What do the Egyptian pharaohs have in common with today’s autocratic rulers and with billionaire technology entrepreneurs, such as Elon Musk or mark zuckerberg, who we can consider the main exponents of the technocaste? You will find the answer in Faraons of Silicon Valley (Now Books), the essay on the nature of power that Irene Cordón has just published.
With a PhD in Archeology and Ancient History, a master’s degree in Egyptology and a degree in Law, Cordón demystifies the ancient pharaohs, after studying them for 25 years, and shows the enormous accumulation of power they had. Likewise, it also explains how they controlled the story, so that they were clear that “The truth doesn’t matter, it is not what it is, the truth is what people think it is.” An idea that is still fully valid 3,000 years later.
In the book’s prologue he writes about the pharaohs that “they were not gods, they were not heroes, nor special, nor better, they were men with an unbridled ego.They were, simply, humans with power. And power-then as now-always has a price.” What exactly were they?-dark [&_a]:decoration-1 [&_a:hover]:underline [&_a:hover]:text-link-hover [&_a:hover]:decoration-2 [&_b_a]:text-link-normal dark:[&_b_a]:text-link-dark [&_b_a]:decoration-1 [&_b_a:hover]:underline [&_b_a:hover]:text-link-hover desktop:leading-relaxed” data-original-text-size=”text-xl”>You have been studying ancient Egypt for many years, why was it necessary to demystify the pharaohs?
In the end the book is a personal opinion and what I wanted was to invite a moral, philosophical, socio-political reflection… I give my opinion, but I don’t come from nowhere, my speech is based on 25 years of profession. I started out fascinated by the pharaohs. I love ancient history, but suddenly you go into studying pharaonic history and say “holy shit, but who are these?” I had studied the emperors, the Greek people, Mesopotamia… but when I arrived in Egypt I said that it was brutal,because it was very different from our culture,and I was quiet fascinated.
But as you get to know them more, I already say that they don’t fool me, as they are still men of flesh and blood like us, with an unbridled ego. I give many conferences and classes, and I realize that the questions that the general public asks me are always the same and are directed towards that excessive admiration for the pharaohs, as if they were still gods. So I said enough, we have to break with that once and for all, because we are going in the wrong direction.
We must dismantle the story about the pharaohs that Hollywood has made
We must dismantle the story that Hollywood has created, and even the one that they themselves constructed. Because we are here to make history. And history, which is necessary to study to understand the present and the future, tells me that those guys were not gods. And, thus, I can admire them, but not idolize them. They are two totally different things.Admiration involves recognizing the capabilities that a person has, even in leadership. Idolizing means that you do not question that person. I question them, I can admire a person and criticize them. And that’s what I want to do, even with those great Ramses or Khufu.
Even though they were a symbol, they were still a figure that concentrated all power: legislative, executive, judicial, religious and military.This is very hazardous.
That is the real fear. We get that image from Hollywood that shows us the pharaoh as a savior. These powerful figures, call them pharaohs of then or now, are always presented to us as the heroes of the film, as innovative people, like such as Elon Musk, as if he were a savior. But when you analyze it you have to remember that the most dangerous thing in the world is for one person to concentrate all the executive, legislative, judicial, religious and military power. A counterpower is necessary, and for a reason today we have the division of powers. The most dangerous thing in the world is that,but,on the other hand,and not only for ancient Egypt,people always want to remember or think that those ancient figures,Alexander the Great,the pharaohs,were the good ones who wanted to save the people. If they didn’t give a shit about the town, they didn’t care at all. What we have to do is this: every time you see a person who has so much power, remember that not so long ago we also had a dictatorship here, and that we are still paying the consequences.
Counterpowers are essential, and ancient Egypt fortunately possessed one in its priesthood. Often portrayed through cinema and historical novels as a greedy, power-hungry institution, this depiction isn’t entirely accurate. I am grateful the priesthood existed in ancient Egypt. Notably, the clergy comprised both men and women – a progressive aspect compared to modern times. This counterpower was vital, effectively curbing the potential for abuse inherent in such an absolute concentration of power in a single individual, as exemplified by rulers like Akhenaten.
A priesthood was necessary to occasionally restrain the pharaoh. This doesn’t negate the fact that they, too, sought land, donations, and influence.However,we shouldn’t automatically view this as inherently negative,especially when considering the alternative of unchecked power residing in one person.
I believe this priesthood, composed of intelligent and educated individuals, understood the character of their leader. Recognizing a perhaps weak personality, they actively assisted in governance. this counterpower was a positive force, and I am thankful for its existence. It preserved 3,000 years of history that might have otherwise been cut short.
Despite the overwhelmingly patriarchal power structure surrounding the pharaoh, with a 100% male dominance, there is documented evidence of five female…
The Roots of “Othering”: Ancient Egypt and Modern Parallels
The narrative surrounding ancient Egypt frequently enough touches upon a strong sense of identity and exclusion, leading some to label the civilization as xenophobic.However,framing it as simply “xenophobic” overlooks a more nuanced reality.While instances of discrimination certainly existed, it’s crucial to recognize that the tendency to differentiate between “us” and “them” is a deeply ingrained human trait. We see it manifested today in discrimination based on skin color,gender,and,historically,territoriality. The creation of an “enemy” – someone fundamentally different – frequently enough fuels desires for power.
Recent discoveries,particularly regarding the pharaoh Seqenenre-Taa II,illuminate a period resembling a civil war within Egypt,a conflict between the north and south. Seqenenre-Taa II, with his distinctly Egyptian lineage, strategically employed a potent tool: nationalist rhetoric. He fostered a sense of Egyptian pride and even superiority, positioning the Hyksos, who controlled the north, as outsiders despite their long-term integration into Egyptian society.
The Hyksos, having resided in Egypt for over 400 years, were thoroughly Egyptianized – they spoke the language, worshipped the gods, and used hieroglyphic writing. Yet, a key difference, potentially skin color (Seqenenre-Taa II is believed to have been Black), was leveraged to reinforce a divisive narrative. This echoes contemporary patterns of defining “otherness” and highlights how easily ingrained populations can be targeted through appeals to national identity and perceived differences.
Forget all those things they brought,just create that hate speech. I say it in the book: you can say something that you don’t like,it is legal,it will be socially acceptable or not,but you cannot cross the lines,because one thing is to give an opinion and another is to create hate speech; that’s what’s dangerous. When I hear Trump say that they are eating dogs in the street, that they are taking away our jobs, the construction of the wall, you say: damn, nothing has changed, he is creating the enemy, and they believe it.
In addition to that narrative of fear, you draw other similarities between Trump and the ancient pharaohs and connect him to Ramses II, who ruled for almost 70 years. What other traits does it have in common with the pharaohs?
I would relate Trump a lot to Seqenenre-Taa II, with that discourse of creating an enemy, which he has focused above all on Latin Americans. Ramesses II is a piece, and since he ruled for so many years, I think you could compare him with anyone, but with a Putin he is sung. Because there are wars and neither of them can come back saying “I am the absolute winner.” but they will always have to say that they have won something. And Trump came out a few days ago, with the book already published, saying that he has won three wars. What war are you talking about? Of course, it won’t work for me and neither will you, but at 70 million [que lo han votado]Yeah. well this is the same.
The importance of the story,right?
The Dangers of Singular Truths: From Ancient Pharaohs to Modern Tech Giants
Yuval Noah Harari’s work explores a recurring theme throughout history: the dangers of singular truths and the individuals who impose them. This isn’t limited to ancient history, but extends to the present day, manifesting in the power wielded by figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
Harari highlights Akhenaten, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, as an early exmaple of a leader who sought to control everything through a single, imposed truth – the first documented form of monotheism. This wasn’t about faith,Harari argues,but about consolidating power and establishing absolute control. This pattern, he suggests, resonates with the dynamics of modern monotheistic religions.
The author expresses a deep discomfort with monotheistic systems, characterizing them as exclusive, intolerant, and overly prescriptive.They dictate how individuals should live based on a deity unseen and unproven. This aversion leads to a preference for polytheism, embracing the richness of “otherness” and rejecting the imposition of a single belief system.
This concern extends to the modern “techno-caste” – individuals like zuckerberg and Musk – who, despite operating in a vastly different context, wield a similar power to shape narratives and control details. The author admits to being “illiterate” in the language of technology, yet recognizes the potential for these figures to impose their own versions of “truth” and control through their platforms. The fear, ultimately, is not of technology itself, but of the individuals who control it and the potential for them to replicate the patterns of control seen throughout history, from ancient pharaohs to modern tech giants.
The Enduring Legacy of Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism
he explains that once Akhenaten dies his trace is erased, but I don’t know if he believes that a deeper mark remains, which is in part the basis of the later appearance of monotheistic religions in various parts of the world.
I believe monotheism existed before Akhenaten. Even when you study the pharaohs very well, you can trace them and see that their father and grandfather were already monotheists. The thing is that he was very brave, in the sense of saying: “now that I am pharaoh, I can impose things.” I believe that the belief in a single divinity has been latent and in the thinking of the pharaohs for a long time and that in other cultures it is not necessary to have drank directly from them. That is to say, it is indeed not the idea of a single person nor a diffusionist theory, but rather it has occurred throughout the planet, which without contacts [with other cultures] suddenly they believe in a single divinity. It is true that originally they are animists, then comes theism, which means that the gods are above them.
But the issue of religions is very dangerous,because it is a complete concentration of power in the hands of a group,a collective,that has set those norms,and they are not changed because they have never been changed. I find that horrifying. As a woman, why can’t I enter a conclave when a pope dies? We are half of the population, as a woman, how can I accept an institution that does not love me? “It’s been done like that for centuries.”