Abundance and Rebirth
Life in the Nile Valley was punctuated by the fairly predictable rhythm of the annual flood between July and October, which was caused by heavy monsoon rains far south in Ethiopia. When the waters receded, depositing rich soils on the fields, planting and harvesting followed. The Egyptians believed the Nile inundation was a gift of the gods, and its regular appearance strengthened their confidence in a divinely regulated cycle of death and life.
 Menna and his family fishing and fowling The Nile marshes growing out of the fertile mud of the river symbolized rejuvenation and eternal life. At the center of this scene the papyrus clump symbolizes these concepts. Menna's wife holds fragrant blue lotus blossoms which open their petals every morning toward the rising sun, thus signifying the hope of rebirth. |
Papyrus and lotus (lilies) plants shown together were symbols of
Upper and Lower Egypt.
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From the earliest times, the sedge plant and the bee were also symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt.
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