古代埃及墓室壁画“彼岸时间观”图像研究

On Ancient Egyptian Concept of “Other-world Time” from the Images of Tomb Mural

埃及是世界上重要的文明古国,在时间观念方面具有两个维度的表达,一是在此岸世界,古代埃及人虽然仍然具有延长此岸有限生命的诉求,但这样的诉求并不强烈。二是在死后世界,超越时间维度的彼岸时间观,成为古代埃及宗教体验之独特诉求,也成为死后世界宗教信仰之特殊表达。而具体到墓室壁画方面,埃及人对于死后世界时间观有着清晰的认识与明确的信仰期待,目的是帮助墓主人在死后世界获得长生,获得超越时间维度的生命体验。

Egypt as one important country with ancient civilization in the world has two dimensions to express their concept of time.One is“this world”in which ancient Egyptians still had an appeal to prolong their limited life though the appeal was not that strong.The other is the afterworld in which a concept of“other-world time”that transcends time itself developed and became the unique appeal of ancient Egyptian religious experiences and their distinctive way to express religious beliefs after death.Viewed from the concrete tomb murals,Egyptians had a clear cognition and definite belief expectations for the time concept of afterworld,that is,to help the owner of the tomb to gain an eternal life in the afterworld and a life experience transcending the temporal dimension.