Among the more controversial claims within the Turin King List is the rule of Gods, Demigods, and Spirits of the Dead for thousands of years. As per Manetho, the first human king of Egypt, Mena or Menes, assumed power around 4,400 BC. Prior to that, Egypt was ruled by divine entities. Despite skepticism within the scientific community, this record of extensive divine rule is echoed in other credible historical sources, including various Egyptian King Lists.
When considering the words of Manetho, the chief priest of the Egyptian temples, we must examine the texts where his work's fragments are preserved. A crucial text is the Armenian version of the Chronica of Eusebius, which states that it is derived from Manetho's Egyptian History, written in three books. These texts cover the Gods, Demigods, Spirits of the Dead, and mortal kings who ruled Egypt.
Eusebius quotes Manetho, listing the gods of the Ennead of Heliopolis, such as Ra, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Set, and others. They were the first to govern Egypt, followed by an unbroken succession of rulers spanning 13,900 years. After the Gods, Demigods reigned for 1,255 years, followed by another line of kings for 1,817 years, then 30 more kings for 1,790 years, and ten more kings for 350 years. Lastly, the Spirits of the Dead ruled for 5,813 years, totaling 24,925 years. Manetho is often credited with the enormous figure of 36,525 years for the entire period of Egyptian civilization, from the times of the Gods to the end of the 30th dynasty of mortal kings.
Many classical writers support Manetho's description, including Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, who visited Egypt in the first century BC. Diodorus relied on Egyptian priests as his sources and was informed that gods and heroes ruled Egypt for just under 18,000 years, with mortal kings ruling for nearly 5,000 years.
Herodotus, another famous Greek historian , also visited Egypt and spoke with priests. He references these traditions of a vast prehistoric period of Egyptian civilization in Book II of his History, noting that during this time, there were four instances of the sun rising and setting in different locations.
The priests mentioned the Urshu, intermediate beings between gods and men known as Watchers, and the Neteru, powerful divine beings who lived on earth with humans and ruled from Heliopolis and sanctuaries along the Nile. Some Neteru were male, others female, and they all had various supernatural powers. They could appear as men, women, or even animals, birds, reptiles, trees, or plants. Despite their extraordinary abilities, the Neteru were portrayed with human emotions and concerns, as well as being susceptible to sickness, death, or murder.under certain circumstances.