The African Past, Identity and Human Civilisation

Paper prepared By

Dr Mathole Motshekga B.Iuris, LLB (Unisa), LLM (Havard), LLD (Unisa) Director: Kara Heritage Institute FOR BOKAMOSO SOCIAL CLUB FOURTH ANNUAL ACAD MIC A!ARDS BOKAMOSO SOCIAL D " LOPM NT PLAN

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The African Past, Identity and Human Civilisation Introduction

It is common knowledge that a people without a history are a people without identity, culture and traditions. The suppression of the African past, identity and language not only dehumanized and depersonalized African people but a considerable section of the human family because Africa is the cradle of humanity and the beginning of the human story. The accounts of human origins and history contained in Holy Scriptures and theories of evolution do not do ustice to African origins, history and identity. Thus African cultures and traditions have been !and still are" misunderstood from the advent of #uropeans and Asiatic in Africa around $%&' (. ). A brief outline of African history and philosophy of origins will assist the reader to understand why this century is called the African century and why the founders of our democracy have always believed in the unity of being and the human family and regarded modern civilisation as a common heritage of the human family.

The African Past and Identity

*ong before the dawn of (iblical history and evolutionary theories of +arwin and others indigenous African people in ,unt or Tantura !i.e. the area of the -reat *akes" recorded that the gods !.eteru" of the /irst Time !0ep Tepi" who are their ancestors originated at the source of the .ile 1iver called the Table of the moon !Tamera or 2umara" children of the moon !3ara". Thus the cradleland of humanity in the Area of the -reat *akes !,unt or Tantura" also came to be known as Afura !the root of the name Africa" or 4kara, 4langa or 4ranga. The name 4kara and its variations mean the land of the sun. The descendants of the gods !.eteru" of the /irst Time !0ep Tepi" therefore came to be known as the people of the sun. The idea is contained in the name Afuraka !-reek Africa" and (akara !nga". However, the scribe of the gods khem or Thau THau5Harama !-reek Thoth5Hermes" recoded in his book of the +ivine *ight !,ert em Heru", popularly known as the #gyptian (ook of the +ead, that the African, #uropean and Asiatic human families originated at the source of the .ile !Tamera" in the Area of the -reat *akes !,unt or Tantura". The name Tantura !-reek Taneter i.e. land of the gods" is a variant of Atalantu !-reek Atlantis or #telentys" modern writers, influenced by ,lato, wrongly located Atlantis in the Atlantic 6cean.

The Human Diaspora

The African sage and prophet, 2hem or Thoth5Hermes foresaw the over flooding of the .ile 1iver and evacuated #uropeans to #urope, Asiatic to Asia and Africans to 2hem or Ta Shema !i.e. north east Africa" where the gods of the /irst Time settled among them. These gods taught Africans the arts, sciences and philosophy which were used to build pyramids, temples, 2

lighthouses and obelisks. Hence, there is no doubt that human civilisation originated in north east Africa. The authors of this civilisation were named 2hemites or Hamites after the African sage 2hem or Ham, son of the creator god !,tah", popularly known as the master Architect of the universe. The two ancient African empires of #thiopia !Atpu" and #gypt !Hakaptah" were named after ,tah.

The Celestial Origins of Humanity and Time

Ancient Africans taught that the /irst )ause that we call god is unknown and unknowable and that the material world was created by the word or sound !2hem or Ham" of the /irst )ause also known as Shambe or 0ambe. This word manifested itself as the spiritual mother !3ara or 3ari" and child !2ara" also known as Hathara. This spiritual child manifested itself as the spiritual father, mother and child in one. This trinity is symbolised by the three stars of the 6rion belt while the -reat mother !Hathara" is symbolised by the 3ilky 7ay or centre of the gala8y. The stars Sirius A !Saba" and ( !Hara" symbolise the cosmic mother and the child respectively. The spiritual sun !Hara or 2ara" is the solar !1a" principle from which the universe, time and humanity emanated.

