The Naos of Amasis: A Monument for the Reawakening of Osiris Contributor(s): Zecchi, Marco (Author) |
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ISBN: 9088907951 ISBN-13: 9789088907951 Publisher: Sidestone Press OUR PRICE: $34.65 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2019 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Archaeology - History | Ancient - Egypt - Religion | History |
Series: Papers on Archaeology of the Leiden Museum of Antiquities |
Physical Information: 0.5" H x 8.3" W x 11" (1.30 lbs) 146 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Cultural Region - Middle East - Cultural Region - North Africa |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The naos AM 107 of the Museum of Antiquities of Leiden was built by king Amasis in the VIth century BC, a period that saw an intense production of monolithic shrines. Despite its not impressive dimensions, however, the naos of Leiden stands out for its originality. What is particularly interesting about this monument is that its distinctiveness is strictly connected to the nature of its recipient. Amasis dedicated the naos to Osiris Hemag, one of the most important and enigmatic Osirian forms of the first millennium BC. Osiris Hemag represents Osiris in a crucial moment of his existence, his reawakening. It was precisely this aspect of the god that strongly influenced both the shape and the decoration of the naos, creating a unique effect: indeed, this is the only Egyptian naos showing on his surfaces groups of guardian-deities who had the task to protect the body of Osiris and to assist him in his rebirth and rejuvenation. This naos is not only a shrine housing a statue of Osiris Hemag, but it is also a monument conveying a new definition of the god and ideas concerning his rebirth. |
Contributor Bio(s): Zecchi, Marco: - Marco Zecchi is Associate Professor of Egyptology at the university of Bologna. |