Pharaoh vs. Sun: 2471 B.C. blackout may have shattered Egypt’s ancient cult

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Eclipse Trigger

[{"selector":"#anim-103d0e9d-1d6a-4562-8044-93b669abbc45 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.552713678800501e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] A total solar eclipse in 2471 B.C. may have sparked a break from Egypt’s dominant sun-worship rituals.

Sun King’s Shadow

[{"selector":"#anim-ee99d624-978b-426c-b022-3fc8ad87a32a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-1.0658141036401503e-14%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Pharaoh Shepsekaf, reigning during the eclipse, abandoned Ra worship and even the iconic pyramid.

Tomb Twist

[{"selector":"#anim-947089f0-604e-41c0-9e6e-559739c94692 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.916791476265814%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Shepsekaf was buried in a mastaba near Buto —aligned with the eclipse’s path, far from solar cult hubs.

Solar Silence

[{"selector":"#anim-899a9c2c-3922-4220-9b72-0f75d5825a1e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(39.16085640370922%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Shepsekaf dropped “Ra” from his name—an act of religious defiance unheard of in the Fourth Dynasty.

Sky Omen

[{"selector":"#anim-68349ead-7981-4262-9989-e37676de1cc5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.499999772451451%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Archaeoastronomer Giulio Magli confirmed the eclipse darkened Egypt’s skies during Shepsekaf’s rule.

Divine Disruption

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Sun’s Revival

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Cosmic Patterns

[{"selector":"#anim-f27b9cf9-a8da-41f7-ba27-fc096a9bd722 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] A similar eclipse occurred during Akhenaten’s reign—he embraced the sun even more, worshipping Aten.

Celestial Clues

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