The outside walls of the temple

of Isis.

are very curious. On the north wall one sees in the top row the king, whose cartouches are blank, worshipping Min; and Unnefer is worshipped by Isis, Nephthys, Anubis, Horus, Wazet, and Nekheb. In the second row a sacred boat in which is the bier of Osiris is worshipped by the four genii of Anubis—Amset, Hapu, Duamutef, and Khebsen. In the third row a shrine is shown in which is a sacred tree. On the west wall in the top row the king worships before Ptah, Harmachis, Shu, Tefnut, a god whose name is not clear, Nut, Unnefer, Isis, Khnum, Satis, Horus, Nephthys, Hathor, Harpocrates, and Wazet. In the second row Khnum is seen fashioning a pot; behind him are Hapi, a hawk-headed lion, the frog Heket, Osiris, Isis (?), Horus, a lion-headed god, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Remtet in the form of a human-headed snake, Sekhmet, a form of Khepera, Wazet of the fields, Anhur-Shu, Osiris, and Isis. In the third row are the nome standards. On the south wall, in the top row, Osiris and Isis stand beside the sacred head of Osiris on a pole; Horus and two goddesses stand before a large ded; and Satis, Anukis, Sokaris, and a ram-headed god are shown before another sacred symbol. In the second row Osiris- Unnefer in the form of a mummified hawk lies on a bier supported by four figures; Isis and Nephthys kneel by the legs of Osiris, which are in a chest ; and Isis and Nephthys lean over the bier on which the resurrection of Osiris in the form of Horus is taking place. In the third row Anubis, Isis, and Nephthys are seen tending the body of Osiris; the body of Osiris lies on a bier, while Horus sprinkles water over it, thus causing lotus-flowers to grow from it; the body of Osiris lying on its bier is worshipped by Horus and Heket. On the east wall, in the top row, is the king before the gods Amen-Ra, Nun and Nunt, Hehu and Hehut, Kekui and Kekuit, Nuy and Nuyt, Tum, Thoth, &c. In the second row the king offers to Ptah who fashions a vase, Hapi, Horus, Osiris, Isis, Neith, Selket, Osiris, Urthekau snake-formed, Horus, Nekheb, Horus of Edfu, Sokaris protected by a goddess, and a shrine in which is the head of Isis protected by a goddess. In the third row are the nome signs. One may now ascend to the pylon by means of a stairway.

The outside walls of the temple of Isis are decorated with reliefs dating mainly from the reign of Tiberius. At the south end of the west wall the king is shown slaying his enemies in the presence of Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Hathor. Above this he is shown slaying a captive before the Pharaoh of Senem. In the other reliefs he is shown worshipping Unnefer and Isis; Amen-Ra, Mut, and Khonsu;

Hadrian.

