In a remarkable discovery, Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier, an Egyptologist at the Sorbonne and the Catholic University of Paris, has revealed that a 3,000-year-old obelisk in Paris contains seven sets of crypto-hieroglyphs, hidden messages that were meant to be deciphered by only the most elite Egyptians. The obelisk, which stands 75 feet tall at Place de Concorde, was originally built during the reign of Ramses II and was gifted to France in 1836.
Olette-Pelletier’s fascination with the obelisk began years ago when he would stroll past it on his neighborhood walks. He noticed that some hieroglyphs indicated a direction, pointing towards the entrance of the Temple of Luxor. Intrigued, he began his own research and discovered that the pillar contained multiple pieces of code called crypto-hieroglyphs.
Crypto-hieroglyphs were first identified in the 1950s by Canon Étienne Drioton, who found that they featured puzzles and wordplay, such as changing the reading direction. Olette-Pelletier, one of the few Egyptologists capable of deciphering these cryptic messages, was able to confirm his suspicions when he ascended scaffolding during conservation work in 2021.
The researcher believes that the coded messages were meant to be read by passengers on approaching boats, with some intended for upper-class Egyptians arriving at the temple for an annual festival. One message likely proclaimed Ramses II as a god incarnate, confirming his divine status and unshakeable power.
Olette-Pelletier’s discovery highlights the complexity of ancient Egyptian communication and the sophistication of their writing system. His findings demonstrate that hieroglyphic cryptography still holds many secrets waiting to be uncovered, providing a new reading of pharaonic texts and opening up fresh avenues for Egyptological research.
The study detailing Olette-Pelletier’s findings is scheduled for publication in the journal ENiM and promises to shed new light on the cultural and historical significance of this ancient artifact.
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