Post on 26-Feb-2023
ANT 309 / ARH 409:
Egypt in the Age of the Pyramids
(Predyn.–Second Intermediate Period: 5,000-1550 BC)
Lecture 19: *(non-period specific)
Ancient Egyptian Perspectives
regarding their surrounding world/universe.© Notes & images compiled by Gregory Mumford 2014
Some questions regarding how Ancient Egyptians viewed their universe:
• How did the Anc. Egyptians view their visible world: i.e., landscape & skies?
• What religious & related concepts did they assign to their world’s meaning?
• How did they draw upon things from their known world to explain the unknown?
• How did they conceive, represent & carry out architectural & other ventures?
• How did they represent the world around them in art? i.e., 2-dimensional art.
• How did they portray long distances & spatial relationships to others?
• Did such “guide maps” appear in other aspects of life? i.e., Religion? Afterlife?
• How did they view the heavens? Is there evidence for star-watching?
• How did they view the planets, stars & constellations? The passage of time?
• Did they incorporate var. astronomical features into architectural designs?
• Can one extrapolate astronomical significance from var. ancient structures?
• Can one extrapolate too far? i.e., Exhibiting caution regarding speculations.
• How did Anc. Egyptians incorporate geographical significance in buildings?
• How did royalty and the elite incorporate the cosmos into their tombs?
Summing up some of the major Egyptian concepts regarding time & space.
SOUTH =
source of
the Nile
Ancient Egyptian universe:
Top of “maps”/world = SOUTH:
• Today, all official maps place
NORTH at the top of a sheet.
• Anc. Egyptians recognized
that the Nile was their source
of life, civilization, etc.
• The Nile originated from the
(unknown) far SOUTH.
Ancient Egyptian universe:
Sun rose in East & set in West:
• The sun, a visible provider of
life, light, etc., crossed Egypt
E-W by day: sky-voyage of Ra
• The sun re-emerged in the
East, after apparently going
underground from W-E:
Underworld voyage of Ra.
E W“Birth”
&
“Re-birth”
“Death”
&
“Dying
again”Continuous cycle
Horus
Living King
Deceased King
Osiris
EAST
Re-birth
WEST
Death
Solar day
Solar night
Heavens: Re.
Underworld: Osiris.
Abstract depiction of the 4 pillars of the earth & heavens:
Pt = heavens (blue sky = river)
Ta = earth
=
W3s-sceptre
Two items really representing 4 pillars,
which are shown in some representations
Heliopolitan Creation Myth:Anthropomorphising the main elements composing the world:
Nut = sky-goddess; Geb = ground; Shu = air-god; Tefnut = moisture
RIGHT (Rays)
Eye of Horus
= the Sun
(also = Re)
LEFT (Lunar)
Eye of Horus
= the Moon
(also = Khonsu)
Celestial bodies: “Sun” & “Moon” often = Eyes of Horus
Nature: other aspects of duality ...
• The Ancient Egyptians (& others)
observed various opposing / dual
aspects in their specific and
overall environment:
• They transferred such concepts
into all aspects of their culture
Black land vs. Red land
(Kemet) (Deshret)
i.e., fertile silt i.e., sterile desert
East (life/rebirth) West (Death)
North (LE) South (UE)
Heavens Earth
Order (maat) Chaos (isfet)
Summer (low Nile) Winter (High Nile)
Other elements of duality pervaded the Ancient Egyptian universe/world.
Duality and the unification of the
Two Lands (Upper & Lower Egypt):
• Windpipe and lungs symbol for the
verb sm3 “to unite”
• Two figures symbolizing North & South
using a stem from
(a) the emblematic plant of
Lower Egypt (North; Delta)
= papyrus plant
(b) the emblematic plant of
Upper Egypt (South; Nile Valley)
= sedge plant
to bind together symbolically the
Two Lands.
• The message provided is that the
“Two Lands” are indeed distinct,
but are joined together as ONE
via the living Horus: i.e., pharaoh.
The world beyond Egypt contained Isfet (chaos), the enemy of Maat (order):
i.e., Egypt’s traditional enemies stereotyped as bound prisoners (nullified).
