The Temple of Isis at Philae Although there are several temples and buildings located on Philae, the largest and perhaps the most famous is the Temple of Isis. Here, the ancient Egyptians worshiped Isis as well as Osiris and Horus (her son). Ptolemy II, Nectanebo I built the temple around 370 BC. © Manuel ROMARÍS – Temple of Isis, Philae The main […]

What is Papyrus? Papyrus is both the shortened name of the plant and the paper product made from it, but is most often referred to as the latter. The plant grows in the Nile River and can reach heights of about 16 feet. The long stalks of the plant were typically soaked in water until they reached a slight […]

Mother Goddess   © A. Parrot – The Goddess Nut Egyptologists believe that Nut was a sky goddess originally worshiped by the early tribes of the Nile Valley area. In Lower Egypt, the Milky Way was viewed as the celestial image of Nut. She was adopted into the family tree of the Egyptian gods as the […]

Anubis’ Form     © Parée – * Anubis on Egyptian Block * Anubis was either seen as a man with a jackal head or completely in the form of a jackal. In ancient Egypt, scavengers like jackals ruled the cemeteries. They dug up the freshly buried and tore at their flesh and ate it. Historians […]

Paper and Writing Hieroglyphics The ancient Egyptians were among the first groups of people to write and keep records of events that happened in their lives. The earliest form of writing was in the form of hieroglyphics, which, simply put, were drawings that portrayed a story. Hieroglyphics are some of the oldest artifacts in the world today, […]

Cult Worship of Amun was widespread and the pharaohs’ awarded the cult with land a percentage of the booty from conquests. One of the important positions in the cult was the “god’s wife of Amun” and the queen or queen-mother often fimagecentered this role. These women gained power and depictions show them making offerings to […]

Names and Titles Amun was given the title “King of the Gods” of Upper Egypt. Scholars discovered several different spellings of the name Amun in Egyptian literature. Some of the different spellings are Am, Amen, Amon, Amoun, Ammon and Hammon. Other countries equated Amun with their own deities: Egyptians equated him with the god Min. The […]

Interior Design, Symbolism, and Furnishings The interior of the Great Pyramid of Giza is more elaborate than most other pyramids and has three main chambers: a lower chamber which remains unfinished, a middle chamber called the Queen’s chamber, and an upper chamber called the King’s chamber. Above the King’s chamber are five smaller units called relieving […]

Fertility, Resurrection, and Everlasting Life It is said the dead kings of Egypt would rise with Osiris and inherit eternal life. By Egypt’s New Kingdom it was said not only would the dead kings rise from the dead with him, but any Egyptian that performed the appropriate rituals would also. This belief that Osiris is responsible […]