Analysis Of The Film 'Letter To The Pharaoh'

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This film was created based on a 2000-year-old letter written to the Pharaoh in 164 BC. It tells the story of two twin girls, Tages and Taous from the ancient Egyptian capitol city of Memphis, who were wrongfully detached from a wealthy family and left to fend for themselves on the streets. A short chain of events led the two girls to find themselves serving as priestesses of the Apis Bull in Sakkara, a temple town located just outside the capitol. It was there, in Sakkara, that the twins wrote the letter to the Pharaoh. Though the Pharaoh never responded to the letter, its discovery provided a small glimpse into both the culture and economy that existed in the ancient city. Tagus and Taous were the daughters of a wealthy businessman named …show more content…

Males would frequently visit “sacred prostitutes” where they would exchange coin for sex because they believed that it correlated to “communion” with the gods. Not all sex was associated with religious concepts, though. The film stated that there were numerous prostitutes within Sakkara, most of them were women who were “down on their luck.” This implies that if an individual did not have any coin, and in turn was unable to sustain their life, they were forced into a life of prostitution as a last resort to make a living. Similarly, just as not all sex was correlated with religion, not all religious beliefs were correlated with sex. For example, the death of the sacred and worshiped Apis Bull marked a large event that most people would see only “once in a lifetime.” As a start, the mummification of the bull’s body required oil, a hefty amount of salt (enough to cover its body every day for four days), and linens, all of which must have been purchased. Its death also presented a massive business opportunity for merchants in Sakkara; post-mummification, the bull’s body would be transported there for burial, and as a result, thousands of pilgrims would accompany it on its journey to its burial site, all the while doing business with the local

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