Tag: gods and goddesses

Bronze Statue of Isis, Osiris and Horus

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 18, 2022

This bronze statue at the MET is from the Ptolemaic Period (664 – 31 B.C.E.) represents Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Horus 𓅃𓀭- the main triad of the Egyptian pantheon.

Here, Horus 𓅃𓀭 is represented in his Greek form Harpokrates, with his trademarked “finger to lips” pose. This pose represents the “be quiet” gesture because to the Greeks Harpokrates was the god 𓊹 of silence. What is interesting about this piece is that there are suspension loops on the back of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 and Harpokrates – this piece is probably too big to be worn as a necklace, so the loops may have some type of unknown symbolic significance.

Many gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 in the Egyptian pantheon appeared in groups of threes 𓏼, which were known as Triads. They were groups of gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that usually have some type of familial significance to each other. For example, one of the Memphis triads during this period was Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱, Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐, and Nefertem 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯. Nefertem 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯 is the son of Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐, just like Horus 𓅃𓀭 is the son of Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭!!

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, horus, isis, osiris, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Hathor – the Beautiful Cow!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 18, 2022

Is this a beautiful woman 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐 or a cow 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒?! The answer is both because this image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 from The Book of the Dead of Imhotep (at the MET) is of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡 in her cow 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 form!

Hathor 𓉡 is one of the most prominent goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 of the Egyptian pantheon, and her roles evolved over time. Along with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, she is regarded as the “divine mother” of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but is also the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of love, joy 𓄫𓏏𓄣, music 𓉔𓇌𓆸 (she was often depicted on sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪), and dance – basically the fun things in life 𓋹! Hathor is also mentioned as the the wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 of Horus 𓅃𓀭, and the daughter 𓅭𓏏of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛, though through times some of these relations have changed/evolved.

The name 𓂋𓈖 “Hathor 𓉡“ in Middle Egyptian translates to “House of Horus” which links Hathor 𓉡 to the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 (because the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 is where Horus 𓅃𓀭 dwells). Absorbing the roles of pre-dynastic deities, Hathor was associated with both the night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛 sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 and the Milky Way Galaxy 𓄟𓋴𓈎𓏏𓈊.

Another function that Hathor 𓉡 possessed that not many are aware of was that she was also a prominent funerary goddess 𓊹𓏏! One of her roles was to provide peace and solace to the souls 𓂓𓂓𓂓 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 as they entered the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. She was referred to as “Mistress of the West,” and could be found welcoming the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 with fresh water 𓈗. She also earned the title “Lady of the Sycamore,” and was also seen as a tree 𓆭𓅓𓆭 goddess 𓊹𓏏.

Tags artifact, book of the dead, gods and goddesses, hathor, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Relief of Two Baboons

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 18, 2022

This is a sunken limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 relief from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c. 400–200 B.C.E.). There’s a lot going on here in such a small space! Let’s take a look!

Two 𓏻 baboons are offering Wedjat Eyes 𓂀𓂀 to the god 𓊹 Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛, who is depicted as the scarab 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣. Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 represents the “newborn sun” (sun at dawn). On the relief, Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 is holding the star “𓇽,” which is the sign for the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 (Underworld/Afterlife), and beneath him is a sun disc 𓇳𓏺 with sun rays 𓆄𓅱𓇶 extending downward.

The baboons in this relief are most likely associated with the god 𓊹 Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭, who was often depicted as a baboon. The reason why they seem to be associated with Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 is because of the Wedjat Eyes 𓂀𓂀 they are holding and also by the shen rings 𓍶𓍶 they are wearing on their heads. The shen rings 𓍶𓍶 are thought to represent the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹, and since Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 is god 𓊹 of the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹, he is commonly associated with this symbol!

The wedjat 𓂀 or the “Eye of Horus” is representative of the eye 𓁹𓏏𓏤 that Horus 𓅃𓀭 lost when battling Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣. Thoth 𓅤𓀭 restored Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 eye, however, the single Eye of Horus became a symbol of rebirth or healing 𓋴𓈖𓃀𓏜.

The Shen ring 𓍶 symbol is a circle of rope that is tied at the end. The tied rope symbolizes completeness, infinity/eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛, and is also a symbol of protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜.

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, khepri, the met, thoth

Egyptian Artifacts

Sekhmet and Ptah – the Unlikely Pair!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 18, 2022

This piece at the MET is from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c. 664–30 B.C.E.) is tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 so of course I love it!!

This small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 piece of metal depicts the deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐. Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 are super interesting mythological figures in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 because they were some of the oldest deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that were worshipped for thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of years!

Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was known as the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of war, the destructive aspects of the sun 𓇳𓏺 (such as the desert 𓅟𓂋𓏏𓈊 heat), could bring on plagues, and was associated with kingship. In the Book of the Dead, Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 is referred to as “The Master Architect,” and “Framer of Everything in the Universe” due to his role in “speaking” the world 𓇾𓇾 into creation!

