Gods of Egypt -Susan Tenberg

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The theme of my exhibit is ‘Gods of Egypt’. In Ancient Egypt, the gods were of utmost importance. There were an incredible number of gods and goddesses in ancient Egypt. There was one for almost any situation you could imagine. Be it the sun, the stars, the Nile, fertility, prosperity, safety, afterlife, there was a god for every situation in life. This created a vast amount of idolatry in worshipping many different gods that were not the one True God. The remains of artwork and statues of these gods and goddesses give us information about who they were believed to be, their role, their appearance, and even their personality. Statues of the gods were created. It was treated as a living being whose every need was provided for by the priests who reformed rituals daily. They were fed and cared for as if the statue was a real person. The statue was not thought to be the actual god but it was believed that the god dwelt within the statue. Religion ruled all levels of Egyptian life from the most minute situation to the largest scale event. All things were attributed to the gods and to magic- the rise and fall of the Nile, the harvests, the movement of the sun and stars, healing, childbirth, death, and even prosperity. All things were attributed to the gods. Throughout Egypt’s history, religious beliefs and theological views were constantly changing. They evolved as time passed based on events that had occurred in the lives of the people. They did however seem to merge new beliefs onto old ones rather than creating completely new beliefs. The themes of fertility, rebirth, death, and resurrection remained fairly constant throughout the changing theological beliefs. Because of their constantly evolving belief, it is hard to pinpoint certain things that were belied at certain points in history. In pre-dynastic times, religion was mostly animistic. Many of the gods were depicted as animals based on the role and personality of that specific animal. For example, the god Anubis was depicted as a jackal and was associated with the dead and funeral practices because jackals were often seen at the edge of the desert, which was where the dead were buried. Water gods and agricultural gods were prevalent because of the Nile and their way of life. As the civilization developed and religion evolved, gods started to take more human form and the sheer number of gods increased. The statues started to look more like humans. Often they were part human and part animal in some sort. There were key features that showed the purpose of the god. An example would be that a long beard showed kingship. This was found on statues like the gilded silver statue of Amun-Re. Gods look both a male and female form. They both held powerful places in society. Astrological gods, hunting gods, and warfare gods emerged shortly after. We have discovered some but a lot of Ancient Egyptian religion remains a mystery. This exhibit will display statues of gods from different time periods in Egypt’s history. Susan Tenberg

Gilded silver statuette of Amun-Re, From the collection of: British Museum

Author: Unknown Title: Gilded Silver statuette of Amun Ra Date: 26th dynasty, 1295-750 bc Country: Egypt Size: Height: 24 centimetres (with base) Width: 6 centimetres Depth: 8.5 centimetres Weight: 0.7 kilograms The gods of Egypt all had stories of how they came to be. There was an entire creation story revolving around how each god came to be. All religions in history have some sort of creation story. Humans have always been being of curiosity. It is ingrained in the fibers of our being to be curious of why we are on this planet, how we got here, and what the meaning of life is. The Egyptians created intricate stories of many gods to try and solve these problems that nag the human mind and heart. Amun’s spouse was Amunet and they were attested of since the Old Kingdom. The major cult center for Amun was Thebes. Amun Re first appeared when Amose restored Egypt to native rule and founded the eighteenth dynasty. Amun Re was a combination of the local god Amun and the sun god Re. He was incredibly important throughout the New Kingdom. He was known to have created himself and be the creator deity. His name meant something along the lines of “hidden one” or “invisible”. After creating himself, it was believed that he created his surroundings. This is similar to the Christian story of a deity creating everything. However, the difference is that in Christianity, the One True God was not created rather He has always existed and will always exist. This is a matter that the human brain cannot quite comprehend, however it is the truth of who God is. He existed before creation in the trinity, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can tell that this is Amun Re because of the addition of the sun disk to the crown of the god Amun. The silver and gold used in the statue suggest that it was used for cult ritual. This statue can be identified as a god because of his divine beard.

Bust of Isis, Unknown maker, 10 B.C - 40 A.D., From the collection of: Huntington Museum of Art

Title: Bust of Isis Artist: Unknown Date: 10 bc- 40 ad Country: Egypt Size: w6 x h10.875 x d2.25 in. Isis is one of the oldest goddesses of Ancient Egypt. In the creation story, she was the first daughter of Geb, god of the earth and daughter of Nut, the goddess of the sky. She became a universal goddess subsuming other deities. She was first worshipped in Egypt but the worship of Isis spread throughout the Roman Empire and Greco-Roman world. She is even still worshipped today by many pagan religions. She most likely was one of the gods worshipped in Greece when Paul travelled and spoke to the people on the temple of the unknown God declaring it to be the God of Israel and the One God who created everything and who sent His Son as a sacrifice for human sin so that all who look to Him and believe may have eternal life in His name. Isis was the most prominent Egyptian goddess, wife of Osiris, who was her brother, and mother of Horus. Horus is the falcon-headed deity who was linked to kingship. Osiris was murdered by Set and using her magical skills, she resurrected his body after gathering the body parts that had been dispersed throughout the earth by Set. The theme of resurrection was one not just common in Christianity but one in many ancient religions. Isis was considered the archetypal mother. She was a friend of slaves, sinners, the downtrodden, the poor, and the needy. However, she also listened to the wealthy, the rulers, and the kings. She was a god who listened to all people and cared for them all. Her original headdress was an empty throne. She represented Pharaoh’s power, which is seen in the personification of her throne. It was thought that Pharaoh was her child and would sit on the throne that she provided. This shows her motherly side as well as the power that she was believed to hold.

