Osiris festivals To Peak of the West

These were the religious celebrations held throughout Egypt to honor the deity Osiris, especially in the cult center of abydos. The seasonal cycles of life were mirrored in these feasts, as nature was personified in the death and resurrection of the god. The annual mysteries of osiris and isis, a form of passion play, was the most popular observance. A festival held in November, according to the modern calendar, was designed to “Behold the Beauty of the Lord.” This was celebrated on the 17th to the 20th of Athyr (November 14-17) and was at times Egypt’s most well attended observance.
Another festival, called “the Fall of the Nile,” observed the receding waters of the rivers and was a time of mourning for Osiris. The Nile represented Osiris’ capacity to renew the earth and restore life to the nation. in modern May, on the 19th of Pakhons, the Egyptians returned to the river with small shrines containing metal (sometimes gold) vessels. They poured water into the Nile, crying out: “Osiris Is Found.” Other shrines were cast adrift into the Nile. Mud and spices were also molded into shapes to honor Osiris’s return.
This festival was similar to “the Night of the Tear” in modern june. The festival honoring an Osirian symbol, the djed or djet pillar, was held on the modern january 19. The pillars were raised up to welcome Osiris and the coming harvests. The pharaoh and his court participated in this festival. The queens and their retinues sang hymns for the occasion.
Osiris gardens special plantings were placed inside of molds shaped like the mummified deity. These molds were filled with soil and fertilizers as well as grain seeds and Nile water. The Osiris gardens were tended during festivals honoring the god. They sprouted, demonstrating the powers of the deity, in much the same fashion as the osiris beds.


Osiris mysteries

These were the annual ceremonies conducted in honor of the god osiris, sometimes called the Mysteries of Osiris and isis, passion plays, or morality plays, and staged in abydos at the beginning of each year. They are recorded as being observed in the Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1783 b.c.e.) but were probably performed for the general populace much earlier.
Dramas were staged in Abydos, with the leading roles assigned to high-ranking community leaders or to temple priests. The mysteries recounted the life, death, mummification, resurrection, and ascension of Osiris, and the dramas were part of a pageant that lasted for many days. Egyptians flocked to the celebrations. After the performances, a battle was staged between the followers of horus and the followers of set. This was a time-honored rivalry with political as well as religious overtones. Part of the pageant was a procession in which a statue of Osiris, made out of electrum, gold, or some other precious material, was carried from the temple. An outdoor shrine was erected to receive the god and to allow the people to gaze upon “the Beautiful One.” There again
osiris was depicted as rising from the dead and ascending to heavenly realms. other mysteries honoring other deities were held in heliopolis, busiris, bubastis, mem-phis, and thebes. Some of these included processions and staged battles including dramas featuring wepwawet, the ancient wolf god.

Osiris’s temple

This was the major shrine of Osiris in abydos, now called Kom el-Sultan by the Egyptians. There were many sites of worship dedicated to Osiris in the Nile Valley and beyond, but the god’s main cultic temple was located in Abydos, the city dedicated to him. only the ramparts of the temple are visible today. A limestone portico erected by ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b.c.e.) is also evident. The temple, called the Osireion in some records, dates to the Third Dynasty (2649-2575 b.c.e.) or possibly earlier. This is older than the osireion erected by seti I (r. 1306-1290 b.c.e.).

Osochor (Aa’kheperre setepenre) (Osorkon the Elder) (d. 978 b.c.e.)

Ruler of the Twenty-first Dynasty He reigned from 984 B.c.E. until his death. He succeeded amenemope at tanis. Osochor was the son of a Libyan chief named shoshenq and the Lady mekhtemweskhet (1). No monuments are attributed to him. His son was SIAMUN (1).

Osorkon I (Sekhemkheperre setepenre) (d. 909 B.c.E.)

