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I. Introduction. Egyptian Goddesses, 1.1.1. with Empty Hands. Standing

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I. Introduction. Egyptian Goddesses, 1.1.1. with Empty Hands. Standing Iconography of Deities and Demons: Electronic Pre-Publication 1/9 Last Revision: 14 January 2010 Bastet/Sekhmet (Levant, Phoenician (CORNELIUS 2004: 43, 93). Her lifesaving colonies) qualities come into play in her role as mis- tress of disease (STERNBERG 1984: 325); the I. Introduction. Egyptian goddesses, ankh sign and papyriform scepter with →DDD Bastet. B. (Eg. Bstjt), chief deity of which she is associated testify to this. Bubastis, was a →lion goddess of fertility, In terms of geographical scope this entry hence her association with and transforma- covers finds from the Levant and Phoeni- tion into the image of a cat (OTTO 1975). cian colonies, or Phoenician products dis- Worshipped because of her benign and covered elsewhere. motherly character, B. was also a patroness II. Typology of festivity and merrymaking, which ex- General remarks. When B. and S. plains her association with perfumes and appear on their own as a leonine– or cat– intoxication, a role she shares with headed goddess it is virtually impossible to →Hathor. In the Levant, depictions of the differentiate between the two (HÖLBL 1979: leonine– or cat–headed goddess are rarely I 108; STERNBERG 1984: 324f; HERRMANN accompanied by an inscription (e.g., 43* 1994: 146ff). Therefore the iconographic and 45) which secures her identification, discussion below most often considers both while the theonym is well attested in deities as possible options. However, certain Northwest Semitic onomastics since the 8th constellations, such as the Memphite triad cent. at Carthage (RIBICHINI 1975: 11; →Ptah–S.–→Nefertem (see § II.2.A.1.2; for LIPIŃSKI 1983: 125–134; LEMAIRE 1986: possible combinations with →Tefnut and 88, 92f; LIPIŃSKI 1995: 325f, 348f). Glyptic Mahes see § II.1.A.3.3 and § II.1.B.2), par- inscriptions on scarabs imported from Egypt ticular attributes (STERNBERG 1983: 329, n. with the formula Bśtt dj nfr : “B. provides 9; 50), an inscription (see § I), or other good” (→Monkey 96–98; HÖLBL 1979 II: associated animals (see § II.2.A.2.1–2, no. 100) or names such as p dj Bstjt B.2.2) allow identification of the goddess. (SCANDONE MATTHIAE 1984: 142) no doubt On the basis of the literarily attested rela- contributed to this process. A statue found tionship between B./S. and Mut in the late at Amrit probably dating to the Saite Period New Kingdom, HÖLBL (1979: I 108f) sug- (664–525, if not to the Third Intermediate gested that in certain cases the leonine– or Period) and originating “from the temple of cat–headed goddess should be identified as Bastet, Mistress of Ankh–tawi (˓nḫ twj)” S.–Mut (HÖLBL 1979: II pl. IV:1). How- attests that B. was also identified with ever, HÖLBL does not provide iconographic →Astarte at Memphis (RENAN 1864: 64; arguments which would allow the validation GUBEL 2002: no. 17). of his proposal. The main cult center of leonine–headed II.1. Phenotypes S. (Eg. Sḫmt) was Memphis. Her name A. HYBRID 1. LEONINE– OR CAT–HEADED GOD- “The Mighty One” epitomizes her danger- DESS 1.1. Standing 1.1.1. With empty hands (1–7) 1.1.2. Holding a scepter and ankh (8–35, ous and wild character, which she shares →Harpocrates 32, →Ptah 61, 88) 1.2. Striding with other lion goddesses, for example, the 1.2.1. With empty hands (36–39) 1.2.2. Holding a ferocious →Tefnut (VERHOEVEN 1986: scepter (40–42, →Harpocrates 33, →Ptah 23, 61) 298f). Her dangerousness was not only used 1.2.3. Carrying an udjat–eye (43) 1.3. Enthroned 1.3.1. With empty hands (10, 44–46) 1.3.2. Holding scepter, as an apotropaic force, it also had to be flail, or sistrum (9–10, 47–50) 2. PROBABLE: Sphinx averted for one’s own protection (BONNET (51–56) 3. POSSIBLE B. THERIOMORPHIC 1. CAT (57– 1952: 646). Her identification with the 82) 2. LION (83–84) 3. LION’S OR CAT’S HEAD WITH peaceful character of B. was one means to AEGIS (85–120) 4. LEONINE OR CAT’S HEAD (121) C. ANTHROPOMORPHIC: POSSIBLE this end (HORNUNG/STAEHELIN 1976: 99). A. HYBRID S.’s leonine appearance, the proximity of 1. LEONINE– OR CAT–HEADED GOD- her center of worship with that of B., and DESS their common protective role as mothers 1.1. Standing facilitated the close connection between the 1.1.1. With empty hands. Standing two goddesses. Since the New Kingdom S. B./S. without a scepter is attested in Pales- appears together with her husband →Ptah tine/Israel mainly in the form of figurative