Back to: Kemetic Timekeeping: Weeks, Months, and the Solar Year

This class explores the ancient Kemetic (Egyptian) understanding of time as cyclical, particularly in relation to their environment. It details their three seasons, directly linked to the Nile River’s flooding, which was essential for their agriculture and survival. Baba Metu explains their solar calendar, consisting of 12 months of 30 days each, further divided into three “weeks” of ten days, each with names reflecting the beginning, middle, and end, represented by parts of the human body. Baba Metu also touches on the lunar cycle and the eventual addition of five days to their 360-day year, highlighting their sophisticated observation of celestial and terrestrial rhythms and contrasting their system with later calendars and the origins of some modern time-related terminology.