Nubian Desert To Osiris

An arid stretch in northern Sudan, called also nubia or Kush by the Egyptians, the Arabic names are As-sahura or An-nubiya. South of Egypt, the desert stretches from the Nile to the Red Sea. It is a rugged region, with dunes, rocky areas, and uplands. The Nubian Desert was formed into a sandstone plateau with wadis and streams. The desert was always formidable, but trade caravans used the area in many historical periods.

Nubkhas (1) (fl. 21st century b.c.e.)

Royal woman of the Eleventh Dynasty

A consort of montuhotep ii (r. 2061-2010 b.c.e.), Nubkhas was buried in deir el-bahri near the great mortuary complex of Montuhotep ii. Her tomb was surrounded with masonry and enclosed with boulders and rubble.

Nubkhas (2) (fl. 17th century b.c.e.)

Royal woman of the Seventeenth Dynasty

A lesser consort of sobekemsaf i (r. c. 1640 b.c.e.), Nubkhas was buried in the tomb of Sobekemsaf iii at thebes. Sobekemsaf I’s burial site was vandalized by thieves, but Nubkhas’s mummified remains were not disturbed because her burial chamber was separate and securely hidden.

Nubkheshed (1) (fl. 12th century b.c.e.)

Royal woman of the Twentieth Dynasty

She was a consort of ramesses v (r. 1156-1151 b.c.e.) and perhaps the mother of nubkheshed (2).


Nubkheshed (2) (fl. 12th century b.c.e.)

Royal woman of the Twentieth Dynasty

She was the consort of ramesses vi (r. 1151-1143 b.c.e.). Nubkheshed was the mother of ramesses vii and his brothers, including Prince Amenhirkhopshef. Nubkhe-shed also bore Princess iset.

Nubti

An ancient name for the god set in Upper Egypt, he was depicted as possessing one body and two heads in this form.

Nun

The Egyptian god of the formless chaos or the watery abyss, which held the primeval mound out of which the god atum (a form of re) rose in cosmogonic traditions, Nun existed before the heaven and earth came into being. When the world was created, Nun moved to the edges of the universe, and there he signified the depths of the netherworld. He is depicted as a bearded individual on a solar bark.
As part of the ogdoad of heliopolis, Nun was portrayed as a human with a head of a frog or with the head of an ox, with ostrich feathers as a crown. one ancient relief shows Nun spitting out the northern and southern Niles. He could be found in deep wells or in caverns and was associated with the Nile inundation. He also had a role in the cults of ptah and tatenen.

nunu (nunn-nu)

The Egyptian name for the great watery abyss that existed before the creation, also called nunn-nu, this primeval chaos was the oldest entity in the world. Nun was the personification of nunu.

Nut (Nuit)

She was an ancient Egyptian goddess of the heavens, mentioned in the topic of the dead. The wife of GEB and his sister, NUT was separated from him by the command of ATUM. SHU raised her up so that Geb could not touch her, and a ban was placed on her bearing children. The epagomenal days were the only periods in which Nut could conceive. The epagomenal days were added to the Egyptian calendar by the god THoTH, who played a game with the other deities so that he could aid Nut. During that time Nut gave birth to oSIRIS, HoRUS (the Old), set, isis, and nephthys.
Nut is depicted as a woman stretched over the horizons, with stars and celestial lights forming her garb. she was portrayed at times as a heavenly cow that ate the stars each morning and then gave birth to them at twilight. As a cow she carried the god re on her back. When Nut was shown as a woman, she wore a round vase on her head, the hieroglyph of her name. Nut figures in many religious legends. In some of these traditions she is the cow that Re mounted when he emerged from the abyss at the moment of creation. In the mortuary rituals she protected the deceased, who rose into her heavenly abode as stars.
Nut did not have a temple or a cult dedicated to her worship but there was a shrine honoring her in heliopo-lis. In some texts she was called Kha-bewes; “One with a Thousand Souls.” Egyptians believed that souls went to Nut after death. she allowed them to dwell forever with the stars. The holiest of these souls became the polar stars, never setting and never changing.

Nwebhotep-Khred (Nubeti-Khred, Nubetepti-Khred) (fl. 18th century b.c.e.)

