Mark's Great Adventure: French Revolution Edition | The Secret of the Egyptian Expedition

In April, a carpet of cherry blossom petals stretches out beyond the school gate. The gentle spring sunlight illuminates the university campus. Such calm light envelops the classroom beyond the window. In the classroom, the first lecture by Professor Mark was taking place.

"Let me say this first. In my class, I don't mind if you sleep, play games, or work on reports for other classes."

A murmur of surprise rose from the students at Professor Mark's statement.

"The reason is that I was like that myself when I was a student, so I have no right to preach to you. Whether you sleep in my class or do whatever else, I will never get angry. You should enjoy this moratorium to the fullest. That is what being a student is all about. Just make sure you don't do the same in other professors' lectures. You'll either be kicked out of the classroom or fail the course. However, I promise that my class will be so engaging that you won't be able to focus on anything else. Ancient Egypt is that interesting."

Applause erupted from the students' seats at Mark's words. That was how his lecture began.

"I always have a conflict within myself. I am happy to learn new things, but when I look back on my past actions, I feel complicated. Research in ancient Egypt might be something to avoid in the sense that it disturbs the sleep of the dead. But just as Pandora could not resist opening the jar, it is difficult to control intellectual curiosity. Now, let's get started, please look at this slide. This is a photo of a tomb in Saqqara that was discovered by the research team I participated in when I was a student. It was an unopened tomb before we discovered it. And the discovery of this tomb became one of the most significant findings in ancient Egyptian research. Let's start with that story. This was back when I was 18, just like you..."

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1798, Paris, France...

"Mr. Mark, um, thank you so much. For someone like me."

Jacques-Joseph Champollion, having left Napoleon's study, expressed his gratitude to Mark and bowed deeply.

"I saw my former self in you. The figure of the old me who couldn't resist reality and was at a loss. I don't want you to become like me. Like the me who couldn't become anything. There is nothing happier than having something you are interested in and being able to devote yourself to it. Those who work hard, those who seek, must be rewarded. That is what I think."

"Mr. Mark, please make me your disciple!"

"A disciple? I'm not that kind of person. But I want you to make your dreams come true. So, I won't hesitate to lend a hand if there's anything I can do to help. I had someone who did that for me in the past, too. I couldn't live up to that person's expectations in the end, but even so, I wouldn't be who I am today without him."

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1798, Alexandria, Egypt...


Inside the temple, Mark was muttering as he read the characters carved into the wall.

"Offerings that the King gives to the gods. Osiris, the foremost of the Westerners, Lord of Abydos..."

"Can you read them, Mr. Mark? These characters?"

“Ah, I can read it. The secret to the beginning of the world is hidden here as well.”

“Wasn't ancient Egyptian script supposed to be undeciphered?”

“That's right.”

“Did you succeed in deciphering it, Mark!?”

“No, it wasn't me. I am nothing more than a database. I simply remember what is already known. I cannot come up with a single original idea. A database does not possess the high-level wisdom of creative thought. I merely know the information that those who came before have paved the way for. I truly get sick of myself for that, and it's frustrating. Why did God give me only curiosity and ambition, but not the talent to fulfill them? It feels like being kept alive just to suffer.”

“I see. But, um, if it wasn't you, Mark, then who deciphered it?”

“You will understand eventually. But it is still a little too early for you to know. Someone close to you holds that key. That is why you will certainly know it yourself one day. I apologize if I seem mean, but I cannot say it just yet.”

“Someone close to me? If it wasn't you, Mark, then who could it be? Well, I don't really understand, but I suppose that's just how adult matters go.”

“Something like that.”

“So, how much progress has been made in deciphering the ancient Egyptian language?”

“In terms of meaning, almost all of the ancient Egyptian language has been deciphered. Although, there are still many questions remaining regarding grammatical structures, such as some verbs in Middle Egyptian.”

“Middle Egyptian? Are there, um, stages to the ancient Egyptian language?”

“Ah, even though we call it ancient Egyptian, its history is long. Their history spans 5,000 years. It is only natural that the language would change, isn't it? It's the same as how French has differences between now and the past.”

“I see!”

“Written materials in ancient Egyptian can be broadly categorized into five types: historical records, religious texts, literary works, accounting reports, and diplomatic documents. However, they are particularly advanced in religious texts. It is evident that they had a unique worldview regarding the afterlife and were obsessed with resurrection after death.”

“Are the things inscribed on the murals related to that as well?”

“Yes, that's right. The murals inside tombs, texts on coffins, and papyrus scrolls are mostly descriptions of the resurrection of the dead.”

