REMARKS on REMARKS on the GO EMARKS on the GODS KS on the GODS the GODS Asb(T/W), and ), and Axb(T Axb(T/W): THEIR ): THEIR ): T
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Fayoum Universsiity Faculty of Archaeology REEMMARKRKS ON TTHHE GOGODGODDSS Asb(t/w),), AND AAXXbb((tt/w): THEIR REELLLEEEVVANANCCCEE TTOO TTHHHEE DDEEECCEASEASASEEDD ANANDD TO AAkrkrw MMaagda GAD Facultuullttyy of AArrchahaeology, Caiiroro Univeverssiity [email protected] اﳌﻠﺨﺺ ABSTRACT TThehe ggodsods Assb,b, Asbtsbt, Asbwsbw, and AXb,Xb, AXXbtbtbt,, AXbXbww are إن ,Asb, Asbt, Asbw, AXb, AXbt six minoror ggododsods thatththaat are auutththehenntiticateted mainlnnlylyy AXbwﺳﺘﺔﺘﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻵاﻵاﻵﻟﻵﻟﻟﻟﻬﻪﻬﻪ ااﻟﻟﻟﺼﺼﺼﻐﻐﺮى اﻟاﻟﺘﺘﻰﻰ وﺛﻘﻘﺖﺖ ﰱ froomm thehe Middldle KKiingdngdooomm Cooffofffinin Texxttss.. Theheirir اﳌاﳌﻘﺎﻘﺎﺎمم اﻷول ﰱ ﻧﻧﺼﻧﺼﻮﺼﻮﻮص اﻟﺘﻮاﺑﻴﺑﻴﺖﺖ ﻣﻦ ااﻟﻟﺪوﻟﺔ names wwhihich cooululduulldd hahaveve refleleccteted an agggrgregresssssisisiivvvee ااﻟﻟﻮاﻟﻮﺳﻄﻰ. ﺗﻌﻜﺲﻜﺲ اﺳاﺳؤﻫﻢﻫﻢ ﺟﺟﺎﺎﻧﺒﺎﻧﺒﺎ ﺳﻠﺒﻴﺎ ﺗﺗﺠﺠﺎﺠﺎه اﳌﻮ ,attitududee towttoowwarddss ththethee dedeceasedsesed,d, are byby nono meansns,s do nnotot exxprexprpressss clelealearly ththeirtheiirr fuununcncctioonn.. OOnlyOnnnllyly theththee وان ﻛﺎن ذﻟﻚ ﻻ ﻳﻳﻌﻌﱪ إﻃﻼﻗﺎﻗﺎ ﻋﻦ وﻇﻴﻴﻔﻔﺘﻬﻢ، ﺣﻴﺚ plpluurural form, nanamely AXbw anndd Asbw, who carry اﻧﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل اﻟﻨﻨﺼﻮﺼﻮص ﺗﺒ ان Asbw وﻛﺬﻟﻚ ththithiiss nneegagatitiveve aspspect,t, espspespecialllly whewwhhehen it coommes ttoo the earth-gods Akrw whhoo ppllalayed an ooutututsssttandtaandiinnngg AXbw ﻫﻢﻫﻢ ﻓﻘﻂ ﻣﻦ ﻟﻬﻢ دورا ﺳﻠﺒﻴﺎﺒﻴﺎ واﻟاﻟﺬى ﻳﺒﺪو roollee inin the fieield ofof nenettttiiningg.. It isis wortwowoorrtthh اﻧﻪ ﺟﺟﺎﺎء ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼلﻼل ﺗﻮاﺟﺪﻫﻢ ﻣﻊ اﻟﻬﺔ اﻷرض mennttiioonininngg ththaat uusiussiinnngg nneets andnd tratrtrappss in fishingng Akrw. ﺗﻠﻚﻠﻚ اﻵﻟﻬﺔﻬﺔ ااﻟﻟﺘﺘﻰ ﻛﺎﻛﺎﻧﺖﻧﺖ ﻟﻬﻬﺎﺎ دور ﰱ ﺻﺻﻴﻴﺪ anndd fowliowwlilinngg is evidvidevividdeentnt iinn many textstetextxtss inin tthhe realm ofof myththoollogogy. NNeettttiiningng the dedeadd,, wwhicwhhiicch اﳌاﳌﻮﻮ اﺛﻨﺎء وﺻﻮﻟﻬﻬﻢﻢ ﻟﻠﻌﺎﻌﺎ اﻵﺧﺮ. ان اﺳﺘﺳﺘﺨﺪامام wwaas exprxprexpresssseed foror ththee firirststst time in mannyy ofof thtthehee اﻟاﻟﺸﺒﺎاﻟﺸﺒﺎﺒﺎكك وااﻟﻟﻔﺨﺨﺎﺎخﺎخ ﰲ ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺔ اﻟﺼﻴﺪ وردت ﰲ اﻟﻌﺪﻳﻳﺪﺪ Cofofffiinn Texts passssaages,s, wwaas embodiodied - in ﻣﻦ ﻧﺼﻧﺼﻮص اﻷﺳﺎﻃﺎﻃ ﺑﺎﻻﺿﺎﻓﻓﺔﺔ ااﱄﱄ اﻟﺮﺳﻮم ااﳌﺼﳌﺼﺎﺣﺒﺎﺣﺒﺔ adddidittiioonn to ththesessee texxtts- inin thehe viviggnetnetttes ﻟﻠﻔﺼﻞ 153 أ، ب ﻣﻦ ﻓﺼﻓﺼﻮل ﻛﺘﻛﺘﺎبﺎب اﳌﻮ. وﻟﻘﻘﺪﺪ accomppaannyying tthethhehe Chahaptpters 153A153A3A&&BB ooff thehe BBooook ofof ththee DeDeaadd. It can bebe