Volume 7 (2024)
Pätznick, Jean-Pierre:
Le Nom du Roi Nesout Hou: La Puissance du Verbe Royal a la IIIe Dynastie
[FR] Souvent lu Houny qui est une réinterprétation et une ré–écriture de l’ancien nom royal Nesūt Hū / Hū Nesūt – Le Roi est Hū / Hū est le Roi, l’étude consacrée à ce nom royal met en valeur la composante Hū qui montre un aspect du roi, peu discuté jusqu’alors, celui du possesseur du Verbe (Hw) et de son instantanée performativité par l’ordre royal. Tel Atūm, le démiurge, le roi est associé au Verbe divin créateur, donnant ainsi naissance à ses sujets(rhyt) en leur adressant la parole et ordonnant le monde.
[EN] Often read Houny, which is a reinterpretation and a re–writing of the royal name Nesūt Hū / HūNesūt – The King is Hū / Hū is the King, the present study is dedicated to this royal name featuring the component Hu that shows a king’s aspect not deservedly discussed until now: thus, the king is presented as the possessor of Verbum/Loghos (Hw) and of its instantaneous performativity, through royal order. Such as Atum–the–Creator, the pharaoh is associated to the divine creative Word/Verbum, hence bestowing birth to his subjects (rhyt), by addressing them the word and ordering the Cosmos.
Tarasenko, Mykola:
Image and Text in the Book of the Dead
This article discusses the problem of interaction between image and text in the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, the first illustrated book in the history of humankind. Examples are given that show the relationship of illustrations of individual Spells of the Book of the Dead (the so–called vignettes) with hieroglyphics, titles and content of different spells and the medium of text (papyrus roll).
Szwec, Marla:
The Original Office of the Hour Watcher (Horologist)
The study of priestly positions is an essential field in Egyptology for understanding topics related to temple organisation, administrative careers, and the ideologies of power that sustained them. While investigations focusing on the high priesthood are a constant in the history of egyptological scholarship, the publication of studies that deal with single and lower–ranking titles is relatively rare. The classical office of the Hour Watcher/Horologist is a title that exemplifies this habit of neglect and oversight. Despite its longevity in the Egyptian administration, no work on the office hitherto exists to illuminate its original role in society and provide a benchmark for its later development. The purpose of this paper is to correct this circumstance. By inspecting patterns and connections between the earliest known attestations of the title, the current investigation reconstructs a characterisation of the office at the dawn of its recorded history. The results indicate affiliations with temple and palace administrations, a symbiotic relationship with the centralised government, a key role in maintaining the temporal flow of religious activities, and an overarching ideological significance that facilitated the office’s relevance across a range of cultural contexts.
Salamida, Barbara:
Comparison between the Astronomical Ceilings of the Pharaonic and the Ptolemaic Era
This paper examines the evolution of Egyptian astronomical ceilings from the Pharaonic Period down to the Ptolemaic Era, with a particular focus on how these ceilings may reflect the changing cosmovisional views of the ancient Egyptians. The introduction provides an overview of the importance of Astronomy in ancient Egyptian culture, linking it to both: religious practices and daily life. The main body of the article presents a comparative analysis of astronomical ceilings found in tombs of the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1069 BC), such as the Tomb of Son–en–Mut, and temples from the Ptolemaic Period (332-30 BC). By focusing on key elements, such as the introduction of the Zodiac, the representations of Winds, the adaptation of decanal stars, and the integration of planetary deities, this study examines how Ptolemaic astronomical ceilings selectively incorporated foreign influences while maintaining core Egyptian traditions. This shift was not merely decorative but signaled a deeper integration of foreign astronomical traditions into Egyptian thought. This illustrates how Egyptian astronomical traditions absorbed and adapted external influences, showcasing the dynamic exchange of knowledge and astronomical lore between Egypt and other antique cultures.
