Naos housing a statue of Osiris (Louvre museum)
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Naos housing a statue of Osiris (Louvre museum)
Beyond the side chapels devoted to the gods Amun (to the right) and Hathor (to the left), and to the gods of Elephantine (to the left), Tod, and Medamud (to the right), is the stone shrine, or naos, that once housed the most precious statue of all: the image of the temple's god, Osiris. This statue was where offerings were made and daily rites took place. It was the focal point of the cult, around which all temple activity revolved. An Egyptian temple was above all the earthly abode of a god; the innermost area was private and out of bounds to the public. Several rooms around the sanctuary were used to store precious religious objects, including the sacred bark. This boat was taken out on certain feast days. The inscriptions tell us that this naos was intended for a statue of "Osiris of the riverbank." The god's temple, now completely dismantled, was discovered in Kom el-Ahmar, to the west of the river. The gods were depicted on the temple walls "so that their names will last forever." Note the two goddesses at the top of the arch over the entrance: Isis to the left, her hieroglyphic name fashioned in the shape of a throne on her head; and Nephthys to the right, with her hieroglyphic name, which means "Lady of the Mansion," on her head. Each one is facing the names of the king who built the naos: Amasis. Osiris's two sisters played a major role in his history. English: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/activite/detail_parcours.jsp?CURRENT_LLV_PARCOURS cnt_id=10134198673226910&CURRENT_LLV_CHEMINEMENT cnt_id=10134198673226660&CONTENT cnt_id=10134198673226660&bmLocale=en French: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/activite/detail_parcours.jsp?CURRENT_LLV_PARCOURS cnt_id=10134198673226910&CONTENT cnt_id=10134198673226660&CURRENT_LLV_CHEMINEMENT cnt_id=10134198673226660
YouTube | November 23, 2008