Second ruler of the Twenty-second Dynasty He reigned from 924 b.c.e. at tanis until his death. Osorkon I was the son and heir of shoshenq i and Queen ma’atkare (2) and the grandson of psusennes ii. He married Queen ma’atkare (3), and had another consort, tasedkhonsu. His sons were shoshenq ii, takelot i, and IUWELOT.
osorkon i was militarily active, campaigning in the Levant and in Palestine. A statue of him was raised up in byblos in modern Lebanon. In the early years of his reign, he was generous to Egypt’s temples. He also developed a strong series of military units to control irrigation and development projects in the faiyum. koptos and abydos benefited as well from his patronage and he built temples at el-HiBA and Atfih.
When Iuput, his brother, retired as the high priest of Amun at thebes, Osorkon I installed his son shoshenq in that office and named him coregent. shoshenq, however, died before inheriting the throne and osorkon i was succeeded by takelot i. Osorkon I was buried in Tanis.

Osorkon II (Userma’atre Setepenamun) (d. 855 B.c.E.)

Fifth ruler of the Twenty-second Dynasty He reigned from 883 B.c.E. until his death. osorkon ii was the son of takelot i and Queen kapes and the grandson of osorkon I. His reign is considered by many to be the last true flowering of the dynasty. He allowed his cousin harsiese to assume the post of high priest of Amun in thebes. Harsiese, the son of shoshenq ii, took a royal name and pharaonic titles, and osorkon ii’s regal powers were thus reduced.
Marrying Queen karomana (4) and Queen djed-mutesankh, Osorkon II had four sons: shoshenq, nim-lot (3) harnakhte (2), and takelot II. When Harsiese died, osorkon appointed his son Nimlot as the successor in the Amunite priesthood in Thebes. Harnakhte was named the ranking prelate in tanis. Shoshenq, the crown prince, did not live long enough to inherit the throne from his father.
Osorkon II embellished the temples at bubastis and celebrated his HEB-SED at Bubastis in his 22nd regnal year. Temples were exempted from taxes during his reign. Osorkon II also built at Memphis, Tanis, and Thebes, and he maintained a relative peace while watching the rise of Assyria. Records indicate that osorkon ii made a tribute to the Assyrian ruler shalmanesser ii (859-824 B.c.E.) to avoid battles and possible invasion.
When osorkon ii died, he was placed in a gigantic sarcophagus with a Ramessid Period lid in Tanis. The burial chamber was lined with granite. Prince Harnakhte was buried beside his father. There are some records that state that Harnakhte was too large for his sarcophagus, and as a result his mummy suffered the loss of its legs and feet. shoshenq v was also buried with Osorkon II. Takelot II, Osorkon Il’s youngest son, succeeded him after a period of coregency.

Osorkon III (d. 749 B.c.E.)

Ruler of the Twenty-third Dynasty

He reigned from 777 b.c.e. until his death. The son of takelot II and Queen karomana (5), he was made the high priest of Amun at thebes while still a prince. His relative, harsiese, started a revolt that continued on and off for 12 years and forced osorkon to take military action and to face banishment for a number of years. in one campaign, he burned the bodies of the rebels, an act that was condemned as sacrilege by the Egyptians. The bubastite portal in karnak describes some of his travails.
shoshenq iii usurped or inherited the throne and banished Osorkon from Thebes. In time, however, he was recalled and shared the prelature with iuput for two years. osorkon iii’s younger brother, Bakenptah, served as high priest in herakleopolis. In 777 b.c.e., Osorkon III was crowned in Thebes and recognized by the Libyan Chiefs of Ma at mendes. He was on the throne during the last 13 years of Shoshenq Ill’s reign in Tanis. He married Queen karaotjet, the mother of shepenwepet i, takelot iii, and rudamon. Shepenwepet I was made the god’s wife of amun, or the Divine Adoratrice at Thebes. Takelot was put in charge of Herakleopolis and served as the high priest in Thebes. Takelot was then named coregent and held this rank for six years before Osorkon Ill’s death. Osorkon III was probably buried near medinet habu.

Osorkon IV (Akheperre setepenamun) (fl. 713-712 b.c.e.)

