Instead of Faulkner's zenith(?), Allen has Izken


and there's these that mention the 'sky's height':

Allen: "Teti has crossed in the great ferryboat without a fare having been taken in it; the White Palace of the great ones cannot bar him from the Beaten Path of Stars (msqt sHdw) - for look, Teti has reached the sky's height and the populace have seen him." T 186

Faulker has: "the height of heaven"

Allen: This Pepi has run the sky's height and this Pepi cannot be barred from the Beaten Path of Stars (msqt sHdw)....." P 326a




KB: "When this evidence is considered, I find it very difficult to comprehend an ardent defence of the proposal that the upper southern shaft of Khufu's pyramid was intended to be aligned to Orion crossing the meridian. To selectively ignore Old Kingdom texts that clearly connect Re, the sun god, with the height of the sky (crossing the meridian) and to ignore the bulk of evidence that Orion was associated mainly with events at the horizon seems to me be highly questionable."



The fact is, that the top end of the upper south shaft was facing an area of the sky where the distinctive 3-star asterism in the centre of Orion appeared due south c. 2570 BC during Khufu's reign. On the opposite side, the top end of the upper north shaft was facing an area of the sky where the circumpolar North or Pole Star, Thuban, appeared at its highest point in the sky due north - again c.2570 BC, during Khufu's reign.


The sun aligned with the upper south shaft 2x a year, but the upper north shaft was certainly not pointing at the sun visibly reaching its highest point in the sky - only stars are visible due north.


Don't forget that according to one PT, Sah (sAH, Orion') was the brother of Ra (ra, the 'Sun'), and Sopdet (spdt, 'Sirius') was the Sun's sister. see Allen Nt 277.



The AE knew as well as we do, that Orion emerged on its side from the eastern horizon, rose up to fully 'stand upright' due south as it crossed the southern sky, and then set below the western horizon on the opposite side.


The AE incorporated this phenomena into the afterlife beliefs of the king, a metaphor for the rising up of the king lying on his side dead (Orion lying on its side as it emerged over the eastern horizon) to standing straight upright, alive and active (due south), and striding across the sky alive:


When the Great One fell on his side, when he in Nedit trembled, his head was raised by the Sun, for his abomination is sleep, and he hates slackness. Flesh of this Teti, don't decay, don't rot, don't let your scent be bad! Your foot will not be bypassed, your stride will not be traversed, and you will not step on Osiris's decay. You (Teti) shall touch the sky like Sah / Orion, your ba shall be sharp like Sopdet / Sirius. T 228


RECITATION: So, has that great one fallen on his side and he in Nedit* (ndjt) been thrown down? Your arm has been received by the sun, your head has been raised by the Dual Ennead. "Look, he has come as Orion," (they say). "Look, Osiris is come as Orion: the Lord wine-colored with supplies, the perfect one of whom his mother has spoken, the heir of whom his father has spoken, the one whom the sky has conceived and the morning-star has given birth." The sky shall conceive you with Orion, the morning-star shall give you birth with Orion. Live! Live, as the gods have commanded you live. With Orion in the eastern arm of the sky shall you go up, with Orion in the western arm of the sky shall you go down. Sothis, whose places are clean, is the third of you two: she is the one who will lead you two in the Marsh of Reeds to the perfect paths of the sky. P 38


Here Sah (sAH, 'Orion'), 'dead', rises up from off his side - alive, he crosses the southern part of the sky and goes down in the west - in other words Sah is NOT confined to the eastern horizon.


The sky has become disheveled, the earth has trembled. Horus has come, Thoth has appeared, that they might raise Osiris from off his side and make him stand up in the Dual Ennead. Remember, Seth, and put in your heart this speech that Geb has said, this curse that the gods have made against you in the Official's Enclosure in Heliopolis, because you threw Osiris to the earth, when you said, Seth: "It was not against him that I did this," so that you might take control thereby when your control was taken away for Horus; when you said, Seth: "In fact he has been kicking me," and his identity of Orion came into being, wide of foot, spread of stride, and foremost of the Nile-Valley land. P 327


The king travels as a star with Orion across the sky:

RECITATION: Ho, Pepi! You are the big star that is Orion's companion, who travels the sky with Orion and rows the Duat with Osiris. You shall emerge in the eastern side of the sky, renewed at your proper season and rejuvenated in your time, Nut having given you birth with Orion, the year having put your headband on you with Osiris. P 317


Again the king travels the sky with Orion, and they must cross the meridian due south.


I am Horus on the day of accession, I am Orion (sAH) who treads (sAH, lit. toes) his Two Lands, who navigates in front of the stars of the sky on the belly on my mother Nut... CT 227

She who is in the flame is bound for Him whose face is hidden and who cannot see Him who conveys Osiris within Orion. CT 151

Again the emphasis is on movement across the sky for Orion.


CT