Royal woman of the Twelfth Dynasty

Her mummified remains were discovered in the tomb of amenemhet III (r. 1844-1797 b.c.e.) in the White Pyramid. This princess was buried beside awibre hor, an obscure ruler of the dynasty (date of reign unknown). She was wrapped in gilded plaster and wore a silver crown with a golden uraeus. Possibly the consort of Awibre, Nwebhotep-Khred was adorned with a collar, dagger, flagellum, scepters, and other funerary regalia.

Nykuhor (fl. 25th century b.c.e.)

Royal official of the Fifth Dynasty

He served userkhaf (r. 2465-2428 b.c.e.) and his successors as a privy counselor and an inspector of scribes. A prince of the royal line, Nykuhor was married to Sekem-Hathor, a princess of the royal line. Nykuhor and Sekem-Hathor were buried near Userkhaf in saqqara.

oases

These lush, habitable depressions found in the Libyan desert of Egypt have been in use from Predynastic times (before 3000 b.c.e.) and served multiple purposes over the centuries. These were important sites in all historical periods because they served as links and outposts in the vast trade operations and bolstered military defenses. in some periods the oases were also places of exile for those banished from the lands by the various rulers.
Called wehat and wake, terms that denote a fertile region or garden, the oases connected the Nile Valley with Libya and the domains beyond the first cataract of the Nile. They also served as the residences of governors in some dynastic periods. The governors of the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 b.c.e.), for example, lived at Bahat in dakhla Oasis. During the expulsion of the hyksos, kamose (r. 1555-1550 b.c.e.) of the Seventeenth Dynasty used the various oases as military garrisons and secret arms and personnel hiding places. From these remote sites he was able to campaign against the Asiatics with success because the enemy was not familiar with the terrain and was unable to track his units in the treacherous wilderness.

The major oases of Egypt were

Baharia called the northern oasis, approximately 190 miles south of Cairo, located in the territory called the Black Desert. Baharia was a source of chalcedony in all eras. The tomb of Amenhotep Huy was discovered there. He was the governor of the region in the reign of akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 b.c.e.). Baharia was also famous for its wines, which were graded and classified when offered to consumers. New excavations at Baharia Oasis have uncovered a remarkable collection of graves, leading to a designation of part of the oasis as the valley of the gilded mummies.
Dailah a small oasis located to the west of farafra oasis.
Dakhla called the Inner Oasis, Tchesti, and located 213 miles southeast of farafra oasis, this site had historical significance. A cache of prehistoric rock art is available at Dakhla, dating to ancient times and demonstrating the existence of some of the earliest humans in the Nile Valley. The wadi in the region is called the “Wadi of the Pictures” as a result. The rock art was made during times of floods and includes designs, hunting scenes, and figures of men and women with jewelry-clad arms. Goddesses and animals were also depicted here, in what is considered the greatest concentration of rock art in the world. Dakhla also contains the site called Deir el-Hagar. A temple dedicated to the god amun was discovered at Ain Birdiyeh. This temple and surrounding mastaba tombs date to the Sixth Dynasty (2323-2150 b.c.e.).
Dunqul an oasis near the first cataract of the Nile, used in the reign of pepi i (2289-2255 b.c.e.) by General weni in his campaigns in Nubia (modern Sudan). The Dunqul Oasis is southwest of modern aswan, near Kurkur.
Farafra an oasis 213 miles northeast of dakhla Oasis in the area called the White Desert. The site was also named Ta-a het by the Egyptians. Farafra was a cattle-raising area from earliest times and offered lush pastures in the sea of desert sand.
Kharga the Outer Oasis or the Southern Oasis, located 77 miles southwest of assiut. Kharga Oasis was also called Uaht-rest. The site contains a temple dedicated to the deities hibis and Nadura. Considered a miniature jewel of nature because of the luxurious vegetation of the oasis, Kharga was dedicated to the god amun-Re by darius i (r. 521-486 b.c.e.), the Persian conqueror of Egypt.
Kurkur an oasis situated to the west of Aswan.
Siwa the most famous of the oases, located 524 miles northwest of modern Cairo. In the Ptolemaic Period (304-30 b.c.e.) Siwa was known as Jupiter Ammon, named thus in honor of Alexander iii the great (r. 332-323 b.c.e.). The Macedonian ruler visited siwa in order to be named a son of the deity Amun and a fitting ruler of Egypt. The oasis is northernmost in the Western Desert, closest to Libya, and it was always considered to be the richest of the sites, having many shrines and gilded objects of devotion.
The temple of amun, called Umm Ubayd, was the site of the famous oracle of siwa, a major attraction for visitors and a vital part of Amunite rituals. Alexander the Great was hailed as a pharaoh by the oracle when he visited the oasis. siwa is famous for wines and dates as well as religious monuments. it is also noted as the destination of an ill-fated contingent of Persian soldiers sent by cambyses (r. 525-522 b.c.e.) to loot the oasis temples and shrines. These troops disappeared without a trace, never returning to the Nile. Remains found in the area of siwa on a recent expedition are now being studied as possible evidence of the Persian troop disappearance.