Libyan Nubian Asiatic Shasu-Bedu Hittite
Another concept = regarding the four cardinal points of the universe
= represent main foreigners outside Egypt (king fires arrows at Sed-festival)
New Kingdom stone slab (ostracon) bearing a ground plan for royal tomb R-9
Planning: Spatial layout & conventions for planning a rock-cut structure …
Top plan of Ramesses IX’s unfinished tomb: i.e., burial chamber finished quickly.
Planning: Spatial layout & conventions for planning a rock-cut structure …
Papyrus plan
Top plan of Ramesses IV’s tomb
Ramesses IV’s tomb
A series of nested gilded shrines are attested in
- Tutankhamun’s tomb: i.e., physical remains.
- Ramesses IV’s tomb: i.e., papyrus plan.
- Thutmose IV and other NK rulers likely had them.
Plan layout of
4 nested shrines
and a frame canopy
Tut
Mapping
human figures:
• In Egyptian art,
major figures
(deities, kings, &
tomb owners) are
laid out according
to more rigid
conventions:
• i.e., a Canon of
proportions.
• The 18-square
grid is used most
commonly for
figures, but earlier
and later periods
exhibit other
systems.
i.e., O.K. has less
formal guidelines
Techniques in Painting,
Relief work, & Statuary:Walls & Statuary:
• Preparation of wall-face or block
using guide-lines / squared grids.
- Square = proportional to a fist
- Usually for major figures.
• Initial outline of figure in red
• Correction of master artist in black
2-dimensional renditions: normally combined top & side views
i.e., Portraying the most recognizable features
Symbolism of colour in gylphs:
Many hieroglyphs represented an
item from life, which was associated
with a colour.
E.g., Green = baskets, vegetation,
E.g., Red = wood, male skin colour
E.g., Yellow = linen, pale animals
E.g., Blue = water, sky, etc.
Placement of colour as background:
E.g., N.K. king’s burial chamber was
called “the house of gold” in the
New Kingdom.
It is often painted with a gold
background.
New Kingdom: 1550-1069 BC
• Turin Papyrus mining map
of Wadi Hammamat in the
reign of Ramesses IV.
• From Dr. el-Medineh tomb
(Drovetti find: 1814-1821)
• The map has many notes,
including a shrine: “Amun
of the Pure Mountains.”
• It appears to show a 15 km
portion of Wadi Hammamat
• Map top oriented SOUTH
• Scale 1 cm = 50 - 100 m
(cartographer Amenakhte?)
Amun shrine
Sety I stela
Gold mining
settlement
Well
Mountain with quartz veins & gold
Road to
sea
Road to
sea
Main route through Wadi Hammamat (from Nile Valley)
New Kingdom military:
Papyrus Anastasi I (Late Dyn.19):
Hori continues to the royal command-
writing scribe of the army, Amenemope:
Outlining the knowledge required of
a true soldier-scribe:
• “You have not journeyed to the land
of Khatti (Syria-Anatolia) nor have you
visited the land of Upe (Syria).
As for Khadum (Qedem), you do [not]
know its topography, nor that of
Yagadiya either.
What is the Simya of Sesi, l.p.h., like?
In which direction from it lies the city
of Aleppo?
What is its river like? …”
Etc.
Pp.98-110 in Wente, 1990. Letters from Ancient Egypt.
New Kingdom,
Dyn.20, Ramesses II:
Depiction of the city
& environs of Kadesh
during Ramesses II
battle against Hittites.
Ca. 1300 BCE.
New Kingdom military camp – in hostile territory whilst on campaign.
Dynasty 19, year 5 of Ramesses II (early 13th cent. BCE)
Oxen for wagons
Unloading draught animals
R.II’s pet lion
Perimeter wall (shields?)
Egyptians interrogating captured Hittites
Ramesses II
campaign tent
Officers’
tents
Wagons?
Terra Incognita:
guide maps to
the Afterlife:i.e., Guide maps to aid deceased in navigating new terrain.
