By Brandon Lund
King Tut was very interesting and the visit to the California Science Center was rewarding in many ways. Entrance to Exposition Park lies along Figueroa, which makes it less confusing by car, and the event was promoted heavily in the year of 2018.
As the many interests that can arise in such a large place as Los Angeles do arise, a soon to visit attraction of King Tut was among them. The exhibit was grand and soon eclipsed the smaller event at the time.
A tallied entry point was placed before ascending/descending escalators which led to another set of stairs which lead to the third floor. I used the “anytime” entrance line, since I had arrived at any other time. The line was roped-off in a U-ish shape and entry to the event began at “part 1.”
According to the event: Giovanni Belzoni and four other figures were important figures associated with King Tut. Over thirty people watched a movie, while standing, on the history of the excavation and details such as Howard Carter’s work in Egyptology on Tutankhamun (King Tut) were mentioned.
The displays were of bronze and wood and historical figures such as Thutmose III were inscribed on objects such as a vase, observed through glass.
Often a single room was filled with people and glass displays. Above the displays, observable descriptions were placed and viewable descriptions were also placed inside displays.
I read these words out loud, while in attendance, from Spell 43 of the Book of the Dead in order to further my understanding of the event: “The head of Osiris shall not be taken from him and my head will not be taken from me.”
Later, I thought on Osiris and the powerful influence that took place behind such an illustrious past; one that could only be formulated in Mesopotamia, now modern day Iraq. Pagan gods once dominated the region through faith that is credential by a priest or king to their god, which obviously muddies church and state as separate. Power often changed hands through “gods” and the subsequent struggles between man and god-like men such as a Pharaoh who often believed in a pagan god such as Osiris would playout through religion.
Power that is changing hands can be observed in the following passage through the side by side comparison of the pagan god Osiris lying next to a waking “sleeper.” It appears that power is being passed to the god Osiris from the deceased individual so that it can be bestowed on another. A bed of wood with gold leaf was viewable below observable text and the event continued from here. I read the words out loud from Spell 517, Coffin Text: “The sleeper awakes, Osiris—Khentiamentiu awakes here with his ka, he who sleeps on his left side, the sleeper!”
Further along, text reading “Furniture for a Boy King,” could be read above a small chair viewable through glass.
Later, I read outload, “My name flourishes for me,” from Spell 63A, Book of the Dead. The text was in the vicinity of a Wood and Ivory Pen case and Cartouche Box (Jewelry Case).
I found Spell 144 later from the Book of the Dead and read out load the following: “I know you and I know your names.”
Then I read out load the following passage, later on: “You will fare downstream to Busiris. You will fare upstream to Abydos.” This passage came from Column V, lines 6 and 7, opening of the Mouth Ceremony. The text was above a viewable wooden model of a boat.
Oftentimes aided by spells from The Book of the Dead, text that was above a viewable “life-size ka,” describes Tutankamun’s journey through the “Netherworld to his rebirth at dawn.”
From text above Shabtis or “small, magical mummified figures,” I also read out loud: “I will do it. Here I am!”
I also read out loud, “It is I who hinder the sand from choking the secret chamber, and who repel that one who would repel him with desert flame. I have set aflame the desert, I have caused the path to be mistaken. I am for the protection of the deceased.”
Upon returning once more through the event…
Above a viewable wooden statue that spoke of Herwer, I observed the text: “I am you Son, (Horus the Elder), beloved Horus, I have come to protect my father Osiris from the one who acts against you: I lead him under your sandals.” From Spell 151A, Book of the Dead.
To continue on the event, a wooden shield is viewable through glass; observable text above shield describes Tutankhamun’s ability to maintain law and order through mastery of lions.
His symbolic importance of the unity of Egypt is readable above a viewable shield of him as a Sphinx trampling Nubian enemies.
From text above a viewable bow with case and arrows describes his tomb as full of hundreds of arrows and 30 bows (It also describes snakes as his enemy in the Netherworld), I read out loud, “I am the one who breaks the fetters, who shoots at underlings.” Spell 1141, Coffin Text.
Part 2, First Floor…
A timeline and video gallery further explained the event with greater detail. An observable video description was above a viewable Wooden Shrine; I read out loud Spell 1099, Coffin Text, “I am a follower of Re who receives his iron, who replaces the god in the shrines, Horus who ascends to his lord.”
Towards the end was roped off a two tier statue; observable text describes a “Colossal Quartzite Statue,” which is viewable. The event ultimately ends in the gift shop.
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