Marcos González, Mónica M.:
Metrology and Orientation in Egyptian temples: The Cases of Deir ᾽el-Bahri and Amarna
During the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom, Egypt experienced a brilliant period of splendour. The highest levels were reached in Astronomy, Mathematics, Medicine, and all cultural domains. The standardisation of measurements used for construction, with modulation and fixed parametres, as well as orientation, were evidence of this cultural culmination. Architecture was proposed as a reflection on Earth of the order of the Universe, the Macat. The perfection of Mathematics and Astronomy, applied to religious Architecture, proved the value of natural and stellar phenomena for the Egyptian civilisation, and the materialisation of this Celestial Harmony on Earth. As an example of these constructions, and a reflection of an Architecture designed for specific ritual purposes, the temples followed a strict order in terms of measurements and proportions. The Temple of Hātshepsūt in Deir ᾽el-Bahri and the Small Aten Temple in Amarna, for instance, were construction milestones due to their symbology and the metaphysical and religious implications of their period.
Forshaw, Roger:
Cases of Oral Pathologies from the First Archaeological Survey of Nubia
This study investigates three cases of oral pathology identified in skeletal and mummified remains originally excavated during the First Archaeological Survey of Nubia (1907-1911). While the Survey Team conducted an extensive analysis and published their initial findings in the first year of the Project, subsequent results were minimally documented. These remains have now been re–examined, as part of the Grafton Elliot Smith Project. The first of the cases involves a significant pathological bony cavity in the maxilla attributed to an odontogenic infection that caused perforation of the maxillary sinus. Evidence of chronic sinusitis on the in¬ner sinus wall suggests the infection persisted during the individual’s life. The second one presents features consistent with leprosy, including the distinctive rhinomaxillary syndrome, characterised by perforation of the hard palate and resorption of the alveolar bone supporting the maxillary anterior teeth. The final case fo¬cuses on a bilateral cleft palate found in an adult skull and considers the implications of survival into adult¬hood with this condition in an ancient societal context. These pathologies have been reassessed in the framework of recent research and discoveries made over the past century.
Christofaro, Ilaria:
Rituals of Sunlight: Orientation and Natural Illumination of the Doric Temple in Pompeii
The Doric Temple at the Triangular Forum in Pompeii is the oldest sanctuary of the town. The first phase can be dated some few decades after Pompeii’s foundation, even though its monumental form can be placed only around 530-520 BC. Along the history of the sanctuary, its peculiar orientation has remained unvaried: the building was not placed in line with any geomorphological or urban directions. Considering the local landscape, an archaeoastronomical analysis was here applied to explain this sacred orientation. As a result, it seems clear that the Doric Temple has been founded to be intentionally oriented towards the Sun at Summer Solstice, setting exactly behind the temple. Indeed, the importance of the sanctuary within the town foundation ritual is discussed, as supported by the fact that the urban grid is turned towards Summer Solstice as well, but at the rising Sun. This interest for the Summer Solstice is confirmed by the fact the beginning of the year in Pompeii was the 1st July, as attested by later sources. This integrated solar design is tentatively contextualised within the fragmentary knowledge of the local cult, in the Hellenistic times governed by Athēna/ Minerva and, possibly, Hēraklēs. Finally, the natural illumination of the inner temple is tested by the tools of 3D Virtual Archaeology and digital reconstruction (anastylōsis). Focusing on the relative positions of the cult statue base found in situ, the temple thresholds, and the course of the Sun, it is here suggested that a light epiphany of divinity might have been planned to be annually recurrent on specific days of the ritual activities.
de Klerk, Pim; Joosten, Hans:
The Hippopotamus and the Maned River Horse: Descriptions of an Egyptian Wetland Mammal in Ancient Hellenic and Roman Texts
The hippopotamus is one of the most prominent wetland animals of the ancient Nile, where it roamed along the river. Whereas there is a large and accurate ancient Egyptian cultural record, the descriptions of hippo-potamuses in Hellenistic and Roman texts are all somewhat inaccurate, implying that caution is needed when interpreting ancient texts for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. In this paper various Hellenistic and Ro-man descriptions of hippopotamuses are presented and compared with the actual biology of the animal and with the ancient Egyptian cultural records.
