Brugsch, Heinrich: Egypt under the pharaohs: a history derived entirely from the monuments (London, 1891)

334

THE FEAST-DAYS AT THEBES

ch. xrv.

A Eamesseum in the temple-town of Sutekh, in the
city of Pa-Kamses Meri-Amen.

The temple of Amen at Medinet Habu, on Neb-
ankh, the holy mountain of the dead, still remains the
most beautiful and remarkable monument of' this king.
The reliefs, which cover the interior and exterior walls,
represent in a lifelike and artistic style various detached
episodes in his campaigns, even to an occasional lion-
hunt. The appended inscriptions give an instructive
explanation of the scenes. Others give an insight into
the order of the feasts, as then observed, inclusive of
the sacrifices, and into the fixed holidays of the old
Egyptian calendar, according to the latest arrangement.
We find here a ' heavenly ' calendar, expressly distin-
guished from the 'earthly' one. Among the general
holidays were the 29th, 30th, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th,
and 15th days of each month. The days are set forth
in this order, according to the Egyptian assumption
that the 29th day is that on which the conjunction of
the sun and moon takes place, and on which the world
was created:—

Tehuti.

17

33

18

33

19

)J

22

53

17

Paophi.

19-

23 „

12

Athyr.

17

3)

1

Khoiak.

20

3)

21

33

22

33

23

33

24

Rising of the Sothis-star (Sirius), a sacrifice for

Amen.
Eve of the Uaga feast.
Uaga feast.
Feast of Tehuti.

Feast of the great manifestation of Osiris.
Eve of the Amen-feast of Hapi.
The first five days of the Amen-feast of Hapi.
Last day of the festival of Hapi.
Special feast after the festival of Hapi.
Feast of Hathor.
Feast of sacrifice.
Opening of the Tomb (of Osiris).
Feast of the hoeing of the earth.
Preparation of the sacrificial altar in the Tomb

(of Osiris).
Exhibition of [the corpse] of Sekar (Osiris) in

the midst of the sacrifice.