Khnum and Hathor; Horus, Isis, and Nephthys; Thoth; Min; Hathor and Horus; Nut; Shu and Tefnut; Nephthys; and others; he is crowned by Nekheb and Wazet in the presence of Isis; and he slays a captive before Horus and Hathor. On the north side, or back, of the temple four large reliefs show him before Isis and Horus; Unnefer and Isis; Isis and Nephthys ; and Hathor and Horus; while other smaller reliefs represent other gods. On the east side of the temple at the south end he is seen slaying his enemies before Isis, Hathor, and Horus; he makes offering to Unnefer and Isis; Khnum, Hathor, and Horus; Isis, Hathor, and Horus; Horus, Nephthys, and the Pharaoh of Senem; and Unnefer, Isis, and Nephthys. Along the north end of this side the Pharaoh is seen leaving his palace, with the jackal-, ibis-, and hawk-standards before him; he is purified by Behudet and Thoth ; he is crowned by Nekheb and Wazet; he is led by Menthu of On and Harmachis to Isis; and he worships Isis, Unnefer and Isis, Horus and Isis, and Isis and Horus. Higher up he stands before Isis, Horus, and others. On the west of the temple, near the second pylon, stands a gateway and passage built by Hadrian. The gateThe flight of steps by which it led to the water is now lost, though way of the quay and much construction stands. On the lintel of the doorway the king is seen before Osiris, Isis, and Harpocrates; and on the sides of the doorway are the wig of Osiris resting on a pole, and the spine of Osiris in the form of a ded, these two relics belonging to Abydos and Busiris respectively. On the south wall of the passage the reliefs have never been finished, and all are much damaged. In the top row Horus is seated between Isis and Nephthys, while Neith and Thoth number his years; and Osiris, Anubis, Shu, Tefnut, and a goddess playing a harp are shown near by. In the second row, near a small side door, there is a very interesting relief. It shows the king bearing a chest upon his shoulder, and walking with Thoth and Isis towards a temple, on the west side of which are two doorways, probably representing this actual building. Beyond these doorways is the river, across which a crocodile swims with Osiris on its back towards some steep rocks, probably representing the rocks of Bîgeh, which can be seen in reality on one's right. Above the river are the sun, moon, and stars, and amidst the blue sky are Harpocrates and Osiris. Other reliefs show Horus slaying a monster, Osiris standing in the sacred tree, and the king worshipping various gods. On the north wall the king offers to Isis and Hathor, Osiris-Sokaris, Isis, Nephthys, and Horus. Lower down Isis, Nephthys, Horus,

Other

Amen, and the cow-headed Isis worship the hawk which rises above the reeds of the river at the foot of the rocks of Bîgeh, on which a vulture perches, and under which is a cave surrounded by a serpent and containing a figure of Hapi. This is intended to represent the source of the Nile. On the front of this building is a Demotic inscription in red letters mentioning Aurelius Antoninus Pius and Lucius Verus, and giving them titles derived from conquered provinces. Just to the north of this gateway there are traces of a temple, of which the platform and a few scattered blocks from the walls alone remain. There are here no traces of gods' names or kings' cartouches by which to name the place; but buildings. formerly some inscriptions were found which showed that it was built by Claudius and was partly dedicated to Harendotes; while other inscribed blocks built into the Coptic church which stands just to the north also named Claudius as the builder. To the south of Hadrian's gateway is the Nilometer, on the walls of which are Demotic, Hieratic, and Coptic inscriptions. Farther to the north is a ruined temple of Augustus, built in the eighteenth year of his reign. A paved court fronts the temple, and pink granite pillars lie fallen on the ground, and on an architrave there is a Greek inscription. Here Capt. Lyons found the trilingual inscription of Cornelius Gallus, which is now in the Cairo Museum. Beyond this, at the extreme north of the island, stands the Roman Town Gate, built with three arches, the side arches being lower than the middle arch. A domical stone vault is to be seen in the west arch, but that of the east arch has fallen. It is probable that this gateway was erected by Diocletian. A flight of steps leads up from the water to the gateway. Walking now towards the south-east one passes another large ruined Coptic church, and The temple presently the Temple of Hathor is reached, which stands immediof Hathor. ately to the east of the second pylon. It consists of a hall and a

pronaos, the other chambers being now destroyed. The hall had six pillars on either side, and screen walls joined them; but the pillars are now only standing in part. Entering the hall one sees on the south end of the west wall a damaged relief showing the king worshipping Mut and Hathor, and on the opposite side Hathor is again seen. On the south wall, passing along the lower row from west to east, the following reliefs are seen a figure standing by some reeds plays a double reed pipe; the king offers a festal coronet to Isis; a figure plays upon a harp; the king offers flowers to Nephthys; a small figure of Bes beats a tambourine; the king offers sistra to Sekhmet; a full-faced figure of Bes plays upon a harp; the king offers a coronet to Hathor; an

