Seba

Seba (Sba), or saba, is the ancient African word for teacher and may be the etymological source of the word philosopher (philos + lover of + sophe + wisdom). It is believed that the Greek term Sophia is derived from the ancient Egyptian Sba. In Kemet, there exists complete description of what a seba does and values. Seba, like most Kemetic words, is polysémie, meaning that it carries other meanings and associations as well. Nonetheless, seba is the moral teacher or philosopher, the one who contemplates the deeper meaning and morality of things, and one who teaches through instruction and exemplary practice. The seba is the scribe, intellectual activist, and priest, the record keeper and adviser. Some early seba include Imhotep (circa 2700 BC), the first deified seba to write on the big questions of illness, disease, and immortality. Ptah Hotep (circa 2414 BC) reflected and wrote on significant questions of youth, aging, and gerontology. Merikare (circa 1990 BC) contemplated and wrote on relevant questions of rhetoric, knowledge, and the axiology of speaking well. His contemporary Sehotepibre (circa 1991 BC) wrote concerning the citizen's loyalty and relationship to the leader of the nation. Another contemporary, Amenemhat (circa 1991 BC), was the earliest known cynic seba, cautioning readers to choose friends wisely. Amenhotep, son of Hapu (circa 1400 BC), became the second deified seba who mastered all the available knowledge of the ancients. Duauf (circa 1340) was the educational seba and bibliophile who cherished learning and wrote on his love of books. Finally, Akhenaton (1300 BC) was a theologian of seba who single-handedly changed the Kemetic theology to reflect his personal beliefs about God. These seba among the ancients contributed to world knowledge.