Oases Route

A caravan trail used by the Egyptians from the Old Kingdom Period (2575-2134 b.c.e.) for trading operations, the Oases Route started in thinis, north of abydos, on the west bank of the Nile, and led to nubia (modern Sudan). From Thinis, the Oases Route went also to kharga oasis, where it linked up with the forty day route through Selima and then on to the dakhla and farafra Oases. The rich agricultural areas of these oases and the Nubian territories beyond demanded control of the region. Dakhla oasis and the surrounding districts were colonized in the Sixth Dynasty (2323-2150 b.c.e.), possibly earlier, in order to establish control over the lucrative trade enterprises.
obelisks unique stone monuments famed throughout the ages and vibrant symbols of ancient Egypt, obelisks are large upright stone beams with four sides and a tapering end carved into the form of a pyramidion. They were used as religious symbols and were called tekenu by the Egyptians. The obelisks were given their modern name by the Greeks, who believed that their shape resembled small spits.
Obelisks were considered sacred to the god re and were used as well as emblems of other solar deities over the centuries. The ancient texts describe their particular role on the temple sites. According to the ancient traditions, obelisks came in pairs; two were in heaven and two were on the earth in every age.
heliopolis boasted obelisks from the early periods of the nation, and they were also raised at thebes and at Memphis. The temples of thoth, amun, isis, khnum, osiris, neith (1), ptah, and other gods normally had obelisks as part of their designated design. During the New Kingdom Period (1550-1070 b.c.e.), the era of the vast Egyptian empire, obelisks served as a favored architectural element of the great temples. The rulers of the New Kingdom used them to adorn Karnak and other religious sites at Thebes, and the Ramessid kings had obelisks fashioned for their new capital in the Delta.
The stone pillars were viewed as endowed with supernatural significance. They were inhabited by the gods or by the spirits of the deities from the instant that they were created and thus merited offerings and special ceremonies. tuthmosis iii (r. 1479-1425 b.c.e.) instituted such practices for the obelisks that he erected at karnak. A new feast and new liturgies were adopted for the offerings made to the god, as the obelisks were believed to have a genuine solar significance. They were positioned according to the traditional patterns in order to reflect the cultic aspirations. The natural daily manifestations of the dawn and the sunset were symbolized in mystical fashion by these pillars, and they had to conform to specifications as to height and location.
An obelisk of the New Kingdom Period (1550-1070 b.c.e.) raised to catch the first rays of the dawn at Karnak, a form of the ritual benben.
An obelisk of the New Kingdom Period (1550-1070 b.c.e.) raised to catch the first rays of the dawn at Karnak, a form of the ritual benben.
Most of the obelisks erected in ancient Egypt were of granite, quartzite, or basalt. At the aswan quarry, a favorite source of stone for obelisks during the imperial period, granite was heated by bonfires and then cooled by water until the stone split; wooden spikes drove passageways into the desired sections. Workmen cleared a path to the stone, marking the length, which was about 100 feet. Using tools made of hard stones, the workmen began to fashion the sides of the pillar, crawling in and around the obelisk to complete their section of the monument. Large boulders supported the stone being carved so that it would not crack as the workmen leveled the sides and completed the surface carving.
When the pillar was carved to satisfaction, ropes were slung around it and the stone was raised and placed on a heavy sledge. it took several thousand workmen to pull the sledge to the banks of the Nile. There, vessels waited to allow safe loading of the pillars. The unique aspect of this loading process is that the boats remained in dry dock until the pillars were safely on board. Then the vessel and the sacred cargo were slowly floated on water emptied into the dock. When the ship and the pillar were stabilized, the dock gates were opened and the vessel made its way out onto the Nile.
Nine galleys, each with more than 30 rowers, took the vessel and the obelisk to Thebes, where a ceremonial ritual and vast crowds awaited their arrival. A ramp was prepared in advance, and the pillar was pulled to the incline. The unique part of the ramp was a funnel-shaped hole, filled with sand. The obelisk was positioned over the hole and the sand was emptied, thus lowering the pillar into place. When the obelisk had been positioned on its base and fastened there, the ramp was removed and the priests and royal household arrived to take part in dedication rituals and in ceremonies in honor of the god of the stone.
Obelisks are characteristically Egyptian but have been honored by all civilizations since the fall of the New Kingdom. Few of the original pillars remain in Egypt as several capitals around the world boast at least one of these graceful emblems of faith, taken from the Nile. They remain insignias of another time and place and visions of a truly ancient artistry.