Middle Kingdom coffin: -Guide to Netherworld at base of coffin (2 Ways)
(early MK late MK decline) -Coffin Texts along lower part of coffin sides
-Frieze of objects along upper part of coffin sides
MK COFFIN TEXTS: Book of the Two Ways (2 versions = earliest cosmography)
• Found on coffins of nomarchs & high officials in Hare nome (Middle Egypt)
• Related knowledge for dead to navigate successfully through Netherworld
• Texts directed to Dead, with guide map, assisting in orientation & travel.
(1) Begins at sunrise (eastern horizon) journeying through day
(2) Dangers: Circle of fire (“fiery court”) surrounding sun
Threatening guardians at gates
Obstacles such as walls of darkness & flame, Apophis
Labyrinth/maze of paths
(3) Objectives: Region of Rosetau at the boundary of the sky (holding Osiris)
(i.e., whoever gazes upon the deceased Osiris cannot die)
Field of Offerings/Reeds (paradise of plenty)
Plurality of skies
Middle Kingdom Book of Two Ways: guide map to navigating through the Underworld
to attain one’s destination(s) safely using various spells to bypass diverse hazards.
Burial chamber: Map of deceased couple depicted in netherworld scenes,Field of Reeds
(Iaru): harvesting grain for food and harvesting flax for linen clothing.
Nabta Playa: Early Neolithic “calendar circle” (6000 BP / 4000 BC +/- 60 yrs)
• 4 pairs of larger stones an alignment 70 degrees East of North
• = sunrise at summer solstice in 4000 BC.
• Is this reconstruction plausible? or coincidental?
Sothic calendar poss. in Dyn.1:
• A Dyn.1 ivory docket of King Djer
bears a writing that might represent
an early appearance of Sothic calendar:
- Cow Sek-hathor = Sothis/Sopdet (Sirius)
- A Shu-feather symbol between horns
- An Akhet-sign below
“Opening of the year” (i.e., New Year).
i.e., Beginning of Sothic cycle (July 19).
MOON: Astronomical mapping and observations.
The Egyptians had a lunar calendar which yielded a 354-day lunar year.
Each lunar month is actually closer to 29½ days in length (roughly 30 days)
The lunar calendar was used for temple feast days and related rituals.
MOON: Charting the lunar cycle.
• The lunar cycle displays 12 shorter
lunar months within the lunar year
(354 days): 29 ½ day months.
• The Egyptians designated the var.
phases of the moon:
(a). Invisibility (black moon) Feast
i.e., = New Moon
(c). 1st quarter (feast of 6th day)
(e). Full moon (Feast of 15th day)
(g). Last quarter (feast of …)
(a). Invisibility (black moon) Feast
i.e., New Moon.
• Each day of the ascendant moon is
represented by a step in a 14-step
stairway with a deity per steps rising
to the Full Moon disk (Sound Eye):
the Eye of Horus healed by Thoth.
• The waning moon is equated with
deity Osiris (less commonly noted).
Ptolemaic Temple of Dendera: ascendant phases of moon
Tomb of Sety I: two clusters of lunar deities converging.
PLANETS: Other astronomical mapping and observations.
The Egyptians noticed 5 planets: Mercury, Venus * Mars, Jupiter & Saturn
Egyptian astronomers noticed 5 planets:
• The planets are designated by the same word
as stars, namely sb3 …
• However, the planets are known to be different
from stars via their movements within the sky
and are isolated accordingly (in depictions):
- internal (planets)
- external (planets).
SebegBenw Hor akhty“the W star which
crosses the sky.”Southern
Star
Gliding civil / solar calendar:• The Egyptian 365-day year = subdivided
into 3 seasons (following the three sets
of 120-day visible decans); also lunar!
(a). Flood season: 120 days
(b). Growing season: 120 days
(c). Harvest season: 120 days
• These three seasons are subdivided
into four months each of 30 days:
1. 1st month of flooding: July
2. 2nd month of flooding: Aug.
3. 3rd month of flooding: Sept.
4. 4th month of flooding: Oct.
5. 1st month of growing (winter): Nov.
6. 2nd month of growing (winter): Dec.
7. 3rd month of growing (winter): Jan.
8. 4th month of growing (winter): Feb.
