the Sirius link

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I really like the winter night sky, its stars and constellations.
Sirius is the brightest object in our sky that does not come from our solar system. (First the Sun, then the Moon, then Venus, then Jupiter)
The Egyptian name of Sirius, the Dog Star, or main star of Canis Major, was KLB. (Vowels were not noted at the time like the are today.) KLB was Egyptian for dog. At the time, the appearance of Sirius in the sky was the way that the Egyptians knew that the Nile was going to flood. This was the way those living along the river survived, the Nile flood essentially making the land fertile. Obviously this was an important marker to the Egyptians. They used an important name that would recall a few things to them. KLB was a play on words because it also meant, and was probably said like, Kolob. It was as if it were a reminder to them, the star's appearance meant temporal life. Thus it was a symbol of eternal life.

Even though later this meaning and idea was lost, the initial reason why KLB was used is linked to the facsimiles in Abraham and the time he spent hanging out with the Egyptians and teaching them. That topic will be for another post. And it is darn cool.


As a side note, the Nile no longer floods. Crazy, I know. But it's not like it wasn't to be expected.


And for an etymological side note in Semitic: Qalb in Arabic means heart or home of God. In Hebrew, Qereb (Qarab) means center or nearest part (to the soul), etc.