Price 50p INSCRIPTIONSINSCRIPTIONS The Newsletter of the Friends of the Egypt Centre, Swansea Issue 43 Notice of AGM The AGM of the Friends of the Egypt Centre September 2017 will be held on In this issue: Wednesday 11th October 2017 Notice of AGM 1 beginning at 6.30 pm in Forthcoming Lectures 1 Room 2, Fulton House Apep / Apopis – A demon of the All Friends are welcome and are Underworld 2 encouraged to attend. by Rachel Wollerton Editorial 3 New issue of Nile Magazine 3 Forthcoming Lectures from Jeff Burzacot Wednesday 13th September, 7 pm Bastet – Goddess of fertility and Dr Val Billingham sexuality 4 by Sophie McCloy Trustee of the Egypt Exploration Society and Independent Researcher Bes – a domestic deity 4 A Thousand Miles up the Nile: by Julia Smith Amelia Edwards' voyage of discovery Egyptian Hieroglyphs: In the winter of 1873-74, Amelia Edwards travelled up the Nile from a 12-week course with Cairo to Abu Simbel, a journey described in her 1876 bestseller, ªA Maiken Mosleth King 5 Thousand Miles up the Nileº. In this lecture, Val Billingham will Ancient Egypt in English draw on Amelia's own words and on images from the Egypt Literature 6 Exploration Society archive to tell the story of that seminal voyage. by Dulcie Engel Wednesday 11th October (7 pm, after AGM) “Wonderful Things” 9 by Dulcie Engel Dr Kasia Szpakowska Swansea University A Magical Mystery Tour through the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife with Ra Have you ever wondered what happened to the sun-god Ra when he set in the West each day? Come on a journey with him on his barque through each of the 12 hours of the Duat (the Afterlife). Each section had a different theme (each portal even had its own name) and tasks that had to be performed. Meet the gods, goddesses and fabulous strange creatures that inhabited the Afterlife that was so richly described in the text known as the Composition of the Hidden Chambers (aka the Book of Am Duat). All lectures begin at 7 pm and are held in Room 2, Fulton House, unless otherwise advertised. © The Egypt Centre, Swansea 2017 — 1 — www.e gypt.swan.ac.uk The Battle of Apep and Re Therefore, it can be argued that the Apep / Apopis – Apep is the chief foe of Re, as daily battle between order and chaos one who opposes the sun god or as (Re and Apep) forms the tension by A demon of the one who rebelled against divine which the created world can be underworld order. maintained. Apep or Apopis was a demon of The New Kingdom funerary texts Worship in Egypt the underworld. He is seen by the provide the most evidence for Apep’s Apep was not worshipped in Egyptians as the embodiment of mythology. The rebellion against Re Egypt but was incorporated within dissolution, darkness and non-being takes place in two forms: Apep the daily cult of Re. The so-called (Wilkinson 2003, 221). For this attempts to stop the solar barque and Book of Apopis was a collection of reason, Apep is often associated as a he attacks the sun god. The battle magical rituals that aimed to protect god of chaos. He is depicted in with Re can take place during the the sun god during his daily course Egyptian iconography as a giant morning in the east, at midday at the against Apep. The best- preserved snake, with spring-like coils to zenith, in the evening in the west and example of this is the Papyrus emphasize his great size. at night in the Amduat (Mpay Bremner-Rhind, held in the British Apep was most commonly Keboly 2010, 252). However, the Museum. The “felling of Apep” was referred to as the “enemy of Re.” In book of the Amduat states the said to be used by the priests in the this context, he was mentioned encounter occurred between the temple of Karnak and Luxor in the frequently within the sun gods seventh and twelfth hour of night daily cult to protect Re and the King journey through the underworld or (Hornung 1999, 27-53). The seventh against Apeps’ attacks (Nordh 1996, the Amduat. Each night Apep is said hour is dedicated to the repelling and 5). destruction of Apep. In this to attack the sun god and attempt to During the Late Period, these destruction, Re is often said to have prevent him from rising. rituals would include the cutting and the aid of the gods (such as Isis, Seth burning of a wax model of Apep, a Due to this, Apep was one of the or Horus) or the deceased, who symbolic way of destroying him and most feared demons in Egypt and his depicted themselves as helping Re protecting Re (Wilkinson 2003, 223). defeat every night was essential for and maintaining the order of Maat As shown above, Apep was not the continuation of the