9. 1st month of harvest (summer): March
10. 2nd month of harvest (summer) April
11. 3rd month of harvest (summer): May
12. 4th month of harvest (summer): June
• 5 external days = placed at end of year
An “imperfect”(?) calendar:Disadvantage of solar calendar:
• The Egyptian solar civil calendar
of 365 days had the disadvantage
that it lost a ¼ day each year.
• This meant losing one day every
four years with the seasons slowly
shifting out of sequence.
• Maximum discrepancy occurred
in 730 years, after which the civil
calendar slowly returned to normal
over the next 730 years: 1,460 years.
• In 3,500+ years of history, such
things were definitely noticed.
• However, the Egyptians had already
found an accurate alternate calendar
accurate to 365¼ days, poss. By Dyn.1
• Hence, the mobile nature of the solar
calendar was recognized early, but =
purposefully retained (by decree!).Sothic calendar (a decanal star)
The 36 decans:
E.g., Tomb ceiling of Sety I
Depicting and naming each of the 36 decans (stars)
including the forms of the deities each represent.
Mapping the stars:Dyn.18: Senmut “star chart” of constellations
Sopdet (left) & Orion (right) in celestial boats
Orion
Mapping the stars:Middle Kingdom “star chart” of constellations with Sopdet (left) and Orion (right)
Sirius is sometimes labeled Isis Sopdet; Orion-Osiris wears a triple star-crown.
Sopdet (Sirius) & Orion; actual chart of these constellations.
Finding Sirius & sothic year:
•Sothic calendar in essence
revolves around the annual
re-appearance of exceptionally
bright dog star Sirius (Egyptian
Sopdet):
• prt špdt = the “coming out of
Sopdet” marking New Year
(during summer solstice).
• It re-appears in Egypt consistently
at the advent of the Nile flood
(around July 19/20), presumably
being sighted from the same latitude
(just before dawn):
• its actual heliacal rise is not really
visible to the naked eye for a while:
i.e., sun’s radiance obscures visibility.
NEED only observe its rising ea. year!
Finding Sirius & sothic year:
• As the year progresses,
Sirius becomes visible earlier
& earlier throughout the night,
until it disappears once again
about 120 days later (1 season):
• It stays in a “one” hour slot
for 10 days before moving to
an earlier hour slot, and so
forth over the course of 12
“night”-hours.
• It forms one of 36 decans,
each of which are visible in
three clusters of 12 for the
three 4-month seasons
of the year. Night hour-12
(10 days)
Night hour-11
(10 days)
Problems in recon. Ancient dates:
• Presumably the Sothic sightings were
taken at a set latitude (Elephantine?),
since the date of Sirius’ rising will vary
by one day per 1 degree latitude,
= a difference of 4-7 days from S-N.
E.g., T-III temple of Satet at Elephantine
Satet assimilates with Sopdet
Map of the sequence of 12 decanal stars through one night:36 decans progress through a 360-day year (5 epagomenal days = external)
Decan = 60 minutes re: earth rotation gave rise to 24-hour clock.
By-product of star charts: Egyptian time-keeping water clock:Karnak Temple water clock dating to Amenhotep III (late Dyn.18; 14th cent. BC).
The oldest known clepsydrae (water clocks): Unequal nights equal 12 hours.
By-product of astronomy: Egyptian time-keeping shadow clockA shadow clock designed for northern Egypt: hours 1-6 indicated for daytime.
(such clocks had different month-settings to accommodate celestial changes).
Finding Sirius & sothic year:• The advantage of using Sopdet
(the dog-star Sirius) in a calendar
is that its annual cycle is precisely
365.2500 mean days.
• Other decanal stars = 365.2563.
• Hence, Sopdet (Sothis/Sirius) very
closely matches the real solar
tropical year: 365.242192643 days.
(rounded off to 365.2422).
Why didn’t they adjust the civil yr?
• Classical authors note an Egyptian
decree forbade an adjustment to the
civil/solar calendar: i.e.,the Egyptians
knew it was out by a ¼ year.
• It is possible the Anc. Egyptians felt
they shouldn’t correct a divine system,
but instead worked within it: …
- Using 29½ lunar month calendar
- Using solar calendar (with decans)
Translating
concepts into
architecture:Aligning, designing, & adorning
various structures with diverse
and spatially significant features.