Saint-David, Stewart Addington:
Bending the Arc: A Glance at the Historiography Surrounding Ptolemaios XII Neos Dionysos
Although he was certainly not a figure on the level of Ptolemaios I Sōtēr, visionary founder of the Dynasty, nor on that of Ptolemaios III Euergetēs I, arguably the Dynasty’s most genuinely successful expansionist, the reign of Ptolemaios XII Neos Dionysos —nevertheless— deserves a far more thoughtful assessment than it has generally received over the course of prior centuries, particularly given the quite perilous circumstances under which he ruled Egypt between 80-51 BC. Unrelenting Roman pressures, political, military and financial, were consistently brought to bear upon his kingdom, upon his family, and almost certainly, upon his own royal person. Naturally, this wide range of foreign pressures was to be responsible for shaping the conduct and tenor of his reign, but he nevertheless consistently maintained his desire to ensure the perpetuation of his Dynasty’s continued sovereignty over the Ptolemaic State. The aim of this paper is to briefly consider the evolution of the historical reputation of Ptolemaios XII among writers and scholars, beginning from the period of his own lifetime, down to the early 21st Century; and to further highlight this evolution following the publication of the pivotal work of Auguste Bouché–Leclercq on Ptolemaic royal history at the start of the 20th Century.
Sadek el-Gendi, Sherin:
The Monastery of Saint Merkourios ᾿Abi ᾿l-Sifaīn in Tammūh at Gizah
From the Christian primitive eras, many Monasteries and Churches were built in different Egyptian cities to the Coptic Martyr Merkourios ᾿Abī᾿l-Sifain Philopatōr, who is one of the most important Saints in the Coptic Orthodox Church until the present day. One of these archaeologically significant Monasteries is the one located in Tammūh at Gizah. This Monastery was described by many historians. Moreover, several travellers, rulers, viziers and senior officials visited it, as it was considered as one of the most beautiful parks through the different historical periods. Today, this ancient Coptic Monastery located in the western bank of the Nile consists of five different Churches, services’ buildings, and an open courtyard including a garden and surrounded by a recent enclosure wall.
Maravelia, Alicia:
Book Review: Les Mathématiques de l'Égypte ancienne
BOOK REVIEW: Michel, Marianne: Les Mathématiques de l'Égypte ancienne: Numération, Métrologie, Arithmétique, Géométrie et autres problèmes, Bruxelles (Safran / Connaissance de l’Égypte Ancienne 12) 12014 [22023], 604 pages, ISBN 978-2-87457-040-7.
Mansour, Ahmed:
Book Review: Pierres de l΄Égypte Ancienne
BOOK REVIEW: De Puter, Thierry & Karlshausen, Christina: Pierres de l’Égypte Ancienne: Guide des Matériaux de l’Architecture, de la Sculpture et de la Joaillerie, Bruxelles (Safran / Connaissance de l’Égypte Ancienne 20) 2022, 320 pages, ISBN 978-2-87457-133-6.
Maravelia, Alicia:
Book Review: On the Golden Mean
BOOK REVIEW: Papadoperaki, Aspasia: On the Golden Mean, Athens (EURYDICE Books) 2024, 48 pages, ISBN 978-618-87001-3-0 [Bilingual Edition Hellenic–English].
Haggag, Mona:
Book Review: Dazzling of Birth. The Turbulent Life and Tumultuous Times of Ptolemy XII
BOOK REVIEW: Saint–David, Stewart Addington: Dazzling of Birth: The Turbulent Life and Tumultuous Times of Ptolemy XII, Father of Cleopatra VII, Beijing PRC (Editions Efjiad) 12024 [e–Book Preliminary Edition only], 222 pages, Without ISBN.
Sadek el-Gendi, Sherin:
Book Review: Icons of the Nile Valley
BOOK REVIEW: Skalova, Zuzana & Gabra, Gawdat: Icons of the Nile Valley, Cairo (Egyptian International Publishing Company–Longman) 2006, 285 + xviii pages, ISBN 977-160-5887 | 978-977-160-588-1.
Sadek el-Gendi, Sherin:
Book Review: Coptic Civilization. Two Thousand Years of Christianity in Egypt
BOOK REVIEW: Gabra, Gawdat (ed.): Coptic Civilization: Two Thousand Years of Christianity in Egypt, Cairo (Saint Mark Foundation / The American University in Cairo Press), 2014, 360 pages, ISBN 978-977-416-655-6.