The sacred texts of the Egyptian pyramids identify the Pharaoh with both Horus and Osiris. During life on Earth, the Pharaoh is identified as Horus, but during death he is known as Osiris. The notion of Horus as the Pharaoh seems to have been superseded by the concept of the Pharaoh as the son of Ra during the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt.
Ra is the Egyptian god of the midday sun. Ra was identified with another sun god, Atum, and so they became known as Atum-Ra. Later, Ra was identified with Horus, and combined they were known as Re-Horakhty. Following this, Ra was identified with Amun and became known as Amun-Ra. For a while, the worship of Ra was replaced with another solar deity, Aten. Every dawn, the goddess of the night sky, Nut, gave birth to Ra, and in the evening he descended back into the underworld. When equated with Horus and Osiris, Ra is born as Horus at dawn and becomes Osiris at dusk.
Osiris is the Egyptian god of the Underworld. He is depicted as a partially mummified pharoah. From beneath the ground, he grants life and fertility to Earth. He is called "Lord of love", "He Who is Permanently Benign and Youthful" and the "Lord of Silence". He is also known as a shepherd, carrying a shepherd's crook, as well as carrying a flail to thresh grains with. Horus married his sister Isis, but was murdered by Set. Isis ressurected Osiris in order to have sex with him and become pregnant. Isis gave birth to Horus, a reincarnation of Osiris.
The Greek associated Osiris with Apis. Combined they were worshipped as Serapis in the Hellenic world. Serapis was depicted as a figure resembling Hades or Pluto, both being kings of the Greek underworld, and was shown enthroned with the modius, a basket/grain-measure, on his head, since it was a Greek symbol for the land of the dead. He also held a sceptre in his hand indicating his rulership, with Cerberus, gatekeeper of the underworld, resting at his feet, and it also had what appeared to be a serpent at its base, fitting the Egyptian symbol of rulership, the uraeus. In Rome, Serapis was worshiped in the Iseum Campense, the sanctuary of the goddess Isis. The Roman cults of Isis and Serapis gained in popularity late in the 1st century CE.
The name Isis means "Throne". Her headdress is a throne. As the personification of the throne, she was an important representation of the pharaoh's power. In many African tribes, the throne is known as the mother of the king, and so Isis may originally have been seen as a throne-mother. Isis was the mother of the pharaoh, who was identified with Horus, and in death she escorted the pharaoh, identified with Osiris, into the underworld as his wife. Isis was merged with the goddess Hathor to become Isis-Hathor the mother-wife of Horus.
Temples to Isis began to be built outside of Egypt and in many locations, devotees of Isis considered the local goddess to be Isis, but under a different name. Thus other Mediterranean goddesses, such as Demeter, Astarte, and Aphrodite, were identified with Isis. The cult of Isis became one of the most significant mystery religions in the Greco-Roman world.
The cult of Isis and Osiris continued up until the 6th century CE on the island of Philae in Upper Nile. There were both priests and priestesses officiating at the cult throughout its history. By the Greco-Roman era, many of the pristehood were considered healers, and were said to have other special powers, including dream interpretation and the ability to control the weather. Probably due to assimilation with the goddesses Aphrodite and Venus, the rose was used in her worship. The demand for roses throughout the Roman empire turned rose production into an important industry. Due to her attributes as a protector and mother, Isis became the patron goddess of sailors, who spread her worship with the trading ships circulating the Mediterranean Sea.
The religion of Isis drew converts from every corner of the Roman Empire. In Rome, temples were built and obelisks erected in her honour. In Greece, traditional centres of worship in Delos, Delphi, Eleusis and Athens were taken over by followers of Isis, and this occurred in northern Greece as well. Harbours of Isis were to be found on the Arabian Sea and the Black Sea. Inscriptions show followers in Gaul, Spain, Pannonia, Germany, Arabia, Asia Minor, Portugal and many shrines even in Britain.
The statue of Athena (Plutarch says "whom they believe to be Isis") in Sais carried the inscription "I am all that has been, and is, and shall be, and my robe no mortal has yet uncovered." Here she was associated with the Egyptian goddess Neith, mother of Ra. Having no known husband she has been described as a "Virgin Mother Goddess".
The Roman writer Apuleius gave Isis the following speech: "I am nature, the universal Mother, mistress of all the elements, primordial child of time, sovereign of all things spiritual, queen of the dead, queen of the ocean, queen also of the immortals, the single manifestation of all gods and goddesses that are, my nod governs the shining heights of Heavens, the wholesome sea breezes. Though I am worshipped in many aspects, known by countless names ... some know me as Juno, some as Bellona ... the Egyptians who excel in ancient learning and worship call me by my true name...Queen Isis."
