Dotted about the landscape of modern Egypt are many ancient temples from the Mediterranean coast all the way to the southern border with the Sudan, most located in the Nile Valley but scattered elsewhere as well. Some of these temples are famous and stand out from the others, such the Temples of Luxor and Karnak, Philae, Kom Ombo, Esna, Edfu and others. Among these most important temples may also be counted Dendera, which provides examples of a particularly rich variety of later temple features. 

Dendera is located about 60 kilometers north of Luxor on the west bank of the Nile River opposite the provincial modern town of Qena.

Ancient Egyptian Iunet or Tantere, known to the Greeks as Tentyris, was the capital of the 6th nome of Upper Egypt and a town of some importance. Today, we know it as Dendera, though the population of the town has, since antiquity, moved to Qena across the Nile on the east bank. Now, the ancient temple lies isolated on the desert edge.

Along with the temple itself, there is also a necropolis that includes tombs of the Early Dynastic Period, but the most important phase that has been identified was the end of the Old Kingdom and the 1st Intermediate Period. The provinces were virtually autonomous at that time and, although Dendera was not a leading political force in Upper Egypt, its notables built a number of mastabas of some size, though only one has any decoration apart from stelae and false doors. On the west end of the site are brick-vaulted catacombs of Late Period animal burials, primarily birds and dogs, while cow burials have been found at various points in the necropolis. Of course, this was a significant site for the Hathor cult, whose forms included a cow.

Suggested Layout of the Temple Proper

1. Large Hypostyle Hall 2. Second, Small Hypostyle Hall 3. Laboratory 4. Storage Magazine 5. Offering Entry 6. Treasury 7. Exit to Well 8. Access to Stairwell 9. Offering Hall 10. Hall of the Ennead 11. Great Seat (central Shrine)/Main Sanctuary 12. Shrine of the Nome of Dendera 13. Shrine of Isis 14. Shrine of Sokar 15. Shrine of Harsomtus 16. Shrine of Hathor's Sistrum 17. Shrine of Gods of Lower Egypt 18. Shrine of Heathor 19. Shrine of the Throne of Re 20: Shrine of Re 21. Shrine of Menat Collar 22. Shrine of Ihy 23. The Pure Place 24. Court of the First Feast 25. Passage 26. Staircase to Roof

The main temple complex is oriented, as usual, toward the Nile, which here flows east-west, so that the temple faces north. However, to the ancient Egyptians, this was symbolically east, since the temple faces the Nile.

The main temple area is fronted by several Roman Period kiosks. After those, the monumental gateway of Domitian and Trajan is set in a massive mud-brick enclosure wall that surrounded the complex, and leads to an open area. Although the site lacks a colonnade and the two pylons which ought to precede the inner temple, an unfinished inner enclosure wall of stone surrounds a courtyard with side entrances which open before the large hypostyle hall added in the 1st century AD by the emperor Tiberius.

However, prior to the temple proper is the Roman Period birth house of Dendera on the west, perhaps built by Nero, though more probably by Trajan. Although the dedication inscriptions refer to Trajan, Nero is depicted in the main hypostyle hall of the of the Hathor temple, offering the model of a birth house. This is the latest preserved temple of its type.

The new sanctuary was well designed and followed Ptolemaic models. In order to match the level of the Hathor temple, the new building was erected on a high platform. A temporary access staircase led up at the side of the platform. The roofing slabs were not positioned, as usual, beneath the level of the cavetto molding around the buildings top, but would have probably been hidden by a parapet wall. The core building contains a sequence of three rooms. Two corridors that isolate the large sanctuary are notable. These passages are too narrow to be used and must have been added for symbolic and optical effect. The rear wall of the sanctuary is dominated by an enormous false door that is framed by a double cavetto molding on slender columns and topped by an uraeus frieze. A cult niche high up in the wall corresponds to the location of the statue niche in the sanctuary of the main temple.

Its scenes depict Trajan, Augustus' later successor, making offerings to Hathor, and are among the finest to be found in Egypt. It was the ritual location where Hathor gave birth to the young Ihy or Harsomtus, two alternative youthful deities who stand for the youthful phase of creator gods in general. There are also, of course, figures of the god Bes, a patron of childbirth, carved on the abaci above the column capitals. The reliefs on the exterior walls are superbly preserved, and portray the divine birth and childhood of the infant Horus, whose rites legitimize the divine descent of the king.

The birth house was surrounded by an ambulatory. The composite capitals of the columns carry high pillars with Bes figures. The frontal ambulatory extended by the addition of three columns into a kind of kiosk, with the front corners formed by L-shaped pillars. The kiosk had a timbered roof that somehow must have connected to the stone structure of the birth house. This merging of the ambulatory with a kiosk is a novelty. At older birth houses, a court was attached as a separate structure.

The Roman Birth House (mammisi) was built when the earlier structure, begun by Nectanebo I and decorated in the Ptolemaic Period, was cut through by the foundation of the unfinished first court of the main temple of Hathor. Only a false door at the eastern exterior wall of the main temple of Hathor reminds one of the original sanctuary. Originally, this birth house measured about 17 by 20 meters and consisted of a triple shrine opening to a transverse hall. It was built mainly of brick but received an interior stone casing. Within this older structure, the walls of the wide hall depict the Ptolemaic kings offering to Hathor. A scene on the north wall shows the creator god Khnum fashioning the child, Ihy, with Hekat the goddess of childbirth seen in her image as a frog.

Both birth houses are now accessible. They differ considerably in plan and decoration.

Between the new and old birth houses are the remains of a Christian basilica that can be dated to the 5th century AD. It is an excellent example representative of early Coptic church architecture.

High Relief of Bes in the forecourt of the temple at Dendera

South of the earlier birth house is a mud-brick "sanatorium.. This sanatorium is the only one of its type known in association with an ancient Egyptian temple. Here, visitors could bathe in the sacred waters or spend the night in order to have a healing dream of the goddess. It had benches around its sides where the sick rested while waiting for cures affected by the priests. An inscription on a statue base found in this location suggests that water was poured over magical texts on the statues, causing it to become holy and to cure all sorts of diseases and illnesses. Basins used to collect the holy water can still be seen at the western end.

To the west of the sanatorium, a small chapel of Nebhepetre' Mentuhotep dating to the 11th Dynasty was recovered from the site and has been re-erected in the Cairo Museum. The building, which has secondary inscriptions of Merneptah, was as much for the cult of the king as for the goddess, and was probably ancillary to the lost main temple of its time.

The main temple at Dendera is the grandest and most elaborately decorated of its period. It is also one of the most important temple sites of Egypt, providing examples of a rich variety of later temple features. It is also one of the best preserved temples of this period, surviving despite the destruction of the temples of Hathor's consort Horus and their child Ihy or Harsomtus which originally stood close by.

The massive foundations probably contain many blocks from the earlier structure it replaced. Early texts refer to a temple at Dendera which was rebuilt during the Old Kingdom, and several New Kingdom monarchs, including Tuthmosis III, Amenhotep III and Ramesses II and III are known to have embellished the structure. However, while fragments of earlier periods have been found on the site, there have been no earlier buildings unearthed. Pepi I and Tuthmosis III in particular were recalled in the new temple's inscriptions.

The temple of Hathor was constructed over a period, we believe, of thirty-four years, between 54 and 20 BC. When Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC, the temple was, after four years of building activity, still in its early stages, although it did contain some underground crypts. It seems that the remainder of the temple was build during the twenty-one year reign of his successor, Queen Cleopatra VII. At the time of her death in 30 BC, the decoration work had just begun (on the outer rear wall).

The temple plan is classical Egyptian, completely enclosed by a 35 by 59 meter wall standing 12.5 meters high. However, unlike those of earlier temples, the facade of the hypostyle hall that fronts the main temple is constructed as a low screen with inter-columnar walls exposing the hall's ceiling and the Hathor style sistrum capitals of its 24 columns. According to a dedication inscription on the cornice thickness above the entrance,  this part of the temple was built under Tiberius between 34 and 35 AD. The structure measures 26.03 by 43 meters and is 17.2 meters high. It has an 8 meter long architrave that spans the central intercolumniation. Above, a towering cavetto, built from one course, and the massive volume of the corner tori cast heavy shadows and articulate the edges of the facade.

Hathor capitals in the first Hypostyle Hall

A sistrum is an ancient Egyptian musical instrument closely associated with Hathor. Each column bears a four-sided capital, which occupies about one third of the column height, carved with the face of the cow-eared goddess, though every one of the faces was vandalized in antiquity (probably during the early Christian Period. The shafts are profusely decorated with scenes, and their straight bases stand on flat plinths. The paint, which was still preserved in the 19th century, was dominated by the blue of Hathor's wig.

Nevertheless, the ceiling of this hall retains much of its original color. It is decorated as a complex and carefully aligned symbolic chart of the heavens, including signs of the zodiac (introduced by the Romans) and images of the sky goddess Nut who swallowed the sun disc each evening in order to give birth to it once again at dawn. The outer hypostyle hall was decorated by emperors ranging from Augustus to Nero. Note that at the center of the south outside wall was a relief of a sistrum that was gilded, both to show its importance and to evoke Hathor, the "gold of the gods".

Since tradition rule that the processional approach should gradually descend from the inside to the outside, the builders had to lower the floor of the central nave of the hypostyle hall to obtain the required progression of floor levels.

A doorway aligned to the central axis of the temple leads from the large hypostyle hall into an inner hall with six Hathor columns that is known as the hall of appearances.  It was here that the statue of the goddess "appeared" from her sanctuary for religious ceremonies and processions. The front wall of this hall was actually the facade of the original temple. Lighting within the hall is provided through small, square apertures. The chamber has columns in two rows of three. They also have Hathor heads. The bases and the lower parts of the drums are made of granite, while the upper parts are of sandstone. Scenes on the walls of this hall depict the king participating in the foundation ceremonies for the construction of the temple, and on either side doors open into three chambers which were used as preparation areas for various aspects of the daily ritual. For example, one room was probably used as a laboratory for preparation of ointments. An opening through the outer eastern wall allowed offering goods to be brought into this area, and a parallel passage from one of the western chambers led to a well.

The rear part of the temple was built first, probably in the early 1st century BC. The earliest king named is Ptolemy XII Auletes, but mostly the cartouches are blank, probably because of dynastic struggles in the mid 1st century. This inner core included an offering hall, in which sacrifices were dedicated, and a "hall of the ennead" (also known as the "hall of the cycle of the gods), where statues of other deities assembled with Hathor before a procession began.

These are followed by a 5.7 by 11.22 meter barque shrine which once enclosed the four barques of Hathor, Horus of Edfu, Harsomtus and Isis, which apparently were not enclosed by wooden shrines.

After this small chamber there is  the sanctuary of the goddess herself. It is embellished by a splendid, temple-like facade topped by a cavetto with an uraeus frieze.   Inside the sanctuary was an expensively decorated wooden naos that held the gilded, two meter high seated cult image of Hathor. The naos stood in a niche of the rear wall, and it is not known how the niche, three meters above the pavement, could be reached. To either side of the this inner sanctuary, the king is depicted offering a copper mirror, one of Hathor's sacred emblems, to the goddess.

About the central sanctuary on its sides and rear are located eleven chapels dedicated to the other deities who were associated with Hathor's chief attributes, the sacred sistrum and the menat necklace.

Within the temple the most distinctive parts are the fourteen crypts, of which eleven were decorated. They far surpass those of other temples. The inclusion of secretly accessed crypts in temples can be traced back to the 18th Dynasty. By the Late Period crypts were included in the architectural design of most temples.

These are suites of rooms on three (and sometimes even four) stories, set in the thickness of the outside wall, and beneath the floors of the chambers in the rear part of the temple. The elongated, narrow chambers and passages are arranged one above the other, with the lowermost laid deep within the temple foundations. Access was gained through trapdoors in the pavement and behind hidden sliding wall blocks. Unlike other crypts, those at Dendera are decorated in relief. The decorations in these chambers conforms to the temple's axis. The most important reliefs, among which sistra are prominent, were on the axis itself. Apparently, these rooms were decorated before the roof blocks were set.

Depiction within the crypts

François Daumas described the easternmost of the five crypts along the southern end, telling us that:

"In the last room, one sees, carefully carved on the Southern wall, a falcon with detailed feathers, preceded by a snake emerging from a lotus blossom within a boat. Whereas the whole of the temple is constructed of sandstone, to facilitate a relief of fine quality there was placed in the wall, at the level of the figures, a block of limestone suitable for very detailed work, and of this the artist took full and perfect advantage. These reliefs are cosmological representations. The snake that comes out of the lotus is equated with the shining deity Harsamtawy (Ihy) as he appears for the first time out of the primordial sea. He is again represented near the bottom of the crypt in the form of two snakes also coming forth, but this time wrapped in lotuses like protective envelopes. Sometimes those that were on the Mesktet-barque collaborated with Horus; other times the Mandjet-barque with its crew helped to reveal the god: Djed raises his body, a supreme manner of worship, attendant of the god's prestigious ka. The statuettes appear to have been used for the New Year celebration and the festival of Harsamtawy. It is likely that on these solemn occasions these objects were transported to the vault [i.e. the room above the crypt]."

Their main use of these crypts was for keeping cult equipment, archives and magical emblems for the temple's protection, though the most important object kept in the crypts was a statue of the ba of Hathor.