arguegued,d, therefore, ﻇﻬﺮت ﻫﺬﺬهه اﻟاﻟﻄﻘﻘﻮﻮس ﺑﻨﺼﻮص اﻷﻫﺮﻫﺮام وذذﻟﻟﻚذﻟﻚﻚ ﻣﻦ ththatthaat tthihhiiss rite coouluulldd hahaveve bbeeen ororigiginategininanated inin thhee ﺧﻼل ااﻟﻟﻮﻇﻴﻔﻪ اﻟاﻟﺘﻲ ﻟﻟﻌﻌﺒﻬﻬﺎﺎ ااﻟﻟﻬﻬﺔﺔ اﻻرض OOldld KingKingdodom PPyyramidramid Texts. TThisThhis wwaas ththrououggh Akrw واﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻛﻛﺎﺎﻧﻮا ﺻﻴﺻﻴﺎدﺎدﻴﺎدﻳﻦ ﻳﺴﺴﺘﺨﺘﺨﺪﻣﺪﻣﻣﻮﻮا ﺷﺒﺒﺎﺎﻛﻬﻢ ththethee funcnctionon ppllaylaayed by ththee eartthh-gods Akrw, whoho wweere the catctchehers oror fishsheshers,s, ususiusiinngg tthheheirir nenettss oror وأﻓﺨﺎﺧﻬﻢ ﳌﻨﻊ اﳌﺘﻮﰲ ﻣﻦ ااﻟﻟﻮﺻﻮل ﻟﻠﻌﻌﺎﻟﻠﻌﺎﺎ اﻻﺧﺮﺧﺮ. trtratraps toto prpreevveentnt ththethehe ddedececeased from arriviviiviinngng to وﻫﻨﻫﻨﺎﺎ ﻳﻈﻬﺮ ااﻟﻟﺘﺴﺎﺴﺎؤل ﻫﻫﻞﻞ ﺗﻠﻌﺐﻌﺐ ﻫﺬة اﻻاﻻﻟﻬﻪﻟﻬﻪ ﺑﺼﺑﺼﻮﻮرﻫﺎ the Otheherworld oror eveven wandennderdederingng iintnntto iitt.. TThiThishiss اﳌاﳌﺨﳌﺨﺘﺨﺘﺘﻠﻔﺔﻔﺔ (اﳌﻔﺮﻔﺮد أو ااﻟﻟﺠﺠﻤﻤﻊ اﳌﺆﻧﺚ أو اﳌﺬﻛﺮ) ﻧﻔﺲ raises tthehhee quqqueueststion,n, whewhwheether thesese godggogodsoddss,, eiitthheer iinn ththeirtheeir sisinngungugullar oror plpluruurarall,, feminininene oror masculuuliliinne اﻟاﻟﻮﻇﻴﻔﺔﻔﺔ؟ أم ﻻ وﻫﺬا ﻣﻣﺎﺎ ﺳﻮف ﺗﺠﺗﺠﻴﺐ ﻋﻠﻋﻠﻴﻴﺔ ﻫﺬﺬهه foorrm, ddoo thehey hahaveve thehe ssaameme ffuuncuunnncctitioonn oror notnonot,t,, tthhihiss اﻟاﻟﻮﻮرﻗﺔ ااﻟﻟﺒﺒﺤﺤﺜﻴﺔ. .is ththee objobject ooff ththiiss artiticlcle اﻟﻜاﻟﻜﻠﻠتت اﻟاﻟﺪاﻟﺔ KEEYWYWOYWORDS ﻧﺼﻮص اﻷﻫﺮام، ﻧﺼﻮص اﻟﺘﻮاﺑﯿﺖ، ﻛﺘﺎبﺘﺎب اﳌﻮ، ﻛﺘﺎب اﻹﻣﻰ دوات، ;Pyramimid Texts; Coffin Texts; Book of the Dead اﻟﻬﺔ اﻷرض اﻛﺮو. .(Amdmduat; The earth-god(s) Akr(w I am deeply indebted to mmyy colleague Dr. A. Mekawy for his valuable remmaarks he provided mmee. -39- SHEDET Issssuue nunu.. 7 (2020), ppp.. 39─55 Magda GAD SHEDET (7) INTRODUCTION According to a study that dealt with the origin of the rites of hunting the king's enemies in the domain of myths and religious texts, 1 it has been proven that this rite was traced back to one of the roles played by Akr(w). 2 Regardless of the fact that the catchers, responsible for catching the dead, the foes of Osiris and Rea, or the real enemies of the king, they have been equated and identified with many gods in texts dating back to the Middle Kingdom Coffin Texts and to the New Kingdom Book of the Dead; 3 the god Akr, the most ancient of them all, was also equated with the catchers, though related with the dead in many phases. Therefore, it seems that Akr is the clue to the origin of this rite. Two groups of spells from the Old Kingdom-dating Pyramids Texts highlight the relationship of Akr(w) and the dead. The first group contains spells that refer to Akr setting the dead free: (…..) Wn n.k awy Akr … pr.k Hr xrw Inpw 4 "The doors of Akr are opened for you (…) you