My observations of the orientation of the obelisk at Annu show that the temple of which it formed part may have possibly been an early member of the series which includes the temple of Mut at Thebes, and of Hathor at Denderah; that is, the worship of Set was in question, to speak generically. Now, according to Maspero, Sit or Set formed one of the divine dynasties, being associated with the sun and air gods at Annu, _i.e._ with Rā, Atmu, Osiris, Horus, and Shou. It is also certain that the solar temple at Annu at right-angles to the Sit temple, was pointed north-west, and probably to Capella setting, about 5000 B.C. So much for the astronomical antiquity of Annu. But there are other northern towns besides Annu for which a very high antiquity is claimed. On this point here is the opinion of Ebers and Dümichen, two of our highest authorities: "Dies ist die älteste Stadt in Aegypten, und das mit ihm verbundene Abydos kann nicht viel junger gewesen sein, denn schon im alten Reiche wird es vielfach als heilige Stadt erwähnt."[95] The sacred character of Abydos is also pointed out by Maspero.[96] "C'est comme ville sainte qu'elle était universellement connue. Ses sanctuaires étaient célèbres, son dieu Osiris vénéré, ses fêtes suivies par toute l'Égypte; les gens riches des autres nomes tenaient à honneur de se faire dresser une stèle dans son temple." If it be found that the references to "ancestors," and "divine ancestors," occur after the eleventh dynasty, the race represented by Annu, or the one which immediately followed it (? the Hor-Shesu) may be referred to (_see_ the chapters on the Egyptian year). Of Abydos astronomically I can only say very little, as the various statements as to the orientation of the north-east temples there by various authors are so conflicting that nothing certain can be made out. As they stand they are suggestive that these temples may possibly be associated with that at Luxor, and it may be gathered from the description of them by Ebers and Dümichen in Baedeker that many references to Set (Anubis) occur in the inscriptions. If subsequent measurements indicate that Abydos and Luxor are to be treated together, then astronomically both these places may represent a cult more ancient than that at Annu,[97] since it would appear that in these cases α Lyræ was the star personified by Anubis, as α Ursæ Majoris and γ Draconis were subsequently. But if the cult were more ancient the temple foundations were not, the first "length" of Luxor having been built, on this supposition, about 4900 B.C. The last length built by Ramses II. was certainly oriented to α Lyræ, by which I mean that if the building date given by Egyptologists is correct, α Lyræ rose in the axis prolonged--another instance of the long persistence of a cult, and of the fact that the temples that we see are but shrines restored.