Neb-Senu: Curse of the pharaohs or traffic jams

1207

For several days, the Manchester Museum at the University of Manchester, UK, recorded suspicious movements inside one of its windows – in the Egyptology department a statue moves all by itself. The exhibit, which dates from the 18th century BC and was acquired by the museum 80 years ago, stands 25 centimeters high and symbolizes a man named Neb-Senu. It was given as an offering to Osiris, god of the dead, before being found in a tomb alongside a mummy. It has been behind glass and has not been touched since. But it appears she wakes up in the day and makes a 360˚ turn before coming to rest at night. It took three days of recording in order to observe a phenomenon that is invisible to the naked eye.

But how is she doing it? Opinions are divided between those who apply the logic of physics and others who hold spiritual beliefs. British engineer Steve Gosling claims that the ‘miracle’ is simply due to vibrations caused by traffic around the museum and not by the passing public, as some claim. Others offer rational explanations such as magnetic fields.

But there are those who believe that a long-silent spirit has been evoked. The statue remained motionless for decades, why would move it now?, they ask. The museum’s curator, Campbell Price said: “In ancient Egypt it was believed that if the mummy of the deceased was destroyed, then a statue in his likeness could be used as a receptacle for his Ka, his spiritual double which survives after death.”

Watch the video here and decide for yourself.

www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

Photo: poster of the film The Mummy