Octavia (fl. first century b.c.e.)

Roman woman, the sister of Octavian, the future emperor Augustus, and the wife of Marc Antony
Octavia was divorced by antony in 32 b.c.e. after years of humiliation because of his alliance with cleopatra vii (r. 51-30 b.c.e.). She remained loyal to Antony throughout her ordeal, but her apparent suffering hardened Octa-vian (Augustus) against Cleopatra VII and Antony and added resolve to his campaign to put an end to the Egyptian queen-pharaoh and her lover.

Ogdoad

The eight gods worshiped in hermopolis magna and first mentioned in the Middle Kingdom Period (2040-1640 b.c.e.) religious texts, these deities were believed to have been the first beings to emerge from the watery chaos at the time of creation. The Ogdoad was also believed to constitute the soul of the god Thoth. The male members of the Ogdoad, four in number, were always depicted as having frog heads. The four female divine consorts of these gods were always depicted as serpent-headed. The Ogdoad ruled on the earth and then were provided with powers beyond the grave. These deities were
Amun and Amaunet deities of hiddenness (added later and not part of the original eight).
Heh and Heket deities of eternity, also listed as Huh and Hauhet.
Kek and Keket deities of darkness, also listed as Kuk and Kauket.
Nun and Nunet deities of primeval waters and chaos, associated with the Nile’s inundations; also listed as Nun and Naunet.
Tenem and Tenemet deities of the twilight.
The Ogdoad deities were believed responsible as well for the flow of the Nile and for the dawning of the sun each day. Amun and Amaunet were added to the Ogdoad in the pyramid texts. They were proclaimed the first deities to arise from the primeval waters. The Ogdoad were thus a vital element of the moment of creation, remaining an important part of Egypt’s cosmogo-nic system.
oils substances used in Egyptian rituals and ceremonies, highly prized, and employed for cultic and royal observances, oils were also used in medical procedures, mummification, and as cosmetics bases. Tablets with shallow basins of alabaster have been found on many sites, an indication of a widespread use of such substances. A variety of these oils were available to the people of the Nile Valley in all eras.
The most popular was hekenu, a type of oil used to anoint the statues of the gods and to make the sanctuaries of the temples fragrant. syrian balsam, neckenen salve oils, cedar oils, and “Best Libyan” oils were also employed in ceremonies and in mummification processes. The daily rituals of anointing the pharaoh involved the highest grades of such substances.

Olympias (fl. fourth century b.c.e.)

Royal woman of Macedonia

She was the wife of King Philip II and the mother of Alexander iii the great (r. 332-323 b.c.e.). Olympias was the daughter of Neoptolemus, the king of Epirus, and originally named Myrtale. Her name was probably changed when Philip ii was victorious at the Olympic games in 356 b.c.e.
Philip ii insulted Olympias when he also married cleopatra, a noble Macedonian woman, and Olympias returned to Epirus in a rage. When she heard of her husband’s assassination, however, she returned to be at Alexander’s side. cleopatra and her infant son were murdered upon Olympias’s return to Pella, the Macedonian capital. Alexander, however, set out quickly to conquer Asia, and Olympias, feeling rejected, returned to Epirus once again.
Alexander’s death in 332 b.c.e. led to an invitation to Olympias to act as regent for her grandson, Alexander iv. She declined at first but then in 317 b.c.e. installed philip iii arrhidaeus as the ruler. With the support of the military, Olympias put Philip, his wife, and his supporters to death. As a result, Olympias was condemned and slain.
The Egyptians took note of her death, remembering the popular tale that had circulated when Alexander the Great entered the Nile Valley. The Egyptians had spread the word that Olympias had been seduced by nectanebo ii (r. 360-343 b.c.e.) during one of his visits to the region of Macedonia and had given birth to Alexander the Great as a result of their affair.