Also within the wall thickness are the staircases, which lead up to and return from the roof which, because of the unequal ceiling heights of the rooms below, was built into terraces. The huge roofing slabs must at one time have been covered with thinner paving stones. Their surface was slightly inclined and had channels to guide rainwater from the roof.

On the roof in the southwest corner is a kiosk, in which the ritual of the goddess's union with the sun disk was performed. It has four Hathor columns on each side. Sockets in its architraves suggest a barrel-shaped timber roof with a double hull and segmented pediment, though for its purpose it must have had roof windows to let in the sun's rays. In the floor of the chapel one may also note the light well for the Horus chapel below, on the main floor.

The ba of Hathor would have been taken from its hiding place to the roof of the temple for the significant New year's festival celebrated where it would have spent the night prior to beholding the rising sun in a symbolic union with the solar disc.

François Daumas tells us that:

"But most prestigious of the statues was that of the ba of Hathor. According to the texts written on the walls, we know that the kiosk consisted of a gold base surmounted by a gold roof supported by four gold posts, covered on all four sides by linen curtains hung from copper rods. Inside was placed the gold statuette representing a bird with a human head capped with a horned disc. This was Hathor, Lady of Dendara, residing in her house... It was certainly this statuette that was carried in the kiosk on the evening of the New Year."

Chapel of the New Year

The staircase to the west of the offering hall, which was used by the priests to ascend to the roof, has ascending figures of the king and various priests with the shrine of the goddess carved on its right hand wall. These representations depict various aspects of the New Year's festival. The stairway to the east has corresponding scenes of descending figures, and was used for the procession's return. 

There is also a pair of parallel shrines on the roof's eastern and western sides dedicated to Osiris. They are concealed in a kind of mezzanine floor. Both of these sanctuaries have open courts, surrounded by a cavetto. From the rear wall of the court, three doors lead into two succeeding chambers.

In the inner of the two rooms, Isis and Nephthys are shown mourning the death of Osiris, who lies on his funerary bier waiting to be resurrected by magical rituals. Isis is also depicted, magically impregnated with the seed of her son Horus as the myth unfolds. 

A corresponding suite on the eastern side of the roof depicts the lunar festival of Khoiakh in which an 'Osiris bed' was filled with earth and grain seed as part of an important fertility rite. The walls of the first room show scenes of the burial goods of Osiris, including his canopic jars and on the ceiling Nut is shown with other astronomical figures. On the other half of the ceiling is a plaster copy of the famous 'Dendera Zodiac', representing the cospic aspect of the Osiris mysteries. The original is now in the Louvre in Paris. The inner room depicts scenes from the Osiris myth, similar to that of the western suite as well as reliefs of cosmic importance.

Dendera was considered one of Osiris' many tombs, and the shrines, which have no link with Hathor, were used to celebrate his death and resurrection. His death may have been re-enacted at the sacred lake to the west of the temple.

The roof of the hypostyle hall was reached by another flight of steps with various gods carved along its wall, and this highest area of the temple was used in antiquity by pious pilgrims who awaited signs and miracles from the goddess. There remain gaming boards carved into the stone blocks that helped these faithful pass the time during their vigils.

On the rear outside wall of the temple directly behind the sanctuary, beneath the two lion-headed waterspouts (there are also three more on each of its side walls) which drained rainwater from the roof are scenes showing the massive figure of Cleopatra VII and her son by Julius Caesar, Caesarion, who became the great queen's co-regent as Ptolemy XV. At the center of the wall is the large False Door with a gigantic emblem of Hathor, diminished over the centuries by pilgrims who scraped at it to obtain a little of the sacred stone at the point where they could come closest to Hathor herself. This is the location of the "hearing ear" shrine, which allowed the goddess to "hear" the prayers of common folk not otherwise allowed into the main temple.

Immediately south of the Hathor temple is the temple of Isis, known as the Iseum, which used foundation blocks from a destroyed Ptolemaic building and was decorated under Augustus. The east gateway, also Roman in date, leads to this temple, which is almost unique in having a dual orientation with the outer rooms or main part of the structure and hypostyle hall facing east and the inner ones north toward the temple of Hathor. The central high relief in the sanctuary, which showed Isis giving birth, has been mutilated. Within the rear wall of the sanctuary a statue of Osiris (now destroyed) was supported by the arms of Isis and Nephthys.

Plan of the Isis Birth House at Dendera

Further to the south, at the temple's southwest corner, lies the compound's sacred lake which provided water for the priests' ablutions. With flights of stairs descending from each corner, this stone-lined ceremonial basin is the best preserved of its type in any Egyptian temple. Today, it is empty of water and tall trees grow within its walls. Next to the lake is a  well with rock-cut steps leading down to give access to water for daily use in the temple.

East of the temple was a part of the town, which the temple texts mention as having a temple of Horus of Edfu in its midst. This may be the same as some remains of the Roman Period about 500 meters from the main enclosure. The triads of deities worshiped at Edfu and at Dendera were similar, consisting of Horus, Hathor (or Isis), and Ihy or Harsomtus. Hathor of Dendera and Horus of Edfu met at a sacred "marriage" ceremony, when she made a progress to the south.

Roman Gate East of the Hathor Complex

References:

Title	Author	Date	Publisher	Reference Number
Art of Ancient Egypt, The	Robins, Gay	1997	Harvard University Press	ISBN 0-674-00376-4
Atlas of Ancient Egypt	Baines, John; Malek, Jaromir	1980	Les Livres De France	None Stated
Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt, The	Wilkinson, Richard H.	2000	Thames and Hudson, Ltd	ISBN 0-500-05100-3
Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, The	Shaw, Ian; Nicholson, Paul	1995	Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers	ISBN 0-8109-3225-3
Egypt in Late Antiquity	Bagnall, Roger S.	1993	Princeton University Press	ISBN 0-691-1096-x
History of Ancient Egypt, A	Grimal, Nicolas	1988	Blackwell	None Stated
Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, The	Shaw, Ian	2000	Oxford University Press	ISBN 0-19-815034-2
Sacred Sites of Ancient Egypt	Oakes, Lorna	2001	Lorenz Books	ISBN (non stated)

Archives

Temple of Hathor/Temple of Nefertari

Dynasty XIX, c. 1275-1225 BCE

	The Great Temple of Ramses II (left) and the Temple of Hathor/Nefertari (right) The smaller temple is dedicated to Ramses II's wife, Nefertari. Although she was not his sole wife, she was the best beloved. In addition, she is represented on the facade of this temple as large as her husband--a clear indication of her status.
		The sloping facade has three recessed areas on each side of a central doorway, flanked by two large statues of Ramses. Nefertari is shown as Hathor with the horns of the sacred cow, the solar disk and two plumes.
The six statues are about 10 meters high. All have the left legs forward. Statues of the children of the royal couple are also shown--the princesses by Nefertari and the princes by Ramses.
The interior has an almost square pronaos with six Hathor pillars in two rows. Stories of Nefertari and Ramses are engraved under the head of the goddess.
		The walls are decorated with scenes of offering as well as the massacre of prisoners by Ramses, the warrior pharaoh.

See also the Great Temple/Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.

Temple of Hathor

Dendera, Egypt

Dendera lies along a bend of the Nile about 20 miles north of Karnak. The Greco-Roman temple of Hathor is mostly Ptolemaic, except for the outer hypostyle hall (35 AD) which is Roman. The complex - which also contains several mammisis, a sanitorium, and a Christian basilica - was fronted by a monumental gateway of Domitian and Trajan, the remains of which are seen here.

DENDERA:
Temple of Hathor

The temple at Dendera, dedicated to Hathor, belongs to the Ptolemaic era of Egypt. This was a time of foreign rulers, but who adopted Egyptian culture and religion. Yet, there were changes with this and contemporary temples, compared to temples built more than a 1000 years earlier (see Luxor and Abydos).

One of two kiosks in front of the pro-pylon.

Philae - The Jewel of the Nile

The Temple of Hathor

The small temple of Hathor, just east of the great temple of Isis and facing towards the west, was built by Ptolemy VI and extended by Ptolemy VIII and the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius. It consists of a so called kiosk with fourteen Hathor-headed columns, a pronaos and a cult terrace at the back of the temple facing the Nile. The beautiful reliefs on the temple walls depict musicians playing for the entertainment of the gods, all in accordance with the patron deity Hathor, of singing, music and dance . Plan showing the layout of the temple of Hathor and which ruler built the different parts. On the propylons of this temple there is an inscription which points at the importance of the relationship between Hathor and the Sungod Re: Re exalts without ceasing His heart rejoices when he joins his daughter, He swims in his firmament, in peace He turns and takes his course A look through the small HetHert temple where you can see the eastern shore on the other side. At Philae most of the ancient Egyptian female deities like Mut, Neith, Nekhbet and Sekhmet together with Hathor merged into one; the Goddess Isis. This started already during the New Kingdom Period and was at a peak during the Greek and Roman days. A closer study of each of these deities is neccessary if we want to understand the role and importance of the female goddesses in ancient Egyptian religion. At Philae this merging of deities most likely meant that the religious duties in the temple of Hathor was taken care of by the same priesthood who saw to the temple of Isis. As every deity was as important as the next one, there was probably no difference between the rituals. If festivals to Isis also included Hathor or if separate ones were held, is unknown. Either way, it must have been a joint enterprize, since at this particluar place the two deities were seen as one and the same.

Temple of the Goddess Hathor, Dendera, Egypt --> #BeginLibraryItem "/library/order_custom.lbi" -->
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Similar to other temple sites in Egypt, the presently standing complex at Dendera marks the location of a very old holy place. An indication of the antiquity of the temple site is given by the astronomical alignment of the main temple to Gamma Draconis before 5000BC. Early texts refer to a Pre-dynastic temple that was rebuilt during the Old Kingdom, and further developed by New Kingdom pharaohs including Thutmose III, Amenhotep III, and Ramses II and III. The present structure dates to the Greek and Roman periods, with the sanctuary and its surrounding chapels built by the later Ptolemies in the 1^st century BC, and the great Hypostyle Hall by the Romans in the 1^st century AD. Dendera was the chief place for the worship of Hathor, who is variously seen as the patroness of earthly love, the goddess of healing, and the great feminine source of all nourishment (like the Hindu goddess Kali, Hathor also has her terrible aspects; in one ancient myth she is a raging lioness sent to punish mankind for its rebellion).

Recent studies indicate that the temple of Dendera had several interrelated functions. It was a venerated place of pilgrimage where miraculous cures were effected by the goddess; it was a sort of hospital where various physiological, psychological and magical therapies were practiced; and it was the scene of great processions and festivals throughout the astrological cycle. A feature of Dendera not found elsewhere in Egyptian temples are the dozen mysterious crypts, some underground, some enclosed within the massive double walls of the upper temple. It has been suggested that these crypts were the dwelling place of the goddess, where her statue and ritual objects were kept, and where began the great New Year's processions celebrating the dawn of creation. In the dark of night, the temple priests brought the statue of the goddess from the crypt, through the corridors of the enormous temple and, ascending to the roof, awaited the coming of the dawn. As the first rays of the morning sun broke upon the horizon, the statue was unveiled. Ancient texts speak of this ceremony whereby: "the goddess Hathor might be united with the beams of her father, Re" and that "the sky rejoices, the earth dances, the sacred musicians shout in praise."

Enclosed within the precincts of the Dendera complex are a sacred lake, a temple of the goddess Isis, and a brick sanatorium where divine healing was practiced. There is also an early Christian church that typifies the situation in so many Egyptian temples, whose sacred precincts were usurped by the Christians. Within the main temple it is interesting to study the beautiful and highly detailed astrological calendars carved and painted upon the ceilings. Visitors may wonder about the blackened condition of other ceilings in the temple. When Napolean's scholars first visited Dendera they found a centuries-old Arab village firmly established inside the great temple; the villagers' cooking fires had blackened the ceilings over the years.

Interior of the Temple of Hathor, Dendera

Hathor temple

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Hathor Temple is the main temple in the Dendera Temple complex.

The temple construction date is suggested as around the 1st century BC. The temple was rebuilt from another temple on the same site dating from the Middle Kingdom. The existing structure was built no later than the late Ptolemaic period. The temple is one of the best, if not the best, preserved temple in all Egypt. The temple is dedicated to Hathor. Subsequent additions were added in the Roman times.

Hathor Temple has a controversial stone relief known as the Dendera light. The image is thought to be, by traditional egytoplogists, of a mythological religious nature. These scholars state that this is a lotus flower, spawning a snake within. Other egytoplogists believe that it is an electric lamp. Engineers have constructed a working model based on the relief and some authors (such as Peter Krassa and Reinhard Habeck) have produced a basic theory of the device's operation .

On the rear of the temple exterior, it's possible to see a carving of Cleopatra VII Philopator and her son, Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar (Caesarion), fathered by Julius Caesar.

Contents [hide] 1 Gallery 2 See also 3 Further reading 4 External links

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[edit] Gallery

Hypostyle Hall

Crypt Ornamentation

Denderah Zodiac

House of Hathor

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The temple of Dendara

The Temple of Dendara was known as the 'Castle of the Sistrum' or 'Pr Hathor' - House of Hathor. Hathor was the goddess of love, joy and beauty. With the exception of its supporting pillars, which had capitals sculpted in the image of Hathor and were defaced by the Christians, the walls, rooms and roof are complete and extraordinarily well preserved. The stone steps of the spiral staircase are time worn but still used to ascend to the roof, where there is a small chapel decorated with Hathor-headed columns - the Christians seemed to have missed these.

