A Great Secret of the West: Transformative Aspects of Artificial Light in New Kingdom Egypt

The ancient Egyptian worldview was very much shaped by the natural land-scape. As Herodotus rightly pointed out, ancient Egyptian civilization (figures 1.2–1.3) was indeed the “gift of the Nile,” as the yearly inundation provided the nutrient-rich silt and the river provided the water necessary to sustain agricultural production. Daily life was also very much governed by the continuous cycle of day and night. As with all things in ancient Egypt, the concepts of duality, balance, and right order (ma’at) were central to the interplay of light and dark. The bright, life-giving rays of the sun allowed plants to flourish