Isis Feeding Horus as a Baby

The image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 feeding Horus 𓅃𓀭 as a baby is one of the most popular images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 of the Third Intermediate Period, Late Period and even through the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods.  

This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 appeared in bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦, stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪, and even as small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪! My Nonno would always point out these pieces of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 feeding Horus 𓅃𓀭 as a baby because he felt they were so significant to the evolution of religious art through time. 

While my Nonno loved Egyptian 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐 and Roman art, he also loved Christian/Biblical art, so these Egyptian 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 were kind of a natural connection between his area of interests! I always make sure to look for statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 like this in museums whenever I visit! 

Symbolically, Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 was thought to be the mother𓅐𓏏𓁐 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, and was often associated with motherhood, the protection of women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐, and a user of magic 𓎛𓂓𓄿𓏜.  As Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 became a more popular religious figure, she was associated with cosmological order and was considered to be the embodiment of fate by the Romans.  Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 was widely worshipped during the Roman times, and Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 feeding Horus 𓅃𓀭 as a baby has even appeared on the back of Roman coins.

This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of a mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 holding a child 𓐍𓇌𓀕 is thought to have inspired the well known Catholic images of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus as a baby.