How many of you have said the word Amen at the end of a prayer?
Many of us will have uttered the word on countless occasions, without really giving it a second thought…….Amen is often cited as the best known word in human speech!
I have a vague recollection of a drab RE (Religious education) lesson, where it was explained that the word “Amen” means “so be it”.
So why don’t we say “so be it” at the end of a prayer? If someone has gone to the trouble to translate entire bible texts and associated prayers – why does this particular word remain in its original form?
“So be it” is a short phrase, easy to say, and everyone understands the meaning.

HISTORY OF THE WORD

According to the text books, the word Amen is of Hebrew origin, used in Jewish synagogues and then transferred to the Greeks, used in the Latin language and transferred to English.
Some claim that the word was originally derived from a Sanskrit word aum, meaning “to sound out loudly”
Jaha Issa, a scholar who has researched the book “The Origin of the Word Amen: Ancient Knowledge the Bible Has Never Told” after much research, presented a study which concluded that the root of the word was African, derived from a pre-dynastic Egyptian culture found in the Sudan.

THE BIBLE

Although the word Amen can be found in numerous references throughout the bible (amongst other religious texts), it is the following reference which I find interesting:-
(The King James version) Revelation 3:14

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;”

Jesus Christ calls Himself the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness…..how therefore, can the translation of Amen be “so be it” or in fact any phrase purely of assertion or approval?
This excerpt seems to imply that Amen is an identity or state of mind rather than an assertion.
This could make sense if you accept that perhaps, both the history and true meaning of “Amen” have been deliberately hidden to ensure the (covert) perpetuation of an ancient Egyptian (or perhaps an African civilisation preceding the Egyptians) – The Cult of Amen

THE CULT OF AMEN

Amen (or Amun) was an ancient Egyptian god (originally associated with the ancient city of Thebes) – the origin and detail of the initial origin of the God remains unknown – but the name Amen means “hidden one”, “the breath of life”…”creator of the human soul.”
 
Image source Image Source
Ra, the Egyptian sun god and Amen were assimilated together – Amen Ra became the focus of a complex theological system popular throughout the Egyptian kingdom for thousands of years.
Amen “Lord of truth, father of the Gods, maker of men, creator of all animals, Lord of things that are, creator of the staff of life.”

Amen Ra was the king of Gods, other Gods were simply manifestations of him. Temples and statues were erected in his honour…A God for the common man, he would defend those who were weak from those who were strong, and uphold justice for all.

The all encompassing worship of Amen-Ra was relatively unchallenged until Pharaoh Akenhaten came to power, he spent his life demanding the worship of the sun (the sun disc Aten) forsaking Amun-Ra. He defaced the statues, pulled down temples and took away the power of the priests of Amun.

Upon the death of Akenhaten, the priests revived Amun-Ra worship, even persuading Akenhaten’s son to change his name from Tutankhaten, meaning “the living image of Aten” to Tutankhamun “the living image of Amun”.

Pharoah image by scarab777 on Photobucket

“Who hears the prayer, who comes at the cry of the poor and distressed…Beware of him! Repeat him to son and daughter, to great and small; relate him to generations of generations who have not yet come into being; relate him to fishes in the deep, to birds in heaven; repeat him to him who does not know him and to him who knows him…Though it may be that the servant is normal in doing wrong, yet the Lord is normal in being merciful. The Lord of Thebes does not spend an entire day angry. As for his anger – in the completion of a moment there is no remnant..As thy ka endures! thou wilt be merciful!”

Ka referenced in the above passage, is the life-force, spirit or soul of a person – that which makes us unique (often represented in Egyptian hieroglyphics as a double image – two people representing the physical and spiritual forms)

Greek mythology incorporated the God Amen within the identity of Zeus or Jupiter.

Is it a coincidence, or are we inadvertently worshipping, acknowledging and uttering our spiritual promises to an ancient, mysterious God?

MASONIC RITUAL

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In Masonic Ritual prayers are spoken during ceremony and ritual but the word Amen is not used at the end of prayers, they opt for the phrase “so mote it be”.

The Masons are not a religious organisation (although some Masonic sub-chapters are religious), despite all members having to state a belief in a God prior to initiation.

I find it interesting that a conscious decision has been made to exclude the word Amen from masonry, for reasons unknown…..what do they know that the rest of us don’t?

Conclusion

The Egyptian connection could be a pure co-incidence, however much research has been carried out which suggests that many modern religions or belief systems have their roots in ancient sun worship…..could this one word be the connection between modern and ancient spirituality? If so…. is the linguistic connection accidental, or by design? If by design, why, for what purpose? And more interestingly, does it perpetuate a spiritual truth or a monumental deception?
Words can be powerful, resonant, I for one am not comfortable uttering words that I do not fully understand, particularly when there is any hint of deception.