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Neheb-ka

is a god mentioned in

the Book of the Dead (chap. xvii. 61; chap. xxx. 3, etc.), and pictures of him are found upon coffins. In bronze figures he has the body of a man, and the head of a serpent; in wood he has the body of an animal, and the head of a serpent, and holds in his paws (B.M. No. 11,779), in faïence he has an animal's body and a serpent's head, and either holds outstretched in his paws (B.M. No. 11,795), or raises them to his mouth (B.M. No. 1197). He sometimes wears plumes and horns.

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Seker

or Socharis, a form of the night-sun, is

represented as a man, hawk-headed, holding A, 1 and ?

in his hands; for Ptah-Seker-Ausȧr figures, see page 215.

tic figures

There are among the Egyptian gods in the British PolytheisMuseum two examples (Nos. 1419 and 22,930) of a polytheistic figure of considerable interest. They have hawks'

ithyphallic' bodies, human legs and feet, each of which stands on a crocodile, and human hands and arms; the front of the head is in the form of a jackal's head, surmounted by plumes and disk, and the back is in the form of a ram's head, surmounted by a disk and uræus. In the right hand is a whip A, and in the left an object which I cannot identify. Each group stands on a pedestal with a circle formed by a serpent having his tail in his mouth. These figures have much in common with those described under the name Bes, and may be variant forms of this god.

Another figure of interest is No. 24,385, which represents a seated woman, with the head of a sheep, surmounted by disk, uræus, and horns; behind this head-dress is the tail of a scorpion. The right hand is laid underneath her left breast, which she touches with her finger and thumb, and the left rests upon her knee. The Museum of the Louvre possesses

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Ta-urt (Thoueris). Thoueris, lion-headed. Sefech-Aabu, or Sesheta.

In No. 22,930, the hawk's body is more distinct, and has a head, surmounted by a disk, and the feathers of the tail rest upon a hippopotamus.

a similar figure with the addition of a naked child whom she holds upon her knees, and whom she is about to suckle. Lanzone (Dizionario, p. 841, for the figure see tav. cccxi.) thinks that the sheep and scorpion headed god represents Isis, and the child, Horus.

Ta-urt

or Thoueris, was the wife of Set,

and she is usually represented in bronze and faïence with the head and body of a hippopotamus, the hind-quarters of a lion, and the tail of a crocodile. On her head she wears a modius which is sometimes surmounted by a disk, horns, and

plumes M.

Sefex-Aabu or Sesheta is a form of the goddess Hathor which was worshipped in Hermopolis, and was also adored in Memphis from the earliest dynasties.

FIGURES OF ANIMALS, BIRDS AND REPTILES, SACRED TO
THE GODS.

The figures of animals found in the temples, tombs and ruined houses of Egypt may, like those of the gods, be divided into three classes:-1. Votive; 2. Those worn as amulets either by the living or dead; 3. Those which stood in houses. They are made of bronze, steatite, basalt, faïence, wood, wood gilded, lapis-lazuli, wax, and many other materials. Those in bronze, stone, and wood were usually made for temples, and to stand in tombs; those in faïence, lapis-lazuli, and other precious stones were placed on the bead-work, or under the folds of the wrappings of mummies, or were worn suspended to necklaces, by the living; those placed in the walls of houses, but which are not sufficiently well distinguished to give many details, were usually made of faïence cast in moulds. The animals and reptiles of which figures are most commonly found are:

sacred to

1. Ape, dog-headed,, wearing disk and crescent, Animals sacred to Thoth and Chensu. Figures in bronze, stone, wood the gods. and faïence, in which he is represented sitting, sometimes on a pedestal with steps, or standing, are common; sometimes

he holds (B.M. No. 1442), and sometimes a goat (B.M.

No. 11,910).

2. Hippopotamus

Ta-urt, Thoueris,

standing on the hind-quarters of a lion, and holding the tail of a crocodile; figures in bronze and faïence are common. The most beautiful example of this composite animal in green basalt is preserved in the Museum at Gîzeh, a cast of which is exhibited in the Egyptian Gallery of the British Museum, No. 1075.

3. Cow, sacred to Hathor, with disk between her horns,

4 Lion, couchant or running, sacred to Horus. Examples are very common in faïence. Frequently the body of the lion has a lion's head at each end of it, and sometimes there is a lion's head at one end, and a bull's head at the other; on the back, between the two heads, is the disk of the sun,, the whole representing the sun on the horizon. The two heads, facing in opposite directions, are supposed to represent the south and north, i.e., the sun's course daily. An example in which each lion's head has two faces, one looking towards the south and the other towards the north, is figured in Lanzone, Dizionario, tav. cvi.

5. Sphinx, couchant or sitting on his haunches, sacred to Harmachis. Figures in bronze and faïence are tolerably common,

Sphinx.

6. Bull, sacred to Apis or Mnevis, having disk and uræus between his horns, and the figures of a vulture with outspread wings and a winged scarab on his back. Figures in bronze and stone are more common than in faïence.

7. Ram,, sacred to Chnemu or Amen-Rā; figures in bronze and faïence are tolerably common.

sacred to

8. Cat sacred to Bast, lady of Bubastis. Large Animals votive figures of the cat were made of bronze and wood, the the gods. eyes being inlaid with obsidian and gold; B.M. No. 22,927 has the eyes, and a large number of the hairs of the body, inlaid with gold. The smaller figures worn for ornament by the votaries of Bast are made of bronze, stone, rock-crystal, faïence, &c.; in the smaller figures the cat is represented with one, two, or more kittens, and the top of the sceptre is often ornamented with a cat.

9. Jackal, sacred to Anpu (Anubis), or to Ap-uat. In bronze figures, which are plentiful, he stands on a pedestal which fitted on to the top of a sceptre or staff; faïence figures are not very common. A large number of wooden models from the top of sepulchral boxes are known.

10. Hare, sacred to Osiris Unnefer; figures in faïence are common.

11. Sow, sacred to Set (?), was the abomination of
, according to the

Horus JT

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112th chapter of the Book of the animal in faïence are fairly common. head at each end of its body.

Dead; figures of this
B.M. No. 11,897 has a

12. Hippopotamus, sacred to Set or Typhon; many large and beautiful examples of this animal in glazed faïence and steatite exist in public and private collections.

13. Stag Figures in which the animal is represented with its legs tied together ready for sacrifice are known in bronze, e.g., B.M. No. 1696.

14. Hedgehog, a few examples of which, in bronze and faïence, are known.

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