Great Mother Isis: Guardian of the Sacred Order, Part 2 of 3

According to “On Isis and Osiris,” by Venerated Enlightened Master Plutarch (vegetarian), Seth, the jealous brother and god of chaos and disruption, hosted a feast in honor of King Osiris, Queen Isis’s beloved husband. Only 72 conspirators attended. During the banquet, Seth unveiled a splendid chest and declared it would be gifted to whoever fit inside it. One by one, they tried, but all were either too large or too small. When Osiris saw the cedar chest inlaid with ebony, adorned with gold and silver, and painted with figures of gods, bird-people, and animal-individuals, He admired it deeply.

When Osiris lay down inside, He fit perfectly. Seth and his 72 conspirators slammed the lid shut, nailed it, and poured molten lead over it. They threw the chest into the Nile, where it floated out to the Mediterranean Sea. The chest washed ashore near the land of Byblos, modern-day Lebanon, carried by the waves until it came to rest within a clump of heather. The heather quickly grew into a tall, majestic tree, wrapping itself around the chest and concealing it within its trunk. The tree sprouted branches, leaves, and blossoms, forming a resting place for the body of the good God Osiris. Soon, its beauty and fragrance made it famous throughout the land.

After the murder, Seth claimed the throne, and a “reign of terror” began. But Isis refused to let Osiris be forgotten. When King Malcander and His wife, Queen Astarte, heard of this wondrous tree, They came to the shore to behold it. By then, the branches had grown thickly together, hiding the chest within the heart of the tree. Struck by its magnificence, the king ordered the tree to be cut down and fashioned into a pillar for His palace. All marveled at its beauty and scent, yet none suspected that within it lay the body of a God.

Guided by the Divine whisper of Rumour, Isis learned what had become of the chest and journeyed to Byblos. She questioned everyone, even children. By chance, they had seen the chest drifting at sea and told Her of the river mouth. As Isis wandered the shore, children again pointed where the chest had floated. In gratitude, Isis blessed them, inspiring the belief that children forever speak words of wisdom and, at times, reveal what is yet to come. For this reason, the ancient Egyptians listened closely to the words children spoke, especially in sacred places.