an Apis bull was built a chapel, and it was the series of chapels which formed the Serapeum properly so called. The Mnevis bull, , worshipped at Heliopolis, is thought by some to represent the same symbolism, and to be identical in form with Apis; he is called the "renewing of the life of Rā." Mesthȧ, Ḥāpi, Ţuamāutef and Qebḥsennuf, the four The gods children of Horus (see Canopic Jars, p. 194), are common in Cardinal glazed faïence, but rare in bronze. Sati, together with Anqet formed the triad of Elephantine, and Nephthys in some of her attributes. and Chnemu, she seems to resemble right, holding in her right hand, and in her left. The British Museum possesses one example, No. 110, in bronze, in which she is represented seated. On her head she wears the crown of Upper Egypt, in the front of which is an points. Other forms of Isis. uræus; a pair of horns follows the contour of the white crown, and above them is a star. No. 11,143 is a fine bronze figure of a woman, standing upright upon a pedestal; the right arm hangs by her side, but the left arm is bent, and her hand, holding an object, is laid upon her breast. She has the same head-dress as No. 110, and I believe her to be the same goddess, although she is labelled Hesi-Sept. [Isis-Sothis or the Dog Star.] Dr. Birch probably had some reason for thus labelling it, but it is unknown to me. The British Museum possesses one example also in faïence, No. 13,664, in which the goddess stands upright. Sebek represented the destroying power of the sun, and his worship is as old as the XIIIth dynasty. The British Museum possesses one example of this god in bronze, No. 22,924, in which he stands upright, and has the head of a crocodile surmounted with disk, plumes and uræi, which have disks and horns. Anher "the leader of the celestial regions,” which Shu supports, is usually represented wearing plumes , and holding a dart; he is at times called ՈՈ ก D neb mab, "lord of the dart." The British Museum possesses a glazed faïence pendant, No. 11,335, upon which this god is represented in relief, standing upright and wearing plumes; in his right hand he holds and in the left the sceptre 1. This sceptre is usually composed of †,†, and 1 arranged perpendicularly one above the other. He is sometimes called An-her Shu se Rā, "An-ḥer Shu, the son of Rā." Bes, a god whose worship in Egypt dates from a very remote period, seems to have possessed a double character. He is represented as a grotesque person with horns and eyes on a level with the top of his head, his tongue hangs out, and he has bandy legs. He wears a crown of The various aspects of Bes. Worship of Bes of foreign origin. feathers on his head, and a leopard's skin thrown round his body. As a warrior, or the god of war, he is armed with a shield and sword, and sometimes he has a bow; he was also the god of music and the dance, and in this character he is represented as a tailed creature, half man, half animal, playing a harp, or striking cymbals together and dancing. It is thought that he symbolized the destructive power of nature, and in this capacity he is identified in the Book of the Dead with Set; as the god of joy and pleasure figures of him are carved upon the kohl jars, and other articles used by Egyptian ladies in their toilet. The worship of this god seems to have been introduced into Egypt from Neter ta, i.e., the land which was situated by the eastern bank of the Nile, supposed by the Egyptians to be the original home of the gods. Figures of this god in bronze and faïence are very common, and they represent him as described above. Faïence figures were made as much as fourteen inches long, and were sometimes in relief and sometimes "in the round." Bes. Various forms of Bes. |