The Structure of the Universe

The solar !1a" principle pro ected itself to the north and south and to the four cardinal points of the universe and manifested itself as the solar emblem which represent the solar !p or 1a" principle and its four !9" children of *ight called the 2heru !Hebrew )herubim and Islamic Alkaribuyan". These four beasts !the cherubim or Alkaribuyan" before the throne of god !, or 1a" are common to all ma or religions, including Hinduism and )hristianity. It can therefore be concluded that the three human families, Africans, #uropeans and Asiatics are not only children of the sun but also believed in the god of *ight and its four children of *ight symbolised by the solar emblem. The god of *ight and its four children generated the life5force called the Akhet !IHls", IA6 or :AH !i.e. the Alpha and 6mega" which is symbolized by the horizontal line in the solar monogram. The combination of the two signs is represented by the solar wheel;

or

This solar wheel is called 1a Harakhte !9pakhte" or IA6 !or :AH" Abakara. The god of the early Africans )hristians of Ale8andria, #gypt, was also called 9pakhte !-reek 9poctos", later known as 9pichtys or chrichtys !now chrestos".

The )hrist !9pakhte" idea originally referred to the spiritual god of the African mysteries, not a human being. It, in fact, referred to a wheel of *ight which generated the structure of the universe consisting of; The solar !, or 1a" principle The four 1udders of Heaven or )ardinal points The seven ,leiades or )ircumpolar stars !menrah" which correspond to the seven outer planets !kabiri" The twenty5four divisions of heaven which correspond to the twelve hours of the day and the twelve hours of the night These structures of the universe were originally contained in the #thiopian (ook of the mysteries of Isis and 6siris which was reworked by the #ssenes or .azarenes, forbearers of :oshua !-reek :esus" and renamed the (ook of #noch. This book was later reworked by #mperor :ustinian and renamed the (ook of 1evelation of the .ew Testament. The :udeo5)hristian and Islamic religions share this structure of the universe with African religion and Hinduism. It can be said therefore that there e8ist a fundamental cosmic unity of all ma or religions in South Africa.

The Celestial Origins of Time and Seasons of the ear

The twelve divisions of heaven that we all call the zodiac are each divided into <' degrees or groups of stars which are used for the computation of time. /or the purpose of this article we shall deal with the -reat year and the *unar year.

The !reat ear

The sun takes =&,>=' years to complete one revolution through the $= signs of the zodiac. This period is calculated as follows. It takes the sun %= years to traverse $ of the <' degrees which make out one sign of the zodiac. Thus, it takes the sun =$?' !<' 8 %=" years to traverse one sign of the zodiac and =&,>=' !=$?' 8$=" to traverse $= signs of the zodiac. This period is called the great year. It is wrong for us to talk in terms of (efore )hrist !(.)" and Anno +omino or After )hrist !A.+". The computation of the time has nothing to do with the birth of :esus the .azarene. The computation of time starts with the entry of the sun in the zodiacal sign of Aries and its =$?' years so ourn in this sign. This period is called the Aryan Age !now ()" which was followed by the ,iscean Age when the sun dwelt in the zodiacal sign ,isces for =$?' years. This period is called A.+. The Aryan and ,iscean Ages were symbolised by the solar and ,iscean emblems which combine to form the divine name 9pichtys or chrischtys which refers to two consecutive solar Ages, not the period before and after the birth of :esus. 7e have now entered the 2anubian or A@uarian Age which is dominated by the female principle !2anuba" one of the four Holy (easts before the throne of 4

god. These beasts are messengers of the god of *ight !, or 1a". This means for the ne8t =$?' years the universe will be dominated by the female or matriarchal principle which will usher the reign of peace and development. The =$?' years of strife and wars which were dominated by the male or patriarchal principle are coming to a close.

The "unar ear

The zodiac is divided into $= signs. #ach sign has three groups of ten stars called the decan. Thus each sign consists of <' decan. #ach deacan represents a ten5day week. The moon takes <' days to traverse one sign of the zodiac and <?' !<' 8 $=" days to traverse all $= signs of the zodiac. 6n the remaining five successive days the 4nion !3ara" of the moon !ma" and the sun !1a" reproduces the five elements !ether, water, fire, earth and air" which make out the totality of being. These five elements are conceived as five gods born of 3ara !the Aueen of Heaven and earth" on the last five days of the year known as the :ubilee or )hristmas. These five gods !6siris, Horus5ur, set, Isis, and .ephtys" are the Ancestors of humanity also known as the priory of Sion !i.e. the /irst born children of the city of the sun". The mystery of these gods is embodied in the )ube !2aBaba" or Ancient ,illar !0ind 5ka5/ura i.e. the root or trunk of the sacred fire" which are the material manifestation of the solar principle known as the (emben !or philosopherBs" stone, popularly known as the Ark of the )ovenant.

