Β The Book of the Dead of Hunefer is one of my absolute favorite artifacts, and seeing it in the British Museum was a dream come true for me!
On the top panel, Hunefer (the deceased) stands before the 42 divine judges and pleads their lifetime of truth and moral doings. The Book of the Dead provided the deceased with the words to say so they would pass this trial!
On the bottom panel: This is the Weighing of the Heart ceremony! Letβs start from the left! Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ is leading Hunefer (the deceased) to the scales (not gonna lie, Iβm a little jealous they are holding hands π). Here, Anubis πππͺπ ±π’ weighs the heart πππ£ of the deceased π ππ± against Maatβs π΄ππ£ππ¦ feather (Maat is sitting on top of the scales). If Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ determines thereβs balance between the two π», that means that the deceased lived a truthful ππ΄π£ππ and just ππ΄π£πππ life πΉ.
Ammit ππ π π (the Devourer of the Dead/Eater of Hearts) is there waiting to see if the deceased π ππ± didnβt live a truthful ππ΄π£ππ life! If the deceasedβs π ππ± heart πππ£ weighs more than the feather, Ammit ππ π π would eat the heart πππ£ and the deceased would βdie a second timeβ and not live in eternal paradise. Thoth π €π records the findings of the ceremony.
If the deceased π ππ± passed the Weigning of the Heart, they would be presented to Osiris πΉπ¨ π by Horus π π and would then enter the Field of Reeds πππ ππΏππ ±π°π and live in eternal paradise!
Triads (groups of three πΌ) were popular among ancient Egyptian statuary and mythology. This piece from the Louvre is called the βRoyal and Divine Triadβ (Dynasty 19, New Kingdom c. 1279-1203 B.C.E.) because it represents three πΌ of the most powerful figures in the Egyptian pantheon. Rameses II ππ πππ³πΊππ΄π or his son π Merenptah π³ππππΉπΉπΉ is on the left, Osiris πΉπ¨π is in the middle, while Horus π π is on the right. The pharaoh ππ» was viewed as a god πΉ on Earth, Horus π π was the king of the gods πΉπΉπΉ, and Osiris πΉπ¨π was lord π of the afterlife.
I find this piece super interesting because the pharaoh ππ» kind of inserted himself amongst the most famous of the Egyptian triads – Isis π¨ππ₯, Osiris πΉπ¨π and Horus π π – who were supposed to represent the divine family (mother π ππ, father πππ, and child πππ). In some instances (like with this statue), the pharaoh ππ» would function as the child in the statue.
Not all triads represented families, though that was the most common. Ptah πͺπππ±, Sekhmet πππ ππ, and Nefertem π€πππππ― was a family triad that was extremely popular in Memphis. During the New Kingdom (around the time of Tutankhamun ππ πππ ±ππΉπΎπΊπ), the triad of Amun ππ π, Ra π³πΊπ, and Ptah πͺπππ± became very popular due to the powerful nature of these three πΌ deities
This raised relief in limestone is dated to the 12th Dynasty (Middle Kingdom c. 1981β1952 B.C.E.) and the reign of the pharaoh Amenemhat Iππ ππ π. Amenemhat I ππ ππ π is famous for moving the capital of Egypt ππ ππ from Thebes πππ to just south of Memphis π ππ€πππ΄π. He also began a co-regency with his son π , Senwosret I ππ΄ππππ ten π years before his death in order to maintain stability. This block was found at the foundation of Amenemhat Iβs ππ ππ π mortuary temple.
From the right, the upper part of a was scepter π can be seen supporting the sky πͺππ―. On the was scepter, a Uraeus πππππ is seen with the shen πΆ symbol of the universe around its neck. The falcon πππ‘π that is seen is actually the top part of the Horus name cartouche (which is usually rectangular shaped and is meant to represent a palace). The god πΉ Horus π π is seen presenting an ankh πΉ to the falcon πππ‘π . Due to the ram πππ horn πππΊ that can be partially seen on the left, it can be inferred that it is the god πΉ Khnum πΈππ that is being depicted.
Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
On top of Horus π π reads: ππ§πππππΉ which translates to:
ππ§ππ- Edfu
πππΉ – May He Give Life (One of Horusβ π π titles is βHorus of Edfu.β)
In between Horus and Khnum the inscription is broken but reads: πππππ³ πππππ΄ππ which translates to: βHe who is before the house of protection, Words Spoken By…β
Here is a sunken relief of the god πΉ Horus π π in white πππ³ limestone ππππ at the Louvre! This is a simple but beautiful π€ piece!
Geology Lesson!!! Limestone ππππ was incredibly abundant in Egypt ππ ππ because about 500 million years ago (for perspective, the dinosaurs first started evolving around 250 million years ago), Egypt ππ ππ was completely underwater! Limestone ππππ (and other sedimentary rocks πππππ¦) mostly form under large bodies of water like oceans and seas! If Egypt ππ ππ didnβt have the abundance of limestone ππππ that it does, the Egyptian civilization would have been very different! The geology gave the Egyptians πππππͺ the natural resources they needed to build the worldβs most successful ancient civilization!