Ruler of the Twenty-second Dynasty He reigned only from 713 to 712 b.c.e. as the ruler of tanis and bubastis and the successor of shoshenq iv. His mother was Queen karomana (6). During his reign, the Nubian piankhi (1) (r. 750-712 b.c.e.) began his assault on Egypt. Osorkon IV joined a coalition of rulers and marched south under the leadership of tefnakhte of sais. At herakleopolis the two armies clashed, and Piankhi proved victorious. Osorkon IV was then made governor of Tanis by the Nubian (modern Sudanese) ruler. This arrangement did not survive the later invasions by the Nubian successors of Piankhi.

ostraka

Fragments or slabs of stone or pottery used for writing or sketching by the ancient Egyptians, they were employed much like modern paper for memos and letters. Ostraka were often provided to students for practicing writing by copying literary texts. They are much more numerous in archaeological sites than papyri. The ostraka discovered by modern excavations of Egyptian sites bear copies of truly ancient texts, artistic renderings, examples of the use of the canon of art, and other information about local and national events.

Overthrowing Apophis

This is an unusual document dating to the Ramessid Period (1307-1070 b.c.e.) but part of the religious mythology from ancient times in Egypt. Apophis was a serpent that assaulted the god re on his journey through the tuat, or Underworld, each night according to Heliopolitan religious traditions. in some eras Apophis was deemed a manifestation of the god set and was halted in his evil each night by the prayers of the faithful. The ritual of overthrowing the serpent enemy of Re included recitation of a list of the Apophis “secret” names, which when recited made him vulnerable. A selection of hymns to be sung on the occasion for his destruction were popular devotions, and many Egyptians made nightly vigils for this cause.
According to the ritual, the serpent had been previously annihilated, hacked to pieces, dismembered, and flung into the abyss by the prayers of the truly pious. This treatment of Apophis, however, did not deter him from making another attack upon Re the following night, when he arose, fully reanimated. The Egyptians assembled in the temples to make images out of the serpent in wax. They spat upon the images, burned them, and mutilated them. cloudy days or storms were signs that Apophis was gaining ground, and solar eclipses were interpreted as a sign of Re’s demise. The sun god emerged victorious each time, however, and the people continued their prayers and anthems.

Oxyrrhynchus (1)

This is the modern city of el-Bahnasa, once called Harday. The capital of the nineteenth nome of upper Egypt and located on the west bank of the bahr yusef in the Faiyum, the site contained the mummified remains of dogs. osiris was favored in this region, where more Greek papyri have been found than in any other site in Egypt. The elephant-snout fish, Mormyrus kannume, was revered there. The site was originally named Per-Mudjet.

oxyrrhynchus (2)

This is the Nile fish believed to have eaten the phallus of the Egyptian god osiris when set dismembered him and cast his body parts into the river. Out of devotion to Osiris, some nomes declared that the fish was considered forbidden food. in some territories the fish was considered a delicacy because of the Osirian tradition.

paddle dolls

They were unique mortuary accessories in the form of painted, flat wooden figures with elaborate hairdos composed of string, Nile mud, faience, or golden beads. The strings were interwoven with straw, copying the wigs fashionable in the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 b.c.e.). Paddle dolls were discovered in some Eleventh Dynasty (2040-1991 b.c.e.) burial sites. Their role in the mortuary regalia is not understood, but it is possible that these dolls were provided as sexual companions for the deceased, as the paddle dolls were always feminine in form. See also mortuary rituals.

pa duat

This was a popular and often used tomb chamber that dates to early historical periods and served as residences for the patron deities of the gravesites. mon-tuhotep ii (r. 2061-2010 b.c.e.) had a pa duat designed into the upper court of his mortuary complex on the western shore of thebes at deir-el-bahri. Within the pa duat, priests dressed, anointed, and scented the images of the deity serving as the patron of the mortuary complex.

Pa’hemmetcher (fl. 12th century b.c.e.)