OLD KINGDOM: Laying out the
base of the royal pyramid:
- Old Kingdom pyramids = aligned
exceedingly accurately with each
face towards a main bearing:
North, East, South, West.
i.e., Less than 1/15 of 1 degree
off: 0.19% error.
- The north side and entryway aimed
at True North (& circumpolar stars):
- Possibly established via taking
astronomical sightings:
I. E. S. Edwards suggests that
the halfway point observed
between rising & setting stars
would have obtained this direction.
- Other ideas include solar sightings:
LP “the shadow” & “stride of Ra”
i.e., sun rises & sets perpendicular
to True North: used gnomon pole?
OLD KINGDOM: Aligning the pyramid entry
and sides to True North• Circumpolar stars (“the imperishable ones”)
• Techniques for establishing “true north”
Main destination
for deceased
king.
Determin
-ative for
pyramid
Dyn.2 image
of Benu-bird
TRANSITION IN BELIEFS:
Symbolic & functional in
engineering rebirth:
Late Dyn.5 – Dyn. 8:
Pyramid Texts:
The king ascends to the
heavens/sky using steps,
a ladder, sun’s rays, etc.
OK = yellow
wagtail
Later = heron
DYN.4+
pyramids
Dyn.11: Montuhotep III
• Two diff. phases of temple
construction = aligned with
the heliac rising of Sirius
*(coincides with Nile Flood):
• Astronomer Maria Firneis
(Univ. Observatory Vienna)
calculated its rise at Thebes:
- 3000 BC: July 11 at Thebes
- 2000 BC: 2 deg. 17’ shift to
north.
Explains shift in temple.
Dyn.19: Ramesses II.
Abu Simbel:
-Year 24: two rock-cut temples at
Abu Simbel (70 km. N of 2nd Ct).
- Great Temple (royal cult)
a. R-II as a deity
b. Amun
c. Re-Horakhty
d. Ptah (actually not struck by sun)
- Temple oriented to the sun,
allowing sun's rays to strike
inner 4 statues (60 m inside)
on the equinox: Feb.22; Oct.22.
Deriving meaning: did the Giza pyramids replicate the “belt of Orion”
One step too many? i.e., finding significance where it may not/cannot exist.
i.e., Pyramids built by 3 kings over several decades with other kings in-between.
Other symbolic
geographic elements
within typical MK+
Egyptian temples:Replicating aspects of the
cosmos within Egyptian temples
(i.e., sympathetic magic)
EGYPTIAN CREATION MYTHS :
• Many different creation myths
and variants within and between
different cult centres through time:
• Different cities claim to be site of
primordial mound.
• Priestly syncretization of different myths
reveals a belief in their symbolism
rather than a literal meaning.
• Over time they admitted the existence
of multiple divine beings, but attempted
to explain the act of creation via
a single creative force or divinity.
• Their observations & creation myths revealed
a. An underlying “order” in the universe
b. Continuity (nat. cycle) in the universe
c. A balance between “order” & “chaos”
d. Optimism regarding maat vs. isfet Primordial mound
Heliopolis
Memphis
ThebesCoptos
Amarna
Hermopolis
Early links between a Creation Myth (“the primordial mound”)
and augmenting rebirth in the afterlife via symbolic architecture.
Arms of Geb (earth deity)
and Horus (kingship deity)
lifting up & supporting mound
Lotus, = “rebirth”
Horus falcon (kingship deity)
perched on lotus.
Maat-feather of truth
(symbolizing order in universe)
IMAGE: Dyn.25 King Taharqa: NK rites of the
mound of Jemme = creation myth.
primordial mound
Thebes as the place of creation:Dynasty 19 text (temp. Ramesses II)
“Thebes is normal beyond every other city.
The water and land were in her
from the first times.
(Then) sand came to delimit the fields
and to create her ground on the hillock;
thus earth came into being.
Then men came into being in her,
to found every city with her real name,
for their name is called “city” (only) under
the oversight of Thebes, the Eye of Re.
…
“How rich she is,” they say about her,
“in her name of Thebes!”