Egyptian (Taylor 2001, 31). cosmological universe. worshipped but greatly feared by the Egyptians as he embodied chaos and Origins threatened the existence of the Apep was, according to universe and the order of Maat. Wilkinson, believed by the Egyptians to have existed from the beginning of Bibliography time in the waters of primeval chaos Faulkner, R.O. (1937). The Bremner- which preceded creation (2003, 221). Rhind papyrus III: The book of This argument is supported by overthrowing Apopis. Journal of Hornung who argues that ‘Apep, the Egyptian Archaeology 23, 136-185. eternal enemy of the gods, does not Hornung, E. (1999). The ancient belong with the existent and has no Egyptian books of the afterlife, trans beginning or end’ (1996, 158-9). D. Lorton. New York: Cornell However, the temple of Esna University Press. contains reference to his origin as the Depiction of a cat (form of Re) cutting the Mpay Keboly, S.J. (2010). The ‘one who was spat out by Neith’ head of Apep from tomb of Inherkhau, question of evil in ancient Egypt. (Mpay Keboly 2010, 26). At Esna Thebes (TT359). London: GHP Egyptology 12. Neith was said to be the creator of The Coffin Texts also refer to the Nordh, K. (1996). Aspects of the the world and the mother to Re. She striking power of Apep who is said to ancient Egyptian curses and is also credited with creating Apep, attack Re himself which often results blessings. (vol 26): Uppsala. her son’s arch enemy (Mpay Keboly in his eye being injured (CT 1033 Taylor, J.H. (2001). Death and the 2010, 26). Perhaps it is this origin of VII 273a-b). The constant defeat of Apep that meant he could never be afterlife in ancient Egypt. London: Apep by Re has a much wider Thames and Hudson. destroyed completely and therefore significance to the Egyptians than Wilkinson, R.H. (2003). The had to be repelled and destructed in a simply a battle. The victory of Re continuous cycle every night to and the defeat of Apep contributes to complete gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames and ensure chaos was defeated. the renewal of the sun god’s powers (Mpay Keboly 2010, 293). Hudson. by Rachel Woollerton © The Egypt Centre, Swansea 2017 — 2 — www.e gypt.swan.ac.uk Editorial New issue of NILE magazine Once again, welcome to our latest issue of Inscriptions, and thank you to all those who have contributed to this issue. I'd like to thank Dr Kasia Szpakowska for setting her students the task of writing an article on a chosen deity, and three of them are published in this issue. Also a big thank you to Dulcie Engel for the two long but extremely readable and interesting articles that make up the rest of the issue. Archaeology in Egypt continues to uncover increasing numbers of finds. Some examples are: Archaeologists discover three ancient tombs in Egypt They have been found at burial grounds south of Cairo. Clay fragments found at the site date the tombs between the 27th Dynasty, founded in 525BC, and the Greco-Roman era, which lasted between 332BC and the 4th Century. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40939274 Archaeologists Discover `Important' Trove of Mummies Near Egypt's Valley of the Kings The mummies were found in the tomb of a noble named Userhat which had been dated to Egypt's 18th Dynasty´ The tomb also contained mummies from Dynasty 21. So far ten decorated wooden The latest issue of Nile Magazine (Aug–Sept 2017) is out coffins and nearly 1,000 funerary ushabti have been now. found and there is speculation that other chambers may contain more such material. Our cover story features the Myths, Magic and Medicine of http://observer.com/2017/04/3500-year-old-tomb- the hippopotamus. The ancient Egyptians included hippo mummies-discovered-near-egypts-valley-of-the-kings/ products in their pharmacopoeia … find out why. Also inside: A New Tomb in the Valley of the Kings • The story behind the world's first photo of the Great The Italians are confident that they have located a Sphinx. new tomb in the Valley. The tomb is located near • Heliopolis: recent discoveries in ancient Egypt’s city that of Pharaoh Ay and excavation is planned, in of the sun. due course. At present, the identity of the tomb owner is unknown but, because of its location some • The world's oldest artificial body part actually works! people have suggested (on no other evidence) that it • Napoleon. Should he be regarded as the "Father of might be the tomb of Ankhesenamun. Egyptology"? https://www.livescience.com/59840-king-tut-wife-tomb- possibly-found.html • From "The Royal Tombs of Ancient Egypt", the age of the giant pyramids.