The Deities Maat and Osiris-Iah

These two 𓏻 bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 pieces at the Petrie Museum are both such nice representations of Egyptian deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹! Bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 were popular during the later period of Egyptian history, and there are so many of them for two 𓏻 reasons! The first 𓏃 is that bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 preserves really well so the pieces aren’t as subject to breakdown and the second is because bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 pieces were mass produced! Both of these bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 are dated to the 26th Dynasty. 

The statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 at the forefront of the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦. Not only was Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of truth 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄, fact, law, order and justice 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄𓏜, “maat” was also a concept and a way of life in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 was also the balance and order in the whole universe. Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 is usually shown as a woman with a feather 𓆄 on her head.  Her most important role was in the judgement of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

Some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 fun! The words for “Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦,” “truth 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄,” and “justice 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄𓏜” are super similar! 

The statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 in the back of the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is of the combination god 𓊹 Osiris-Iah. I know the description says “Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭,” but the crown on the head of the deity 𓊹, which shows the moon and a crescent underneath, leads me to believe this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is Osiris-Iah. 

While Iah 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹 is the god 𓊹 of the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹, he seems to be the adult version of the god 𓊹 Khonsu 𓐍𓈖𓇓𓅱𓀯(another lunar god 𓊹), and over time seemed to take over the lunar aspect of Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭. So why was Iah 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹 assimilated with Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭? This is most likely due to the monthly lunar cycle, which seems to follow a birth 𓄟 – death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 – rebirth 𓄟𓍿𓅱 cycle. This cycle was the backbone to the Egyptian religion, and was always linked back to Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. 

Some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 fun! The words for the name 𓂋𓈖 of the god 𓊹 “Iah” and “moon” are the same – 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹!