The Indestructibles

For other uses, see The Indestructibles (disambiguation).

The Indestructibles (Ancient Egyptian: j.ḫmw-sk – literally "the ones not knowing destruction"[1][2]) was the name given by ancient Egyptian astronomers to two bright stars which, at that time, could always be seen circling the North Pole.[3] The name is directly related to Egyptian belief in constant North as a portal to heaven for pharaohs, and the stars' close association with eternity and the afterlife.[4] These circumpolar stars are now known as Kochab (Beta Ursae Minoris), in the bowl of Ursa Minor or, the Little Dipper, and Mizar (Zeta Ursae Majoris), in Ursa Major, at the middle of the handle of the Big Dipper.[4]

  1. ^ Ronald A Wells. Christopher Walker (ed.). Astronomy Before the Telescope. p. 35.
  2. ^ Allen, James P. (2010). Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs (revised second ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 330.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference SOL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Ancient Egyptians built pyramids with stars in mind". CBC News. Retrieved 2018-03-17.