History of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Volume 7 (of 12)Maspero, G. (Gaston)
History
History of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Volume 7 (of 12)
Maspero, G. (Gaston)
Civilization, Ancient; Egypt -- History -- To 640 A.D.; History, Ancient; Middle East -- History
Its temple, which had been rebuilt by Ramses II. and decorated by the
Rames-sides, was in a sorry plight when the XXIInd dynasty came into
power. Sheshonq I. did little or nothing to it, but Osorkon I. entirely
remodelled it, and Osorkon II. added several new halls, including,
amongst others, one in which he celebrated, in the twenty-second year
of his reign, the festival of his deification. A record of some of the
ceremonies observed has come down to us in the mural paintings. There
we see the king, in a chapel, consecrating a statue of himself in
accordance with the ritual in use since the time of Amenothes III., and
offering the figure devout and earnest worship; all the divinities of
Egypt have assembled to witness the enthronement of this new member of
their confraternity, and take part in the sacrifices accompanying
his consecration. This gathering of the gods is balanced by a human
festival, attended by Nubians and Kushites, as well as by the courtiers
and populace. The proceedings terminated, apparently, with certain
funeral rites, the object being to make the identification of Osorkon
with Osiris complete.
[Illustration: 244.jpg PICTURE IN THE HALL OF THE HARPS IN THE FIFTH
TOMB]
The Egyptian deities served in a double capacity, as gods of the dead as
well as of the living, and no exception could be made in favour of the
deified Osorkon; while yet living he became an Osiris, and his double
was supposed to animate those prophetic statues in which he appeared as
a mummy no less than those which represented him as still alive.
[Illustration: 245.jpg GATE OF THE FESTIVAL HALL AT BUBASTIS]
Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a restoration by Naville.
Another temple of small size, also dedicated to Bastifc or Pasht, which
had been built in the time of Ramses II., was enlarged by Osorkon I.,
and richly endowed with workshops, lands, cattle, slaves, and precious
metals: Tumu-Khopri of Heliopolis, to mention but one of the
deities worshipped there, received offerings of gold in value by
weight.L120,000, and silver ingots worth L12,000.*
* This is the small temple afterwards described by Herodotus
as being dedicated to Hermes.
A country which could afford to indulge in extravagances of this nature
must have been in a flourishing condition, and everything goes to prove
that Egypt prospered under the rule of the early Bubastite kings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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