I.   Introductory Provisions

In accord with the ecclesiastical nature of Trusts, Estates and Funds, the use of color in association with instruments remains a custom and tradition as it has been since the earliest forms of civilization and law.

In terms of the use of Color by pre-Bronze Age Cultures:

(i) Color to the ancient pre-Bronze age cultures that heralded the first organized civilizations of humanity was as significant and important as any culture since. Red, the color of blood was considered the life force and power – to give and to take away; and

(ii) Green was seen as primal life and fertility so that green stone such as emeralds and even jade were seen as a source of this life force; and

(iii) Yellow and specifically gold already had a significance of teaching and authority through its first association with the Cuilliaéan, also known as the Holly and the Viz/Vizier/Wizards that travelled to all reaches of the ancient world, spreading wisdom, organization and higher purpose.

In terms of the use of Color introduced by the Hyksos into Ancient Egypt from the 17th Century BCE onwards:

(i) Under the Hyksos use of Color in relation to authority, rights and property, Color represented not only the gods, but the power and “essence” or “magic” of the gods; the gods controlled all aspects of life, mind, emotions and character, therefore different colors were used for different rituals of the day, events of the year; and

(ii) As experts in glass, the Ancient Egyptians were very familiar with its prism effects and the primary colors of the visible electro-magnetic spectrum. However, prior to the arrival of the Hyksos, the ancient Egyptians recognized only five primary colors being black, red, green, blue and white; and

(iii) Upon the arrival of the Hyksos in the 17th Century as refugees from Syria, the Egyptians recognized seven (7) primary colors being black (khem or kem), red (desher), yellow (kenit and khenet), green (wadj), blue (khesbedj and irtiu) and purple (benu or weben) and white (shesep and hedj); and

(iv) These colors were then reflected in the use of gemstones and semi-precious stones, metals as well as the use of long-lasting mineral compounds- some of which have retained the vibrancy and color even today. In the case of purpose, the priests of the Hyksos that worshipped Amen and Set, the purple worn exclusively by their high priests was from the famous Murex shellfish found off the coast of Palestine and Syria. As this knowledge is a historic marker as to the origins and heritage of the Hyksos, the fact that the color purple was used exclusively for the priests of Amen-Ra at Thebes is removed from every single history text; and

(v) Under the Hyksos, carrying the sacred wisdom of knowledge of their Cuilliaéan (Holly) ancestors was reflected in the seven colors of the electro-magnetic spectrum representing the seven meditation points now known as the Chakra points but historically considered the seven (7) seats of one’s soul; and

(vi) This knowledge was largely corrupted upon the rise of the Ramses of the Nile swamp pirate tribes of the Menes who seized power after defeating Akhenaten in his attempt to return to Egypt from exile in the 14th Century BCE. Instead, a five color system represent their model of five souls was promoted- a system that was picked up and integrated into the Talmudic text of the swamp pirates who called themselves the Menes-heh from 333 CE onwards; and

(vii) Black (khem or kem) - The color Black symbolized death, the underworld, and the night. However, it used to also symbolize the root meditation, the base soul being the shadow of a person called the “Sheut”. The Egyptians believed that a person could not exist without a shadow – therefore they believed a shadow contained a “part” of the person it represents; and

(viii) In terms of black symbolizing death, Osiris was frequently portrayed as “the black one” as the king of the afterlife and underworld as well as his “familiar” companion Anubis represented as a black jackal or dog.

(ix) Red (desher) – The color Red to the Egyptians symbolized the same ancient tradition of almost every civilization as a color of the essence of life (blood) as well as the symbol of military strength, victory and power. In terms of the ancient belief system of the parts of the soul, the color red symbolized the heart or “Eb”. Mummies of the pharaohs have been found to contain a tiny reproduction of the human heart, which was always made from a precious or semi-precious red stone representing the “Eb”; and

(x) The color Red was also associated with the god Set, worshipped by the Hyksos and upon their defeat through treachery by the Ramses swamp pirates of the Menes, the color red was declared a color of evil, anger and the power of darkness. Thus the Menes swamp pirates and their descendents promoted the superstitions that red-haired men as well as animals with reddish hair or skins were thought to be under the influence of Set, later known as Setian and Satan; and

(xi) Yellow (kenit and khenet)- The color Yellow designated the eternal covenant between the gods and man and the indestructible power of the Pharaoh, also considered to be qualities of the sun and of gold (called “nub”). Prior to the arrival of the Hyksos, the ancient Egyptians used the color white to denote the connection of the gods and their indestructible powers; and

(xii) However, under the Hyksos - who carried the ancient skills of goldsmiths and symbolism of Gold of the Holly Gods from which the association of gold and religion originates in western civilization – gold became synonymous as the authority to speak for the gods as one who is raised to the status of a god in the form of the pharaohs; and

(xiii) Thus, many statues of the gods were either made of gold or were gold-plated. Tomb paintings showed gods with golden skin, and pharaohs’ sarcophagi were made from gold, since the belief was that a deceased pharaoh became a god. Some chapters of the Book of the Dead require that funerary jewelry be made from gold, and many golden mummy masks have been found. Despite the fact that the Ramses robbed the tombs of the Hyksos and destroyed innumerable priceless treasures, their descendents continued to cover their dead and living leaders in gold in honor of the Cuilliaéan (Holly) and in claiming their authority as the stewards of the property of the gods; and