and son →Nefertem in the so–called Mem- amulets which were imported from Egypt phite triad. She puts her protective power (1*–5). Common to all these depictions are and apotropaic charisma into the service of the arms hanging down alongside the body; the king (STERNBERG 1984: 325), a role in most cases the goddess is wearing a wig which is also documented in visual art (1*–4). B./S. may be represented with a (HORNUNG/STAEHELIN 1976: 99). It is her mane (1*), but is frequently depicted with- wild character that also links her to militant out it (3–5). The latter type can have her Astarte, with whom she can be depicted head surmounted with a →sun disk and (STERNBERG 1984: 327) or even identified IDD website: http://www.religionswissenschaft.unizh.ch/idd Iconography of Deities and Demons: Electronic Pre-Publication 2/9 Last Revision: 14 January 2010 →uraeus (3). In only one example a uraeus (20, 24, 27, 29, 33, 35, →Harpocrates is possibly depicted on her head (1*). 32). In the case of →Ptah 61* it is Sometimes she wears a long dress (1*–2), equipped with →Hathor horns and a uraeus but also appears nude with indicated breasts (for Hathor horns with B./S. see also HÖLBL (5). In glyptic art a scarab from Acco de- 1979: II pl. IV:1). In some instances only a picts the standing leonine– or cat–headed uraeus rises from the goddess’s forehead goddess in a cartouche. The arm points (20; see also 13). In regard to the area be- downward and a →sun disk appears above low the arm hanging down alongside the her head (6). On a bulla from the same site body of the leonine– or cat–headed figure a leonine– or cat–headed goddess with a sun on →Ptah 61*, GUY suggested that it may disk with uraeus on her head raises her represent a basket, which would identify the hands in adoration toward →Isis–→Hathor goddess with B., and ROWE argued that it is (7). an ankh sign. However, KEEL’s (2006: 267) 1.1.2. Holding a scepter and suggestion that the seal is simply damaged sometimes an ankh. Phoenician ivory at this spot is most likely. panels from Nimrud (8*) feature a leonine– 1.2. Striding or cat–headed goddess standing and holding 1.2.1. With empty hands. B./S. in a waḏj scepter in one hand, i.e., a staff in the striding posture without a scepter in the form of a papyrus stalk; in the other hand from of an amulet does not differentiate she holds an ankh sign in accordance with from the standing type. The attested exam- Egyptian prototypes. The combination of a ples with a mane depict the goddess nude wadj or was scepter with an ankh sign also with displayed navel (36*–37); the type occurs on golden amuletic strips from Car- without a mane depicts a →uraeus on her thage (9: register II, 2nd figure in 3rd row; head (38). The →sun disk as headgear is 10: register I, 1st figure), one of which also not yet attested. On a finger ring from Ekron shows the standing goddess in a long dress a large uraeus rises from the striding god- holding only a wadj scepter (9: register III, dess’s head, who is wearing a long dress 2nd figure in 2nd row). Amulets from Pales- (39). tine/Israel depict B./S. holding a scepter and 1.2.2. Holding a scepter. No par- with (11–12) or without (13–14) a mane; ticular differences to the standing type exist in the latter case the head is often sur- on amulets, except that no example with the mounted by a →sun disk and →uraeus (15– →sun disk as headgear is attested to date 19) (for three early but not well-illustrated (40–42). On scarabs this type may appear examples from Megiddo see LOUD 1948: pl. without (→Harpocrates 33) and with a 205:6–8). The scepter, held with the left sun disk (→Ptah 23, 61*). hand in front of the goddess, is staff–like in 1.2.3. Carrying an udjat–eye. shape, sometimes widening at the upper Striding B. is depicted in one example as a end. Similar amulets from Italy indicate figurative amulet from Lachish, carrying an their proliferation further abroad in the →udjat–eye (43*) in her open left palm, wake of the Phoenician expansion (HÖLBL held in front of her waist. On the back of the 1979: nos. 380–381). A stamp seal from amulet an inscription reads: “Words spoken Tell el–Far˓ah (South) shows a similar sign by B.” (see also 45). of authority (20), which recalls the papyri- 1.3. Enthroned form scepter frequently depicted with B./S. 1.3.1. With empty hands. In Pales- on stamp seals from Palestine/Israel (21– tine/Israel enthroned B./S. occurs to date as 26, →Ptah 61*, 88; probably also in- a figurative amulet only with a mane (44– tended on 27) and Carthage (28–32, 46).
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