What really grabbed my artistic attention among all this magnificence was a small detail. The place sings with the music of birds. Hundreds of them roost in small cracks and hollows in the walls seeming to contemplate their carved likeness in the hieroglyphic reliefs.

 

There is one other thing that stirs the imagination, the building bares the name of the famous Cleopatra and her son, whose father was Julius Caesar. It is possible that these celebrated, personalities climbed the same stairs and contemplated, on high, the same landscape which stretches for miles below.

Click the map to see photos of Dendara.

Temple of Dendara Reconstruction - watch the temple being built.

Egyptian Print Sampler - for free *click here*

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It has recently come to my notice that some people are taking my images and text, from this site, and then passing it off as their own. I have no objection to people using the material on this site for Educational, non-profit purposes provided I'm credited with a link back to this site. If you wish to use the materials on this site please eMail me and ask permission. Please remember All Text & artwork is © Mark Millmore 1997 - 2006 The navigation of Hathor The discovery of a boat chapel in the temple of Hathor at Dendera brings to mind ancient festivals and religious rituals writes Jill Kamil --> STORY --> --> thumbnail --> Click to view caption Rare sketch of the sacred boat bearing the shrine of Amun in the temple of Seti I in Abydos --> /thumbnail --> In March, a Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) mission restoring the temple at Dendera uncovered the main chapel of the temple where the sacred boat of the goddess Hathor once stood. The boat found by the archaeologists, who have been working in Dendera since the beginning of the year, was used during the goddess's annual festival, one of the most delightful celebrations in Ancient Egypt. Pictorial representations of the sacred boats on which the ancient gods were borne from one temple to another are rare. Those surviving from the New Kingdom show that the sacred boat, usually depicted as papyriform, rested on a sledge-cum-stretcher which was carried in procession to a special barge and towed along the Nile. Its ends were decorated with grand collars, and the high shrine of the god amidships was inevitably portrayed as partially concealed by a white cloth. In representations where the colours are still preserved there is a suggestion of gilded hulls, while the shrine is adorned with precious stones. The traditions of Hathor of Dendera were closely linked with those of Horus of Edfu. The two deities were of equal standing, husband and wife. At each site the holy triad consisted of Hathor, Horus and their son, who bore a different name at each site. The name Hat-hor means "House of Horus", and the goddess forms a part of a triad along with Horus of Edfu and their son who in Dendera was Ihy, a young god of music depicted with the side lock of youth. Twice a year, on the occasion of the birthday of each deity, the festival of the "Good Union" was celebrated. This was when the boat bearing the sacred statue of Hathor would be taken from its sanctuary at Dendera, placed on the Nile vessel and borne upstream in a splendid procession. Meanwhile that of Horus would set off downstream, also amidst great fanfare. Where the boats met, they would be encircled by a rope cast by other vessels in a gesture of unity. Then, together, the river crafts would make their way to the appropriate temple to celebrate the reunion of husband and wife amidst joy, song and prayer. There was ceaseless activity in ancient Egypt and because the geography of the land made transport difficult -- if not impossible -- except by boat, the bulk of the movement was dependent on the Nile. It was the vital artery that linked Upper and Lower Egypt, the most effective and practical method for transporting goods, the means by ancient viziers travelled to conduct the biennial census, and provincial dignitaries to attend festivals. All major settlements were within easy reach of the river and all temples were near the edge of the Nile. In fact, the ancient Egyptian attitude towards movement was so closely linked to the idea of sailing that travel south was referred to as "going upstream" and travel north as "going downstream". Boats were so familiar a sight and so connected with the commercial life and religion of the people that it is not surprising to find them among the earliest objects depicted in art and included among funerary equipment. Yet an actual model of a sacred boat on which the statue of a god was carried in procession in full view of the population during a festival has never been found. Only one poorly preserved relief has come to light, showing the god Amun carried in procession. Because of the paucity of written material, one can only speculate on the activities that went into preparing for such occasions. Yet it is important to do so because the care and attention expended on them is vital to our understanding of life in ancient Egypt. Perhaps by observing the present we can more clearly understand the past: national and religious festivals in Egypt today suggest that river craft were built and assembled at the various cult centres to carry delegations to the sites of the festivals. Presumably even more care went into the construction of a sacred boat. The temple of Dendera (Tentyra in Greek) lies about 60 kms north of Luxor and eight west of Qena, at the spot where the Nile takes a great loop to the west. According to an inscription in the crypt of the temple, its primaeval foundations date from the time of the "Followers of Horus". Records of this early period were found at the site inscribed on rolls of leather. When the temple was rebuilt in the reign of the Fourth-Dynasty Pharaoh Khufu, the high-ranking official Seneni was responsible for inaugurating the "Navigation of Hathor", her voyage to Edfu in the month of Epiphi. The second great festival at Dendera took place on the ancient New Year's Day, when the image of Hathor, which was believed gradually to have lost efficacy in the darkened sanctuary in the course of the year, would be taken to the top of the temple to be reimbued with power from the rising sun. This festival is depicted in the antechamber of the temple, where there are passages on both sides leading to staircases that ascend to the temple roof. These tastefully executed reliefs on the walls show the procession ascending to and descending from the roof. The Pharaoh is led by a priest, and is followed by others. Some wear masks of lesser deities; others waft incense and chant or clap their hands. One priest reads from a papyrus scroll. Behind him a priestess, watched over by the high priest, bears two caskets. They are followed by three priests in succession. Then come several priests bearing the sacred shrine on which stands the statue of Hathor. While the procession climbs to the roof the priests chanted a long hymn, which is inscribed on the wall. Having borne the sacred shrine to the roof of the temple, the necessary rituals are carried out and the procession is then ready to descend the second staircase so the statue can be restored to the sanctuary. The goddess Hathor had many titles. She was known as Mistress of Dendera, the Lady of the Sycamore Tree, and her temple became known as the "Castle of the Sistrum" -- her sacred emblem, a rattle-like musical instrument. Hathor was sometimes depicted as a cow, sometimes as a female figure with the head of a cow, and later with a woman's head and a cow's ears. Although Dendera was her cult centre she was a widely popular goddess, known even as far afield as Sinai, Phoenicia and Punt on the Somali coast. This grand temple, built mainly of sandstone, is one of the best examples of Late Egyptian temples in existence. It has survived relatively undamaged because it was buried until the middle of the 19th century, when it was excavated by Auguste Mariette. When the French Egyptologist released it from the sand the walls were still adorned with the names of all the important Egyptian Pharaohs, from the Old Kingdom through to the reigns of Shabaka in the XXVIth Dynasty when the boundary walls were rebuilt. Nectanebo, the last Egyptian Pharaoh, constructed a mammisi or Birth House, one of the earliest known of its type. In its present form the temple of Dendera is largely Ptolemaic and Roman, its reconstruction having been begun under the later Ptolemies and completed some 185 years later under the Roman Emperor Tiberius. In dedicating a temple to Hathor, the Ptolemies honoured one of Egypt's most popular deities. At that time it must have been a virtual hive of activity, with major feasts held several times a month, and special feasts lasting for several days. Some festivals were exclusive to the temple, others such as the Feast of the New Moon and the Festival of the Raising of the Sky by Ptah were celebrated all over the country. The temple was also known as a place of healing, which probably accounts for the fact that it underwent continued restoration. In Greek and Roman times temples continued to have mammisi. The surviving Birth House at Dendera was reconstructed by the Emperor Augustus near the ruins of the one built by Nectanebo, and is adorned with reliefs added by the Emperor Trajan. They relate to the birth of the child Horus, who grew to manhood, overthrew the enemies of his father Osiris and took over the throne of Upper and Lower Egypt. The purpose of stressing this ancient tradition was to show that Horus (who was identified with Egypt's first Pharaoh) was the offspring of the gods. Consequently any sovereign who recognised this tradition showed that he, too, should be regarded as a descendant of Horus, and thus ruled by divine sanction. The donning of the necessary crowns and the handing over of sacred insignia by the local priests would indicate their acknowledgement of this right to rule. The Birth House of Augustus at Dendera was converted into a church in the fifth century, and a Christian basilica was built in the area between it and the original Birth House of Nectanebo. The second stage of the project to restore the temple of Dendera is scheduled to begin next season. It includes setting up visitors' information centre, delineating routes through the historical area, and providing service facilities.

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The MEJA ISIS Connection

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GRAIL ROMANCE WITH AN AVALON GLANCE

S-even Sisters, encodes the Isis principles, within the Ren of Name of Self and Name of Disc (CD and Atem). When the album is mirrored, it reveals that the background light enfolds you as a Pyramid of light, within its Mirror, is an inverted pyramid, that points to the Mid. Isis is the lady of the Pyramid, Nun-Hathor and Atum-Ptah gave her the custody.

From Isis comes HOR, and the Akeru Aku: the 7 Sphinx Masters. And from them the Shemsu Hor, of which Christ was one in lineage. Isis gives birth to the divine child, BY the BA (Soul, Dove), BA-BY. And Tehuti enabled that birth to succeed, both in wining with the moon, and by providing the Wizzardry to resurrect Ausir Wassir Osiris in the dark. From which emerged Iosos (Horus) on the 25th of December.

Isis was the first Virgin Mary. As Lady of the Pyramid, the MeRu. The Lady of the Lake (Avalon, Arthur, ArkHor, Art-HOR, and MRlin), Queen of Hearts. Mary comes from Egypt. Mother of TutankAton (later TothAnkAmon) and Moses was Mery Kiya (Miriam). Mary comes from Mer, which is both a lake and a sea, in cross linguistics, and has both meanings in Egyptian. Mer was also the Pyramid itself, recall. And Isis was the lady of the mount of the east, Mt Manu (as it was called). She was Sirius, SEPTet, and her sign is the M of Virgo the Virgin of September, when Sirius dissapears from the Egyptian skies.

As you will see, the 3.33 code of track 9, reveals something of September 99 (the 9th of 99).

The Mery's were the high Preistesses, and so Jesos was born from a Virgo Mary on the Horus day. My mother tried to have me born on the 25th of December, for similar reasons, but I chose to come 5 DAYS later, to continue to be in the 5 days of freedom won by Djehuti. After 3 months in the SAHARA desert meditating, my secret father, met my mother for 3 days, and continued the Meruvingian line.

Upon research (I never have met this seed donar), his fathers line (head of the healers guilds and psychic research associations, as well as the Rosicrucians), came from Rennes le Chateau, in Southern France, where the Order of SION (Set Isis Osiris and Nephtys) were being protected as the Grail, by the Templers and Cathers.

Mary Magdelain came here, impregnated with Issa-Immanuels seed, from their tantric union and superconductive fusion, specially designed, for the New HOR's to continue amoungst man and woman, until every human was a King and Queen. SION was the 144 male and female apostle Shamanna's.

Joseph of Arrimathia (the brother of Christ who asked for the living body of Christ [Soma], and took it from the 3-day tomb), after Rennes then went on to Glastonbury England, and founded the Grail Avalon line (Arthur, Merlin, Lancealot etc). He was a metalurgist and used it for the secret science of Alchemy. The Grail was also taken to SION Switzerland.

Christ was born from Ptah superconductive beam instigation, which enables Virgin birth through the ova becoming inseminated by the Zona Pelucida, and the superconductie tracktor beam, downloads the ET image into the insemination, through 8Hz instigation. That is why the Holy Spirit Dove Star Ship is shown in so much Meruvingian art, they had regular contact with the galactic SION. This is the HOR upgrade for man, out of the Amen prison, and into 360° self Liberation. This same process also happens without the Zona Pellucida, but with the high field sperm and ova (tantrically and alchemically prepared).

The Star Ship with superconducting tracktor beam, with the Dove just above Mary's head.

The San Graal (Holy Grail) was actually the Sang Royal (Song in the Blood, Royal Blood). For here Christ with the W-HOR Mary, his tantric high preistess of the high Eucharia Isralite Royal family (who owned much a Isis-Ra-El: Israel), had braught another HOR into creation. And so had the 144 male and female apostles, who had opened their DNA with the Arcanum Eucharist that Christ had Alchemically taught them to make - the waters of Ptah, the first Immanuel (ImwhAnnuEl). So Christ was an Immanuel (book of Mathew).

The Mary's who were Sophia's: incarnated Christ's, together with the Apostles, were Shamana's (Shamans: in Sumeria Sham = Aton Vehicle/Vortexijah Star Ship, the Atum of Ptah; and Mana was the combined Soma-Acacia plant of life and tree of life, with the white-gold or bread of light).

Shamanna, is literally that meaning and is the root of the Shaman's. And all true shamans over the world, take plants that contains the Pineal gland neurotransmitters [Ayahuasca in the Amazon, used for 30,000 years to cure all disease, given by the Christ Viracutcha who is Votan {Wotan, Odin, Mannus, Manu, Ptah}].

The Sophia's were lady's of the sacred waters Aquae Vitae. Mary Magdelain was said to have died in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, in 63 AD, in the old town of Acqae Sexteae, rendered from the hot springs town of Aix or Acqs, coming from aqauae. In the Meruvingian Languedoc tradition, Mary is remembered, like Hathor and Isis, as "the Misstress of the Waters", la Dompna del Aquae. She was also lady of the sea, Mare in latin. Gnostics considered the Gnosis (to know) to be the female Shekinah (Spirit), which "moved on the face of the waters". The Holy spirit of Sophia incarnated as Magde-lain (not Louis Lane). Actually spelt Magdalene, after who the Eucharist is named.