Eguptβs geologic history is also cool because the Egyptian creation myth says that everything started off as water π and the primordial mound rose out of the primordial sea! The creation myth corresponds with Egyptβs ππ ππ geologic past!
Horus π π was one of the most important gods πΉπΉπΉ in the Egyptian pantheon. Horus π π was the mythological representation of the pharaoh ππ»/heir to the throne of Egypt ππ ππ. He is usually represented as a human body with a falcon head. On his head, Horus is always seen wearing the double crown π, which is the combination of the white crown π (π€π) of Upper Egypt π and the red crown π (π§ππππ) of Lower Egypt π€. The double crown π was representative of a unified Egypt ππ ππ under the pharaohβs ππ» rule πΎ.
The Bronze Age started due to the rise in the Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia. Due to war and trade, bronze ππ€ππ¦ was able to come to Egypt ππ ππ around 700 B.C.E. and replace the traditional stone ππππͺ and clay statues πππππΎ. The bronze ππ€ππ¦ pieces are great antiquities because they can preserve small details over long periods of time. Bronze ππ€ππ¦ statuary πππππΎ became very popular starting around the Third Intermediate Period (26th Dynasty), and became very abundant in the Ptolemaic Period, which resulted in mass production and a loss of craftsmanship and quality.
The image ππ ±π of Isis π¨ππ₯ feeding Horus π π as a baby is one of the most popular images ππ ±ππ¦ of the Late Period through the Ptolemaic Period. Symbolically, Isis π¨ππ₯ was thought to be the mother π ππ of the pharaoh ππ», and was often associated with motherhood, the protection of women πππππ, and a user of magic. As Isis π¨ππ₯ became a more popular religious figure, she was associated with cosmological order and was considered to be the embodiment of fate by the Romans. This image ππ ±π of a mother π ππ holding a child πππ is thought to have inspired the well known Catholic images of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus as a baby.
Osiris πΉπ¨π was one of the main figures of Egyptian religion. This is because Osiris πΉπ¨π was the god πΉ of the dead π ππ± and the ruler of the afterlife πΌπΏππ, and Egyptians spent their entire time living preparing for their death π ππ± and meeting with Osiris πΉπ¨π. When the pharaoh ππ» was alive, he was thought to be the living image ππ ±ππΉ of the God πΉ Horus π π, but more importantly when the pharaoh ππ» died, he was thought to then become an Osiris-like figure.
This is a really interesting piece from the British Museum!
It is a sandstone ππ ±π§πππ statue πππππΎ of a falcon πππ‘π headed sphinx ππ ±ππ€! Usually sphinxes ππ ±ππ¦ are depicted as being the body of a lion π³πΉπΏπ with the head πΆπΊ of a man πππ€, but obviously this one is quite different!
Sphinxes ππ ±ππ¦ are incredibly powerful creatures because not only do they represent the physical strength ππππ of a lion π³πΉπΏπ, but also the power of a pharaoh ππ». While the pharaohβs ππ» head πΆπΊ isnβt represented on this sphinx ππ ±ππ€, a falcon is. Falcons πππ‘π π¦ are associated with the god πΉ Horus π π, who is the personification of the pharaohβs ππ» power. Since one of Horusβ π π roles is as the god πΉ of pharaonic power, it makes sense that sphinxes ππ ±ππ¦ can also represent pharaohs ππ»π¦ while using a falcon πππ‘π head πΆπΊ.
Many gods πΉπΉπΉ in the Egyptian pantheon appeared in groups of threes πΌ, which were known as Triads. They were groups of gods πΉπΉπΉ that usually had some type of familial π ππ ±ππππ¦ relationship/significance to each other. One of the Memphis π ππ€πππ΄π triads during the Late Period was Ptah πͺπππ±, Sekhmet πππ ππ, and Nefertem π€πππππ―. Nefertem π€πππππ― is the son of Ptah πͺπππ± and Sekhmet πππ ππ. The amulet ππͺπ on the left is a representation of this Triad!
The Ossirian Triad (the three πΌ amulets ππͺπ πͺ to the right) is a representation of Nephthys π ππ (βMistress of the Houseβ and associated with vultures), Horus π π (god πΉ of the sky πͺππ― and the protector of the ruler πΎ of Egypt ππ ππ), and Isis π¨ππ₯ (goddess πΉπ of healing and magic πππΏπ).
Isis π¨ππ₯ is the mother π ππ of Horus π π, the sister π’ππ of Nephthys π ππ, and the wife ππ of Osiris πΉπ¨π. The amulet ππͺπ is representative of Isis π¨ππ₯ and Nephthys π ππ protecting Horus π π and that protective power extends to the wearer.