Cavalry official of the Twentieth Dynasty

He served ramesses iii (r. 1194-1163 b.c.e.) as the Master of Horse. The Egyptian cavalry was an important element of the nation’s military response, gaining a reputation in neighboring lands. Extensive breeding programs were instituted as well to insure ever-improved stocks. Pa’hem-metcher would have commanded cavalry units as well as the breeding programs. He was depicted in a shrine near abu simbel, honored there for his labors during Ramesses Ill’s reign.

Paheri (fl. 15th century b.c.e.)

Mayoral official of the Eighteenth Dynasty

He served tuthmosis iii (r. 1479-1425 b.c.e.) as the mayor of Nekheb (modern elkab), and Iuny (modern esna). Paheri had to concern himself with the agricultural activities in his district. His gravesite near modern Elkab was on the western shore of the Nile. Rock-cut and large, the tomb had animated low-relief paintings depicting agricultural scenes and contemporary figures. Paheri’s charioteer, Khenmen, is shown caring for the horses being used. These steeds are called “the excellent team of the mayor beloved . . . about whom the mayor boasts to everyone.” Paheri’s wife, Henutreneheh, is also shown in the tomb. A statue of her was discovered there, and she is depicted as making offerings in a wall painting. Festival scenes in the tomb include a female harpist and a piper, as well as the required funerary images.

Paibek’khamon (fl. 12th century b.c.e.)

Harem conspirator of the Twentieth Dynasty

He was involved in the harem revolt directed at ramesses iii (r. 1194-1163 b.c.e.). Paibek’khamon was the chief steward of the royal residence and plotted with tiye (2), a lesser-ranked consort who wanted to place her son, Prince pentaweret, on the throne. Paibek’khamon carried messages to Queen Tiye’s allies outside the palace. When the harem revolt was attempted, all of the plotters were arrested. Paibek’khamon was judged guilty and was allowed to end his own life.

Pakhenti

The religious shrine district south of thebes, dating to early historical periods, Pakhenti was associated with the cult of the god amun. Shrines were erected there for rituals celebrating Amunite festivals and holy days. Pakhenti was a small village beside opet, the suburb of Thebes dedicated to Amun. See also luxor.

Pakhet

A lioness deity, listed also as Pakht, and called “She Who Scratches,” she was the patroness of the living and the dead in all eras. A shrine was erected by hat-shepsut (r. 1473-1458 b.c.e.) near Minya in the faiyum region, and seti i (r. 1306-1290 b.c.e.) renovated this shrine. The goddess also appears in a burial chamber of seti i, depicted with a lion head and an erect serpent, “spitting fire.” Pakhet guarded the PERO, the royal residence, and cared for deceased Egyptians. Her shrine was adopted by the Greeks in the Ptolemaic Period (30430 b.c.e.) and was renamed the speos artemidos, associating Pakhet with the Greek deity Artemis. Originally a desert huntress known for her ferocity against Egypt’s enemies, Pakhet was depicted as a woman with a lion’s head.

Palermo Stone

A fragment of diorite anfibolica, considered a reliable source of information from the earliest historical periods of Egypt, it is 17 inches high and nine and three-quarters inches wide, originally part of a six and one-half foot to seven-foot monument. The Palermo Stone, so named because it is in the Palermo Museum in Sicily, contains a king list from the Fifth Dynasty (2465-2323 B.c.E.). smaller fragments are in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo and in the Petrie Museum of the University College of London. The Palermo Stone records Predynastic (before 3000 b.c.e.) rulers and dynastic pharaohs, through kakai (r. 2446-2426 b.c.e.) Some 125 rulers are listed. The stone is inscribed on both sides and includes information about ceremonies, taxes, wars, and the inundation of the Nile.