Before we continue with the Shamanna. How does this relate to Lancelot, Arthur, and the Grail? Christ and Magdelain had 3 children Tamaris, Iosos 2/Justus, and Josephus/RamaTheo. RamaTheo's grandson Aminadab marries, a 5 x granddaughter of Arimmethia (brother of Christ, who married his daughter Anna to Bran the Blessed). Here their lines are cojoined, and spring off into the Franks, Meroveus, Clovis, etc.

From Immanuel and Magdelain came the House of del Acqs. Being prominent in Aquitaine, which also roots from Aquae, as does the town of Dax, near Toulouse from d'Acqs, where the Christ family of the waters become Counts of Toulouse and Prinices of the SEPTimanian Medi between France and Spain. A female line gave the celtic Church heritage of Avallon, France, with Viviane del Acqs as High Queen, 6th century. Another male line, in Brittany became the Counts de Leon d'Acqs, from Viviane I grandaughter Morgaine and King Arthur.

Viviane I's son was Lancelot del Acqs. Arthur came from a further co-joining of the Arimethia Immanuel lines, from his father, the Pendragon Aedan Gabran, and mother Ygerna del Acqs. The first Merlin was Taleisin (great Bard, Taleisman roots), husband of Vivien of Avallon del Acqs (died 540 AD), grandmother of Lancelot, directly from the Immanuel/Magdelain lineage. The second Merlin was Emrys Ambrosius POWys, an older cousin of king Aedan, father of Arthur. This is the Merlin of fame. Merlin made the Ambrosia of immortality, as his name implies: the Soma Agape Amrita, and together with an illigitemate daughter of Taleisin, the first Merlin married to Lady Avallon Vivien de Arqs, grandmother of Lancelot - made a secret line of children, and became a time traveller. Thus the Shamanna Aqua Vitae Eucharist was regained. The true ultimate shamanistic Pangeum Grail, was found.

 

 

In Sumeria those who caried the cup of the Shamanna, were called the carriers of the Gra-al (necter of supreme excellence). In fact the grail Kings, with their Sangraal, roots from the Sumerian Sanga (priest) and lugal (king), Sang-lu-gal, san graal. And they were Ark-angels, messengers of the Ark, which contained the bread of light mana, and awakened the SHAM vehicle; the Ark Tree of Life, which was the translater to the Star Ship, the Sham. Sham-Ba-Lha, Vehicle of the Ba-Soul and Lha-Spirit.

Sham.Mr, is Sumer (pronounced Shumer), the Sumerland of Ur and Uruk. The land of the Sham vehicle made Pyramid MR. These are our Mesapotamian roots. Mt Meru was also called land Su-meru in Sanscrit. Sha is also the Sumerian 360°.

The Grail thus is the elexier of Life and ascension, the Shamanic brew by which one becomes the Falcan Head (Shemsu Hor, the 'eagle that flies', as ABBA would say, "flying high in the skies". Like in the film Emerald Forest [that was a Harmine/DMT snuff, the same components as in the Pineal gland]). Emarld Green, the colour inbetween, the 6 others, a Middle Way, for all to gather into All-One.

The Grail was at the same time a Star Ship, exteriorised. In fact the Star Ship made flesh and then crystal stone, Lapis Stellis Excellis, the Stone of Ptah (Diamonds are forever). At the same time, it was the Royal Blood. For the DNA had been opened to the Spirit by the Shamanna Grail. Issa-Iosos-Immanuel came from a lineage that goes back to Akenaton (Enki Ptah Line),who in union with Mery Kiya Isralite line (Enlil El Shadai, Jehova), gave birth to Moses and Tutankaton (amon).

Christ corrected the hate code of Jehova, and braught Adon Adonai Aton, back into focus, as Abba. Another link to Enki-Ptah the father-Abba in heaven. For Abba was originally a Sumerian word, which defined a Sanga Luga. This is therefore a very ancient Alchemical line, that had continous periods of Shaman's opening their DNA to the Unity Light Body, and Diamond Body, with the Shamanna bread and divine wine from the Immortal Vine, so that the DNA was corrected by it laser light.

See this image later in bigger size

My grandfather, on my mothers side also came from Rennes le Chateau, in the lineage 200 years ago, and my grandmother and him met near the Eagle Aigle, by SION. My grandmother coming from an ancient Meruvingian Rosicrucian line. As the Meruvingians were literally hunted by the Roman Empire as the Roman Catholic church, whose inside code is Mystery Babylon (Phallus in every Catholic altar, and preists put their sperm into the Eucharist, just as the ancient Amen/Amon preists put their sperm into the bread of light, instead of the white gold and Soma/Acacia, for their magick).

They literally ate the body of Christ and drank the blood, as they hunted down the bloodline (and made themselves false heirs by canabalistic vampirism [queen elibeth of this inheretence], subverting the equal females, calling the Cathars and Templers Vampires, lords of the night, dragons, dracu's (they lived during the night since the Pineal gland secrets the 3rd eye spiritual shaman neurotransmitters, and when they became initiated, like the Maya, they became crocodiles, as they faced their inner dragons of fear and became MSHE. Messiah: Egyptian Crocodile [in fact the Mayans show the 5-meoDMT symbol on the crocodile preist] it was the church who were ruled by fear, could not face their dragon reptilian brain with compassion, and drank the blood], and eliminated the Midway path beyond duality, crushed the Buddha statutes that they carried (found at Marseilles, where they, SION, arrived in a boat without oars or sails, left by the master). This is quite an involved story, which continous today. We are all intergalactic equal kings and queens.

So the last remnents of the Graal Shaman's had to have bastards to ensure that humanity in the west had an opened DNA (Grail), at least in some, so that it could be fulfilled for all in the age of the Father, Ptah, the Phoenix, and mother Nun-Hathor, the Heavenly Cow, with the door to Imwh Annu, where the Shamanistic Aquae Vitae waters of life overflows to all.

Although, there was this secret mission with my father, from the Meruvingian side coming from his father, his mother came from the Odin line from Norway. Hence, Atum-Ptah the first man, creator of the pyramid world mountain, and Manu the first man creator of the Meru pyramid world mountain, and Mannus to be known as Odin, the first man who made the first world mountain Himinbiorg in Tula, which was the door via the Bifrost Rainbow Bridge (guarded by Heimdalr) to Asgard, and Votan, Viracotcha, to make a full circle.

I write a little about this family tree affair, since your own coding indicates that the ORiginal lineage is breathing through you too, and I encourage you to investigate this. It is not materialistic what emerges. But we can now trace our lines all the way back to the first spatialised ones, directly to Ptah and company, through lineage, Et's in soul and flesh, and immortally as Spirit.

Therefore, any information you have, family coat's of arms (shields, family Runes), royal links, history of family names etc, will aid tremendously in this. I have seen the documentation on how this works, by a bard of ancient trained lineage (also of MeruVinGian lineage, PeVrill), who is the keeper of the present royal family of Orange, former queen Julianna. And he was trained for 60 years. But he states that I am 5 levels ahead of him, due to what Ptah and Emmanuel has relayed to me. I can decode a document that takes him weeks of linear decoding, in a day. What your coding says, is that there is some major links here. I also share the little of my own lines above, to gives some of the aStoneIshing liveness of history, when seen from the larger overview, and the meaning of our lives. But with what I have relayed of my own background, I ask for confidentially, please.

Alright, not to get too Sirius in this for now, but still Arc the Tour of Us - Arcturus, Ark Horus, who guards arthur, whose name renders literally from Arktos meaning Bear, and Arth = bear, uthyr = wonderful. And Arcturus means guarder of the bear (Ursa Major the Great Bear). And as Arthur means bear, and bear comes from Bor, the father of Odin, from which comes the term HyperBORia and Aurora BORealis, the keeper of the Equality of the Round Table Grail Code (cup overfloweth) Bors was also the brother of Lancelot from Viviane de Arqs. Hence, Avalon and Asgard are united in one Grail Round Table. Both were the mystical domains of the immortals.

Furthermore, Ursa, or bear, coming from Hor's, the UR Shaman shape shifters, the Shemsu Hor's and the Ur's of the East. And Arcadia was Ursa Major, the heavenly realms, which roots from Agarthia/Agartha (in Egypt all AK, ARK, AG words, are one root, and this is reflected in our language, and around the world). And BTW, Arcturus is, indeed, a 7 house arc from Taurus, opposite ends of the skies: Arc-Taurus.

Merak the Big Bear's major star, was also at the capstone of the Great pyramid, thousands of years in the past, where it outlined the Mer angles of 52° with the stars Sirius/Isis, and one of the stars of Pisces. Merak as the apex. That is why it has the name Mer (Pyramid) Ak (Eye), for HOR is the capstone of the pyramid foundation of SION, as the base square.

This is Asgartha the Buddhist heavenly realm at the North of the world, by and beyond the ARCtic, which the Scandinavians also called the heavenly abode Asgarda, later to be called Asgard. The Viking berserker's literally means "bear shirted".

No wonder that when Ptah told me to come to Norway in 1992, even giving the name of the area in which I am now, for connecting to the DAL-333 base - there was a top secret meeting in the same place, as I was there, of the secret esoteric Buddhists, who were discussing the new time to emerge here in the North.

For the Big Bear was called by the Akkadians Akkanna. And in Egypt its main star MerAk, was called Ak = Eye. Odin lost his third eye at Mima's well, in order to gather Runes (geometrical letters of creation). Just like Horus lost his eye, and Djehuti was its keeper, and gave writing. This Arcadia star is used by the Tibetan secret Buddhists to calculate the place of new spiritual emergence. The big bear forms a Suastika (Swastika), with on hand of the Swastika every 6,000 years. In this cycle, the the Golden apex arms falles on Norway. Here Asgartha is to emerge, according to their ancient traditions.

 

THE ISIS CODE AND BEYOND

With that little introduction, one can now appreciate the personal/universal decodes that emerge from thee. Let the Emerald Green Stone of the Heart Eye bring this all home, through our unified implosions of compassion [compasSION]. Isis, the Original Lady of the Lake and Sea, Ladyof the Pyramid, and keeper of the Aquae Waters from Lady Hathor.

By mirroring the CD cover, in order to translate the Hyperdimensional Meja AK Eye point, we can see what is braught by thee, from infinity. Being framed in the pyramid is what gives it away. Why Isis. The "M" grid outer verticle lins to "I" and to "S", starting from righ to left, because "I" is the 7th letter for S-even Sisters. The Middle "M" angle touches "E" which would give spelling ISE. However, when the 1st "S" is taken by "M", then it leaves the word "even", because it cannot be left alone. When the 7th "I" is taken by "M", so it leaves "sters", which means stars, as in German sternen, or Swedish Stjern. It also means to stir from sleep. Word left is "Even stars", and 7 is not even. When the "I" is taken, so it leaves a lonely "S".

Hence, the outer "M" gives ISS or SIS. With the middle "M" it gives ISES, which is a Ka-Ba-La link to Jesus, who is Iosos (Horus), both of them born on December 25th. Iosos from the Ios Mery Isis. Since "e" is already occupied with the word "even", which tells us to even the message from the uneven 3, to one more, to make 4, since M = 4. We obtain the missing letter by adding the value of the letters that be. I = 9, S = 1. Hence, 11 results from ISS. Meja = 11, to confirm.

We take the mirror word, the hyperdimensional 3rd eye link, and count 11 words in as well as the 3 of ISS, this equals 10, as "even" = 10. Since the "M" is a small 2 eye fractal, with a middle 3rd eye that gives "e", we can count "Ises seven sI." 11th letter is "I", we have sailed the seven sea's.

Having borrowed from the even middle way, we give back the "e" and carrying the EL-Even "I", "ISIS" results. Isis even Stars.

Meja is framed by the light of the pyramid (which especially comes out in mirroring). Isis is the lady of the Pyramid, Lady of MR/Mer/Meru/Mery/Mary. This is sealed with "SEMI": M with the S with the E and with the I. How? Start with the I which touches the M, whose middle touches the E and whose end touches the S (IMES). This mirrored is SEMI. The Egyptian Heb Sem feast (also known as the Heb Seb, Mayan Tzab) is the Isis and Osiris Mysteries of August 11-12-13. SEMI: this is the Eye/I of SEM. Isis is indeed that I/Eye, in the Heb Sem feast. Just like SETI, means Eye of Set (Kinf Seti father of Ramses), which is also the secret of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), encoded by the Masons in the government. Isis was the lady of the knots. The famous Isis knots for the Hex or Heku. The 7 Isis knots are the Pleaides, in Hathor, for lady Aquarius Hathor and Phoenix-Aquarius Atum-Ptah, gave isis the sacred waters, and the sacred sound, the Seven Knots of the Cartouche of Life.

As you read this in the Isis days, so was it designed to be read herein. Ptah seals you in the Isis code. That is why you had to enter here, by going UNDERNEATH, Ananda In The Tomb Of Osiris, through the Virgo "M" = Mer: lake, waters of life, sea, pyramid, and Virgin Mary, in this Mery go round.

 

Should you be concerned that some data, of our private e-mails, has gone to the Bard of Queen Juliana, this is of no concern. Only the naked data was given. There is so much more to this code than I have shared with you, it would fill a book, the only thing is only a very few initiates would be able to comprehend it, so I present the comprehensible.

