Astronomers’ and was represented
wearing a mantle adorned with stars.” 64
Figure 6.4. Djoser step pyramid complex and Saqqara, showing the massive wall enclosing the compound. Inset: Detail
of the reconstructed portion of the paneled wall around the main entrance.
In the recently built museum at the reception area at Saqqara, Imhotep is given a place of honor, and there are several
statues representing this Leonardo da Vinci of the ancient world. His name, titles, and functions are attested on the
pedestal of a statue of King Djoser. As we have seen, it seems certain that a calendar based on the heliacal rising of Sirius
was used since earliest time in Egypt and was referred to sometimes as the Sothic calendar. It also seems certain that this
calendar was eventually formally adopted by the Heliopolitan priests, who pinned it to their own newly devised civil
calendar, when a Sothic cycle was made to begin with the New Year’s Day of 1 Thoth. It is thus quite possible that it was
Imhotep who introduced the Sothic calendar based on the cycles of Sirius, or, as we now strongly suspect, merely
formalized it from an earlier calendar that was already in place with the prehistoric star people of Nabta Playa. At any
rate, much evidence supports the view that a Sothic calendar ran parallel to a civil calendar so that they both