DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4032#0027
THE RISING OF THE GOD, AND THE ASSEMBLY OF DIVINITIES.
37
vase for libations. The inscription which runs
along the shrines, and -which is broken at the
top, reads thus : ". . . the spirits of Pe and
Khen, and of the atur of south and north (give)
millions of years to the king, User-ma-ra sotep
en Amen (Osorkon's II.'s coronation name),
and periods of thirty years in great number."
The festival, as we read in the dated in-
scription, is in honour of Amon; and as the
principal act of every festival is the rising or
the appearing of the god
Q
it is natural
that Osorkon should cause it to take place.
That is what we see in the scene above (pi. iv.
1, 2, 4), which is found also at Soleb with some
differences. The ceremony is called, " The ap-
pearing (of the king) in the hall of eating,4 in
order to cause the rising of the majesty of this
venerable god, Amon-Ea, the lord of the throne
of the two lands, and his resting in his place in
the hall of the Sed-ie&tival" This time the king
is alone ; perhaps it was forbidden to the queen
and to his daughters to follow him into the hall
out of which the god Amon is to rise. However,
his family is not very far off, they are at the
door of the hall. We have seen his daughters
twice before ; here for the first time we are ac-
quainted with their names. The three daugh-
ters of Karoama are called, Tashakheper, the
first-born, Karoama, like her mother, andArmer.
The place out of which the king is to bring
forth Amon is called (T\ ^ «^a f " the hall of
eating." The word ( 1, a covering supported
by a single pole, may sometimes indicate a tent.
In this case, if it was the same at Bubastis as
we see it at Soleb, it was a wooden shrine or
pavilion, containing the image of the god, and
of sufficient size to allow the king to go in and
to stand before the god. This singular name,
/VWW\
en j}
The inscription is very distinct,
and gives as determinative the sign Y- All over the
inscriptions of the festival 9 and •& are used indifferently
the one for the other.
" the hall of eating," comes probably from the
fact that there the offerings of food were
brought to the god, who was considered as
eating them. These offerings were numerous
and of various sorts; they consisted of bread,
cakes, vegetables, meat, and fowls.
The representation of Bubastis is certainly
much abridged. The hall of eating is but
imperfectly indicated, and we do not see the
god who was to rise out of it. This time
Soleb is more complete. In a pavilion is the
god Khnum in the form of a ram, standing on a
pedestal. Over him are written the following
words : " The bringing (lit. the drawing) of
Khnum into the hall of eating. Khnum in the
hall of eating gives life, happiness, health and
joy to him (the king)." Before the king is
Amenophis offering frankincense, and several
priests, the magicians with one hand raised
backwards worshipping the god, and others
whose names are more or less destroyed, such
as the first friend, and several sem, who are
attendants of a lower order like the amkhent.
Evidently this is the preparatory act, which
Osorkon may have performed before entering
the hall of eating.
We shall now see the rising
of the god.
We have already considered the contents of
pi. vi., the historical inscription explaining
the nature of the festival, and giving its
date. We are not quite certain of the place of
this inscription on the wall B, to which it un-
doubtedly belonged. It is probable that it
was in the lower part of the wall, not on the
basement, somewhat higher, so that it could be
looked at and read easily by those who had the
knowledge of the holy writing. It is possible
that it describes the first act of the festival, the
very beginning of the ceremony; for it is said
that the king is borne on his throne, and is going
towards the abode S. We have already seen
the king staying in an abode before appearing
in the house of eating. Probably the reason
why this scene is not placed where it should be,
D
37
vase for libations. The inscription which runs
along the shrines, and -which is broken at the
top, reads thus : ". . . the spirits of Pe and
Khen, and of the atur of south and north (give)
millions of years to the king, User-ma-ra sotep
en Amen (Osorkon's II.'s coronation name),
and periods of thirty years in great number."
The festival, as we read in the dated in-
scription, is in honour of Amon; and as the
principal act of every festival is the rising or
the appearing of the god
Q
it is natural
that Osorkon should cause it to take place.
That is what we see in the scene above (pi. iv.
1, 2, 4), which is found also at Soleb with some
differences. The ceremony is called, " The ap-
pearing (of the king) in the hall of eating,4 in
order to cause the rising of the majesty of this
venerable god, Amon-Ea, the lord of the throne
of the two lands, and his resting in his place in
the hall of the Sed-ie&tival" This time the king
is alone ; perhaps it was forbidden to the queen
and to his daughters to follow him into the hall
out of which the god Amon is to rise. However,
his family is not very far off, they are at the
door of the hall. We have seen his daughters
twice before ; here for the first time we are ac-
quainted with their names. The three daugh-
ters of Karoama are called, Tashakheper, the
first-born, Karoama, like her mother, andArmer.
The place out of which the king is to bring
forth Amon is called (T\ ^ «^a f " the hall of
eating." The word ( 1, a covering supported
by a single pole, may sometimes indicate a tent.
In this case, if it was the same at Bubastis as
we see it at Soleb, it was a wooden shrine or
pavilion, containing the image of the god, and
of sufficient size to allow the king to go in and
to stand before the god. This singular name,
/VWW\
en j}
The inscription is very distinct,
and gives as determinative the sign Y- All over the
inscriptions of the festival 9 and •& are used indifferently
the one for the other.
" the hall of eating," comes probably from the
fact that there the offerings of food were
brought to the god, who was considered as
eating them. These offerings were numerous
and of various sorts; they consisted of bread,
cakes, vegetables, meat, and fowls.
The representation of Bubastis is certainly
much abridged. The hall of eating is but
imperfectly indicated, and we do not see the
god who was to rise out of it. This time
Soleb is more complete. In a pavilion is the
god Khnum in the form of a ram, standing on a
pedestal. Over him are written the following
words : " The bringing (lit. the drawing) of
Khnum into the hall of eating. Khnum in the
hall of eating gives life, happiness, health and
joy to him (the king)." Before the king is
Amenophis offering frankincense, and several
priests, the magicians with one hand raised
backwards worshipping the god, and others
whose names are more or less destroyed, such
as the first friend, and several sem, who are
attendants of a lower order like the amkhent.
Evidently this is the preparatory act, which
Osorkon may have performed before entering
the hall of eating.
We shall now see the rising
of the god.
We have already considered the contents of
pi. vi., the historical inscription explaining
the nature of the festival, and giving its
date. We are not quite certain of the place of
this inscription on the wall B, to which it un-
doubtedly belonged. It is probable that it
was in the lower part of the wall, not on the
basement, somewhat higher, so that it could be
looked at and read easily by those who had the
knowledge of the holy writing. It is possible
that it describes the first act of the festival, the
very beginning of the ceremony; for it is said
that the king is borne on his throne, and is going
towards the abode S. We have already seen
the king staying in an abode before appearing
in the house of eating. Probably the reason
why this scene is not placed where it should be,
D