Cult And Ritual In Persian Period Egypt

Ancient Egyptian temple walls expressed royal and political ideologies, reflected the ancient Egyptian secular and spiritual world order, supplied a medium for the reenactments of assorted myths, and implied a metaphor for the universe. The Temple of Hibis is one of the most important temples from Late Period Egypt. Despite the conventional overall architecture plan of the temple, it exhibits numerous particularities. While the more prominent parts of the temple, such as the sanctuary, have been studied by numerous scholars, in other areas the decoration schemes remain largely unexplained. This book focuses on the decorative schemes of several chapels in the earlier part of the temple, chapels that were either established and/or were decorated during the first Persian Period (525-404 BCE). These chapels were located around the main sanctuary A, but have rarely been the subject of scholarly discussions. It concentrates on a few chapels of the Temple of Hibis: chapels F and G to the south of sanctuary A on the first level of the temple and all the decorated chapels, E1, E2, H1, and H2, on the second level of the temple. Each chapter begins with a brief description of the scenes and their basic layout and a complete translation of the accompanying texts. A more in-depth analysis regarding both text and image follows in the commentary. It includes the analysis of the different aspects of the gods, their origins, and the development of their cults that are significant to the scenes and to each other. Also discussed are their coherence, any aspects that are especially emphasized, and any other information that could be gleaned from the whole scene. The analysis tries to detail the specific composition that makes up the mosaic of the picture, wall, or room. Attention is paid to both the scenic arrangement and the hieroglyphic inscriptions, as the interpretation of one would be meaningless without the other. Attention is given to investigating the general function of the different rooms by means of their decoration and by identifying the patterns or important themes generated by the layout of the scenes. The results are summarized in the last chapter. A number of line drawings have been inserted into the text beside a described scene as an aid to the reader.

Large state temples in ancient Egypt were vast agricultural estates, with interests in mining, trading, and other economic activities. The temple itself served as the mansion or palace of the deity to whom the estate belonged, and much of the ritual in temples was devoted to offering a representative sample of goods to the gods. After ritual performances, produce was paid as wages to priests and temple staff and presented as offerings to private mortuary establishments. This redistribution became a daily ritual in which many basic necessities of life for elite Egyptians were produced. This book evaluates the influence of common temple rituals not only on the day to day lives of ancient Egyptians, but also on their special events, economics, and politics. Author Katherine Eaton argues that a study of these daily rites ought to be the first step in analyzing the structure of more complex societal processes.

A COMPANION TO THE ACHAEMENID PERSIAN EMPIRE A comprehensive review of the political, cultural, social, economic and religious history of the Achaemenid Empirem Often called the first world empire, the Achaemenid Empire is rooted in older Near Eastern traditions. A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire offers a perspective in which the history of the empire is embedded in the preceding and subsequent epochs. In this way, the traditions that shaped the Achaemenid Empire become as visible as the powerful impact it had on further historical development. But the work does not only break new ground in this respect, but also in the fact that, in addition to written testimonies of all kinds, it also considers material tradition as an equal factor in historical reconstruction. This comprehensive two-volume set features contributions by internationally-recognized experts that offer balanced coverage of the whole of the empire from Anatolia and Egypt across western Asia to northern India and Central Asia. Comprehensive in scope, the Companion provides readers with a panoramic view of the diversity, richness, and complexity of the Achaemenid Empire, dealing with all the many aspects of history, event history, administration, economy, society, communication, art, science and religion, illustrating the multifaceted nature of the first true empire. A unique historical account presented in its multiregional dimensions, this important resource deals with many aspects of history, administration, economy, society, communication, art, science and religion it deals with topics that have only recently attracted interest such as court life, leisure activities, gender roles, and more examines a variety of available sources to consider those predecessors who influenced Achaemenid structure, ideology, and self-expression contains the study of Nachleben and the history of perception up to the present day offers a spectrum of opinions in disputed fields of research, such as the interpretation of the imagery of Achaemenid art, or questions of religion includes extensive bibliographies in each chapter for use as starting points for further research devotes special interest to the east of the empire, which is often neglected in comparison to the western territories Part of the acclaimed Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire is an indispensable work for students, instructors, and scholars of Persian and ancient world history, particularly the First Persian Empire.

The ancient Egyptians believed that rites performed for Osiris, the god of the dead, played a critical role in maintaining Egypt's well-being and prosperity. Not only did they ensure the renewed fertility of the country's arable land, they also guaranteed the political and social cohesion of the Egyptian state. However, it was not only at the national level, but at the individual level as well, that the Egyptians deemed such rites to be beneficial. Ritual texts intended to restore Osiris to life, suitably adapted, could also be recited for deceased individuals. Thus they could benefit from them in the same way that Osiris did. In the Graeco-Roman Period, adapted ritual texts of this sort were employed alongside texts originally composed for use in the funerary cult of ordinary deceased people. A number of ritual texts which are first attested in the private sphere subsequently appear in the temple sphere as well. Some ritual texts appear to have moved back and forth from one sphere to another, which suggests that the boundaries between the Osirian temple cult and the private funerary cult may have been more fluid than we usually imagine. The ritual texts edited in this volume offer an excellent opportunity to explore these and related issues. Most of them are known to have been employed both for the benefit of the god Osiris and for ordinary deceased people, in certain cases, during one and the same period of Egypt's history. This is one of their most interesting and striking features. They stand at the interface between temple cult and cult of the dead and allow us to trace the transmission of beliefs and practices from one sphere to the other.

This book examines the poorly understood transformations in rural landscapes and societies that formed the backbone of ancient empires.

Five distinguished scholars here summarize the state of current knowledge about ancient Egyptian temples and the rituals associated with their use. The first volume in English to survey the major types of Egyptian temples from the Old Kingdom to the Roman period, it offers a unique perspective on ritual and its cultural significance. The authors perceive temples as loci for the creative interplay of sacred space and sacred time. They regard as unacceptable the traditional division of the temples into the categories of "mortuary" and "divine", believing that their functions and symbolic representations were, at once, too varied and too intertwined. Both informative to scholars and accessible to students, the book combines descriptions of specific temples with new insights into their development and purposes.

This book is a vivid reconstruction of ancient Egyptian religious rituals that were enacted in temples, tombs, and private homes.

Preliminary material -- INTRODUCTION -- OVERVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE -- THE NILE WATER CRYPTS -- OTHER TYPES OF FIXED NILE WATER CONTAINERS -- WHY NILE WATER? 1. EVIDENCE FROM THE CRYPTS -- WHY NILE WATER? 2. EVIDENCE FROM OUTSIDE THE CULT -- WHY NILE WATER? 3. THE OSIRIS EVIDENCE -- ABLUTION FACILITIES AND RITUALS -- EGYPTIANIZING THE CULT OF THE EGYPTIAN GODS -- SURVEY OF THE SITES -- OTHER TYPES OF CRYPTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CULT -- NOTES -- INDICES -- LIST OF PLATES -- PLATES I-XXX AND MAP.