Needless to say, you now know why you spoke of coming into your Dolphin Nature. And this is an astonishing peice of the code. Juliana's bard, Redpin (Knight Geofry Pinder Pevril), lives next to Les Pleiades, by the head of the Dolphin shaped lake Geneva (lake Leman). Les Pleiades, are positioned in the constellation of Taurus, and the Swiss town Bulle, nearby, is the Bull's eye of this Taurus bull.

SION is not too far away from here, and that is where the golden light appeared over my grandfather, and he suddenly made a sculpture in the snow, in 1923, and became a famous sculpter, recognised by Juliana who visited his exchibition.

Also, it was here at the age of 2 above the SION mountains, that I also dissapeared into the golden light, for 2 hours, which I recall, and was found drawing 8's in the sand, by the search party.

At the age of 16 (1986) I returned, and was taught Ka-Ba-La by the ET's whilst there, above the SION mountains, and several dozens star ships became visible, which my mother Auna, and her boy friend also witnessed. A superconducting tractor beam went into my Horus Eye, and into her right Ra eye. I had hourly and daily contact, and was travelling out of the body to Ganymede the moon of Jupiter, in Ka-Ba-La lessons. Long before meeting Redpin: I am teaching him, as much as he is teachig me, although he considers me to be showing him 5 steps further ahead.

Between SION and Les Pleiades, is Aigle, the Eagle, whereby my grandmother and grandfather met (two Meruvingian lines). In 1992, I once again returned, alone to SION and above, and had contact with Ptah, who came in physical star ships for hours, and I received parts of the Unity keys of Emmanuel index there.

Ptah's ship was in at least 8 places at the same time, when becoming physically visible. Here I received the overview instruction and decision to actually go to Norway, which I did within a month, without knowing any one there, except Ruani. Visiting her, another visiter instantly invited me to guide a meditation at the Star Confederation Centre Oslo, and I stayed in the country ever since. The overview was also fulfilled, and is in fulfilment. Including this contact.

It was the Dolphin Lake and Pleaides, that were some of the key points in the Julianna letter I decoded with Ptah in one day, which took redpin some weeks by the normal time forwards language computer. Ptah gave me the same message extracted by mathematical Ka-Ba-La from 7 directions. Redpin had precisely the same message, which he had to follow as practicle instructions in major events, but he had to make dozens of pages of word lists and anagrammes of each, in and pass thorugh the codes of 127 languages and runes, to get similar results. I mention this, knowing it probably makes little sense to you now, but just to give a tiny tickle of the larger picture it is part of. I wish I could say more, but that will be up to you [this has nothing to do with secrecy at all, just with time and compassion].

Now you will know why a Mermaid is called this. Half Dolphin as the Dauphine family, like the Aqua family, were MeruVinGians. And Enki-Ptah was also Oannes, who emerged from the sea, taking his body out of a dolphin suit (as depicted by the Akkadians). This is the Dolphin that in code, impregnated queen merovige. Mer is sea, and Mer is lake.

The Lady of the Lake we covered above. But Mer is Pyramid. And the original Mer Maid, was Isis, lady of the sacred waters, and of the Pyramid. The Virgin Mary, the "I" of SION, who together with the O of Osiris in S-IO-N, the middle, undid the SN (SIN) of the poisen of Amen-Ra. And I and O made love. Put the I in the O (the Phallus in the Yoni) and the symbol is PHI (in Greek).

They gave birth to IOsos. Isis was also known as Ios. From which come Yes. ENKI=PTAH was made Lord of the Sea, when his jealous brother Enlil/Jehova, became lord of Earth, much as he hated man, but loved the gold mines, from which the mono atomic elements were mined that gave him immortality. In old norske mythes this was called Orgalmir, gold thirst.

So the children of Ptah, were MerMaids, dolphins. Dauphine also points from Orange (Orange family is Juliana) to the dolphin lake, where Magdelain took the grail, and the MERlin (pyramid Line), made the Arcanuum. You can see how extraterrstrially designed your code movements are, you have chosen these body code sequences, including the heraldry, which goes back to the gods.

Funnily enough, my lecture in Paris this March, took place at the rue de Dolphine, in a theatre called Nesle. And the Nestle adminstrative body, is at the tip of the Dolphin lake Geneva, at Vevy, next to Les Pleiades.

 

 

THE 3.33 CODE OF 9

Beautiful Diamonds

This picture speaks for itself, and further confirms the code. SEPTember is indicated for the Diamond in the Sky revelation, by 9-99, a personal and universal celebration. 155 came out in Redpins code for 5/5/2000 to 2003, whilst Julianna's Golden Fleece were calculating the possibility of a 32° pole shift to Midway Island (they have tried to integrate midway path, this was one such an attempt, gradual progress is occurring, I am glad to say. I am giving them more and more tickles beyond duality.)

The four who guard the Chariot of ascension. The angels chin at the female volva, guards of the grail flower which overflowth.

In fact the code came out in relation to our property Arken, as well. Along with 155 was 555, and that is the height of the land. My mother chose to pass on in July 14th 1997, at BagnAl, next to Orange. To give me a final message, which we spoke about before she went on, as we discussed the MeruVingian lines. The Gulf de Lion was where Magdelain arrived with the Grail. Go to Lyon, France (and one has the Lion that works with the Eagle, by lake Geneva and the Bulle, also near to lake Geneva, and Engelberg (Swiss) gives the angel, to complete the diamond shape (taro card 7 is the Chariot, which is guarded by a Lion, Eagle, Bull, and Angel.) Here the Grail was taken.

When measuring the precise distance from where my grandparents met, at the eagle Aigle, to Lyon the Lion, the distance is precisly the same where Auna passed on (her ashes or now freed into the Jotunheimen). As she looked up the local history there, it stated that Mary Magdelain, did some significant work there, and it was the place that Heru-cules (Horus Hero, Hercules), slaid the most dragons. Next to Orange is Mondragon, the world dragon, and Saint George is the town between Lion and Bagnal, who slays the dragon. Furthermore, where my mother met my secret Meruvingian father, in 1969, near Grenada, when drawing a line of where she passed, to there, it falls precisely on Rennes le Chateua in France, where SION was headed with the Grail for some time, and where my ancesters came from the Meruvingian Grail lines, from both sides.

Final Secret of the Unicorn, also decoded from the two crosses (a & b) in the SION document, which falls on letters "S"I"O"N", from a-b. But when this interlocked tetrahedron is opened, the opneing of the male cube, into the 8-fold Vortexijah or MeruSheba, then it opens to Arques, where the mary magelain church reveals the secret of our present time. For the above geometry made into the 8 fold Vortexijah, fits onto the Rennes le Chateua landscape, and a Templer, Cathar, and SION church or castle, is placed on each point of the Hexagon, and meruvingian Merusheba. Arques to Arken. Making 6 fold electron couples into 8 fold permenent orgasmic couples together forever, as superconductivity, or Prima Materia, Aqua Vitae.

In fact a SION document was found there at the church of Magdelain, and it spoke about "noone blue apples". An Orange is actualy blue, as it reflects orange photons. The Oragne family, where once Grailed, and still are a litle, in part, but so are many of this Shamanna line. This same document decodes into the Vortexijah shape the 6 fold to eight folded path of the MERUsheba.

Now in February 1998, I was in a place called Al, and here Ptah sent a morse code signal, which was a precise message, from the other side of the mountains. We were here lookiing for land. After looking at Al, where the 333 message again came, so did we go to Bagn and found the present land, in one day. Message is Bagn-Al, the place where Auna passed.

155 metres was what the golden fleece had calculated that the waters would initially rise, should the shift occur at 2003. And then they would grow to 555 metres. Ptah relayed that this future is now further off the sides from the 7 main future horizens which humanity together is drawing into attraction. With 155 appearing here, there is some echoe, but it does also link into the same code as Arken, the land in Bagn.

 

That is quite some Ark to carry the Aquae Vitae, as a Pil to the Lips for a Vigil Pow of awakening. Flow her, Hathor Lady Aqaurius, also the water bearer. Flower roots from flow her, she flows. This is flower power. Infact female alchemy is to recycle the menstrual blood. For it contains Pinoline and DMT, and other HORmones directly from the pineal gland, as well as the Iron that comes from Isis Sirius, and the PT (Ptah platinum elements) from within the bone marrow, where blood is made.

Men have to learn to steam their mercury, and draw the Mercury vapor up the cadeuscius staff of mercury. Mercury who is the roman name for the Greek Hermes, who is the Egyptain Djehuti, and whose staff is the Djed. So the two snakes of infra red and ultra violet go to the ball ontop of the staff of hermes, which is the Pineal gland. This is the Atem sphere, from which comes the Pinoline and DMT's, which grows wings (the brain hemespheres) of the Swan. This is Swan lake. So as a man succeeds to suck his seed into internal alchemy, indeed the waters of life that flower, are to be transmuted up the same staff. With proper ovarian thotickling distribution, and alchemical steaming, then mensruation stops, and a vast force is harnessed, feeding the body and the organs, and taking the HORgasmic 8 coupling build up of ecstasis into the entire body, to extract the extraterrestrial superconducting Self, which renders life extension. And in the dark room, like with Yeshe, enables physical transformation.

Flower Jam decodes to Pil Lip Vigil Pow. That is the Powah* Power for ya.

All Is God Speed Love,

Light, Love, Life,

Ananda

 

 

* Powah = Tibetan White Light of Immortality coming from teh jewel in the lotus flower, the Pineal Gland in the 1000 hz petalled lotus, which unites all 144 petals of the body six other centres into the 144,000 light, and with the 145th Christ-Sophia union, the Diamond can be one. Put some Passion Flower Jam into that Doughnut please(: Passion Flower contains small amounts of Harmine (as in the Soma plant, and Pinoline in the Pineal gland). Passiflora Incarnata, is named after the Passion of Christ Incarnated.