…
“Every other city is under (her) shadow,
To magnify themselves through Thebes.
She is the norm.”
Thebes
Egyptian Temples:
Egyptian gods and their cults
• Triad -Amun-Re (chief deity)
-Mut (wife)
-Khonsu (offspring)
Montu
Theban war-god
MK - *New Kingdom temples (with continuity into Greco-Roman period):
• Now kings focusing on being patrons for building cult temples (esp. stone)
• “Standard plan” appears (Thebes): Pylon, courtyard, hypostyle hall, sanctuary.
• BUT, many variants, and far fewer NK temples survive in northern Egypt.
• Decoration in each chamber reflects function: e.g., treasury; sanctuary, etc.
• King provides bulk wealth to Amun-Re: syncretism of “hidden one” & solar deity
Pylon
Courtyard
Hypostyle hall:
(raised centre
columns) Sanctuary
Ground rises & ceiling lowers towards sanctuary:
i.e., represents primordial mound & increasing mystery
Egyptian Temples:
Landing “quay”
-Most important entry:
(T-shaped; large ships).
- Placement of cult statues
to greet & observe other
deities traversing Nile.
- Quays accommodated
low-high floods (4 m)
- Visit/return of cult images
- Public area (e.g., oracles)
Egyptian Temples:
Enclosure walls.
a. separate divine from non-divine
b. protection from civil war/invasion
-Mud brick walls, beams, matting.
-Early NK word sebty for walls
around towns and temples.
-Temple walls up to 10 m wide
-Often crenellated battlements &
stone gateways.
-Sometimes bastions/towers.
-Brick courses in concave &
convex sections a wave-like
pattern (primordial waters of
chaos mound of life).
-During high floods, the temple
re-enacted creation myth with
temple rising from waters of chaos.
Egyptian Temples:
Obelisks.
- Solar cult symbol
(benben stone)
- Sometimes singly along
temple axis
- Often in pairs flanking
pylon entryways
- Gifts to gods
commemorating:
a. royal festivals
b. military victories
c. other major events
- Pyramidion gilded to
catch the sun's rays
at dawn and sunset.
- Middle Kingdom+
examples are known
Entry pylon symbolism in decoration. • king smites foes victory of Maat (order) over chaos
Temple entry guarded from evil by the king.
Egyptian Temples: The Cosmic Role of the king.• Themes: King maintaining Maat - Smiting enemies (chaos)
- Hunting hippopotamus (chaos)
- King & gods netting wild birds (chaos)
White Crown
(Upper Egypt)
Red Crown
(Lower Egypt)
“South”
Emblematic plant of UE“North”
Emblematic plant of LE
WEST
EAST
AXIS
Nekhbet
(Desert vulture)
Wadjet
(Delta cobra)
SOUTH SIDE NORTH SIDE
Egyptian Temples:
Outer Courts.
• Interface between outer
public area and inner
sacred chambers.
• Public access to outer
courtyard only on various
occasions & festivals.
• Egyptian glyph rekhyt
designating public area
(Ptolemaic: “court of the
multitudes”)
• Special areas for public
worship & communication
with deities.
Egyptian Temples: The Outer Courts / Forecourt (“Court of the People”).
Private KA spirit-statues:
• memorial for deceased
• Allows deceased to participate
in rituals (LINKS TO BEYOND)
• Texts request people to say
the deceased’s name and
recite offering formula on
his/her behalf.
• Received magical reversion
of offerings.
• NK+ statues of men (< women)
• Made to be unobtrusive and
humble.
• Traces of piety? (touching)
Egyptian Temples: Doorways/Barriers.
• Protect inner sacred areas: signage restricting entry
• Symbolic thresholds in progression of rituals.
• Some metals doors; other wooden doors
• Names: “The doorway Menkheperre, Amun-great-of
-strength, whom-the-people-praise”
ARCHITECTURE: Symbolism in temple interior.
Hypostyle columned hall
• Symbolizing marsh and plants
• Column capitals = aquatic plants
Column bases = base of plants.
• Architraves & ceiling portray stars
• Lowest register (dado) portrays aquatic
plants around room.