If Sekhmet’s 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 power was uncontrolled, she could pose major problems for Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. For example, when Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was sent by her father Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 to punish the human race for rebelling against him, she lost control and had to be stopped by Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 before she eradicated all of humanity! Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 tricked her into thinking that pomegranate juice was blood and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 drank so much she fell asleep! In one version of the myth, when she wakes up, the first thing she sees is Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and instantly falls in love with him!

The love affair between Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 us very interesting in a mythological sense because Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 represents creation while Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 can represent total destruction! Their son 𓅭, Nefertem 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯, is the god 𓊹 of healing. The union of creation and destruction created healing and thus re-established “Ma’at” (truth 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄/justice 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄𓏜) in the world 𓇾𓇾!

Tags amulet, artifact, gods and goddesses, ptah, sekhmet, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Graeco-Roman Stela

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 4, 2022

This is certainly an interesting stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 for sure!

This stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 is made of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 but the craftsmanship is kind of…off! This is very typical for work from the time period (1st Century B.C.E. – 4th Century A.D.). During the Greek and Roman periods, objects like amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪, stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪, statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, and more were so mass produced that the craftsmanship suffered. Let’s take a look at what is going on!

The top section of the stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 seems to be trying to follow the traditional Egyptian way – the winged 𓂧𓌳𓏏𓆃 sun disc 𓇳𓏺 and the Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 are roughly carved but are definitely there! This design is known as “ Horus the Behdetite” and is a representation of Horus 𓅃𓀭 that is popular on stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪. Under that, two 𓏻 jackals 𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥𓏦 are depicted!

In the middle section, from the left, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is depicted holding an ankh 𓋹 or key which most likely symbolizes his association with/ability to access the underworld (a very Graeco-Roman version of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣)! Then the four 𓏽 people to the right of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 are identified by the Greek inscription below: “Pekysis, son of Aruotes, and his brother Pachoumis; Tbaikis the elder and Tbaikis the younger.” Pekysis is thought to be the man holding the torch! Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 is depicted all the way on the right!

Thanks to the MET for the Greek translation because I certainly don’t speak Greek!

Tags anubis, artifact, gods and goddesses, greek, osiris, roman, stela, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Doorjamb from a Temple of Rameses II

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 4, 2022

This large piece at the MET is referred to as a “Doorjamb from a Temple of Rameses II.” Basically, that means these blocks came from a gateway at a temple that was built in honor of one of Rameses II’s 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 royal jubilees.

The offering scene that is on the doorjamb is Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 making an offering to the god 𓊹 Ptah-Tatanen 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁯, who was the patron god 𓊹 of the jubilee. Ptah-Tatanen 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁯 is a combination of the deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 (the creator god 𓊹) and Tatanen 𓁯, a lesser known deity who was the personification of the primordial mound that rose during the Egyptian creation myth. Tatanen 𓁯 is often compared to Geb 𓅭𓃀𓀭 (the god 𓊹 of the Earth 𓇾𓇾), however Tatanen 𓁯 is often associated with things that come from the interior of the Earth 𓇾𓇾 such as minerals, rocks 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦, and plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰!

So Geb 𓅭𓃀𓀭 is the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface (The Upper Earth), while Tatanen 𓁯 is the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 interior (The Lower Earth)! As a geologist, I love how the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 were able to make this distinction between the spheres of the Earth 𓇾𓇾 in their mythology! They also recognized the atmosphere (another sphere of the Earth 𓇾𓇾) as the god 𓊹 Shu 𓆄𓅱𓀭! It’s all so impressive to me!

Ptah-Tatanen 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁯 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 is broken down like this:

𓊪𓏏𓎛 – Ptah (spelled out with phonogram symbols)

𓁯 – Tatanen (the determinative/ideogram)

Ptah’s 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 determinative was basically replaced with the determinative for Tatanen 𓁯 to make the god’s 𓊹 name 𓂋𓈖!

Can you spot Ptah-Tatanen 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁯 in the inscription on the doorjamb???

(Also Rameses III’s 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓈘𓇋𓏠𓈖 cartouches appear on this too on the bottom of the doorjamb – he clearly usurped this piece for his own use and didn’t change all of the cartouches!)

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, rameses ii, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Relief of Thoth

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date August 11, 2022

This is a limestone relief of the god 𓊹 Thoth 𓅤𓀭 at the Vatican Museum! While Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is my favorite Egyptian god 𓊹, Thoth 𓅤𓀭 was always my second favorite because he was the god 𓊹 of scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 and writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥! Since I love hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, Thoth 𓅤𓀭 was always a figure that I found fascinating!

Here are some fun facts about Thoth!
-“Thoth” is actually his Greek name – in Egyptian his name is “Djehuty”

-While Thoth 𓅤𓀭 is mainly known as being the patron of scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 and the god 𓊹 of writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥/creator of language, he is also considered the god 𓊹 of the sciences and the moon!

-He is credited with inventing the calendar and controlling space and time!

