DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4032#0026
16
THE FESTIVAL-HALL IN THE GREAT TEMPLE OF BUBASTIS.
THE RISING OF THE GOD, AND THE
ASSEMBLY OF DIVINITIES.
After, the preceding scenes, we turn an
angle, and we begin to follow a long wall on
the southern side. The first portion of this wall
for a length of about seven feet is slightly pro-
jecting, as if it were a doorpost, on which are
sculptured the following scenes, beginning as
usual from below (pi. iv. bis, 14, 15). " The
resting of the king in the abode, when he goes
to perform the rites in . . ." He is standing
with Bast before him. As for the abode, we
see as usual the representation of its door. "We
must conclude from what we see in other
temples, that the abode of the king was part
of that of the god,8 |' Q^^-- -
ICZ31
1
o
U3
should sav it was a small wooden construction,
possibly erected in the festival hall only for this
occasion, and which was not one of the
chambers of the temple. Here, as in nearly all
the scenes of this part of the wall, Osorkon is
accompanied by his queen. At Soleb9 this
scene, which is so short here, is divided into
two- parts; the departure of the king, and his
arrival in the abode followed by the queen and
her daughters.
We do not know anything of what was
immediately above; but higher still we come
to the scenes of offerings to the gods who are
present at the festival (pi. iv. bis, 13): " The
offering of all things good and pure made by
King Osorkon to all the gods of the atur of
the north." The same is said of the atur of
the south. It begins with " the burning of
frankincense to all the gods and goddesses who
are at the $e<i-festival." Rameses III. tells us
in his papyrus, that for his festival the gods of
the north and of the south were assembled.
It is the same with Osorkon; all the gods are
supposed to come to witness the solemnity,
8 Leps., Denkm. iii. 159.
9 Leps., Denkm. iii. 86.
and we shall see them further represented,
each of them in his shrine.
The gods of the north and of the south
belong to the two religious divisions of Egypt,
called ( ^L^lJI] atur.1 The determinative sign
twice repeated, which follows the word atur, is
a serpent in a kind of shrine. In other cases we
find two shrines of different forms.2 One of
them, which we see in the two upper lines of
pi. viii., has the usual form of sanctuaries; the
other, which has been preserved here (No. 12),
has the form of a coffin. This last form is
of frequent occurrence wherever the shrine is
said to be secret or mysterious. Here, how-
ever, it is simply meant to distinguish the gods
of Lower Egypt. Apparently the engraver
wished to show that the offerings were made to
all the gods, but as he could not repeat twice
over the whole series which we shall see
further, he only represented the two atur, the
two shrines containing a serpent, and one of
the gods of each division, in order to fill up the
blank space. The southern division is quite
destroyed; we have only the northern with the
god Anubis, " the lord of light, the lord of the
sky. He gives (to the king) all life and
happiness, and all health." Anubis was
worshipped in several places of Lower Egypt.
Brugsch has sometimes considered the
division in two atur as meaning east and
west. In this case, as in many others, there
can be no doubt as to its being north and
south.3 It is said distinctly that the offerings
are made to the atur of the south and of the
north, and above we see the prophets of the
divinities who also represent north and south,
the " spirits of Pe, and of Khen." The prophets
of the atur and of the spirits all wear panther
skins, and hold between their hands a small
1 Brugsch, Diet. p. 143.
* Brugsch, I.e. p. 144.
3 Brugsch, Diet. Geog. p. 540 j Xaville, Mythe d'Horus,
pi. xix. 3.
THE FESTIVAL-HALL IN THE GREAT TEMPLE OF BUBASTIS.
THE RISING OF THE GOD, AND THE
ASSEMBLY OF DIVINITIES.
After, the preceding scenes, we turn an
angle, and we begin to follow a long wall on
the southern side. The first portion of this wall
for a length of about seven feet is slightly pro-
jecting, as if it were a doorpost, on which are
sculptured the following scenes, beginning as
usual from below (pi. iv. bis, 14, 15). " The
resting of the king in the abode, when he goes
to perform the rites in . . ." He is standing
with Bast before him. As for the abode, we
see as usual the representation of its door. "We
must conclude from what we see in other
temples, that the abode of the king was part
of that of the god,8 |' Q^^-- -
ICZ31
1
o
U3
should sav it was a small wooden construction,
possibly erected in the festival hall only for this
occasion, and which was not one of the
chambers of the temple. Here, as in nearly all
the scenes of this part of the wall, Osorkon is
accompanied by his queen. At Soleb9 this
scene, which is so short here, is divided into
two- parts; the departure of the king, and his
arrival in the abode followed by the queen and
her daughters.
We do not know anything of what was
immediately above; but higher still we come
to the scenes of offerings to the gods who are
present at the festival (pi. iv. bis, 13): " The
offering of all things good and pure made by
King Osorkon to all the gods of the atur of
the north." The same is said of the atur of
the south. It begins with " the burning of
frankincense to all the gods and goddesses who
are at the $e<i-festival." Rameses III. tells us
in his papyrus, that for his festival the gods of
the north and of the south were assembled.
It is the same with Osorkon; all the gods are
supposed to come to witness the solemnity,
8 Leps., Denkm. iii. 159.
9 Leps., Denkm. iii. 86.
and we shall see them further represented,
each of them in his shrine.
The gods of the north and of the south
belong to the two religious divisions of Egypt,
called ( ^L^lJI] atur.1 The determinative sign
twice repeated, which follows the word atur, is
a serpent in a kind of shrine. In other cases we
find two shrines of different forms.2 One of
them, which we see in the two upper lines of
pi. viii., has the usual form of sanctuaries; the
other, which has been preserved here (No. 12),
has the form of a coffin. This last form is
of frequent occurrence wherever the shrine is
said to be secret or mysterious. Here, how-
ever, it is simply meant to distinguish the gods
of Lower Egypt. Apparently the engraver
wished to show that the offerings were made to
all the gods, but as he could not repeat twice
over the whole series which we shall see
further, he only represented the two atur, the
two shrines containing a serpent, and one of
the gods of each division, in order to fill up the
blank space. The southern division is quite
destroyed; we have only the northern with the
god Anubis, " the lord of light, the lord of the
sky. He gives (to the king) all life and
happiness, and all health." Anubis was
worshipped in several places of Lower Egypt.
Brugsch has sometimes considered the
division in two atur as meaning east and
west. In this case, as in many others, there
can be no doubt as to its being north and
south.3 It is said distinctly that the offerings
are made to the atur of the south and of the
north, and above we see the prophets of the
divinities who also represent north and south,
the " spirits of Pe, and of Khen." The prophets
of the atur and of the spirits all wear panther
skins, and hold between their hands a small
1 Brugsch, Diet. p. 143.
* Brugsch, I.e. p. 144.
3 Brugsch, Diet. Geog. p. 540 j Xaville, Mythe d'Horus,
pi. xix. 3.