In the ancient days when the gods still walked among the reeds of the Nile and the shadows of the great pyramids were yet young, there lived two brothers, Anpu and Bata, whose bond was once as firm as the granite of Aswan. However, following a great misunderstanding fueled by the deceit of Anpu's wife, the younger brother Bata fled his home to seek refuge in the remote and mystical Valley of the Cedar. This valley, a place of profound silence and towering evergreens, became Bata's sanctuary.
There, he performed a ritual of great magic: he removed his own heart and placed it upon the highest blossom of a cedar tree. He told his brother Anpu, who followed him to reconcile, that if the tree were ever cut down, his heart would fall, and he would die. Bata lived there in solitude for many years, hunting the wild beasts of the hills and sleeping under the protection of the divine canopy.\n\nThe gods of the Ennead, led by the radiant Ra-Horakhty, looked down from the celestial bark and took pity on the lonely Bata.
They marveled at his strength and his spirit, noting that he lived without a companion to share his fire or his thoughts. Ra-Horakhty spoke to the divine potter Khnum, the shaper of bodies, and commanded him to fashion a woman for Bata so that he might not be alone in his exile. Khnum went to his potter's wheel and, using the clay of the Nile and the essence of the gods themselves, he crafted a woman of unsurpassed beauty.
Every limb was perfectly proportioned, and her skin glowed with the radiance of the morning sun. However, as the Seven Hathors came to decree her fate, they spoke with a single, somber voice: 'She shall die a sharp death.' Despite this prophecy, the woman was brought to the Valley of the Cedar, and Bata loved her instantly, for she was the most beautiful creature he had ever beheld.\n\nBata, in his devotion, warned his new wife of the dangers of the valley. He told her never to wander near the Great Sea, for the Sea was enamored with her beauty and would attempt to seize her.
He also confided in her the secret of his life: that his heart resided in the flower of the cedar tree. For a time, they lived in harmony, but the wife grew restless in the isolation of the valley. One day, ignoring Bata's warnings, she walked near the shore.
The Sea, seeing her golden hair and ivory skin, rose up in a massive wave to claim her. She fled back to the safety of the trees, but the Sea managed to snatch a single lock of her hair. This lock was carried by the currents across the Mediterranean and into the delta of the Nile, eventually finding its way to the royal laundry at Memphis.
When the Pharaoh's clothes were washed, they began to smell of a divine, heavenly perfume. The Pharaoh, intrigued by this scent which no apothecary could replicate, demanded to know its source. His wise men examined the laundry and found the lock of hair, declaring that it belonged to a daughter of the gods.\n\nThe Pharaoh became obsessed with finding the woman to whom the hair belonged.
He sent messengers to every corner of the world, and eventually, they reached the Valley of the Cedar. Though Bata drove the first messengers away, the Pharaoh sent a second group equipped with magnificent jewels, fine linens, and promises of royal status. The wife, tempted by the luxury and the prospect of being the Great Royal Wife in the magnificent city of Memphis, chose to leave Bata.
She traveled to the palace, where she was received with great honor. The Pharaoh was captivated by her beauty and made her his chief queen. However, she knew that as long as Bata lived and held his power in the valley, she would never truly be free of her past.
Fearing his strength and perhaps his vengeance, she began to plot his destruction. She used her influence over the Pharaoh, whispering into his ear during the quiet hours of the night, claiming that the only way she could find peace was if the great cedar tree in the valley was destroyed.\n\nShe told the Pharaoh the secret Bata had entrusted to her: 'If you wish to truly possess me and ensure our safety, send your soldiers to the Valley of the Cedar and tell them to cut down the tree that bears the highest blossom. Only then will the man who guards it be defeated.' The Pharaoh, blinded by his love for her and his desire to appease his queen, sent a great army of axemen and soldiers to the valley.