come forth at the voice of Anubis".5 The second associated with the earth-gods hindering the dead while ascending to heaven: n nDr.t(w).k6 in Akrw 1 Depending on texts and scenes, this idea changed as nets and traps are variously involved: catching the dead, catching the wicked souls, catching the enemies of the gods, catching the real foes of the king. Furthermore, the notion of catching appears also in the mythological conflict of Horus and Seth and in the story of Osiris: see Gad., ASAE 86, (2015), 179-209. Some of the references on which this article depends are: Alliot, RdE 5 (1946), 57-118; Bidoli, ADAIK 9, (1976). About raising high the WDAt-eye of the god Osiris by Thoth and Shu in a net: Derchain., RdE 15, (1963), 11-25. 2 The texts occasionally mention the earth-god Akr in its singular form, but usually in the plural form as the earth-gods Akrw, LGG, I, 83. About the god Akr(w) in Coffin Texts, see: Altenmüller, Synkretismus in den Sargtexten13-14. Akr as the protector of Rea and defeater of Seth, see: Bergmann, Rec. Trav. 6, (1885), 150. About Akr when containing the serpent in a design specific to the domain of Sokar in the 5th Hour of Amduat and earlier, see: Bisson De La Roque, BIFAO 30, (1930), 576. 3 As the ASbw: wHaw HAmw ASbw ipw tpw-a Asbw Ts-pXr 'the fishermen who catch are the swallowers who are before the fiery ones - and vice versa': CT VI 39u; wHaw HAmw s(y) ASbw pw tpw-a Akrw 'the fishermen who fish it are the swallowers who are before the earth - gods Akrw': CT VI 44r. The AXbw: n-ntt N pn rx rn n wHaw HAmw s(y) AXbw pw imyw Asbw pw pAwtyw-nTrw 'because this N knows the name of the fishermen who fish it, they are the swallowers who are with the fiery ones, the most primeval of the gods': CT VI 24g-h; wHaw.s AXbw pw imyw Asbw wHaw.s pw HAm im.s pw AbDw 'its fishermen are the swallowers who are with the fiery ones. Its fishermen who fish with it are they of Abydos': CT VI 36c-d.The qfdnww: r-ntt tw.i rx.kwi rn n wHaw.s qfdnww pwy 'because I know the name of its fishermen, they are the baboons': BD 153B, 7. See fig.6, where three baboons are pulling a net filled with fishes. 4 The vignette of BD 117 depicts the god Anubis leading the dead towards a false door representing the entrance of the Netherworld (Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, 112). Frankfort mentions that the earth opens its gates when Anubis, the god of the necropolis, calls for the dead king who passes through the sacred region of Abydos, where the kings of earlier dynasties were buried, and finds the entrance to heaven. Frankfort, Kingship and the Gods. A Study of Ancient Near Eastern Religion as the Integration of Society and Nature, 115. 