What ancient Egypt says about balance and Ma'at

Egyptians had one word doing the work our word balance does: Ma'at. It covered truth, justice and the order of the world at once, which is why a false set of scales and a lie in court were the same kind of offence. Below are nine concepts from the Egyptian collection that bear on balance, in the order they build. Each links to its own page, where the fuller reading and the source sit.

The Principle of Ma'at

Ma'at is the name Egypt gave to truth, justice and the order of things, treated as one thing rather than three. To live in balance was to keep to it, in small matters as much as large.

Teachings of Ptahhotep, c. 2400 BCE

Balance of the Two Lands

Upper and Lower Egypt were held as two halves of one country. The point is that harmony came from holding opposites together, not from getting rid of one of them.

Shabaka Stone, c. 710 BCE

The Four Pillars of Heaven

The sky was pictured resting on four pillars at the cardinal points. Stability, in this image, needs support from every side rather than from one strong corner.

Pyramid Texts, Utterance 484

The Eye of Horus (Wadjet)

The eye was torn and then made whole again, and its parts were used as fractions. What it carries is the idea that wholeness can be restored after damage, piece by piece.

Book of the Dead, Chapter 17

The Djed Pillar of Stability

The djed was read as the backbone of Osiris and raised in ceremony as a sign of things standing firm. It places balance in an inner column rather than in circumstances.

Raising of the Djed Ceremony, Temple of Abydos

Controlling Desire

Ptahhotep's advice is that appetite left alone becomes the thing that runs you. Moderation here is practical rather than pious: it keeps a person from losing what they already have.

Instructions of Ptahhotep, Maxim 19

Control of Anger

Anger is not forbidden, but acting from it is treated as a failure of strength. The measured response is the strong one.

Instructions of Amenemope, Chapter 9

Contentment and Non-Covetousness

Wanting what belongs to someone else is named as the root of a good deal of harm. Being satisfied with your own portion is presented as a social good as well as a private one.

Negative Confessions, Book of the Dead

Just Weights and Measures

The declaration before Osiris includes not tampering with the balance or the measuring cord. Cosmic order and an honest market stall were held to be the same question.

Negative Confessions, Book of the Dead

What stands out is how ordinary the Egyptian version of balance is. It is weights, tempers, portions and pillars, not a state of mind to be reached. The scales in the judgment hall are the same scales used in the market, which is probably the point.