Omari, el-

A site dating to the Predynastic Period (before 3000 b.c.e.), near tureh in the southern suburb of modern Cairo, El-Omari was located at the wadi hawi, or Wadi Haf, between Cairo and halwan. Two Predynastic cultures have been demonstrated there: A (contemporaneous with Amratian) and B (associated with Gerzean). The Omari culture dates to the Early Dynastic Period (2920-2575 b.c.e.).

Ombos

A site south of koptos on the western shore of the Nile. The Egyptians called the area Nubti, the Golden, because of the number of gold mines there. Ombos was inhabited from the Predynastic Period (before 3000 b.c.e.), and the god set was the local patron. A temple discovered at Ombos once rivaled the dendereh shrine of hathor. This shrine was dedicated to the gods sobek and Haroeris. In the Ptolemaic Period (304-30 b.c.e.), Ombos was the capital of a separate nome, Ombites.

onions

A favorite vegetable in all historical periods but used from the Twentieth Dynasty (1196-1070 b.c.e.) to the Twenty-second Dynasty (945-712 b.c.e.) as mummification substances, onions were placed in coffins and wrapped into the linens of the mummified remains. Onions were also placed inside of mummies in their chest and pelvic cavities, stuffed into ears, and even used as artificial eyes in some eras.

“on the bricks”

This was an ancient Egyptian term used to designate a woman in the act of giving birth. Expectant mothers who were nearing labor were placed on low stoops made of mud bricks to aid the process. These brick seats forced the women to assume a crouching position, thus aiding the birth. The goddess meskhent, a patron of childbearing, was depicted as a woman’s head rising out of mud bricks.

Opet

This was originally the name of the ancient goddess who was patroness of the southern district of thebes, and then used to designate the entire area of the city that was used for a special shrine to the god amun. Opet was linked to the massive religious compound of karnak in luxor in annual observances and cultic ceremonies. The popular Feast of Opet was the first divine commemoration of each year from the start of the New Kingdom (1550 b.c.e.) and was held on the 18th day of the second month, which is calculated as mid-August on modern calendars. ramesses iii (r. 1194-1163 b.c.e.) added to the splendor of the celebrations, which continued until mid-september.
The entire population took part, with Egyptians traveling from distant towns and cities to join in the festivities. Dancers, bands, singers, wrestlers, and other performers staged events around the religious processions. These observances date to the early historical periods in thebes in various forms, but hatshepsut (r. 1473-1458 b.c.e.) instituted the most famous version of the feast, and that form was maintained until the Twenty-fifth Dynasty (712-657 b.c.e.). During the celebrations the deity Amun and accompanying gods were carried in gilded sedans to great cedarwood barges that were moored at the Nile piers. These barges were large and plated in gold, with jeweled adornments. The barge of Amun was called “Mighty of Prow.” smaller portable shrines, called barks, were also paraded through the streets, accompanied by priests. oracle statues were taken on these shrines to the people, so that interviews could be offered personally.