This type amulet ππͺπ became very popular during the 26th Dynasty, and was usually used by mummies ππΉπ ±πΎπͺ for protection π ππ‘π on their journey into the afterlife πΌπΏππ. The amulet ππͺπ was either placed on the chest, stomach ππ£π», or the thighs of the mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ.
These are bronze ππ€ππ¦ statues πππππΎπͺ of Horus π π, most likely dated to the Late-Ptolemaic Periods.
Horus π π was one of the earliest Egyptian gods πΉπΉπΉ. He was worshipped πΌπΏπ’ from the beginning of the dynastic period. The Turin Canon (provides information about Egyptβs ππ ππ earliest rulers πΎπΎπΎ) refers to the pharaohs ππ»π₯ as the βFollowers of Horus.β
Horus π π had many roles as a god πΉ, and these roles evolved and changed throughout Egyptian history. He was originally the Sky πͺππ― God πΉ and was referred to as the βLord of the Sky.β Horus π π then evolved to become associated with the sun π³πΊ, and was referred to as the βGod of the East.β He was also combined with Ra π³πΊπ, and this is how the deity πΉ Ra-Horakhty π πππ€ came to evolve.
Horus π π was also worshipped as the son π of Isis π¨ππ₯ and Osiris πΉπ¨π. The triad/family π ππ ±ππππ¦ unit was extremely important to ancient Egyptian religion/culture. Most notably, Horus π π is usually associated with being the god πΉ of kingship. As the son π of Osiris πΉπ¨π, Horus π π was the mythological heir to the throne of Egypt ππ ππ.
Horus π π is usually seen as a human with a falcon πππ‘π head. On his head πΆπΊ is usually the double crown π of Upper π and Lower π€ Egypt ππ ππ. This is how you can differentiate between Horus π π and other falcon πππ‘π deities πΉπΉπΉ!
Details of the Winged Scarab on the Sarcophagus of Artemidora at The MET
This picture ππ ±π shows the details on a sarcophagus ππΉπππ that belonged to a woman πππππ named ππ Artemidora who lived in Egypt ππ ππ during the Roman Period (A.D 90-100). The gold ππππ, glass, stone ππππͺ, and painted π¨ππ ±ππΈπ¦ details on this sarcophagus ππΉπππ are stunning π€!
One of my favorite pieces of imagery from Egyptian art is the Winged Scarab ππͺπππ£! The wings π§π³πππ¦ allowed the scarab ππͺπππ£ to join the rising and setting of the sun π³πΊ each day – which to the ancient Egyptians πππππͺ represented the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The cycle was central to the ancient Egyptian ππππ religion! As a god πΉ who was constantly reborn, Khepri π£πππ was associated with resurrection! On this sarcophagus, we can see the sun π³πΊ represented above the scarab ππͺπππ£; this was because Khepri π£πππ used to carry the sun π³πΊ across the sky πͺππ―!
Below the winged π§π³ππ scarab ππͺπππ£, we can see the shen πΆ symbol! The shen πΆ symbol is a circle of rope that is tied at the end. The tied rope symbolizes completeness, infinity/eternity ππ³π, and is also a symbol of protection π ππ‘π. The shen πΆ was first seen during the Old Kingdom, and was a very popular symbol throughout Egyptian history; Nekhbet ππππ π and Isis π¨ππ₯ are frequently seen holding them!
Cool Fact: the wings π§π³πππ¦ on the scarab ππͺπππ£ are not those of a beetle, but are actually the wings π§π³πππ¦ of a bird! Also, I just love the painted π¨ππ ±ππΈπ¦ details on these wings π§π³πππ¦; itβs stunning π€!
(from Left) Nephthys, Anubis, Horus, and Isis on the Sarcophagus of Artemidora at The MET
I really like this scene because you can see Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ and Horus π π standing with the mummy ππΉπ ±πΎ of the deceased who is laying on a bed with a lion design. Anubisβ πππͺπ ±π£ arms are raised, and Horus π π is holding the traditional crook πΎ and flail π . Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ is my favorite Egyptian god πΉ, and Horus π π is my sisterβs π’ππ favorite! I always like seeing Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ and Horus π π together ππ for that reason – it reminds me of me and my sister π’ππ!
To the left of Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ is the goddess πΉπ Nephthys π ππ and to the right of Horus π π is the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯. Isis π¨ππ₯ and Nephthys π ππ are the actual sisters π’πππ¦ in Egyptian mythology and in funerary scenes are usually depicted together!
You can tell which goddess πΉπ is which based off of the crowns on their head πΆπΊ! The crown on Nephthysβ head is π which is the hieroglyph πΉπ thatβs part of her name ππ, and the crown on Isisβ head is π¨ which also corresponds with her name ππ! If you also look at the text that is next to each of them, their names are also written – itβs almost like a caption!
See if you can spot Isis π¨ππ₯ and Nephthys π ππ in the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