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THE ROUND ZODIAC CEILING OF THE TEMPLE OF HATHOR AT DENDERAH by JOANNE CONMAN © copyright 2002 The temple of Hathor at Denderah dates from Ptolemaic times, probably the first century BCE. The temple contains two well-known, but slightly different representations of the heavens. There is a round zodiac ceiling and a square zodiac in the outer hypostyle hall. The round zodiac ceiling shows the whole sky as it was understood by both Greek and Egyptian cultures. It shows the familiar constellations associated with the Greek astrological signs along with a number of other figures. They are carved on a disk that is supported by the goddesses of the four cardinal points and eight falcon-headed gods. My illustration for this article shows only the figures inside the circle. Along the edge of the circle, there is a procession of 36 figures that represent the spirits of the 36 decan stars, one corresponding to each of the Egyptians' 10-day weeks. The Egyptians used 36 bright stars that rose in the east just before sunrise to mark the start of their weeks. A new star rose about every 10 days. This outer ring of decans is meant to show the concordance of the decan stars with the Greek astrological zodiac. Certain other figures on the ceiling, such as the Hippo and the Foreleg in the center, are indigenous to Egypt, dating back to the earliest astral records we have, some 2000 years before this round zodiac. Deities indigenous to Egypt that are associated with certain stars or times are also shown on the ceiling. As I will discuss below, some figures remain unidentified. M. Georges Daressy, in his paper "L'Egypte Céleste," suggested there was a parallel between the constellations and other celestial figures at Denderah and Egyptian townships or nomes. Daressy found that the emblems of various nomes as well as figures representing the gods that were worshipped in those nomes were represented in the Denderah zodiacs. He argued that the sequence of the nomes parallels the sequence of the zodiac and that this relationship implies that the Egyptians conceived of some celestial-terrestrial coordination between the constellations and Egyptian townships.1 Astronomical constellations are different from astrological signs. Constellations are groups of stars that appear to be near each other and are connected by imaginary lines to form shapes supposedly resembling animals or other figures. (The resemblance depends how much imagination one has.) E.W. Maunder speculated that the constellations familiar to us were not originally astral simulacra. Certain groups of stars in the correct position can work as a system of celestial coordinates. Michael Ovenden found that the constellations were developed as a system of coordinates and that the system was most likely developed between 2900-2800 BCE by people who lived at about latitude 36° north.2 A number of constellations known to us were described in a poem called Phaenomena, written by Aratus, who lived about 315-240 BCE in Cilicia, in what is now Turkey. Aratus' information about the stars is consistent with the way the stars would have appeared about 2200 BCE, so it appears that Aratus had access to some ancient material. Additional support is found in the section of Aratus' poem where he specifically discusses the history of the worship of the star Spica over centuries.3 Significantly, Aratus does not discuss Canopus, the second brightest star in the heavens. Canopus was not visible in the second millennium BCE at latitudes north of about 34°.4 Interestingly, however, it was visible in Aratus' own time, which further bolsters Ovenden's idea that Aratus was working with material from millennia earlier. Astrological signs are mathematical constructions used to measure time. The Hellenistic and modern astrological signs are 12 30° divisions of a 360° circle spaced out over a 365.25-day year. The 12 astrological signs of the Greek zodiac took their names from the 12 astronomical constellations that lay along the path of the ecliptic 2000 years ago. The ecliptic has moved slightly and presently goes through 13 (not 12) constellations. However, since the astrological signs measure time, this fact makes no difference in the astrological zodiac. The earliest attested appearance of the Greek astrological signs dates from about the third century BCE.5 The astrological zodiac is essentially identical to the ancient Egyptian decan zodiac, which used a schema of 36 10° divisions to measure a year. The oldest known astrological zodiac is that of the ancient Egyptian decans. The earliest decan lists are dated from about 2000 BCE. There is no evidence that the Egyptian decan zodiac was used for divination or genethlialogy; however, the Cairo Calendar provides evidence of a belief in that certain days were lucky or unlucky according to astral influences. The decan spirits were important in the astral religion of Egypt. The earliest mention of some individual decans dates from the Pyramid Texts of the Old Kingdom (c. 2450 BCE). The decan spirits' function in these afterlife texts appears to be to aid the deceased in navigating the sky, acting as guides and companions.6 In New Kingdom tombs, the pharaohs are shown worshipping the decans. Egyptians believed that some stars were dangerous or hostile, while others afforded people protection and bestowed blessings. Images of decans were inscribed on protective amulets. At Denderah, the decans are described as "mighty, great, great gods, who are protecting the gods (or stars) and follow Sothis (nb: Sirius) on the sky. Living stars who are living on the east of heaven and are defending the deities of Denderah. They are messengers of her Majesty (Hathor) who make the slaughtering of those who are hostile towards her. They make protection for Denderah."7 The earliest lists of decans were found on a dozen coffins at Asyut, dating from about 2000 BCE. More decan lists and more elaborate art connected with them have been found in a number of tombs that date from the time of the New Kingdom, some 5-700 years after the Asyut coffins. Differences exist among the lists of decans that have been found. Otto Neugebauer and Richard A. Parker classified all the lists they found into two main groups with several sub-groups. The decans on the round zodiac ceiling from Denderah are from a group that Neugebauer and Parker called the Tanis group. The earliest surviving example of this group is probably dated to about the time of the 26th dynasty (664-525 BCE);8 however, most of the decan lists in the Tanis group are from the Greco-Roman period (after 333 BCE). Three new decans appear for the first time in this group, while four decans reappear from an earlier time. The astronomical constellations that gave their names to the Greek astrological zodiac signs are first attested as such in Assyria between the second and first millennium BCE. As early as 1100 BCE, possibly earlier, the constellations of Leo, Cancer, Libra, Scorpio, and Gemini are mentioned in Babylonian astrolables. In the Neo-Assyrian period, the planets and the moon were observed entering or leaving constellations by various astrologers who reported what they saw and what it meant to the kings.9 About 700 BCE, at the time of the famous omen text, Enuma Anu Enlil, 16 constellations still recognized today were closely observed by the Babylonian astrologers. The Greeks translated the constellations' names from Babylonian into Greek, retaining the same meanings, except for Aries, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. Our constellations were known to the Babylonians as: The Bull of Heaven = Taurus Great Twins = Gemini (the stars Castor and Pollux were called "Great Twins") Crab = Cancer Lion = Leo (the star Regulus was called "King") Furrow = Virgo (the star Spica was "Corn-ear of Shala") Scales = Libra Scorpion = Scorpio Pabilsag (a Babylonian god) = Sagittarius Goatfish = Capricorn The Great = Aquarius Tails = Pisces Swallow = SW Pisces Annunitum (a Babylonian goddess) = NE Pisces Hired Man = Aries Snake = Hydra Fish = Piscis Austrinus Mad Dog = Lupus (with zeta Scorpii) In addition, most of the stars of Aquila were called "Eagle," and the stars of Crater and Corvus were called "Raven."10 On the round zodiac ceiling at Denderah, the representations of many constellations are of Mesopotamian rather than Egyptian style. Most clearly Babylonian are the images of the constellations Taurus-Pisces. Several of these figures resemble those found from ancient times in Sumeria. Their images in Mesopotamia appear on kudurru, or boundary stones, which are large, polished stones inscribed with information on land grants or sales. The figure of a goat-fish, called suhurmashu ("carp-goat") is identical to the goat-fish on the Denderah ceiling that represents Capricorn.11 The scorpion is also in the style found on kudurru. It is a symbol of the goddess Ishara. Pabilsag is an ancient god whose worship is attested from the earliest times in the Mesopotamian city of Larag. He was a son of the deities Enlil and Ninisina, and has been associated with the more ancient Sumerian god, Ninurta. Pabilsag's image is the two-headed winged centaur that is Sagittarius on the Denderah ceiling.12 At Denderah, the portrayals of Libra and Aquarius have definite Egyptian connotations. The scales, topped with an image of Harpokrates (Horus the Child) enclosed in a disk, is Egyptian. The water carrier of Aquarius wears the white crown of Upper Egypt and is shown pouring out two jars of water. The stars of Aquarius are the evening stars of the Inundation, and the flood comes from Upper Egypt. It is possible that the connection of these stars with bringing water originated in Egypt. Neither the heliacal nor the acronychal rising of the Aquarius stars can be as easily connected with bringing water in Mesopotamia. The outer ring of the round ceiling shows a procession of the 36 figures who are the spirits of the decans, or ten day weeks of the Egyptians. They are all colored turquoise in my illustration of the ceiling. We will begin with the decan at the 6:00 o'clock position, and move counter-clockwise. Directly under the figure of Horus-who-is-on-his-pillar, a hawk wearing the double crown, perched on a roll of papyrus, the decans are as follows: Waret - possibly "District Under." The figure is a falcon-headed male. Pehwey hery - "The End (or Northern End?) of the Upper?" This is most probably a reference to the summer solstice, which marks the end of the sun's journey north for half the year. The figure is a falcon-headed male. Knumet - Possibly "Ape." The figure is human-headed and wears the double crown. Khery-kheped-Knumet - "The One Who is Under the Thigh or Buttocks of Knumet." The figure is a falcon-headed male wearing the double crown. Het-djat - "The Front Part of djat." The figure is a human-headed male, wearing a small crown and a long garment. Djat - The meaning of djat is not certain. It may be "to ferry" or "to cross by ferry" or it may be connected to the crane, a migratory bird. The figure is a falcon-headed male, wearing the white crown. Pehwey-djat - "The End or Latter Part of Djat." The figure is a human-headed male and wears the atef crown. Tjemat - Possibly "The Mat." The figure is a falcon-headed male, with a sun disk, having a uraeus inside, and horns beneath the disk over his head. Weshaty - "The One Who Relates to Fattening" or "The One Who Relates to Night." The figure is a human-headed male with a sun disk with uraeus inside above his head. Bekaty - "The One Who Relates to Pregnancy" or "The One Who Relates to Morning." The figure is a human-headed male, wearing the double crown. Ipsd - "The Doorbolt of the Sanctuary." The figure is a falcon-headed male with sun disk with uraeus inside above the head. Sebshesen - The meaning of this name is uncertain. The figure is mummiform, wearing the atef crown without horns and holding crook and flagellum. Tepi-a Khentet - "The One Who Precedes Khentet." Khentet means "to travel southward or upstream (feminine)," or "The (female) Southern Traveler." The figure is a crocodile head, with horns and sun disk, on a support. Heri-yeb wia - "The (one who is in) the Middle of the Bark." The figure is a baboon sitting in bark, wearing a crown with what looks like a lunar crescent above two horns. Sapty-khenwey- "The Lotus Blossom of the Two Khen (Fish?) The figure is a serpent-headed male. Seshmu - "The Guide" or possibly "The Counterpart," since this decan rose heliacally (just before sunrise) at the time Sirius rose acronychally (just after sunset). The figure is a human-headed male, wearing the atef crown with horns and uraeus. Sawey Seshmu - "The Two Sons of Seshmu" - The figure is a falcon-headed male. Kenemu - "Wrapped in Darkness" - The figure is a disk-headed male. Tepi-a Smd - "Precedes Semed" - The figure is a serpent-headed female. Pa sebu wity - "The Lone Star" - The figure is a small ram with a sun disk on it horns. Semed - Possibly "The Division of the Year," this decan marks the winter solstice, and the half-way point through the year. Semed was the name of the Full Moon Festival held every month. The figure is an ibis-headed male wearing the atef crown with horns and uraeus. Seret - "Sheep" or "Ewe" - The figure is a goose. Just in front of the goose are 8 bound captives in a disk. The number 8 is frequently connected to the decan Seret, but the reason for this is not clear. It may connect to Isis, who is the deity of the decan and who is also associated with the number 8. Sawey Seret - "The Two Sons of the Sheep." The figure is a ram, with sun disk on its horns. Tepi-a Akhwey - "The One Preceding the Two Akh-Spirits" - The figure is a jackal-headed male. Akhwey - "The Two Akh-Spirits" - The figure is a human-headed male, holding an unidentified object. Tepi-a Bawey - "The One Preceding the Two Ba-Spirits" - The figure is four ram heads with sun disks on their horns on a support. Bawey - "The Two Ba-Spirits" - The figure is headless, but with horns. It is mummiform and seated. Khentu-heriyew - "The Upper Khentu." Khentu means "to travel southward or upstream (masculine)," or "The (male) Southern Traveler." The figure is a probably human-headed male. Khentu-kheriyew - "The Lower Khentu" - The figure is a nude youth with one hand in its mouth, holding a flagellum in the other, sitting on a lotus. Qed - Qed means "to go around, like the potter's wheel." Neugebauer and Parker say this is four uraei on a support, but in both their and in Daressy's illustrations, these figures look like four human-headed serpents to me. Sawey Qed - "The Two Sons of Qed" - The figure is a ram head with sun disk and extra horns on a bark. Khau - "The Thousands" or "Three Thousand." The figure is a human-headed female, kneeling, with three serpents on her head. Aret - Means "To Rise Up or Ascend" or possibly "Jaw." It is connected to the Uraeus. The figure is a pig on a support. Remen hery- "The Upper Forearm" - The figure is a human-headed male. Tjes areq - "The Knot" - The figure is a human-headed male. Remen khery - "The Lower Forearm" - The figure is probably an ibis-headed serpent wearing an atef crown with horns and uraei on a support. On this round zodiac ceiling, the planets are given their late Egyptian names. Like the Late Period decans, this is another indication that the material on the Denderah ceiling dates from Greco-Roman times. While the names of Mercury and Saturn are virtually unchanged from their earliest attested mention in Egypt, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus were known by other names in earlier times. During the New Kingdom, Mars was called "Horus of the Horizon;" Jupiter was called "Light Scatterer," "Star of the South," and "Horus Who Bounds the Two Lands (Egypt);" and Venus was called "The Crosser" (in the sense of a migratory bird).13 All the planets are shown in their places of exaltation or hypsomata in this round zodiac. In the square zodiac of the outer hypostyle hall, the planets are shown in their houses, or signs of rulership. In the round zodiac, all the planets are shown holding wAs scepters, which indicate dominion. The planets do not always hold wAs scepters in the square zodiac. The figures in my illustration have been color-coded as follows: Red - Babylonian Constellation (or its associated astrological zodiac sign) Fuschia - Egyptian Constellation Green - Planet Yellow - Star Dark Blue - Egyptian Deity Periwinkle Blue/ Lavender - My Identification Golden Brown - Uncertain Beginning over the first decan, the first figure, at the 6:00 o'clock position, is the god Horus in his form as a hawk wearing the double crown, known as Horus-who-is-on-his-pillar. He is directly under the twins of Gemini. Moving counter-clockwise again, the next figure behind Horus on the ceiling is a recumbent cow on a barge with a star between her horns. This figure represents the star Sirius. Directly above her, placed between the Gemini Twins and Cancer the Crab, is the planet Jupiter, shown as a falcon-headed god holding a wAs scepter. It is called Hor-up-Sheta meaning "Horus-Who-Opens-Mystery." Behind the Sirius cow is the figure of a young woman with a bow and arrow. She is the goddess Satet (or Satis, to the Greeks). She is the daughter of the goddess Anuket and Khnum, the ram-headed god from Elephantine who fashions men's bodies on a potter's wheel. Satet is also a consort to her father. She is linked to the star Sirius and her temple in Upper Egypt has connections to the star Sirius.14 Satet is closely associated with both the annual flood of the Nile and the southern border of Egypt. Her name is connected with pouring water or shooting in the Egyptian language. She wears the Upper Egyptian white crown, decorated with two gazelle horns, which link her, like her mother, to the Sudan. The Greeks associated her with Hera.15 Behind Satet is her mother, a woman seated in a chair holding two water jars. Anuket (or Anukis, to the Greeks) is another goddess associated with the origin the Nile flood. Her shrine was at Seheil on Egypt's southern most border. She is one of the three consorts of the god Khnum. Anuket wears a headdress made from feathers of red parrots, which are found in the Sudan, linking her to areas to the south of Egypt. The Greeks associated her with Hestia, the goddess of the hearth.16 These two goddesses together with Khnum formed the Great Triad of Elephantine. They were seen as the guardians of the Nile and were responsible for dispensing its waters in the annual Flood. Their position on the round zodiac coincides with the decan stars that rise heliacally (just before sunrise) at the time of the flood. Just above these two goddesses is Leo the lion, who stands on a serpent. There is a woman holding Leo's tail followed by a small falcon, and a small seated figure is positioned just above Leo. The woman holding Leo's tail may be a pun, with Babylonian roots, alluding to the Inundation and paralleling the Egyptian pun suggested by Daressy that is found on the opposite side of the round ceiling. (See the figure holding the pig in the disk below.) A popular saying in Babylon was "He who seizes the tail of a lion will drown in the river; he who seizes the tail of a fox will be saved."17 When the stars of Leo rose heliacally (before sunrise), the land of Egypt was drowned in the river. That is why the two goddesses associated with the flood, Anuket and Satet are directly beneath Leo. The figure holding Leo's tail has been identified as possibly the goddess Mut or possibly the astronomical figure of Coma Berenices. The decans beneath her are linked to Amun, so she could represent Mut, Amun's consort. The falcon behind her is not identified; however, if the woman represents Coma Berenices, the bird could be Corvus. The serpent on which Leo stands on is probably Hydra. The small seated figure above Leo may represent the star Regulus. Beneath the woman who holds Leo's tail is a larger figure of a seated woman holding a child in her hand. She is connected with Asyut by Daressy. Brugsch suggested that she is the goddess Isis with the infant Horus. The next figure is a bull-headed human holding a hoe. This figure is accepted as the star Arcturus. Positioned above and between Arcturus and the seated woman with her child is Virgo, holding an ear of grain. Above Virgo (and slightly ahead of her) is the planet Mercury, shown as a human-headed god, holding a wAs scepter, a star over his head. It is called Sebeg, a name that has not been translated. Behind Virgo, above Arcturus, and touching the scales of Libra is the planet Saturn, shown as a bull-headed god holding a wAs scepter. It is called Hor-ka meaning "Horus-bull." Above the scales of Libra, Horus the Child (Harpokrates) is shown in a disk. The small jackal figure standing on top of the disk is not identified. It may be a pun for the word "star." It may refer to an entrance to heaven, which is located in the area around Libra, by marking the place with the jackal or wolf god Wepwawet or "Opener of the Ways." Directly above Harpokrates is a small seated figure that may represent the star Spica. Under the scales of Libra, there is large figure of a lion with its front paws in a pool of water. This figure's placement suggests it could be the constellation Centaurus. Daressy connects this lion with the god Amun, citing the Harris papyrus, which tells of Ramesses making offerings at "la demeure d'Amon, le lion dans le bassin."18 Amun is not connected with the decans in this region, while he is connected with decans in other sections of the zodiac. However, pools and water seem to be alluded to in this region of the decan zodiac by the decan Sapty Khenwey ("The Lotus Blossom of the Two Khen [Fish?]"). Neugebauer and Parker19 speculated that this figure could be a god of the hour stars; however, in this round zodiac there are no other references to any hour deities. In contrast, in the square zodiac, the hour deities are shown among the constellations and stars, while this lion is not shown at all. The fact that this figure is not shown in both zodiacs suggests that it is an abstraction and not something astronomical. This figure remains uncertain. The next figure following the lion is a human-headed hippopotamus wearing the crown of Upper Egypt. Daressy thought this figure represented the goddess Meshkenet, who insured the safe delivery of a child and who also decided the child's destiny before its birth. Directly behind her is the scorpion representing Scorpio. Just above the Scorpion is a falcon-headed figure seated on a boat. Above his head is a sun disk and uraeus, and he holds a wAs scepter. I believe this figure represents the god Nehebkau, who was the lord of the decans. Behind the scorpion is the figure of the Mesopotamian god Pabilsag, a double-headed winged centaur, wearing the atef crown (without horns) of Egypt, holding a bow and arrow, and having his front hooves in a small bark. His front face is human, the rear face is a lion. This figure represents the sign of Sagittarius. Pabilsag is followed by a man holding a mace standing over a goose. The man and the goose are in the right location on the ceiling to represent the winter solstice. Daressy identified the bird as a swan and suggested a connection to Leda, which would link the figures to Cygnus. These figures are in the correct place to mark the star Deneb (alpha Cygnii), which was a star with long history of importance in Egypt. Following the man and goose is the goat-fish of Capricorn. Directly above Capricorn is the planet Mars, shown as a falcon-headed god, holding a wAs scepter, a star over his head. It is called Hor-desher meaning "Horus the Red." Behind these two, a man wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt is pouring water out of two jars. This is Aquarius. Above Aquarius is the figure of a man, about to slit the throat of a gazelle, while just below him is a headless human figure on all fours. The headless being is above Capricorn as well as above Aquarius. The man is the god Anti. Anti was accused of beheading Hathor in the Jumilhac papyrus. His punishment was to be skinned alive and he became associated with the flayed skin or imyut fetish, a symbol of the god Anubis. Egyptian gods' flesh was gold and their bones were silver. Having no flesh, Anti was associated with silver.20 On this ceiling, he is positioned over the decan Seret, which is the only decan whose metal is silver. Just below him is what looks like a headless animal, but which has human hands and feet. It may possibly be Anti's skin. Brugsch believed the Egyptians called the sign of Capricorn, "Skin."21 The figure behind Aquarius is the planet Venus, shown as a double-headed god holding a wAs scepter. The front head is a falcon wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt and the rear head is a woman wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt. It is called Pa-netjer-Dua meaning "The Morning Star." Behind Venus, a figure in a circle holds a pig by the tail. Daressy thought this was a pun on the name for lapis lazuli, a semi-precious blue stone that was valued highly by the Egyptians, and the Nile, which was called "blue." Both were sacred to the goddess Hathor. The stars of the decans under this figure rise heliacally (just before sunrise) at about the time the water of river Nile would begin rising for the annual flood. These stars also rise acronychally (just after sunset) at the time of Inundation, so it is quite possible that there is a connection to Nile here. Above this figure in the circle are the two fish of Pisces. Willy Hartner thought that the square of water between the two fish represents the modern constellation Pegasus. Above the upper fish is a Udjat Eye in a disk. The Eye represents many things in ancient Egypt, one of them being the full moon. Éric Aubourg believes the Eye on this ceiling represents an eclipse that dates the temple's construction to the summer of 51 BCE, in July or August.22 He believes the planets' positions on the ceiling mark the stations of each planet for the year the temple was built. This is unlikely since the planets are all shown in their exaltations or hypsomata, and the hypsomata are so well documented, so old, and (in my view) so very Egyptian. The position of the Eye, north of Pisces and east of Aries, is in the right general place to represent the notorious demon star Algol. This star, the head of Medusa, was known as Ras al-Ghûl, the head of the demon or ogre to the Arabs. Despite Algol's dreadful reputation in later astrology, it is important to be aware of the symbolism of the gorgon's head in Greco-Roman times. Though fearsome and dreaded as a vision in Homer, the gorgon's head was used apotropaically in the Hellenistic world. It frequently appears on coins and amulets. The Eye of Horus functioned in Egyptian culture in a similar way to that of the gorgon's head in Greek culture. This representation, then, would translate the Greek meaning of the star into Egyptian terms. Furthermore, I believe that the star Algol was originally connected to the decan of the sun's hypsoma, supported by the strong link between the gorgon and the sun.23 The figure standing directly behind the two fish of Pisces, near the junction of their cords, is a lion-headed god. In Egypt, the sun was connected with lions as far back as the pre-dynastic times. This figure's placement is directly beneath Aries the Ram, the zodiac sign of the sun's exaltation or hypsoma. Since the planets are all shown in their signs of exaltation on this ceiling, it is likely that this figure represents the sun in its sign of exaltation. It is followed by the figure of a human-headed god, also carrying a wAs scepter. The human-headed figure is positioned slightly ahead of Taurus, the sign of the moon's exaltation. Throughout Egypt's history, the moon was always represented by a god, never by a goddess. This figure is placed within reasonable proximity to the correct sign of exaltation for the moon. In addition, these two figures are the only figures on this ceiling besides the planets, the Orion figure, and the figure above Scorpio, which I identify as Nehebkau, to carry wAs scepters, which are indicative of dominion. Just above these two figures is a recumbent ram, which is Aries. Above Aries and the Eye, there are two figures: an ape, with a falcon wearing the double crown over its head, sitting back to back with a gazelle. Based on his theory that the figures correspond to geographic locations, Daressy connects the ape with Thoth, standing in for the vilified god Seth, who was the god of the nome that Daressy would place here.24 Based on their position on the ceiling, these figures may correspond to the spring equinox. They are placed so that they are bisected by the east/west line. These figures may also represent stars in Perseus and/or Auriga. New Kingdom Egyptian texts (c. 1200 BCE) mention a Baboon constellation.25 Besides being linked with baboons, the god Thoth has a connection to the Eye of Horus, which he retrieved from Seth and restored. The Egyptian baboon constellation may be the Perseus figure, without Algol. This ape could possibly be only the bright star Mirfak, while the gazelle may represent Auriga or perhaps only Capella. The bull of Taurus follows these two figures and Aries. The male figure following the baboon and gazelle and above Taurus is holding something unidentifiable. He is thought to be identical to the man who holds a serpent in the square zodiac. Based on his positions in both zodiacs, his holding of a serpent in the square zodiac, and his holding of what may be a bull's head in the round zodiac, this figure may represent the star Aldebaran. After Taurus comes a striding man wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt and holding a wAs scepter. He is the constellation Orion. Orion is followed by bird that could represent Lepus. Except for its tail, the bird resembles the nH bird, which was used as the hieroglyph to write the word "eternity." So, it may not represent a constellation or star. It may be meant to be read. It is uncertain. In the very center of the circle, there is a jackal on a plough with a Hippo holding a mooring post on one side and the Foreleg, with possibly a lamb or a lion curled on it, on the other side. The Hippo is thought to be the constellation Draco, the Foreleg is Ursa Major. Both these figures are attested in the Old Kingdom Pyramid Texts (c. 2450 BCE) and both appear consistently in the astral art throughout Egyptian history. The reclining figure on the Foreleg is not seen earlier and remains unidentified. The jackal may represent a Babylonian fox associated with Ursa Major, or could possibly be the Babylonian wolf (alpha Trianguli), which was associated with a plow, made up of the stars of Trianguli and gamma Andromedae.26 If the jackal is meant as a pun for the word "star" this figure may mean "plow star," alluding to Ursa Major again. It also could be connected to Wepwawet, the Opener of the Ways, as marking another entrance to heaven, which was traditional ly in the north in Egypt. In the square zodiac, this figure is placed between Libra and Scorpio, corresponding to the small jackal above Harpokrates on the Scales in this zodiac. contact me Daressy, M. Georges, "L'Égypt Céleste," Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, Cairo, Volume 12, 1915, 1-34 Ovenden, Michael W., "The Origin of the Constellations," The Philosophical Journal, 1966, 1-18 Mair, A. W. and G. R. Mair, Callimachus: Hymns and Epigrams, Lycophron, Aratus (Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1955), 215 ff. Thurston, Hugh, Early Astronomy (Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., 1994), 138 Pingree, David, "Mesopotamian Astronomy and Astral Omens in Other Civilizations," Mesopotamien und Seine Nachbarn ed. Nissen, Hans-Jörg and Johannes Renger (Dietrich Reimer Verlang, Berlin1978), 619 Faulkner, Raymond O., The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (Oxford University Press, NY, 1969), 147-8, 155, 220, 236, 301, 305 Kákosy, L., "Decans in Late Egyptian Religions" Oikumene, Vol. 3 1982, 179 Neugebauer, Otto and Richard A. Parker, Egyptian Astronomical Texts Vol. III (Brown University Press, Providence, RI, 1969), 140 Rochberg-Halton, F., "Elements of the Babylonian Contribution to Hellenistic Astrology," Journal of the American Oriental Society Volume108, 1988, 52-7 Koch-Westenholz, Ulla, Mesopotamian Astrology: An Introduction to Babylonian and Assyrian Celestial Divination (CNI Publications, Copenhagen, 1995), 132-3 Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green, Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary (Imprint Austin, University of Texas Press,1992), 93 Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green, Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary (Imprint Austin, University of Texas Press,1992), 147 Neugebauer, Otto and Richard A. Parker, Egyptian Astronomical Texts Vol. III (Brown University Press, Providence, RI, 1969), 177-82 Wells, R. A., "Sothis and the Satet Temple on Elephantine: A Direct Communication" Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur Volume 12, 1985, 255-302 Hart, George, A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Routledge & Keegan Paul Inc., 1986), 191 Hart, George, A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Routledge & Keegan Paul Inc., 1986), 26-7 Black, Jeremy, and Anthony Green, Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary (Imprint Austin, University of Texas Press,1992), 118 Daressy, M. Georges, "L'Égypt Céleste," Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, Cairo, Volume 12, 1915, 17 Neugebauer, Otto and Richard A. Parker, Egyptian Astronomical Texts Vol. III (Brown University Press, Providence, RI, 1969), 202 Hart, George, A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Routledge & Keegan Paul Inc., 1986), 19-21 Brugsch, Heinrich, Mémoire sur des observations planétaires consignées dans quatre tablettes Égyptiennes en écriture démotique, (Berlin, 1856), 57 Éric Aubourg "La date de conception du zodiaque du temple d'Hathor à Dendera," Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, Volume 95, 1995 Hopkins, Clark, "The Sunny Side of the Greek Gorgon," Berytus Volume 14, 1965, 25-35 Daressy, M. Georges, "L'Égypt Céleste," Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, Cairo, Volume 12, 1915, 20 Gardiner, A. H., Ancient Egyptian Onomastica (Oxford University Press, 1947), 4 Hunger, Hermann and David Pingree, MUL.APIN. An Astronomical Compendium in Cuneiform, Archiv fur Orientforschung Beiheft 24 (Ferdinand Berger and Söhne Gesellschaft, Austria, 1989), 137 RETURN TO THE SECRET CHAMBERS OF THE SANCTUARY OF THOTH