oracles

A deity’s response to a query, delivered by a messenger of the divine, such as a statue of a god, the practice was widespread throughout ancient Egyptian historical periods and part of all major cult centers, even in the Libyan oases, especially at siwa. oracles were always popular with the people, who had an innate curiosity about the future and daily affairs. They were used in conjunction with lucky and unlucky days.
on festival days, the statues of the gods were carried through the streets of the cities or floated on barges to the local shrines and necropolis regions. The people flocked to the processions, anxious for the statues to reach the stations of the gods that were erected on street corners. These stations were small stages, slightly elevated so that the people could view the statue of the deity on display. There the gods were asked questions about the future, and the devoted faithful, in turn, received ritualized and traditional responses.
The statue of the god moved on its pedestal or in its shrine in response to questions, or the entire shrine swayed to one side or another when the queries were posed to it. A movement in one direction indicated a negative response, and a movement in another direction provided a positive reply. in some cult centers the statues “spoke” to the faithful, as priests could be hidden within the shrine and could provide a muffled but audible response. some of these priests offered sermons to the people as the “mouth of the god” and repeated time-honored wisdom texts for the edification of the spectators.
The sacred bulls of Egypt, the theophanies of some deities, were also used as oracles in their own temples. An animal was led into a vast hall crowded by faithful onlookers. The people posed their questions and the bull was loosed. Two doors opened onto chambers containing the bull’s favorite food in order to elicit a response. one door signified a negative response to the question posed at the time and the other a positive reply. The bull entered one chamber or another, thus rendering its divine judgment on the matters under discussion.
The most famous oracle in Egypt was in siwa oasis, located 524 miles northwest of modern cairo. The temple at Aghurmi in the siwa oasis had an ancient oracle site that was used by pilgrims. The temple of umm ubayd also had an oracle that welcomed visitors in all eras. Alexander iii the great (r. 332-323 b.c.e.), the Spartan general Lysander, the poet Pindar, and the Greek geographer strabo all attended oracle ceremonies in siwa.

Orbiney, Papyrus d’

A text of the Nineteenth Dynasty, dating to the reign of seti i (r. 1306-1290 b.c.e.) and supposedly a copy of an earlier document, the papyrus contained the tale of two brothers, the legend of good and evil, that dated to ancient historical periods. A memorandum from the workshop of a scribe named Ennana is also included. The papyrus was purchased by Madame d’orbiney of italy, hence the name. she sold it to the British Museum in London.

Orion

This heavenly body was deemed significant to the ancient Egyptians, particularly in the early periods. orion was deemed important when the cosmogonic, or creation traditions that dominated Egyptian cultic practices, were being formulated by the priest astronomers on the Nile. The pyramid texts, dating to the Fifth (2465-2323 b.c.e.) and Sixth (2323-2150 b.c.e.) Dynasties, recount the orbital path of orion and the role of that heavenly body in the divine plan of the universe and of humans on the earth. See also astronomy.

Osireion

The name given to the cenotaph of seti i (r. 1306-1290 b.c.e.) at abydos, erected to serve as his vast mortuary temple in osiris’s holy city, the structure was unfinished at the time of seti i’s death. His grand-son merenptah (r. 1224-1214 b.c.e.) completed it in his honor, and the temple stands as a remarkable example of Egyptian architectural and artistic advances. The custom of erecting cenotaphs, or false, secondary tombs, in the holy city of Abydos dates to the earliest eras on the Nile.
seti i’s temple reflected this tradition but added the elements of the artisans and builders of his era. The walls of this temple were covered with passages from the topic of the dead, the topic of Gates, astronomical treatises, and other texts. A unique feature of the osireion was an island that was surrounded by canals that held the water. The false sarcophagus of the pharaoh rested on the island.
A view of the tomb of Seti I at Abydos, a cenotaph temple that honors the deity Osiris and eternity.
A view of the tomb of Seti I at Abydos, a cenotaph temple that honors the deity Osiris and eternity.
A portico opened onto a shrine, leading to the first hypostyle hall that contained 12 pairs of papyrus columns and elaborate and beautiful reliefs. seven chapels were also included in the design and led to a second hypostyle hall that had reliefs of nome standards. The gods honored in this section include ptah, re-Harakhte, amun, Osiris, isis, horus, and PTAH-soKAR.An osirian chapel leads to a cultic ceremonial hall with two chambers. The Gallery of the King Lists is in this section, alongside a Corridor of Bulls, and a shrine for a sokar boat.
The original shrine on the site was possibly erected in the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 b.c.e.). Seti I’s structure, built on the foundation, was made out of quartzite, sandstone, and granite. Merenptah (1224-1214 B.c.E.) added a long passage, decorated with scenes from the topic of the Dead.