palette

A rectangular piece of wood or stone, called mestha by the Egyptians and used in daily routines, they were fashioned from eight to 16 inches long and two to three inches thick, with oval hallows at one end to accommodate ink, paint, or cosmetic pots. A groove cut out of the center, sloping at one end, held reeds. some grooves had sliding corners, others used slats of wood glued across the grooves. such palettes were normally inscribed with prayers to thoth, the deity of wisdom. several palettes were viewed as historical documents. some of the more famous of these are
Ashmolean Palette depicts animal groups, including a lute-playing fox and other fantastic beasts. it is now in the Ashmolean Museum at oxford.
Battlefield Palette showing Libyans in a war with Egyptians, also depicts standards and groups of prisoners. The Herakleopolitan deity horus is portrayed with the lion and the vulture.
Bull Palette depicts the bull (the symbol of royal power) goring northern prisoners. standards are also displayed. The verso shows a conquered city with crenellated walls. It is now in the Louvre in Paris.
Hunter’s Palette depicts an expedition to hunt animals. Armed men, a shrine, and a bull are also shown.
Libya Palette depicts the irrigation and hydraulic systems of Egypt, vital to the agricultural base of the nation. This is also called the Cities Palette and is in the British Museum in London.
Narmer Palette an elaborate instrument now in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. narmer is depicted on both sides of the palette and is called nar, fish, and mer, a chisel. on the recto side he is wearing the red crown of the Delta, proclaiming victory in the north. A BULL,a depiction of Narmer, is shown destroying a city. standards and the horus symbol add to the design. On the verso side, Narmer is shown in a kilt, wearing a false beard. He is carrying a macehead. A falcon accompanies his destruction of a city.
Ostrich Palette depicts Egyptians herding groups of animals. This is now in the Manchester Museum in England.
Scorpion Palette a large instrument used for grinding antimony. Hollow on one side, the palette was decorated with votive designs. scorpion i, a ruler of a region before the unification in 3000 b.c.e., is depicted in animal forms destroying cities. scorpion is portrayed as a falcon and a lion. seven cities are shown being destroyed, or one city is shown being attacked seven times.

Pami (Userma’atre’setepenre’amun) (d. 773 B.c.E.)

Ruler of the Twenty-second Dynasty

He reigned from 783 B.c.E. until his death. His brother and successor was shoshenq v. An obscure pharaoh, Pami was called “the cat.” He ruled in tanis.

pan-graves

They are elaborate burial sites found throughout upper Egypt, south of cusae, and upper nubia (modern Sudan) dating to the Seventeenth Dynasty of Thebes (1640-1550 b.c.e.). These graves are closely related to the medjay units employed by kamose when he began his assaults on the hyksos and their Asiatic allies, c. 1555 b.c.e. They also reflect a period of migration by Nubians, during the Second Intermediate Period (16401550 B.c.E.).
The graves are between ten inches and six feet long and are usually shaped like a pan, shallow and oval or circular in design. The bodies placed inside were found clad in leather garments and bearing primitive jewelry. Pottery included in the graves dates to the C-Horizon (Nubian) variety—rough brown with patterns of oblique lines or undecorated. Painted skulls of horned animals were placed in nearby offertory pits, and the graves also held Egyptian axes and daggers. The pan-graves culture depicts cattle herders. The skulls, horns, and leather kilts reflect active nomadic lifestyles.
The pan-graves found in Lower Nubia date to the same period and were probably dug by immigrants to the region or by the Medjay, who settled in that territory as Egyptian allies or as an occupation force. Pan-graves pottery has also been found in elkab and quban, an indication that the Medjay units garrisoned these positions for the Egyptians. There was some conflict between the Med-jay and the local populations in Nubian districts in the past, and the troops would have been a reliable occupation force.

Panhesi (Panhey) (fl. 14th-12th centuries b.c.e.)

Clan of public officials serving in the New Kingdom (15501070 B.C.E.).