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Intro Cairo Pyramids Dendera Luxor Karnak The Nile ../egypt/graphics/cartoucherght.gif" alt="Cartouche Right" border="0" height="39" width="30"> Aswan Hathor's Temple Approaching the temple you will see three Birth House on the right hand side. These were a central part to any Ptolemeic temple in that it was highly important for these Greek rulers to be able to show how they were true descendants of Horus. The first built of these birth houses is that closest to the temple and this was started by Nectanebos I (Who was also responsible for the site at Philae) and completed by the Ptolemies. The other two come from the Roman era, as does the small temple to Isis at the rear of the complex built by Augustus. The Facade When I look at this structure I can't help but wonder as to why it ended up being built here in what is now the middle of all but nowhere. A huge temple in the desert 200km from Luxor to the south. .. id="Dendera_hypo" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=5,0,0,0" height="112" width="150"> ..> The pronaos The front facade is designed in the style of a pylon. This part of the temple is Roman and is made up of six columns with the cow headed Hathor on top. As you enter the hypostyle hall of the pronaos through the archway look up at its ceiling and the winged disc. A hypostyle hall is one where the ceiling is supported by columns, and these columns would in their day have been covered in gold. They are unusual in that the tops are square with a carving of Hathor on each side facing one of the cardinal points. Here in her own temple she is able to survey all of the world. Moving further into the temple you come to a second hypostyle hall, where there seemed to be a lot of bats flying around, in the semi-darkness it was hard to tell just what was flying around but bats sounds more like it to me. Now bring on The Mummy! This hall leads further into the temple and to the hall of offerings on either side of which are steps leading to the roof. The sanctuary is now in front of you. Originally it would have been closed and only opened to allow the Pharaoh to worship the goddess. The walls are decorated with reliefs showing how the Pharaoh gained admittance to the sanctuary, his meeting with Hathor, and their sharing a glass or two of the local brew. The Crypt If you go around to the rear of the sanctuary you can climb down a very steep flight of stairs, and duck under a very low beam to look around part of the crypt. Only a handful of people are allowed down at any one time, and it is quite claustrophobic and hot down there. The crypt would have been used as a store for treasures and items used for particular ceremonies. The carvings are quite interesting but apart from the novelty value of having been down there I am not certain that I would bother again. The highlight of the group that went down in front of me was probably the fact that Martin really should have stayed off whatever it was that he had eaten for breakfast. This lead to a shortened viewing for them as the rushed back for fresh air. On to the roof Introduction Making Papyrus Guestbook Close Me Introduction Cairo Tower Cairo Citadel Egyptian Museum Alistair's Adventures Close Me The Pyramids Cheops Chephren Mycerinus Solar Boat The Sphynx Zoser Close Me Introduction Dendera Close Me Introduction Some History Luxor Temple Close Me Introduction Karnak Temple Close Me Introduction Close Me Introduction The High Dam Philae Temple Close Me

