CONCERNING THE LADDER OF OSIRIS
One of the ealiest mentionings of the sacred passage or ladder to heaven
is recorded on the wall of the Pharaoh Pepi I's pyramid located at South Saqqara. Pepi I ruled Egypt as the third king
of the 6th dynasty (c. 2325-c.2150 BC) his pyramid texts record the following:
"Hail to thee, O Ladder of God, hail to thee. O Ladder of
Set. Stand up, O Ladder of God, stand up O Ladder of Set, stand up, O Ladder of Horus, whereon Osiris
went forth into heaven...".
Pyramid of Pepi I (South Saqqara)
The mentioning of the "ladder"
recalls the old legend according to which the god Osiris was
obliged to make use of a ladder whereon
to mount from this earth to the iron platform of the sky. The ladder was set up by Horus and Set, who stood one
on each side of it, and, as Osiris
lacked the strength necessary for mounting it, each of these gods
placed two of his fingers under one of his shoulders, and gave him the impetus which took him up the ladder
into heaven. (The Egyptian Sûdân: Its History and Monuments Published 1907 By Ernest Alfred Wallis
Budge, K. Paul, Trench, Trübner& Co., Ltd. [p. 527]).
The Famed Pyramid Texts also record the following:
"O you four gods who stand at the supports of the sky,
my
father Osiris the King has not died in death,
for my father Osiris the King possesses a spirit in the Horizon"
- (Pyramid Texts) PT 556.
"May a stairway to the Netherworld be set up for you to the
place where Orion is, may the Bull of the Sky take your hand..."
- (Pyramid Texts) PT - 610
These religious recording are the origin of the Hebrew Jacob's
Ladder.
