Decapitating Demons May Be the Oldest Fearsome Entities of Ancient Egypt

According to Discovery News, a researcher from Belgium has discovered the oldest depictions of demons in ancient Egypt, showing that demonic entities populated the ancient Egyptians’ imaginations as far back as 4,000 years ago. The fearsome entities of the past were believed to have gripped their victims and cut off their heads.

During the International Conference on Ancient Egyptian Demonology at Swansea University, U.K., the oldest depiction of ancient Egyptian demons was presented. Wael Sherbiny, a Belgium-based Egyptologist, and independent scholar who specializes in the religious texts of Ancient Egypt made the discovery.

During his research, he found two demons on two Middle Kingdom coffins that were about 4,000 years old. Another one was portrayed in a 4,000-year-old leather roll the researcher had previously discovered on the shelves of the Egyptian museum in Cairo. The roll was stored and forgotten for at least 70 years. The oldest and longest Egyptian leather manuscript had been untouched by other researchers for decades.