The first Panhesi was an official of the Eighteenth Dynasty, serving akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 b.c.e.). He was a member of the temple of aten during the ‘amarna Period. His tomb portrays him as an elderly, heavyset man. The second Panhesi was an official of the Nineteenth Dynasty, serving ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b.c.e.) as a scribe and director of the nation’s gold stores. He was superintendent of the gold shipments from nubia. This Panhesi was buried in thebes.
The last known Panhesi, an official of the Twentieth Dynasty, served Ramesses XI (r. 1100-1070 b.c.e.). He was the viceroy of nubia, involved as well in military affairs. When a revolt against the high priest of amun took place in Thebes, Panhesi gathered up military units and marched to the area. There he put down the rebellion, dismissing the truant prelate. Returning to his administrative center on the elephantine Island, Panhesi left one man in charge of the city. This man, herihor, made himself high priest of Amun and began a process of divided rule in Egypt.

Panopolis

This is a site northeast of akhmin, noted for a monument to the god min. The original chapel for Min dates to the reign of tuthmosis iii (1479-1425 b.c.e.). This was part of a complex erected originally by Nakht-min, the first prophet of Min, in the reign of aha (Menes; c. 2920 b.c.e.). Reliefs in the structure portray Tuthmosis III making offerings before the god Min, amun, and other deities. ptolemy ii philadelphus (r. 285-246 b.c.e.) is also portrayed there. Harma’kheru, the high priest of Min during Ptolemy ii’s reign, added to the shrine as part of the duties of his office.

papyrus

A plant, cyperus papyrus, once common throughout the Nile Valley and now being reintroduced, the Egyptians called the plant djet or tjufi. The modern term is probably derived from pa-p-ior, which is translated as “that which is from the river.” The ancient variety, cyperus papyrus, is a type of sedge, growing to a height of 25 feet, probably from eight to 10 feet in ancient periods. The plant was found throughout the Nile Valley, especially in the Delta region, and was the emblem of Lower Egypt.
A papyrus roll was called a tchama or a djema. The preparation of the papyrus by priests and scribes involved cutting the stem into thin strips, which were laid side by side perpendicularly, with a resin solution poured over the strips. A second layer of papyrus strips was then laid down horizontally and the two layers were pressed and allowed to dry. immense rolls could be fashioned by joining the compressed sheets. One roll, now in the British Museum, measures 135 feet in length. The usual size was nine to 10 inches long and five to five and one-half inches wide. The rolls used in the temple or in state courts were 16 to 18 inches long.
Papyri were originally made for religious documents and texts, with sheets added to the rolls as needed. The sides of the papyrus are the recto, where the fibers run horizontally, and the verso, where the fibers run vertically. The recto was preferred, but the verso was used for documents as well, allowing two separate texts to be included on a single papyrus. Papyrus rolls were protected by the dry climate of Egypt. One roll discovered in modern times dates to c. 3500 b.c.e.
The color of the papyrus varied from dark to a light brown. In the Ptolemaic Period (304-30 b.c.e.), the rolls were cream colored, yellow, or nearly white. Rolls were kept tightly secured by cords or strips of linen tied with knots. Papyri used for official functions sometimes had clay seals that designated their origin and contents. Papyri of importance were kept in wooden boxes.
The major papyri recovered from sites on the Nile include the following:
abbott papyrus amherst papyrus anastasi papyrus ani papyrus
beatty papyrus iv, chester berlin papyri ebers papyrus ghurob shrine papyrus harris papyrus hearst papyrus hunefer papyrus judicial papyrus of turin kahun papyrus lansing papyrus london papyrus nebseni papyrus orbiney, papyrus d’ PRISSE PAPYRUS RAMESSEUM PAPYRI RHIND PAPYRUS SALLIER PAPYRI SATIRICAL PAPYRUS ST. PETERSBURG PAPYRUS SMITH PAPYRUS, EDWIN TURIN MINING PAPYRUS VINDAB PAPYRUS 3873 WESTCAR PAPYRUS WILBOUR PAPYRUS

papyrus scepter

An amulet called the wadj or uadj, or the papyrus column, the papyrus scepter was believed to impart vigor, vitality, abundance, and virility to the wearer. Made of glazed ware and decorative stones, the amulet was shaped like a papyrus stem and bud. The robust growth of the papyrus represented the heartiness that was bestowed upon the wearer of the papyrus scepter.
Par A divine form of the god amun, popular in thebes as a fertility symbol, Par was called “the Lord of the Phallus.” He was brought to the fields in various agricultural festivals to insure good harvests.

