Egypt:
1. Iron was a metal of mythical character. It was called the
'metal of heaven', because
Egyptians knew it mainly from meteoric iron. Iron deposits in Egypt were not worked before the Late or Greco-Roman periods.The earliest iron smelting places in Egypt were found at Naukratis and Defenna. Early iron comes highly likely from meteoric iron. Iron production requires temperatures from 1100-1150 ºC (the same as for copper smelting). Iron objects appear very sporadically since Naqada III in Egypt. In Egypt iron comes into common usage only from about 500 BC. The normal way to treat iron is to hammer it. Cast iron was not common.
Metal in Egypt
Digital Egypt for Universities, University College London
2. Certainly the
ancient Egyptians were aware of meteoritic iron, but uncomfortably for the archaeologists, the evidence suggests that by a very early date in their history they were already sophisticated enough to differentiate between different types of iron. Loadstones were called `res mehit ba', meaning `north-south iron', and Plutarch quotes Manetho as differentiating loadstones from non-magnetic iron, calling the former `Bone of Osiris', and the latter `Bone of Typhon', (being the Greek version of Set).3
Robert H O'Connell in 1983 translated the coffin text Spell 148, which refers to meteoritic impact as being integral to the conception of Horus. `…the blast of a meteorite such that gods fear, Isis awoke pregnant by the seed of her brother Osiris!….5 Even earlier, in 1911, Wallis Budge translated a text from the time of Pepi II (circa 2278- 2184 BC) which speaks of `
the iron which came from Set, and was in the forearm of Set; it transferred to the deceased the power of the eye of Horus'.6
As the constellation of the Great Bear was considered to be the abode of Set, we can reasonably conclude that at least one iron-bearing meteorite came from this direction early in the Old Kingdom. And if we were to conclude that the ascension of Horus came about during the unification of the two lands, we would be able to postulate that this unification came about during a period of meteoritic activity.
The evidence then, seems to support the notion that the ancient Egyptians were aware of iron, and probably viewed it as a heavenly substance.
The Use and Presence of Iron in the Egyptian Old Kingdom
Keith Squires, Gizagrid, 2005
Babylon:
The Egyptians called iron '
the metal of heaven' or ba-en-pet, which indicates that the
first specimen employed were of meteoric origin; the
Babylonian name having the same meaning. It was no doubt on account of its rarity that iron was prized so highly by the early Egyptians, while its celestial source would have its fascination.
Ancient Egyptian Science
Prof. Hamed A. Ead, Tour Egypt
Mesopotamia:
The supreme god
Anu personified a planet which had exploded; hence the fact that
his name meant ‘Heaven’, and hence the fact that
meteoritic iron was known in Sumer as ‘the essence of Anu’.
A Message to Zecharia Sitchin Fans
Alan F. Alford, Eridu Books, 2004
The Ancient Egyptians still have the same word for Iron as for meteoric Iron. Aka Metal of the Heavens.
Also, when Quran says "Sent Down", it doesnt mean literally sent down from the sky. It means given to mankind as a benefit. Because the Quran uses the exact same word to say Allah sent down cattle, food, sunlight, Quran, Sleepiness etc. Non of which comes from meteors.
