Travel in Time with Dan: Interview with Ahmose-Ra, Timekeeper Sundial Priest of Ancient Egypt
Dan: Hello everyone! This is Dan Blanchard with the Travel in Time with Dan Show, where we mix travel, history, and leadership. Today, I’m coming to you from a very different kind of “clock capital.” While I recently visited Bristol, Connecticut, to see the evolution of mechanical watches, today I’ve traveled back thousands of years to the Temple of Ra at Heliopolis. I’m standing here in the golden sun with Ahmose-Ra, a high priest and master timekeeper. Welcome, Ahmose-Ra.
Ahmose-Ra: Greetings, Traveler Dan. You speak of “clocks” made of metal and gears, but here, we read the language of the heavens. It is an honor to show you how we capture the shadow of the Great Ra to bring order to the land of Egypt.
Dan: It’s incredible to see this in person. In my time, we often take for granted that we can just look at our wrists or phones to know the time. But you were the pioneers. Why was it so important for your civilization to formalize timekeeping with the sundial?
Ahmose-Ra: Without time, there is only chaos, Dan. Our life is the Nile, and the Nile follows the seasons. But even within the day, we must have order. We created the sechat, the portable sundial, and these great obelisks to divide the day into twelve parts. It allows us to know when the temple offerings must begin, when the laborers should be fed, and when the pharaoh must perform his duties. To keep time is to keep the balance of Ma’at, which is truth and cosmic order.
Dan: I noticed your sundial has a very specific shape, with a crossbar that casts a shadow. Tell me about the challenges of using the sun to track time.
Ahmose-Ra: The sun is a faithful witness, but he is a moving one. We must place our sundials facing east in the morning to watch the shadow shorten as Ra rises, and then turn it toward the west in the afternoon as the shadow grows long again. It requires constant mindfulness. And, of course, when the sun hides behind the clouds or sinks into the underworld at night, the sundial falls silent. That is why we also use the clepsydra, the water clock, to let time flow even in the darkness.
Dan: That’s a great point! In my blog, I mentioned how the Greeks later refined those water clocks, but it really started with your need to keep the schedule moving regardless of the weather. It sounds like precision was just as important to you as it is to a modern factory manager.
Ahmose-Ra: Precisely. If the shadow is not watched, the ritual is late. If the ritual is late, the gods are not honored. We do not just “watch” time; we guard it. We are the “Hours-Watchers.” It is a heavy responsibility to be the one who tells the rest of the world when their day begins and ends.
Dan: Speaking of responsibility, that leads me to leadership. I always say that great leaders accomplish great things when they have everything aligned; such as, when they are all on time, on task, and on purpose. What does an Ancient Egyptian timekeeper see as the ultimate lesson in leadership?
Ahmose-Ra: A leader must be like the sun, Dan. The leader must be consistent and unwavering. But a leader must also understand that time is a gift that must not be wasted. We build pyramids that last for eternity, yet we measure our lives by the shifting of a shadow. A true leader aligns their people with the natural rhythms of the world. If you are “on time,” you are in harmony with the universe. If you are “on purpose,” your work will endure like the stone of our temples long after the shadow has passed over your own life.
Dan: That’s a powerful perspective. Whether it’s a sundial in the desert or an atomic clock in a lab, the goal is the same: gaining a better understanding and control of our lives.
Ahmose-Ra: Indeed. We may use different tools… my shadows and your “quartz.” But we are both seeking the same truth. Time is the thread that weaves the human story together.
Dan: Beautifully said. Ahmose-Ra, thank you for sharing the wisdom of the ancients of the history of timekeeping with us today.
Ahmose-Ra: May your shadows always be clear and your path always be aligned, Dan.
Dan: From the sun-drenched temples of Egypt to the clock towers of Bristol, CT., history shows us that mastering time is the first step to mastering leadership. It reminds us that being “on time” isn’t just about a schedule. It’s about respect for the journey we are all on together.
Uncovering History. Inspiring Leadership. The Travel in Time Show is where travel, history, and leadership intermingle with history teacher, author, and speaker Dan Blanchard.
