Barley in Ancient Egypt

A man harvesting grain
and Barley (Inside a
tomb in Deir el Medina)

One of the principal cereals of ancient Egypt, barley broken in Ethiopia and was grown in Egypt since Predynastic times. Barley was applied to make beer and porridge, and it was also used in funerary rites. Barley was very seldom used to make bread - wheat was used rather. During the 10th Dynasty, the saying it-m-it ("barley as barley") got common. Prices, specially small sums, were often shown by substance of their close value in barley. To avoid muddiness when barley was the actual good exchanging hands, "barley as barley" (barley in the form of barley) was employed. The close of taxes that people had to pay was decided by the amount of barley that had grown that year.

As a symbol of transmutation and undying life, grain itself was considered to have magical belongings. One of the steps of mummification involved rubbing the body with barley and wheat so that the deceased could live once again. A Middle Kingdom royal ritual equates the god Osiris with barley and Set with the donkeys who cream the grain by trample on it. Images on temple walls show grain rising out of the body of the dead Osiris while his soul hovers above the stalks.

The ancient Egyptians were said to shed weeping at the first cutting of the cereal, and workers would chant a dirge, accompanied by a flute. The last sheaf to be track was a moment of festivity. Osiris Beds, mummies of dirt seedy with barley and formed in the shape of Osiris, were come out in tombs to develop in the darkness. An entire barley corn plant was left in the sarcophagus of Amenophis I. A necklace of bourgeoned barley corn was got on the mummy of Kent.