How the ancient Egyptians divided water

An ancient document called the Westcar Papyrus illuminates how the ancient Egyptians believed they could divide water in lakes and the Nile River.

Westcar Papyrus|The Westcar Papyrus (also known as "Three Tales of Wonder from the Court of King Khufu") is composed of twelve rolls of papyrus written during the Hyksos period. It recounts stories which are thought to date to the Middle Kingdom. It includes four stories told to the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Khufu by his sons. The final story recounts the birth of the first three kings of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt (Userkaf, Sahure, and Neferirkare Kakai).

The Westcar Papyrus, as translated into English, illuminates the ancient Egyptians' perceptions and thoughts on how water was divided. The Story of the Turquoise Pendant from the Papyrus best describes this phenomena:

"Then the chief lector priest Djadjaemankh spoke a spell and put one side of the water of the lake on top of the other and found the fish pendant lying on a shard. He fetched it and gave it to its owner. Now the water was twelve cubits in the middle and it ended up being twenty-four cubits after being folded up. Then he spoke a spell and the parts of the water of the lake returned to their positions."

Essentially, according to the Westcar Papyrus, the ancient Egyptians believed their priests could divide water through a majestic spell which would render one side of the water of the lake on top of the other. This contrasts with the common conception of Moses splitting the sea in two.

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