Cosmic Egg Creation
Cosmic Egg Creation in Rock Art, Negev Desert.
Rock Art and its meaning israelrockart.com.
The intricate designs found in rock art not only captured ancient myths but also documented the mysterious act of creation. Although many ancient texts contain detailed accounts of the beginning, prehistoric artistic expressions are quite rare. In the region of Egypt, in Hermopolis a provincial capital in the Old Kingdom 2500BC, and Canaan, a myth circulated that creation spontaneously occurred from a Cosmic Egg.
Cosmic Egg Creation is an ancient concept that has been present in various cultures across the world, including Hindu, Chinese, and Greek mythology. This creation myth explains the birth of the universe from an egg. The Cosmic Egg is often depicted as an oval-shaped object that represents the universe in its embryonic state. By ancient logic, it is considered to be the Bubble of Creation since it contains everything that is necessary to create a new life.
Now, we can visualize this creation event in the form of rock art engravings that date back to prebiblical times. These engravings serve as a reminder of the ancient beliefs and legends that once existed, and they offer insight into the way people viewed the world and the creation of life.
Creation Myth Symbols
Creation stories from different cultures share similar elements, likely due to diffusion from one culture to another. They all explain that creation emerged from chaos and was transformed into order by the godly powers that intervened to form life. Creation is described as a fusion of the essential elements of life, consisting of wind (air), earth, and water. Before creation, darkness and chaos ruled the world. After the intervention of godly forces, light and order emerged, initiating creation.
The Bible describes the conditions before creation: (Genesis 1-2):” darkness was over the deep, and the God Wind was hovering over the face of waters“. Darkness means the lower world and wind belongs to the upper world. In this passage, creation occurs when the upper and lower forces, or gods, intertwine. A similar idea appears in Sumer’s epic story: (Enuma Elish) “When in the height heaven was not named, And the earth beneath did not yet bear a name, And the primeval Apsu, who begat them, And chaos, Tiamat, the mother of them both,- Their waters were mingled together...”. A Canaanite creation version echoes the same idea: “First was the upper air and lower air, these two were the first and from them, God World (Olamos) was created, he was the limit of reason”.
Creation Rock Art deciphering
There are a number of creation myths recorded in text, but early visual scenes are rare. Fig.1 shows an example of rock art from the Negev Desert depicting a creation scene. Brilliantly staged, the act encompasses the fusion of all elements of creation, air, water, and earth, in a harmonious dance. Despite the fact that the illustrated myth symbols stand separately, the viewer perceives the scene as a single, cohesive whole. This image clearly shows how the artist envisioned the fusion of the Godly Wind, the Earth, and the Water.
The symbols descriptions in this rock art, from left to right: The time wheel (the closed swastika) derived from the star’s rotation around the North Star creates the godly wind. In the center, the Ibex (see Ibex and Rock Art) represents fertility or the earth god, holding primordial water in his hollow belly, shaped like a container. On the right side of the Ibex, a man, and woman are depicted floating in the air, with the woman giving birth to the cosmic egg.
The image before us is a captivating depiction of the creation with intricate details that paint a picture of this awe-inspiring event.
Starting from the left side of the image, we witness the beginning of the creation action. Here, the wheel of time is shown rotating, generating a powerful wind that is clearly of divine origin. Continuing to the right, we see the body of an ibex, representing earth, that is shaped like a water container. The ibex holds the water that flows through its horns, providing a stunning visual representation of the natural elements mixing together that symbolizes the first act of creation.
The water merges with the godly wind, as indicated by the engraved rain of dots above the ibex. This merging of elements creates a man who stands tall and proud, infused with the same divine energy as the wind and water. The symbols of a male and female, evoke the Biblical tale of Adam and Eve. Eve is created from Adam’s rib, evident from the woman’s image, as she points toward an extrusion on the man’s ribs.
Together, man and woman stand as the very embodiment of creation, bursting with energy and life force. And it is from this divine union that the primordial cosmic egg is born, the source of all creation.
The scene is dynamic and charged with energy, with all figures appearing to recognize the significance of the moment and their role in this festive celebration of creation.
Conclusion
The closed swastika symbolizes wind force and is often viewed as a fertility symbol or a perpetual symbol of life. As such, it has been used in Asia for many thousands of years. In Sanskrit language, it translates to “Well Being”. For the Phoenicians, it symbolized the Sun. Likewise, it represents the force of life in this rock art.
An interpretation of the creation myth presented here combines two regional myths that illustrate the various forces involved in creation. Based on the swastika and the egg, it appears that this rock art is older than the biblical story. Awe is evoked by the harmonious layout and the precise engraving used in this rock art to convey the beauty of creation.
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