“Specifically, what kind of content is written there?”

“The Book of the Dead.”

“The Book of the Dead?”

The gods especially favor those who are honest and do not lie, and those who are humble. In the ancient Egyptian view of life and death, the hearts of the dead are weighed in a place called the Hall of Truth. They are placed on a scale alongside the feather of Maat, the goddess of truth; if they balance, they go to paradise, and if not, they fall into hell. To pass this test, people performed good deeds while they were alive. By instilling this view of life and death, they prevented moral hazard. For example, in the Book of the Dead, the 'Papyrus of Ani,' there is a passage where Anubis, the measurer of hearts, says to Ani, 'You are humble and likable. I shall accept you into paradise.' The Book of the Dead is a document describing the methods to ensure one is led to paradise, and its formal name is 'Peret Em Heru,' or the Book of Coming Forth by Day.

I'm sorry. It's too difficult for me to understand.

My apologies as well, for speaking in such a machine-gun-like manner.

Machine gun?

No, never mind.

*Machine guns do not yet exist in this era. They used guns called muskets, which took a long time to load, could not fire continuously, and had extremely poor accuracy.

Um, you mentioned 5,000 years of history and Middle Egyptian earlier, but how can you tell such transitions?

The materials used when researching ancient Egyptian history are based on a chronology written by the Egyptian priest Manetho in the 4th century BC. He organized the chronology by dividing the successive dynasties and assigning them numbers. Of course, it is not perfect, but the chronology he compiled is an important key to understanding ancient Egyptian history. Nowadays, it is customary to record dates using a calendar system, but at that time, a method of recording dates called regnal years was adopted. It was a way of counting from the year of a king's accession; when the king changed, the number returned to zero, and it was counted sequentially each time the year turned. This dating method is equivalent to the era names in my Japan. For you, it is the Revolutionary Calendar. Historical events in ancient Egypt are recorded using regnal years, but these are estimated and converted based on contemporary documents from other countries and astronomical phenomena. However, the number of remaining documents is small, and there are many unclear points in making all the dates clear. As for the history of ancient Egypt, events after the Late Period are known almost to the year, but for the eras before that, there are many parts that are not clear, and the current situation is that it does not go beyond the realm of speculation. Regarding the Ptolemaic period, if they are major events, it is known almost accurately to the year when they occurred.

It's difficult after all. I don't understand at all.

That is fine.

I have one last thing I want to ask. You said at the very beginning that the secret of the world's beginning is hidden, but how did the world begin?

A good question. Initially, the world was dark and wrapped in moisture. That is called the primordial ocean, Nun. Suddenly, light shone into this sea of darkness, and a pyramid appeared from the part that was illuminated like a spotlight. Then, a phoenix called the Bennu bird, which appeared from nowhere, landed on the top of the pyramid and let out a cry. It is written that the world was created one after another, starting with that cry.

The beginning of the world, it's somewhat mysterious, isn't it?

Yes, but I would like you to keep what I just told you a secret between just you and me for now.

I understand.

I tend to let things slip to people with curiosity like you. This is a real special service, but I will give you this note. You must not show this to anyone. It is best not to use it, but if you feel there is absolutely a need, then use it. I want you to think of this as Pandora's box.

Is this Ancient Egyptian and the language of your country, Mark? Is it what you call Kanji?

Yes, that's right. I wrote it in my country's language on purpose so it would be hard to understand. It's a kind of encryption.

I will keep it safe!

The Ancien Régime is over, and you are in a new era created by Napoleon. An era with infinite possibilities.

"Mr. Napoleon is everyone's hope."

* Jacques-Joseph Champollion was a Bonapartist. A Bonapartist refers to a supporter of Napoleon. At the time, many young people supported Napoleon, and Jacques-Joseph was one such young man who admired Napoleon, following the trend of the day.

"Ah, you all will carve out a new era with Napoleon. You can do anything."

"I still don't know anything about the academic side of ancient Egypt, but I love this Egyptian wind."

"Ah, yes, that's true. They felt this same wind 5,000 years ago, too. When you think about it that way, it's romantic."

"I'm really glad I could come."

"Yes. I'm happy I could come with you, too. It's almost time for lunch. Let's head back to where Napoleon and the others are."

"Yes!"


* Excavation surveys in Egypt are conducted from dawn until noon. Because the scorching heat of the afternoon is dangerous, after surveying until noon, the team takes a break and spends the afternoon conducting individual research activities indoors.

To Be Continued...

* This story is based in part on historical facts and research, but it is a work of fiction.

Shelk 🦋