ape plays upon a guitar; and the king offers wine to Isis. On the north wall a figure plays on a double pipe; another figure plays on a harp; a man carries a gazelle decorated with flowers on his shoulder; the king offers an ape amulet to Satis; he offers an ornamental sphinx to Tefnut; a full-faced figure of Bes plays a harp and dances; an ape plays a guitar; and the king offers wine to Hathor. The festive nature of these scenes will at once be observed. Hathor was the goddess of beauty and joy, and these scenes are intended to inspire the worshipper with those feelings of gaiety which were pleasing to the goddess. Other reliefs in the hall show the king in the presence of Horus, Arsnuphis, and Hathor. There is a doorway on either side of the hall; and at the east end a semi-portal decorated with Hathor-heads leads into the pronaos, the roof of which is supported by two pillars. The reliefs in this chamber are unfinished, but show the king before the usual gods. A doorway led into the farther chambers, but only the pavement of these now remains. Outside the pronaos, on the north side, the king is seen leaving his palace with the Upper Egyptian crown on his head, and with the four standards before him: the jackal, ibis, hawk, and Theban emblem; and he burns incense before Unnefer and Isis. On the south, the king with the crown of Lower Egypt on his head and with the standards before him, leaves the palace; and he worships Hathor and Horus, and Khnum and Horus. A doorway on this side admits to the pronaos, and around it are small figures of the king worshipping some nearly obliterated gods ; while at the foot of each jamb is a lion holding a knife. The pronaos of this temple was dedicated to Hathor by Ptolemy VIIth Philometor and Ptolemy IXth Euergetes; but the hall in the front and the lost sanctuary were added by Augustus. A Greek inscription reading" Hiertia directed a prayer to Aphrodite " proves that the temple was dedicated to Hathor.

Just to the south-east of this temple is the famous Kiosk, some- The times called "Pharaoh's Bed." Fourteen pillars with floral capitals Kiosk. support the architrave, which on the outside is decorated with a concave cornice. Screen walls rise between the columns on which reliefs were intended to be sculptured; but only two of them have been decorated. Wide doorways at the east and west ends admit one to the Kiosk, and there is a smaller door on the north side. The pavement of the Kiosk does not now exist, and perhaps it was never laid down. The only two reliefs show Trajan burning incense before Unnefer and Isis, and offering wine to Isis and Horus. On the east side of the Kiosk the terrace or quay still exists, and originally this seems to have been walled in, thus forming another chamber.

The history of Dabôd.

THE

CHAPTER XXIII

FROM PHILE TO KALÀBSHEH

DABOD

HE village of Dabôd lies about ten miles above the barrage. The temple stood originally a short distance back from the river, with a strip of cultivated land in front of it. The barrage, however, has raised the water in the winter so that it covers the main part of the temple. To the north of the temple there is a fair-sized village rising on the hillside, and to the south there are a few houses. Behind it the scenery is very magnificent; jagged points of dark rock protrude from smooth drifts of vividly yellow sand, while in the distance the hills gather together into a series of ranges. The palms still stand in the water in front of the temple, but these will not last for long.

The ancient Egyptian name for Dabôd is not known with any certainty, but one is tempted to see in it the Abaton, which occurs so frequently in the inscriptions at Phila and elsewhere. This word in Egyptian reads 'Et-u'byt, and Dabôd might well be the modern rendering. In Greek times 'Et-u'byt was named Abaton, and it is generally identified with Philæ; but this is not certain. A stele of Amenemhat IInd, now at Berlin, was found here, which shows that the town was in existence as early as the XIIth dynasty. It was then probably a military outpost in connection with the garrison at Aswân. The King of Nubia who is responsible for the building of the temple is named "The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Rantaa-Setepenneteru, Son of the Sun Azkharamen, Living for ever, beloved of Isis." Ptolemy VIIth, who seems to have lived just after Azkharamen's reign, added a Greek inscription on one of the temple walls. The temple was embellished by Ptolemy Euergetes IInd, and in later times Augustus and Tiberius added some reliefs. Diocletian ceded Dabôd with the main part of Lower Nubia to the Nubae, whom he brought from the Oasis of El Khârgeh to act as a