“semitisches pantheon”. eine “männliche tyche” - MOSAIKjournal.com

280| ALEXANDRA MIRONOVA
Festes – und somit auf sein rituelles Programm – übertragen
werden kann. Die wichtigste symbolische Idee der untersuchten
Feste ist die unterirdische Reise des Sonnengottes
und des Pharaos während der Nacht. In dieser durchschritten
beide die Phasen der Erneuerung, um nochmals entweder
am östlichen Horizont aufzusteigen oder, im Falle des
Pharaos, im Norden – am Ort der Zirkumpolarsterne –
anzukommen.
The thorough studies of different Egyptian festivals celebrated in
the Theban temples under Hatshepsut and Thutmose III (15 th с.
ВС) led us to the conclusion that each of these pharaohs paid a
great attention to the symbolic meaning of any temple building and
of festive routes. In this paper the author considers the relationship
between the temple spaces of Karnak and Deir el-Bahari and the
relief scenes of the Opet Festival and the Festival of Hathor.
THE OPET FESTIVAL AND THE TEMPLE SPACES OF
KARNAK AND DEIR EL-BAHARI
One of the most important festivals in the New Kingdom Egypt
was the “Beautiful Feast of Opet” (Hb nfr n Ipt) celebrated in the
second month of Inundation and dedicated to the sun-god Amun-
Re. 1 The key element of this festival was the journey of the pharaoh,
priests, noblemen and other people with the bark of Amun-Re
from the Karnak temple to the Luxor temple and back to Karnak.
According to L. Bell, the aim of the Opet Festival was to renew the
forces and energy of nature, god and pharaoh. 2
The earliest evidence of the festival ceremonies goes back to
the time of the queen Hatshepsut (1490–1468 BC) and her nephew
Thutmose III (1490, actually 1468–1436 BC). The first one depicted
the festival on the south wall of her Red Chapel at Karnak (figs.
1 During the reign of Thutmose III the celebrations of the
Opet Festival began on II Axt 15 and lasted eleven days. see Urk.
IV, 742 (1–2) (Annals of the king from the VI th pylon of Karnak);
Urk. IV, 824 (10) (the List of Feasts from the Elephantine Temple).
2 BELL (1997) 157.