paradise

This was the eternal abode available to the deceased Egyptians judged worthy of eternal bliss by the deity osiris and the forty-two judges of the judgment halls of osiris. The goddess ma’at and the god thoth aided in this determination. such deceased Egyptians were denoted as ma’at kheru, “true of voice.” The eternal paradises of the Egyptians always contained water, breezes, refreshments, and repose. such edenic realms were called the Lake of Flowers, the Lake of Reeds, A’aru, Amenti, or Ma’ati. Ma’ati was the site beyond the grave where the deceased buried scepters of crystals containing flames of fire.

Paraetonium

This was a harbor site on the Mediterranean Sea, west of Alexandria, the modern mersa matruh. Ptolemaic (304-30 b.c.e.) in origin, Paraetonium was built near a fortress dating to ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b.c.e.), now called Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham.

Parasites (fl. fifth century B.c.E.)

Royal woman of Persia She was the consort of darius ii (r. 423-405 b.c.e.). A noble woman, Parasites was recorded as politically ambitious and wealthy. She was Darius Il’s half sister. While he was only the son of artaxerxes i and a concubine, Parasites aided him in usurping the throne.

Parennefer (fl. 14th century b.c.e.)

Palace official of the Eighteenth Dynasty

He served akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 b.c.e.) as “the Royal Butler, clean of Hands.” Parennefer knew Akhenaten from childhood and followed him to ‘amarna (Akhe-taten), the new capital, north of thebes. Parennefer had two tombs prepared, in ‘Amarna and in Thebes. He was buried in his Theban tomb, which contains depictions of his honors and rewards.

Paser (1) (fl. 15th century b.c.e.)

Military official of the Eighteenth Dynasty

Paser served amenhotep ii (r. 1427-1401 b.c.e.) as a troop commander of the nation’s army. This role was an ongoing military command, as Amenhotep ii was militarily active, maintaining the imperial gains of his father, tuthmosis iii. Paser was buried with honors at thebes.

Paser (2) (fl. 13th century b.c.e.)

Aristocratic and high-ranking official of the Nineteenth Dynasty He served seti i (r. 1306-1290 b.c.e.) and ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b.c.e.) as vizier. Paser’s father was neben-teru, a high priest of amun, and his mother was an official of the god’s wife of amun. He was a hereditary prince and count and the overseer of the city of thebes. in his later years he succeeded his father as high priest of Amun and oversaw the building of seti i’s tomb. A statue of Paser is in the British Museum in London, and a scarab pectoral bearing his name was found on the mummy of an apis bull in saqqara. Reliefs in his tomb enumerate the duties of vizier, giving daily transactions in some instances.

Paser (3) (fl. 12th century b.c.e.)

Official of the Twentieth Dynasty who brought grave robbers to justice Paser served as the mayor of thebes for ramesses ix (r. 1132-1112 b.c.e.). In this capacity he investigated the rampant vandalism and desecration of necropolis sites, charging Prince pawero, the chief of necropolis sites, with criminal activity. Paser suffered harassment, threats, and abuse as a result, but he proved his accusations, bringing about Prince Pawero’s fall. The amherst papyrus and abbott papyrus document Paser’s faithful service and the ordeals that he endured to put an end to the rampant tomb robberies and desecration of the dead.

pat

A social caste of ancient Egypt, associated with the god horus from early historical periods, the pat maintained hereditary titles, properties, and ranks and were considered true aristocrats, normally part of vast nome clans. The pyramid texts of the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties (2465-2150 b.c.e.) depict the pat and Horus, their patron.

Patenemheb (fl. 14th century b.c.e.)