• Wall scenes: -king making offerings
to deities/deity
-King participating in
various rituals.
-King’s offering bearers
bringing produce
• Raised floor level = mound of creation
• Nile flood waters entered halls,
recreating creation myth each year.
Egyptian Temples: Stairs.
• In pylons and within temples.
• E.g., Dendera Temple: for the New
Year festival the image of Hathor
is taken to the roof top to await
the first sunrise “uniting with the
sun”
• Scenes of processions leading up
the stairs.
• Priestly star watch in night hours.
Egyptian Temples:
Barque chapel.
• Room near sanctuary
• Sanctuary with shrine
for the barque.
• Depictions of sun-god
traversing sky in boat
“Primordial
mound”
Egyptian Temples:
Sanctuary and shrine.
• At the back of the main axis
• Shrine (naos) built of hard stone with
bronze or gold plated doors
• Each shrine bore its own name
e.g., “favourite of the god”
• Sanctuary restricted to king and
the highest ranking priests.
• Strict purification rituals required
before entering temple (“heaven
on earth”)
• Cult images of different materials,
sizes and forms.
Egyptian Temples: Architectural
microcosm of the universe/cosmos.
mound
of creation
(& re-birth)i.e., guaranteeing continuity of universe
Egyptian Temples:
Barque chapels and
barque processions.
• Public festivals, etc.,
in which barque = carried
on shoulders of priests
• Public oracles to receive
judgements of deities
*”yes” and “no” answers)
• Barque moves / nods to
indicate response.
• Usually no appeal once
verdict is given, but a
second opinion can be
obtained from another
deity.
SACRED SECULAR SPACE
Egyptian Temples: Sacred lakes.• Found in most temples: rectangular, stone-lined with stairway access.
• Water filled via local water table (varies throughout the year)
• Provided with names
• Function: water supply for rituals & offerings; bathing place for priests at dawn
• Symbolism: birth place of sun-god who arose from primordial waters
Karnak Temple, geese (manifestation of Amun) swim in Lake.
Egyptian Temples: Nilometers.
• Built to measure annual Nile flood
levels and predict crop yields.
• E.g., Elephantine.
• Note: many wells are mislabelled
“Nilometers”
Daily ritual repulsing Apophis
(= chaos) in Karnak temple:
• 310 BC text written in language
resembling Old Kingdom:
Title:
“The beginning of the Book of
overthrowing Apophis,
the enemy of Re and the enemy
of King Wen-nofer (Osiris),
l.p.h., the justified,
performed in the course of every day
in the Temple of Amon-Re,
Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands,
presiding over Karnak.”
NB: Patron-kings & temple ensuring the
daily triumph of “order” over “chaos”
and continuation of the universe ...
Dyn.18: Amenhotep II’s tomb
D.18: T.III tomb
Bastet
Amenhotep II: Amduat: Hour-2 fleet fields
Hour
1:
ROYAL NK Book of Amduat:
• Sun-god’s journey through
12 hours of night sunsetrise
Death UnderworldRebirth
• King accompanies sun-god
• Osiris = passive role
• King’s corpse united with Ba
(“soul”) of sun-god in hour-6/7
HOUR-1:
• Sun-god (Ram-headed Ba
soul) enters Underworld, hr.1
• Solar baboons & goddesses
welcome solar bark
• This stage initiates an ordering
& revealing of the unknown
HOUR-2:
• Start of actual Underworld
• Land of plenty & watery realm
(Wernes)
Thutmose III: Amduat: Hour-5 cave of Sokar
Amduat: Hour-6: King = resurrected! midnight = danger point (Apophis!!!)
ROYAL NK Book of Amduat:
HOUR-5:
• The registers intersect
• This embodies “The West”
• It has all the main elements
of the land of the dead
(including primeval water).
• Grave of Osiris; Cave of
Sokar; Lake of punishment.
HOUR-6: (important)
• Depth of Netherworld (Nun)
• Re & Osiris unite as Ba &
corpse at climax of journey
• Kings of UE-LE & resurrection
Thutmose III: Amduat: Hour-11 (punishment)
Thutmose III: Amduat: Hour-12 (rebirthdawn
ROYAL NK Book of Amduat:
HOUR-11:
• Preparations for sunrise
• Snake “World-encircler” near
the bark’s prow.
