Egyptian Palm Branch
Ancient Egyptian royal scribes would etch a notch in a palm branch (usually with a scribe's pen) to signify the passing of a year in the life and reign of a pharaoh; the branch was also used to measure the passing of time, record the number of goods and captives brought back after a pharaoh's military campaigns. Seshat, the Goddess of writing and measurement, mathematics, architecture, and record-keeping, shared many of these duties with Thoth. The palm branch was shaped into the form of a scepter or staff from the central rib of the date palm tree. The base of the branch often bore the tadpole hieroglyph which represented "100,000" and the shen ring hieroglyph which represented "eternity or infinity". Days were represented by the lotus hieroglyph, months by the moon hieroglyph, and years by the entire palm branch.
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Kheti Metaphysical Institute