(xiv) Yellow also came to mean the “Rem” or “Ren” being the property of a person’s name also considered a key element of the soul given by Ra/Re. Thus yellow also acquired from the Holly Hyksos its association as the color of the “property of Re”. Furthermore, the Egyptians believed that their name, as an independent part of their soul would like for as long as it was spoken; and

(xv) Green (wadj) The color Green was believed to be the color of new life, growth, vegetation, and fertility. A person was said to be doing "green things" if his behavior was beneficial or life producing. The power of green to guarantee new life or resurrection is why many depictions of Osiris show him with green skin, referring to his resurrection and power over vegetation; and

(xvi) The Book of the Dead makes reference to the deceased becoming a falcon "whose wings are of green stone", referring to new life and rebirth. Wadj, the word for green, which also meant to flourish or be healthy, was used for the papyrus plant as well as for the green stone malachite. Green malachite was a symbol of joy. In a larger reference, the phrase "field of malachite" was used when speaking of the land of the blessed dead. The color green was associate with the “Ba” part of one’s soul, being the independent spirit of one’s personality; and

(xvii) Blue (khesbedj and irtiu) - The color blue, was considered the color of the heavens, water, and the primeval flood, and it represented creation or rebirth. The favorite blue stone was lapis lazuli, or khesbed, which also meant joy or delight. It is thought that blue may have had solar symbolism because of some objects made from blue faience that carry a solar theme; and

(xviii) Because the god Amen (also spelled Amon or Amun) played a part in the creation of the world, he was sometimes depicted with a blue face; therefore, pharaohs associated with Amen were shown with blue faces also. In general, it was said that the gods had hair made of lapis lazuli. In a tomb painting of the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, depictions of both the mummy and Anubis are shown with blue hair; and

(xix) Purple (benu or weben) – The color purple is the most controversial of the major colors of the ancient Egyptians under the Hyksos and later dynasties because its existence has been completely removed from the historic record; and

(xx) In the use of any primary color, Egyptians reflected the color not only in garments and dyes, but also in paints and precious stones. The purple crystals of amethyst had been known for millennia and found to be incorporated in a number of pre-Hyksos jewelry pieces. However, it was the knowledge of the Hyksos to the dye from the Murex shellfish found off the coast of Palestine and Syria, also called “Phoenician Purple” that made this color the most reserved and exclusive for most of the past four thousand years until recently; and

(xxi) The ancient Egyptian word benu describes the Ba of Re, symbolized by a Purple Heron and the color of not only immortality, but reincarnation. It is also the origin of the legendary “Phoenix” bird, the symbol of the immortals that could control their reincarnation as the priest-gods of the ancients, making their home the great temple complexes of Thebes and Luxor. Only the high priests could wear purple and emperors of Rome were only able to wear it because of their claimed status as Pontifex-Maximus; and

(xxii) White (shesep and hedj) – The color White to the Egyptians denoted purity and omnipotence, and because it had no real color, it represented things sacred and simple. White was especially symbolic in the religious objects and ritual tools used by priests. Many of these were made of white alabaster, including the Apis Bulls’ embalming table. "Memphis", a holy city, meant "White Walls", and white sandals were worn to holy ceremonies. White was also the color used to portray most Egyptian clothing. Hedj, one of the words for white, was also a word used for silver. When silver was used together with gold, they symbolized the moon and sun. Because red and white were opposites in meaning, they were at times placed together to symbolize completeness.

In respect of Color and Mithraic traditions since 455 BCE followed by the development of the Christian scriptures from 325 CE onwards, the use of color, its significance and magic is strikingly similar to the symbolism found within Egyptian belief, excluding the complex model of soul:

(i) Black is primarily associated with the negative aspects of human experience - including death, disease, famine, and sorrow; and

(ii) Red is primarily associated with blood and war. Note that references to the Red Sea have been omitted; and

(iii) Yellow/Amber/Gold is primarily associated with the overbearingly bright and immediate presence of God; and

(iv) Green is primarily associated with fertility and renewal; and

(v) Blue is used quite extensively in the Old Testament to describe the various hangings in the holy places and as a heavenly color. Below is only a sample; and

(vi) Purple is described very clearly as a symbol of royalty and riches; and

(vii) White is listed as a color of purity and righteousness.

In respect of Color and the commercial systems established in England from the 16th Century onwards, four colors continue to represent great significance to their legal framework being white, pink, yellow and blue:

(i) White is the color of purity and originality. Thus original instruments are seen to be on white parchment or paper; and

(ii) Yellow is recognized as the color of acknowledgment, of bona fide receipt or remittance, of negotiable security and equitable title; and

(iii) Blue is seen as the ecclesiastical color and the color of Trustees and Officers as well as duly commissioned agents entrusted to perform; and

(iv) Pink is seen as the color of the beneficiary, the infant or “thing” in commerce and the Respondent.