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JPEG 70.7K The Temple of Hathor	JPEG 59.5K Outer columns (Roman Period)	JPEG 131.1K Roman Emperor before the gods
JPEG 116.1K Cleopatra VII and her son by Julius Caesar	JPEG 81.4K Remains of the Sacred Lake	JPEG 117.1K Hathor-headed columns
JPEG 105.2K Ancient window	JPEG 40.1K Main gateway	JPEG 63.8K Statue of Bes
JPEG 126.8K Ceiling detail	JPEG 150.9K Ceiling detail	JPEG 126.9K Ceiling detail

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Dendera Zodiacs <hr>
Definition: [Source Texts of Astrology] Zodiac ceilings at the Temple of Hathor, Dendera, Egypt. Archeologists consider the 'Circular Zodiac' to have been crafted c 30 BC, and hence it is an Egyptian representation of the, by then, well-established Greek astrological view. As the zodiacs are almost certainly the first Greek zodiac figures depicted in Egypt they have been the subject of considerable debate, much of which you can find on the web. This page doesn't replicate any of the debate; it tells you about Dendera and brings together as many primary source images of the zodiacs as I can find. Where and What is Dendera? Dendera was the main centre for the worship of the goddess Hathor. In the Egyptian pantheon, Hathor, was goddess of fertility, of women, and of childbirth. The village of Dendera is situated 60km north of Luxor on the west bank of the Nile opposite the provincial town of Qena, where the Nile Valley road branches off to the Red Sea town of Hurghada. Its ancient name was Iunet and it was known as Tentyris during classical times. The Temple: The central temple of Hathor at Dendera is a 1st and 2nd century BC structure. Inscriptions to Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (Physkon), reigned 145-116 BC, are found on the crypts. The inscriptions continue through to the Roman Emperors, notably Augustus, reigned - in Egypt - 30 BC-14 AD. Ceasarion [Ptolemy XIV], reigned 36-30 BC [son of Julius Ceasar and Cleopatra VII] and Cleopatra VII, reigned c 51-30 BC, are depicted in relief on the temple's outer wall. There are also later Roman works on the site, for example a bath house next the temple, and a much later Coptic church.   Map of the Dendera Temple Showing the north-south orientation of the main building. The entrance of the hypostyle hall faces north. [Click on the above for a larger version, 56 kB.]   The Ceiling of the Hypostyle Hall Showing the lines of Hathor-headed columns, between which lie the 'Rectangular Zodiacs.'   The 'Rectangular Zodiacs': The Hypostyle Hall Ceiling in Hathor's Temple: [Hypostyle - a Greek word for a room that has many columns.] The main temple has an imposing facade [see below] constructed as a low screen wall divided by six massive Hathor-headed columns and a huge curved cornice with a winged sun-disc over the entrance. This leads straight into the hypostyle hall [its ceiling shown right] containing eighteen Hathor columns similar to the six in the facade. The ceiling of this first hypostyle hall is divided into seven bands of well-preserved astronomical figures. The colors are beautiful and are mostly still original. The walls are decorated with scenes of Roman emperors as pharaohs making offerings to Hathor. The central band of the ceiling consists of a row of winged creatures with disks. The two outer bands in the west and east consist of double rows of constellation characters, the 'rectangular zodiacs', surrounded in each case by a large female figure with a star covered dress: whom authorities consider to be the Goddess Nut. In the eastern 'rectangular zodiac' a Sun-like object is emerging, perhaps being born, from Nut's abdomen. A significant section of the western 'rectangular zodiac', towards Nut's feet end, is missing. Between the western 'rectangular zodiac' and the central winged vultures [bottom half of the figure] lie a double row band and a single row band. I have not been able to find any reproduction of these. Between the central band and the eastern 'rectangular zodiac' [top half of the figure] lie a triple row band and a double row band. Again I have been unable to locate their reproductions on the web. However, they are pictured in Plate 19 of Description de l'Egypt, of which a Taschen version has recently been released. This hypostyle hall is probably the last part of the main temple to be built, perhaps as late as 35 AD, its back wall forming the front of the earlier version of the temple. Hence these roof carvings are younger than the 'Circular Zodiac'.   A drawing of the hypostyle hall ceiling of Hathor's temple North is to the right in this drawing, east at the top - it's a plan of a ceiling - and west at the bottom, with the entrance to the hypostyle hall being middle right in the north wall. The black sqaures are the tops of Hathor-head columns. This forms plate 18 of Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. The 'Circular Zodiac': The Roof Temple Zodiac: A suite on the eastern side of the roof depicts the lunar festival of Khoiakh in which an 'Osiris bed' was filled with earth and grain seed as part of an important fertility rite. The walls of the first room show scenes of the burial goods of Osiris, including his canopic jars and on the ceiling Nut is again shown with other astronomical figures. On the other half of the ceiling is a plaster copy of the 'Dendera Zodiac', the original having been 'removed' by Sebastien Saulnierin in 1820 to the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. It is now in the Museum of the Louvre [museum piece D38]. However before removal it does seem to have been depicted in-situ in Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise the pictorial record of Egypt made by Napoleon's expeditionary army in Egypt. [The inner room depicts scenes from the Osiris myth, similar to that of the western suite as well as astrological reliefs. These two suites of chambers are dedicated to the death and resurrection myth of Osiris, which reflect the mysteries of the divine birth of Hathor's own son, Ihy.]   A drawing of the 'circular zodiac' Based on Plate 21 of Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. See below for access to larger versions Pictures of the Dendera Temple: Temple of Hathor, Dendera The facade of the Hypostyle Hall, seen from southeast. Rear external temple wall Caesarion [Ptolemy XV Caesar [son of Cleopatra VII Philopator and Julius Ceasar]] makes an offering to Hathor. Cleopatra VII is also depicted at Dendera. Photographs of the Dendera Zodiacs and their Replicas: Clicking on most of the images below will open up a larger one. Warning: some of the images are quite large. The Louvre's original Dendera Zodiac [complete] Click on the above for a larger image, 108 kB. The copy in situ at Dendera Click on the above for a larger image, 62 kB. A portion of the Louvre's original Dendera Zodiac Click on the above for a larger image, 117 kB. A portion of the Louvre's original Dendera Zodiac Click on the above for a larger image, 65 kB. A portion of the Louvre's original Dendera Zodiac Click on the above for a larger image, 66 kB. A portion of the Louvre's original Dendera Zodiac Click on the above for a larger image, 60 kB. Section of a copy of the 'circular zodiac', in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge I am not sure how much fidelity these copies possess as they are oddly more detailed than the Louvre original. Section of a copy of the 'circular zodiac', in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge I am not sure how much fidelity these copies possess as they are oddly more detailed than the Louvre original. Click on the above for a larger image, 20 kB. Section of a copy of the 'circular zodiac', in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge I am not sure how much fidelity these copies possess as they are oddly more detailed than the Louvre original. Dendera Zodiac Drawings - Large-Scale Drawing of the Rectangular Zodiacs: Clicking on any image below will open up a larger one. Warning: some of the images are quite large. High contrast, complete version of the 'rectangular zodiac' at the east end of the ceiling of hypostyle hall ceiling of Hathor's temple The originator of this scan has added some zodiac sign indicators. Corresponds to plate 20 of Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. Click on the above for a larger image, WARNING 633 kB. High contrast, complete version of the 'rectangular zodiac' at the west end of the ceiling of hypostyle hall ceiling of Hathor's temple The originator of this scan has added some zodiac sign indicators. Corresponds to plate 20 of Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. Click on the above for a larger image, WARNING 674 kB. Dendera Zodiac Drawings: High contrast complete version of a drawing of the 'circular zodiac' [Zodiaque Sculpte au Plafond de l'une des Salles Superieures du Grand Temple] from Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. Vol IV published: C.L.F. Panckoucke, 2nd Edition (c 1820 - 1830).Corresponds to plate 21. Click on the above for a larger image, WARNING 753 kb. Large scale line-drawing of the 'circular zodiac' [Zodiaque Sculpte au Plafond de l'une des Salles Superieures du Grand Temple] from Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. Vol IV published: C.L.F. Panckoucke, 2nd Edition (c 1820 - 1830). Corresponds to plate 21. Click on the above for a larger image, WARNING 479 kb. A drawing of the 'circular zodiac' [Zodiaque Sculpte au Plafond de l'une des Salles Superieures du Grand Temple] from Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. Vol IV published: C.L.F. Panckoucke, 2nd Edition (c 1820 - 1830) plate 21. Photo of the actual plate. Click on the above for a larger image, 63 kb.       <center> Detail of a drawing of the 'circular zodiac' [Zodiaque Sculpte au Plafond de l'une des Salles Superieures du Grand Temple] from Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. Vol IV published: C.L.F. Panckoucke, 2nd Edition (c 1820 - 1830) plate 21. Shows the zodiac's orientation with respect to the figure of the goddess presumably still at Dendera. Click on the above for a larger image, 81 kb. A drawing of the 'rectangular zodiac' [Zodiaque Sculpte au Plafond du Portique du Grand Temple] from Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. Vol IV published: C.L.F. Panckoucke, 2nd Edition (c 1820 - 1830) plate 20. Photo of the actual plate. Click on the above for a larger image, 47 kb. A drawing of the 'rectangular zodiac' [Zodiaque Sculpte au Plafond du Portique du Grand Temple] from Description de l'Egypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont ete faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armee Francaise. Vol IV published: C.L.F. Panckoucke, 2nd Edition (c 1820 - 1830) plate 20. Click on the above for a larger image, 79 kb.       A drawing of the 'circular zodiac' from J. Bentley's A Historical View of Hindu Astronomy (1825) Plate VIII. Click on the above for a larger image, 382 kB. A drawing of the 'rectangular zodiac' from J. Bentley's A Historical View of Hindu Astronomy (1825) Plate VII. Click on the above for a larger image, 117 kB. A drawing of a section of the 'rectangular zodiac' From J.N. Lockyer'sThe Dawn of Astronomy (1894) p 136. Click on the above for a larger image, 130 kB.       A drawing of the 'circular zodiac' From R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz 's Sacred Science: the king of Pharaonic theocracy (1961) p 178. Click on the above for a larger image, 119 kB. A larger area drawing of the 'circular zodiac' From an unknown source. It shows the heiroglyphs by the supporting figures. Very similar in size to the total portion removed to the Louvre Click on the above for a larger image, 35 kB. A version, colored by an unknown asrtist Of the central sction of the drawing from R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz 's Sacred Science: the king of Pharaonic theocracy. Click on the above for a larger image, 249 kB.       A version, colored by an unknown artist Of the drawing of the 'circular zodiac' from J. Bentley's A Historical View of Hindu Astronomy. It also labels constellations and purports to show thirty-six decans on the zodiac. Click on the above for a larger image, 31 kB. A version, colored by an unknown artist Of the drawing of the 'circular zodiac' from an unknown source. Click on the above for a larger image, 73 kB. A version, colored by an unknown artist Of the drawing of the 'circular zodiac' from an unknown source. Click on the above for a larger image, 42 kB.