Osiris

He was one of the most popular and enduring deities of ancient Egypt, a symbol of the eternal aspirations of the people and a god credited with civilizing the inhabitants of the Nile Valley. His cult dates to the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 B.c.E.), when he assumed the roles of other local deities, and continued into the Greco-Roman Period (after 332 b.c.e.). Osiris’s earliest manifestation was Asar, a man-headed god of agriculture. andjeti was another fertility god who, united with Khentiamentiu of abydos in agricultural celebrations, was absorbed into the Osirian cult in time. Possible djed pillar symbols date to the First Dynasty (2920 b.c.e.) at halwan, and the cult is mentioned in the Fifth Dynasty (2465-2323 B.c.E.).
osiris appears to have been part of the Heliopolitan pantheon and was mentioned in the pyramid texts. His cult gained early acceptance at Abydos and at BUSiRis.He was addressed as Wen-nefer, “the Beautiful,” and then became Khentiamentiu, “the Foremost of the Westerners.” amenti, the West, always represented death and the grave to Egyptians and in time symbolized paradise and resurrection. osiris was the Lord of Amenti in every historical period after his introduction to the Egyptian populace.
The traditions of Osiris were the basis for the god’s cult, and a legendary account of his life is given in the Pyramid Texts. Osiris was slain by his brother deity, set, and discovered by isis and nephthys. The goddess Isis, the wife of osiris, stopped the corruption of his flesh and brought him back to life, but set attacked the body again. A heavenly trial resulted, with osiris accusing set of the murderous acts before the gods. osiris was praised as a patient endurer and ruler by the other gods during the trial, but they condemned set as an evildoer.
The death of Osiris and his resurrection played an important part in the cult that became symbolic of the rulers of Egypt in time. The dead pharaohs of Egypt were considered embodiments of osiris, having been equated with horus, Osiris’s son, while on the throne. other aspects of osiris’s cult included his dismemberment by set and his reign in an ideal time before the start of the nation, 3000 b.c.e., referred to as “the Time of the Gods.”
The earliest representation of Osiris dates to the Fifth Dynasty, when he was depicted as a man wearing a divine wig. in subsequent eras he kept his mortal appearance, but always in a mummified form, which was a symbol of his funerary role. in the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B.c.E.) osiris was depicted wearing the white helmet of upper Egypt, perhaps to designate the god’s origins. in time he was normally portrayed wearing the atef crown, the elaborate plumed headdress. in his hands he carried the crook and flail.
In the mortuary rituals, osiris is the paramount judge of the deceased Egyptians, who had to appear in his Judgment Halls to face him and his companions, the forty-two judges. The mortuary rituals in most eras revolved around this role of Osiris, and the topic of the dead offered various accounts of the ritual of weighing the hearts of the dead to judge their worthiness for eternal bliss.
An Osiride Pillar, a statue of Ramesses II (r. 1290-1224 b.c.e.) depicting him as Osiris in the realms beyond the grave.
An Osiride Pillar, a statue of Ramesses II (r. 1290-1224 b.c.e.) depicting him as Osiris in the realms beyond the grave.
The god, however, represented more than fertility and judgment. Most of his appeal was based on his embodiment of the cosmic harmony. The rising Nile was his insignia, and the moon’s constant state of renewal symbolized his bestowal of eternal happiness in the lands beyond the grave. in this capacity he also became the model of human endeavors and virtues, judging each and every individual at the moment of death and also demanding an accounting of human behavior and attitudes. This role distinguishes Osiris, particularly in view of the normal religious or moral concepts governing other nations on the early stages of human development.
In time, Abydos became the center of the cult of Osiris, and pilgrims made their way there for various celebrations. Families also arrived with the remains of their loved ones, seeking a small plot of land for a burial on the site. The deceased longed to be buried beside Osiris, and if such a burial was not possible, the relatives of the dead person placed a mortuary stela in the area of Aby-dos so that the individual could share in Osiris’s bliss. Other cultic observances were conducted in the name of Osiris.
Osiris beds unique boxes used in tombs in many historical periods of Egypt’s history, these “beds” were fashioned out of wood or pottery and made in the shape of mummified Osirises. They were normally hollow and filled with Nile mud and seeds of corn or grain. They were then wrapped in mummy linens. The seeds sprouted, representing the resurrection of Osiris and the return of the crops each year. The most famous Osiris bed was in the tomb of djer (r. c. 2900 b.c.e.), the second ruler of Egypt, whose abydos tomb was identified as the actual grave of Osiris. khendjer (r. c. 1740 b.c.e.) installed an elaborate Osiris bed in this tomb, depicting the god lying on a bier formed by the bodies of lions.

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