Votive statue of Osiris, From the collection of: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Title: Votive statue of Osiris Artist: Unknown Date: 600-450 bc Country: Thebes, Egypt Size: 105 x 24.5 x 25.5 cm Osiris was the king of the Egyptian Netherworld. It was thought that Osiris was the one who brought order from chaos. He was seen as the god of the afterlife, the underworld, and the dead. But he was also seen as the god of transition, resurrection, and regeneration. His mother Isis is thought to have resurrected him after Set killed him and scattered his body all over the earth. This was made in a period where there was a demand for votive figures that would be offered to gods in temples. We can tell that this is Osiris by the pharaoh’s beard, partially mummy wrapped legs, the distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers and holding a symbolic crook and flail. This symbolized his authority. The crook stood for kingship and the flail for the fertility of the land. All throughout ancient religions including the religion of the Old Testament and Ancient Near East religions, a king was portrayed as a shepherd. This showed the caring nature and protectiveness and faithfulness that should be qualities of a king. We see this in its perfection in the person of Jesus who is the Good Shepherd who will never forsake his flock. Osiris would judge dead souls who would need to take a perilous journey to enter his kingdom. The kings of Egypt and soon all people in Egypt afterwards were associated with Osiris in their death so then as Osiris, the god of resurrection, would rise from the dead so also they would rise in union with him and inherit eternal life through a process. Osiris was also a god of agriculture. He granted all life including making vegetation grow and the fertile flooding of the Nile so that the vegetation could grow. He was associated with cycles of nature in this same way.

Terracotta figurine of the Egyptian god Bes, -600/-450, From the collection of: British Museum

Title: Terracotta figurine of the Egyptian god Bes Artist: Unknown Date: 664-525 bc Country: Cyprus Size: 17 cm Bes was a god who warded off evil. He was both a deity and a demonic fighter. While being a god of war, he also was involved in childbirth and was often connected with humor, music, and dancing. He was a very complex dwarf god. Bes is often depicted naked and more animal like than human. Bes protected the kings but also protected woman and children above all others. This gave him wide popularity among the average Egyptian citizen. He had no temple and no priests were ordained in his name but he was often in households in many forms like furniture, mirrors, and cosmetic containers. He was one of the most popular gods in the Egyptian culture. As the religion and belief system of Egypt evolved, he began to be seen as the champion of all things good and the enemy of all things evil. He may have been so popular because of how close his description were to the one true God. All humans are created to yearn and desire the presence of a divine figure with them who cares for them and protects them and loves them. This is who the God of Israel is and the God who created us all. The Egyptians creating a god who warded off all evil and championed all things good was a heart outcry to know the God who truly made them and cares for them. It makes sense that he was one of the most popular gods who dwelled in households in their small idols. He was also a god of war who protected pharaoh and the people of Egypt from evil forces. This again shows the link to how the God of Israel treated his people and protected them. He is always depicted facing forwards and we can tell that this is Bes by the beard and dwarf like nature.

Quartzite statue of Osorkon I as the Nile-god Hapy, -900/-900, From the collection of: British Museum

Title: Quartzite statue of Osorkon I as the Nile-god Hapy Artist: Unknown Date: 900 bc Country: Egypt Size: 220 cm Hapy is the god who was the personification of the river Nile. He was in charge of its flooding. The flood deposited rich and fertile soil on to the banks of the river allowing the Egyptians to plant their crops and for them to grow. He was very popular and greatly celebrated because the Nile was what sustained life for the Egyptians. He was not the god of the Nile itself but the god of the flooding of the Nile. Hapy is depicted with both male and female characteristics to signify fertility and richness of the natural world. He had a large belly, breasts, and wore a loincloth and false beard. Because the flooding was what fertilized the land, Hapi symbolized fertility shown in the large female breasts. This fertility factor of Hapi also granted him the name “father of the gods”. He very much showed traits of both sexes. This is similar to the God of Israel who has no gender. God is described with tender motherly qualities as well as protective fatherly qualities. He is described as many traits familiar with human experience like, spouse, friend, father, mother, and Lord. These qualities are alluded to to show that the greatest quality of any earthly relationship points to who God is. He is the culmination of all of the best qualities we can imagine and then so much more. With Hapi’s fatherly qualities he was thought to help maintain the balance of the cosmos and the universe. The text on this statue names it as King Osorkon so presumable it is the features of him used in depicting Hapy. Attributes varied in Hapy so it is assumed that it is the features of Osorkon that are pictured. The statue was dedicated to Osorkon’s son. The offering table offered by the statue displays the abundance that the Nile brings. The Nile brought life and sustained the people. The offering table represents all that the Nile would bring to people.

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This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.

Huntington Museum of Art

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

British Museum