Night Sky: Stars tell story of Imhotep

Peter Lipscomb | For The New Mexican

5/7/2008 - 5/8/08

This week let's turn our attention to a constellation that, according to some measures, is the 10th sign of the zodiac. Some astrologers follow a set of equal divisions of the sky resulting in 12 signs based upon the tropical zodiac. However, the sun, moon and planets also pass through an additional constellation. If your birthday falls between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17, your solar zodiac sign is Ophiuchus. This may be a bit of a jolt to some of you Sagittarians, but there is no shame in being an Ophiuchi.

Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, has been known since ancient times. It is one of the 48 constellations charted by Ptolemy in his 13-volume work, Almagest. The serpent bearer is alleged to be the one zodiacal constellation based upon an actual person.

Ancient Egyptian records dating back to the 27th century B.C., mention a man named Imhotep. He served in the court of Djoser, the second king of the third dynasty. Skilled as an architect, poet and philosopher, Imhotep was also a gifted healer. His study of medicine allowed him to successfully diagnose and treat many ailments and to develop a comprehensive knowledge of organs and the circulatory system. He is also believed to be the architect behind the construction of the first pyramid, a stepped structure commissioned by Djoser and built at Saqqara.

Events attributed to the man Imhotep and to the god known as Imhotep often become interwoven, leading to some confusion. The reputation of the man Imhotep was judged worthy of being deified some 2,000 years after his death. At that time, the god Imhotep became associated with the Triad at Memphis and was represented as little brother to the god Nefertem.

The talent of Imhotep and those who followed his tradition was noted by Homer. Referring to Egyptian medicine in The Odyssey, he wrote, "In Egypt the men are more skilled in medicine than any of human kind." And although Hippocrates is often credited as being the "father of medicine," the accomplishments of Imhotep occurred more than 2,000 years earlier.

Imhotep served as the basis for the Greek god of medicine and healing, Asclepius, a figure often portrayed with a rod and serpent. Ancient Greek ceremonies honoring Asclepius often included nonvenomous snakes. During the night, the snakes wandered the temple buildings housing those who sought treatment for illness. Our modern medical profession has adopted the serpent-entwined rod of Asclepius as the symbol of healing practice.

Asclepius was killed by Zeus following protests from Hades, the god of the underworld. Hades was upset at Asclepius' practice of bringing the dead back to life. Upon learning of his son's death by thunderbolt, Apollo begged Zeus to reconsider his actions. Zeus relented making Asclepius immortal by placing him into the heavens as Ophiuchus.

Peter Lipscomb is director of the Night Sky Program for the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance. Contact him at plipscomb@nmheritage.org.