-Thoth 𓅤𓀭 has also provided guidance to the other gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and can also be associated with truth and justice.

-Since Thoth 𓅤𓀭 was the god 𓊹 of the moon, he replaced Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 in the sky at night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛.

-He can be represented as an Ibis𓅞, as a human body with an Ibis head𓁟, or as a baboon𓃻!

-He was the bookkeeper at the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony

Tags gods and goddesses, thoth, vatican museum

Egyptian Artifacts

Bastet vs. Sekhmet

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date August 11, 2022

This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 shows bronze statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 of the beloved 𓌻𓂋𓇌 Egyptian goddess 𓊹𓏏 Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐. Here are some fun facts about Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐!!

The goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 were both depicted as cats 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠𓏪, however, Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 usually had the body of a woman while Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 usually had the body of a cat 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠.

However, when Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 was depicted with the body of a woman, she was usually holding a sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 in one hand! Since Hathor 𓉡 was usually seen with sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪, this shows a link between the two 𓏻 goddesses!

Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 and Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 were believed to be the two unpredictable personalities of the same goddess 𓊹𓏏. While Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 represented the destructive and unpredictable side, Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 was the gentler and calmer side.

Bastet 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 was the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of pregnancy and childbirth and was considered to be the protective form of the goddess 𓊹𓏏.

Bastet’s 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 father was Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛! Which is why her alter ego Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 can be associated with the sun.

Tags artifact, bastet, gods and goddesses, sekhmet, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Late Period Faience Amulets

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date August 11, 2022

These are some Late Period faience amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪! Amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 were protective symbols that could be used by either the living 𓋹𓈖𓐍 or the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 and each amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 had its own power based on the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 it represented.

The first amulet 𓊐𓊪𓅆 on the left is Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭, the god 𓊹 of the air and atmosphere. In the Egyptian creation myth, Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭 raised the atmosphere from the Earth’s 𓇾𓇾 surface, separating the two 𓏻. Shu 𓇋𓅱𓀭 was often worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 by sailors, who were looking for favorable winds 𓇋𓇬𓈖𓅱𓊡𓏦!

The next two 𓏻 amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 are different representations of the god 𓊹 Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭. Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 is usually represented as a ram and is one of the oldest Egyptian deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 – evidence of worship 𓇼𓄿𓀢 dates back to the First Dynasty!! Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 is the god 𓊹 of the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 and fertility. In the creation myth, Khnum 𓎸𓏏𓀭 is said to have created all of the world’s people on his potter’s wheel. He is associated with Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱, who created the heavens 𓊪𓏏𓇯 and Earth 𓇾𓇾 on a potter’s wheel.

The next two 𓏻 amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 are a hare 𓃹𓏺 and an Apis Bull 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓃒. The hare 𓃹𓏺 amulet was thought to have regenerative powers, and in a funerary context, would help the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 be reborn 𓄟𓍿𓅱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. The Apis Bull 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓃒 was associated with fertility and rebirth 𓄟𓍿𓅱 and was mostly worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 in Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖.

Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗 is a fierce Egyptian goddess 𓊹𓏏 who is associated with childbirth. Women who were pregnant would wear amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 of Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗 for protection. Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗 is always represented as a pregnant hippopotamus 𓌉𓏏𓃯 and was a household deity – she didn’t have any temples 𓉟𓏏𓉐𓏪 dedicated to her specifically.

Tags amulet, apis bull, artifact, gods and goddesses, Khnum, shu, taweret, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Museum Display at the Louvre

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date August 11, 2022

I love the randomness of some museum displays – there’s always so much to look at! By “randomness,” I’m referring to the varying objects that can be grouped together, however they are from the same time period so the conglomeration of different objects can give you a sense of the varying objects common during that period! It also gives you a look into the art styles that were popular!

Starting from the left, you can see a figure of the god Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜. Bes 𓃀𓋴𓄜 didn’t become commonly worshipped until the beginning of the New Kingdom. He was the god of childbirth, protector of the household 𓉐𓏺, and defender of all that is good! He was considered to be a “demonic fighter,” and was also a war god.

There are two 𓏻 ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures with beautiful hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃𓏪 inscriptions. These little guys were buried with the deceased and were meant to be their servants in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. Most ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 are inscribed with a spell that tells you what their function was. When Osiris 𓁹𓊨 𓀭 called upon the deceased for labor, the deceased would say the spell on the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 and it would come to life and perform the labor in place of the deceased!

Next are the sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪! A sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 was almost like an ancient tambourine or rattle – while the part that makes the music is often not found intact, the handle with Hathor’s 𓉡 face usually is. Sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 can be found dating back to the Old Kingdom, but most that are found are usually from the Late – Graeco/Roman periods.

And lastly, a statue of the goddess Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐! Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was one of my Nonno’s favorite mythological figures. Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was a war goddess and was associated with the destructive aspects of the sun 𓇳𓏺 (like the unrelenting heat of the desert).

Tags bes, gods and goddesses, hathor, louvre, sekhmet, ushabti

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