The dawn of astronomy: A study of the temple-worship and mythology of the ancient EgyptiansLockyer, Norman, Sir
Religion
The dawn of astronomy: A study of the temple-worship and mythology of the ancient Egyptians
Lockyer, Norman, Sir
Astronomy, Egyptian; Sun -- Mythology; Sun worship; Temples -- Egypt
With regard to the Philæ temple, the amplitude is uncertain, as the
measures do not agree; but if we reject Philæ the other coincidences
are too remarkable to be neglected.
It is to be hoped that a complete survey of the island will soon be
undertaken.
Now, I cannot find any important stars to fit this declination since
7000 B.C. except Canopus and Phact, and the latter is barred because it
was used as a _rising star_, and indeed was the first solstitial Isis.
If we inquire into the conditions relative to Canopus, we find
that star had the declination of 64° about 6400 B.C., and that, as
determined by the processional globe, it then set heliacally at the
autumnal equinox.
If we assume that Canopus is in question, the break between the dates
6400 B.C. and 2150 B.C. has to be explained. There may have been
temples at Thebes now destroyed. There seems no doubt that the temple
at Philæ, lettered Y by the French and L in Baedeker's Handbook, was
the most ancient one on the island, and that the cult was similar to
that at Edfû.[87]
It will be most interesting to see whether the suggestion that Canopus
was observed in early times at Philæ and Edfû especially, be confirmed.
It is clear that for these and other southern temples an examination of
the local conditions and a determination of the places of the southern
stars are necessary before the other southern gods and goddesses can be
worked out.
We next come to the N.W. quadrant. Here, apparently, we have only to
deal with Capella and Spica. Summarising the information detailed in
a previous chapter, we find the following temples probably erected to
these stars:--
CAPELLA.
──────────────────┬──────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬─────
│ │ Sea │ Hills 1° │ Hills 2° │
│ Amp. │ Horizon. │ High. │ High. │
Place and Temple. ├──────┼─────┬──────┼─────┬──────┼─────┬──────┤ Re-
│ S. │Dec. │Years.│ Dec.│Years.│ Dec.│Years.│marks.
│ of E.│ S. │ │ S.│ │ S. │ │
──────────────────┼──────┼─────┼──────┼─────┼──────┼─────┼──────┼──────
=Memphis= │ 12° │ 10° │ 5500 │ 10¾°│=5350=│ 11¼ │ 5300 │
=Annu= │ 13° │ 11° │=5325=│ 11½°│ 3250 │ 12° │ 5200 │
=Karnak U= │ 27½° │ 24¼ │ 3250 │ 24¾°│ 3150 │ 25¼ │=3050=│
=Thebes= │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
(Petit Temple │ 31½° │ 27¾°│ 2600 │ 28½°│ 2500 │ 29° │=2400=│
du Sud) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
=Karnak G= │ 35° │ 30¾°│ 2050 │ 31½°│ 1925 │ 32° │ 1850 │ 1.
──────────────────┴──────┴─────┴──────┴─────┴──────┴─────┴──────┴─────
Remark 1.
32½°. =1750.= Hills 3° high
SPICA.
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