)O(
Ra is the Egyptian god of the midday sun. Ra was identified with another sun god, Atum, and so they became known as Atum-Ra. Later, Ra was identified with Horus, and combined they were known as Re-Horakhty. Following this, Ra was identified with Amun and became known as Amun-Ra. For a while, the worship of Ra was replaced with another solar deity, Aten. Every dawn, the goddess of the night sky, Nut, gave birth to Ra, and in the evening he descended back into the underworld. When equated with Horus and Osiris, Ra is born as Horus at dawn and becomes Osiris at dusk.
Osiris is the Egyptian god of the Underworld. He is depicted as a partially mummified pharoah. From beneath the ground, he grants life and fertility to Earth. He is called "Lord of love", "He Who is Permanently Benign and Youthful" and the "Lord of Silence". He is also known as a shepherd, carrying a shepherd's crook, as well as carrying a flail to thresh grains with. Horus married his sister Isis, but was murdered by Set. Isis ressurected Osiris in order to have sex with him and become pregnant. Isis gave birth to Horus, a reincarnation of Osiris.
The Greek associated Osiris with Apis. Combined they were worshipped as Serapis in the Hellenic world. Serapis was depicted as a figure resembling Hades or Pluto, both being kings of the Greek underworld, and was shown enthroned with the modius, a basket/grain-measure, on his head, since it was a Greek symbol for the land of the dead. He also held a sceptre in his hand indicating his rulership, with Cerberus, gatekeeper of the underworld, resting at his feet, and it also had what appeared to be a serpent at its base, fitting the Egyptian symbol of rulership, the uraeus. In Rome, Serapis was worshiped in the Iseum Campense, the sanctuary of the goddess Isis. The Roman cults of Isis and Serapis gained in popularity late in the 1st century CE.
The name Isis means "Throne". Her headdress is a throne. As the personification of the throne, she was an important representation of the pharaoh's power. In many African tribes, the throne is known as the mother of the king, and so Isis may originally have been seen as a throne-mother. Isis was the mother of the pharaoh, who was identified with Horus, and in death she escorted the pharaoh, identified with Osiris, into the underworld as his wife. Isis was merged with the goddess Hathor to become Isis-Hathor the mother-wife of Horus.
Temples to Isis began to be built outside of Egypt and in many locations, devotees of Isis considered the local goddess to be Isis, but under a different name. Thus other Mediterranean goddesses, such as Demeter, Astarte, and Aphrodite, were identified with Isis. The cult of Isis became one of the most significant mystery religions in the Greco-Roman world.
The cult of Isis and Osiris continued up until the 6th century CE on the island of Philae in Upper Nile. There were both priests and priestesses officiating at the cult throughout its history. By the Greco-Roman era, many of the pristehood were considered healers, and were said to have other special powers, including dream interpretation and the ability to control the weather. Probably due to assimilation with the goddesses Aphrodite and Venus, the rose was used in her worship. The demand for roses throughout the Roman empire turned rose production into an important industry. Due to her attributes as a protector and mother, Isis became the patron goddess of sailors, who spread her worship with the trading ships circulating the Mediterranean Sea.
The religion of Isis drew converts from every corner of the Roman Empire. In Rome, temples were built and obelisks erected in her honour. In Greece, traditional centres of worship in Delos, Delphi, Eleusis and Athens were taken over by followers of Isis, and this occurred in northern Greece as well. Harbours of Isis were to be found on the Arabian Sea and the Black Sea. Inscriptions show followers in Gaul, Spain, Pannonia, Germany, Arabia, Asia Minor, Portugal and many shrines even in Britain.
The statue of Athena (Plutarch says "whom they believe to be Isis") in Sais carried the inscription "I am all that has been, and is, and shall be, and my robe no mortal has yet uncovered." Here she was associated with the Egyptian goddess Neith, mother of Ra. Having no known husband she has been described as a "Virgin Mother Goddess".
The Roman writer Apuleius gave Isis the following speech: "I am nature, the universal Mother, mistress of all the elements, primordial child of time, sovereign of all things spiritual, queen of the dead, queen of the ocean, queen also of the immortals, the single manifestation of all gods and goddesses that are, my nod governs the shining heights of Heavens, the wholesome sea breezes. Though I am worshipped in many aspects, known by countless names ... some know me as Juno, some as Bellona ... the Egyptians who excel in ancient learning and worship call me by my true name...Queen Isis."
)O(
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