The "adder of Heaven

The god of *ight !, or 1a" and its four children !cherubim or Alkaribuyan" are ine8tricably linked to humanity through the seven ,leiades or circumpolar stars and seven outer planets which make out the fourteen rungs of the ladder of Heaven or chain of (eing which were also used to compute *unar months. The god of light and its four children symbolised by the solar emblem represents the godhead which was symbolically cut into fourteen pieces which correspond to the fourteen days of the wa8ing moon. These $C days also represent % primary messengers !archangels" and % secondary messengers !angels" who are intermediaries between the god of *ight and humanity. +uring the $C days of the wa8ing moon the $C messenger gods descend into the sub5lunary world to bring solar energies to nourish the world. Thereafter they ascend to the heavens during the $C days of the waning moon and complete their revolution in =D *unar days. +uring the two dark days of the moon the moon !maEmaia" and the sun !1a" unite to reproduce the fourteen gods again. Thus the 4nion !3araE3aria" of these two celestial bodies is venerated as the Aueen of Heaven and #arth. The two dark days of the moon are added to the =D days to produce *unar month of <' days. Thus the *unar days and months link humanity, the god of *ight and its four children directly. Hence, ancient Africans regarded every honour or day as a gift of the gods. The hierarchy of all religions consists of; 5

The god of *ight !, or 1a" and its four children !the cherubim or Al karibuyan" The fourteen Angels !i.e. messenger gods" The Ancestors !or saints". The Ancestors !or saints" and the fourteen angels are intermediaries between god and humanity.

African Spirituality and Seasons of the ear

1eligious festivals are celebrations of the three seasons of the *unar year, the two e@uino8es and two solstices which correspond to the four cardinal points and four children of the god of *ight. The three seasons of the year are shema, Akhet, and /aro.

The Shema Season #$ay to August%

3ay $ is the appearance of the cosmic mother !ma or 3aia" of the word !khem or shema" of the /irst )ause which is born on 3ay =& when the star 2anuba !-reek caopus" rises before dawn. In :une !=$5=&" the sacred fire issues from the Holy word !khemEshema" and generates the waters of origin which inundates the celestial 1iver symbolised by the 3ilky 7ay. In :uly the star Sirius !Saba" rises before dawn, signalling the birth of the *ight child !Hahu or Ihy" which gave birth to the ten gods !neteru" of the first Time !0ep Tepi" during August. The birth of these gods was celebrated by candle *ights during August.

The A&het Season #Septem'er to Decem'er%

September, the first month of the Akhet season, is called the heritage month. The =<E=C September is also the African .ew year. This month is called the ,rince of *ight because the (ull !i.e. god of *ight" and seven cows !symbolised by seven ,leiades stars" appear in the heavens to announce the .ew Fear and beginning of summer or ploughing time. In .ovember nature is reborn and the plant, animal and mineral kingdoms flourish to pave the way for the birth of the five human ancestors during the :ubilee !=$5=& +ecember" period. These gods or ancestors are regarded as the first rebuts born of the union !maraEmaria' of the moon and the sun. Thus during +ecember and :anuary African people held first fronts celebrations

The faro Season #(anuary to April%

+uring the /aro period the produce of the earth ripens and are harvested and en oyed. Thus the /aro period is the harvest period. This harvest is symbolised by the entry of the sun !/aro or 2ara" into the Aryan sign of the 0odiac. 7hen the sun is in this sign it is called the *amb of -od that is sacrificed to feed humanity. Hence, the original #aster was nothing more or less than the harvest celebrations.

Conclusions
The =$st century that we call the African century is more specifically a matriarchal century. The peaceful female energies within the universe will become dominant and ma or changes will take place during these century. The greatest change will be the decline of religiosity and rise of spirituality. /uture generations will realise that many religious and racial wars were !and still are" caused by ignorance of humanity about the unity of being the spiritual origins of all human beings regardless of colour and race and the common cosmic origins of all belief systems and, in particular, the fact that al forms of worship relates to celestial bodies and the spiritual sun or solar principle. This solar theology and religion was known as karaism or sabaism and its prophet was called lord 2hem or Ham, popularly known as ThauThau5Harama !-reek Thoth5Hermes" and his literature is known as the corpus Hemeticum. These Hermitic literatures have been rediscovered and is being circulated the world5over to provide true enlightenment of the African century. These literatures will e8pand human consciousness by decolonising and developing the human mind and, in particular, liberate it from the prisons of dogma dominating the world today.