• Enemies being burnt in upper
register, removing any evil
that might prevent rebirth.
HOUR-12:
• Rebirth of sun in 12th hour
• Repetition of the original
creation = primeval deities are
present.
• Large number of figures
emphasize the event’s gravity.
• Backward direction symbolizes
reversal of time
• Old/frail entering snake’s tail
emerge as newborn babes
• Shu waiting to lift sun sky
• Osiris & dead stay behind
• Apophis = repelled 1 last time
OTHER EXPRESSIONS
OF THE COSMOS
IN DEATH:The role of private tombs
(“House of eternity”) in
Egypt’s sacred landscape
FIP – MK+ religion:
Three concepts of eternity:
1. Kings (royalty):
• Later building pyramids again
in Dynasties 12-17
• Return to concept of joining
deities in the heavens.
2. Middle-Upper classes:
• Adopting Old Kingdom royal
funerary beliefs heavens!
• Building better tombs and
furnishings
3. Poorer classes:
• Aspired simply to cultivate land
plots in the Field of Reeds for
eternity (= base expectation).
Democratization of religion:
ALL can be resurrected & join Osiris
FIP – MK religion:
• Democratization of religion and
funerary beliefs and practices.
• New focus on the Osiris cult
• Now aimed at individuals attaining
an afterlife independent from king.
(i.e., elite, middle class, & poor).
• People no longer relied on the king’s
beneficences for the afterlife
(i.e., the tomb & its furnishings)
• Everyone could now have an afterlife
OSIRIS:
• Originally a vegetation deity
• Linked with annual cycle of planting
(insemination), growth (gestation),
harvest dry season (birth death)
• Associated with fertility & giving life
• Became deceased king of Underworld
(“Field of Reeds”)
FIP – MK religion:
OSIRIS (continued):
• Usually depicted as a bandaged
mummiform figure with royal
insignia: crook, flail, divine beard
• Becomes a divine judge
• Symbol of victory of good over
evil.
• He had emerged reborn successfully
after death belief that he therefore
help others be reborn successfully.
• Osiris became accessible to everyone
after the Old Kingdom collapsed.
• Only real requirement to enter the
Field of Reeds = moral fitness.
i.e., Judgement Hall concept emerges
in FIP (post Old Kingdom)
FIP – MK religion:
OSIRIS (continued):
• Usually depicted as a bandaged
mummiform figure with royal
insignia: crook, flail, divine beard
• Becomes a divine judge
• Symbol of victory of good over
evil.
• He had emerged reborn successfully
after death belief that he therefore
help others be reborn successfully.
• Osiris became accessible to everyone
after the Old Kingdom collapsed.
• Only real requirement to enter the
Field of Reeds = moral fitness.
i.e., Judgement Hall concept emerges
in FIP (post Old Kingdom)Concept of judgement hall emerges
i.e., live righteously to enter afterlife
FIP – MK+ religion:
Field of Reeds (Underworld):
• Below the Western Horizon,
on a cluster of islands.
• Resembled Egypt in life, but
lacked any hostile elements
(disease; inimical beings)
• Fertile land
• Warm climate
• Dead received plots to cultivate
• Middle to Upper Classes aimed
for a better style of living, like
in their lifetimes:
i.e., furnishing tombs with items
desired for afterlife
• BUT, still needed to house and to
provision the ka-spirit in the tomb.
• Funerary equipment for both the
tomb & afterlife.
New Kingdom
example
MK: Beni Hasan rock-cut tombs
Middle Kingdom: Pilgrimage to Abydos in the afterlife.
• Many of the builders of chapels at Abydos, actually resided, died, and were buried
elsewhere in Egypt.
• Cenotaph shrines of diverse social strata allowed deceased to partake in Osiris cult
festivities for perpetuity.
Rise of the cult of Osiris (at Abydos)
Sacred pilgrimage to Abydos (in life / afterlife)
“Democratization” of religion
(i.e., royal Pyramid Texts private coffins)
Dyn.11 Tomb of Meketre (Thebes)