Priestly official of the Eighteenth Dynasty

He served akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 b.c.e.) and then horemhab (r. 1319-1307 b.c.e.). Patenemheb was the high priest of re who witnessed the rise of the cult of aten and the subsequent fall of ‘amarna. He retained his rank during Akhenaten’s reign because solar cults were not suppressed. When ‘Amarna collapsed, Patenemheb received the patronage of Horemhab and aided in the restoration of the traditional temple rites in the Nile Valley.

Pawara (fl. 14th century b.c.e.)

Egyptian diplomat of the Eighteenth Dynasty who was murdered He served akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 b.c.e.) and was murdered while in Amurru, a vassal city-state on the Levantine coast ruled by King aziru. Pawara was the legate of Egypt when he was slain by Aziru’s agents. Egypt was forced to evacuate Amurru as a result of the death. Akhen-aten did not charge Aziru and did not retaliate for the death of his faithful servant. The Egyptian Empire was imperiled by such inactivity during the ‘amarna period.

Pawero (fl. 12th century b.c.e.)

Prince and count of the Twentieth Dynasty, convicted of tomb robbery Pawero prospered during the reign of ramesses ix (1131-1112 b.c.e.) but was then brought to trial on charges of conspiracy and robbery. He was the chief of the necropolis police in thebes during a period of increasing tomb vandalisms. paser (3), the mayor of Thebes, accused Pawero of involvement in a ring of tomb invaders, and Pawero retaliated with threats and abuse. Paser, however, took the case to Ramesses ix, and Pawero was arrested. He and his gang of thieves were allied to high officials, thus causing a serious scandal.
The abbott papyrus and amherst papyrus give accounts of the affair, in which lesser individuals confessed, implicating Pawero and others. A series of court hearings was held to express the criminal elements, and the convicted individuals received sentences of whippings, mutilations, exile, and even death. sacrilege and blasphemy were part of such criminal activities, resulting in severe penalties for the guilty.

Pay Lands

This is the original site where the gods came into being on the “first occasion,” the moment of creation according to cosmological traditions over the centuries. The deities associated with the primeval mound formed the Pay Lands with their sacred utterings. These unique sites were called Djeba and Hareoty, the Blessed islands, and were depicted in tomb reliefs in the temple of edfu. ptah, as Nefer-her, rose on the Djeba, and re’s cosmological traditions involved a similar emergence. The falcon or hawk, the symbol of horus, was the lord of these abodes.
The traditions of Re’s cult denoted the Pay Lands as being associated with that deity’s coming to his eternal mansion, called the Hinterland of WARET, the Island of Fury, the Mansion of shooting, the Mansion of the Mystery, the House of combat, and the seat of the Two Gods. These sites were not geographically identified but maintained powerful connotations as spiritual domains of Re.
In other traditions, the Pay Lands, called “the Place of the Ghosts” in some eras, were held to be gardens and marsh areas, sacred to the seats of several gods. The enemies of Egypt could not enter the Pay Lands because they were annihilated there. The Pay Lands were also eternal paradises commemorating creation. The Pay Lands revered throughout Egypt included
Mound of the Radiant One The island of Re The Djed Pillar of the Earth The High Hill
The Oil Tree Land
Behdet (Edfu)
He-Who-is-Rich-in Kas
The Great seat Where Enemies Are slain
The Throne
The Praise of Re
The Territory of Re’s circuit
The Hinterland of waret
The island of Fury
The House of combat
The seat of the Two Gods
The Egyptian traditions normally designated specific spiritual realms as the source of their theological concepts and other sites as the destination of deceased humans. The Pay Lands thus added a mythological basis to the various cultic rituals and by their existence in the various traditions rooted the beliefs of each new generation in a quasi-historical reality. The custom of maintaining older traditions alongside newer revelations was bolstered by the celebration of such historical sites and events as the Pay Lands.
Peak of the West This is the modern site of sheikh abd’ el qurna on the western shore of the Nile at thebes. Identified as the peak of the west in a deir el-medina stela, the site was the home of the goddess meresger (1), called “the Lover of Silence” and “the Lady of Heaven.” The Peak of the West is a spur of the hill that faces Thebes.

Next post:

Previous post: