Tuesday, February 23, 2010

DNA tests on King Tut confirm much, reveal little

examiner.com (Charles Nichols)

Thanks to Jane Akshar for posting a link to this on her Luxor News Blog.

What were these startling discoveries announced by the ever colorful, larger than life Zahi Hawass? Well, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities revealed that King Tut was married to his sister.

And this is news how? We already knew that ancient Egyptian men married their sisters and did so up until at least the year 295 AD when the Roman Emperor Diocletian issued his famous "Marriage edict" making Roman Law the law of Egypt. Technically, Roman Law did not prohibit a Roman man from marrying his sister. However, their children would not be able to inherit their parents property and would not be Roman citizens. The same was true if a Roman married an actor or prostitute.

The Romans, having ruled Egypt for nearly 330 years by this time, had compiled extensive census records which survive to this day. The Romans were meticulous record keepers. Their records show that one in four Egyptian men were married to a younger sister of the full blood (both having the same mother and father). If an Egyptian man wasn't married to his full blooded sister then he was married to his half sister or other close female relative. If he had no close female relative then his bride would be adopted as his sister. Yes, we have these ancient "adoption" notices as well.

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