Seth & the Sea From Seth, Disease and Healing J K Borghouts published a number of very old medi

al or healing spells and formulae! "hat is notable in them is the appearan e of the #gyptian god Seth in a healing role and indeed driving a$ay the %&h$ demon or disease entity! 'hese spells are (uite early perhaps $ithin the so) alled se ond intermediate period * +,--b e! 'his $as one of #gypt.s periodi bouts of instability) $hen strong or unified government of the $hole region $as la &ing and politi al po$er $as divided amongst a number of rival dynasties! /ne of these is famously referred to as the Hy&sos, meaning rulers of foreign ountries, ie implying that these rulers, mainly based in the eastern delta region, $ere non #gyptian or in luded non #gyptian elements! 0HK%$) H%%$t1! 2 mention this as for some it provides a ready e3planation for supposed non #gyptian elements in te3ts su h as those $e are about to dis uss! 'he spell begins $ith the typi al #gyptian mythologi al preamble, &no$n by #gyptologists as a Historiola! 'his serves as the e3planations of the god Seth.s parti ular effi a y against the %&h$ demons4 'he raging of Seth is against the 5a&hu)demon, the grudging of Ba.al is against you6 'he raging of the thunder storm * $hile it thirsts after the $ater in heaven, is against you 'hen he $ill ma&e an end of the violen e, 7having laid his arms on you! 'hen you $ill taste the things the Sea tasted through his hand! 'hen the 7lion8 $ill ma&e his approa h 7to you8, Baal $ill hit you $ith the pine)tree that is in his hand, He $ill treat you as a $ith the pine $ood spears that are in his hand6 0Borghouts +9:;4 +91

'he inter hanging of the name of Seth $ith <anaanite deity Ba.al pla e this te3t $ithin the Hy&sos realm for it $as e3a tly they $ho made Seth lord of their apital at %varis in the Delta, ombining his mythology $ith that of the Syrian storm god Hadad! %lthough things are far from simple given that Seth.s hara ter as a storm deity $as manifested long before +,--b ! For e3ample in =yramid te3t +>?+ a)b, Seth is referred to as @ord of the Storm! "hat is perhaps a more li&ely un)#gyptian elements is the line 'hen you $ill taste the things the Sea tasted though his hand! % similar sentiments e3pressed in several other of these spells, notable number ,?4 % <onAuration of the %siati Disease 0t)n!t %am!$1 $ith the line4 Seth onAured the Breat Breen 0sea1 i!e! 'he Cediterranean! Seth is usually onsidered an upper #gyptian god $ith no ult entres any$here near the Cediterranean! Borghouts thin&s this an only be an #gyptian version of <anaanite myth of the onfli t of 0Dam1 and Ba.al 0Seth1! But here H Boedi &e has another theory to e3plain the unusual onne tion of Seth $ith the Cediterranean! During the Hy&sos period Seth the mostly Epper #gyptian god a (uires a ult entre at %varis in the Delta! 'his is also the period of in reased seismi a tivity at 'hera, that $hi h eventually ulminated in the massive onflagration during the reign of Hatshepsut! Some say this is the origin of the Cyth of the #nd of %tlantis! 2t $as ertainly the end of the Cinoan 'hassalo ra y and ult! 2t aused a 'sunami that engulfed the delta but stopped at %varis, prote ted by the po$er of Seth! Hen e his ne$ epithet and po$er over Cediterranean! 'he dislo ation of this led to epidemi s, in luding Buboni =lague, $hi h he $as alled upon to repel, as more naturalisti measure $ere of no use! Hittites sour es sho$ that plague $as endemi during the time of %&henaten and the foundation of his ne$ ity may have been an attempt preserve the elite a$ay from entres of ontagion!