CHEM

Chem is also a short form of chemistry.

Khem (also spelt Chem) is the Egyptian word for black, and was usually used to describe the fertile soil surrounding the Nile, which was notably blackened. As such, it was also used by the Egyptians as a name for their nation, as it was principally composed of the fertile lands around the Nile. Some feel it may derive from the Hebrew translation, Ham - the name used by the writers of the Bible to refer to Egypt.

For a period of time, Canaan was under Egyptian influence, as was Kush (part of Nubia), and Libya, one of whose leading tribes was named Pitu, there is also an ethnic connection between them. Although Ham was a name for Egypt and Africa in general, Mizraim, generally thought to translate as the two lands, was the name for the specific area of Upper and Lower Egypt in particular. Consequently, in order to describe the relationship between nations, the Bible mentions Canaan, Mizraim, Cush, and Phut, (considered by some academics to correspond to Pitu), to be the sons of Ham. Canaan was the latest region to become part of the Egyptian sphere of influence, and was the youngest. Literal readings of the text would imply that each of these nations was descended from a single person of that name, who founded the tribe from his immediate family members.

In the 19th century, there was an erroneous transcription of the Egyptian for Min as ḫm ("khem"), purely by coincidence. Since this Khem was worshipped most significantly in Akhmim, the separate identity of Khem was reinforced, Akhmim being understood as simply a corruption of Khem. However, Akhmim is a corruption of ḫm-mnw, meaning Shrine of Min, via the Demotic form šmn. The existence of a god named Khem was later understood as a faulty reading, but unfortunately it had already been enshrined in books written by E. A. Wallis Budge—now out of copyright and widely reprinted—, and so this error still finds a home among non-Egyptologists.

Nethertheless, since Khem described the fertile soils, it was sometimes used as an epithet for Min, as the god of fertility. Consequently, the Khem that represented Egypt, Ham to the writers of the Bible, could be seen as symbolic also of sexuality.

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[Egyptian deities]

Kemites named the land after those who inhabitated it, a black skinned race. While the Nile does have rich fertile dirt it is unlikely for the Kemetan culture to name themselves after what they walk upon, they always aspire to the sky or stars. It is well known that all of Africa was referred to as Kem and all of Africa did not have fertile black soil, but they all had inhabitants who had black skin. It is obvious from heiroglyphics and the Sphinx and his smaller likenesses the inhabitants were black Africans. It was not until the 5th century that the Arab speaking people came and took over. Before then Kemet was in political turmoil, but often protected by neighboring Nubia, the largest military state in Eastern Africa, the true political fall coincides with the reign of Cleopatra.

Other Use

Pronounced chěm. A replacement word for the slang terms "cool", "awesome" and/or "sweet" as made popular by [Doug Fields] on the [Simply Youth Ministry Podcast]. The word was introduced in Episode 2 on February 7, 2006 on aforementioned podcast. Although many attempts have been made to integrate the word into the everyday language of youth groups across the country, many youth groups (such as the Copperfield Student Ministry) now ridicule anyone who uses the word. ESPECIALLY if it is the youth pastor.

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