5 PT 796b - c; cf. BD 61, 72, 91, 92. 6 The second r should be emended into t, as it is the passive form of sDm.f form. REMARKS ON THE GODS Asb(t/w), AND AXb(t/w) - 40 - SHEDEDET (7) 2020 "You will not be seized by the earth-gods".1 Accordidingng to these spspespeells,s, Akr(w) plaplay the ssaame role that of a nneet hoholholdingholdildingding the deceased tighhtlhttly, sseeizing hihiss capacity for mototiion. Foror thishis reasonsson,on,on, the EEgyggyyptptiptians later connected thhee earth-gods with the sspepells intendndendeed to escape nets in the Middle Kinngdgdoom Coffoffin Texts: (… …) PrtPrt m iAdt (… ……)) n nDnDrrw.t(w(w).i in Akrw "Escaping the iAdt-net 2 (… ……)) I will nonnotott be caugught by tthehe Akrw".3 Amonongg thoshose catchers - of whhiich are thhee Akrw - the godsgods AXbw and Asbw attracted my attention.on. Thehey are mossttly mentioned in the ssaame contonteontextxt as Akrw; ssoo I will try throughough ththe textxtss in whichich thettheyhey are mentnntitioned toto elucidate their funuunctuncncction in theittheheheir plurppllural or singular form. Furthermore, in thhee courssee ooff thihhisis article, we sshahall haveve to asskk as well, hohowhowwever, whether thehe god Asb and Assbtbt, and as well AXb and AXbtXbt have the same fununcction played by the gods Assbwbw and AXbw, anndd finnaally their relevavance to ththe earth-gods Akkrrw. Furthheermoorre, in the intereststs of clarity, I hahaveve purpurpospoposesseely cononffined this article to thehe texts dating back to the MiMiddlMiddle Kinggdodom Coffin TTeexts,s, andnd the Booookk of the Dead in which these ssiix ggododss are first atteststed. Onlynly the gogoddeddddessessss Asbt appeared previoousouslyuslyly in the Old Kingdgdoom Pyrraamid Texts. I- ThThe god Assbb ‘The Burnniiinnngg OnOne’ Firsstt attested in the Coffin Texts, the god Asb holholdsholds many roles that connonnect him to the deceasedd..4 In a sspepell in whhihicich he emphhaasizes that Horus andnd Issiis are the gogodgodsdss whhoo hahaveve already protected hhiim against Seth,5 the deceasseed identifies himself with the gogodd Asb, the brother of Asbt: (……)) (…) 1 PT 658; cf. 2202c; cf. CT I 280f. For other termsms for 'graspsp' sesee: CT I 398a (n xfa bAA..i in Akrw); CT II 112e (n Amm.i in AAkkrwrw); CT VI 46g. 2 TThhe IAdt-net refers to a hexagonal type of net usesed for capturing birds. It consisists of two siside pieces, placed on either side of a stretch of water that could be closesed over the birds on the water by a syststem of ropes and pulleys: Wilson, A Ptolemaic Lexikon, 38.