Item Size:   20" x 13.5"      Type:  Wall Plaque  

Material:  Casting Stone, with Antique Stone Finish

Original:  From the Temple of Isis, Philae Island, 26th Dynasty, 530 B.C.E.

Current Location of Original:  Temple of Isis from Philae, Egilica (or Agilkia) Island, Egypt

This piece comes from the Temple dedicated to Isis, which was originally built on the Island of Pelae. But the Temple became submerged after the first Aswan dam was built in 1906. It was not until the 1970s that many nations attempted to save the Temple. After the completion of the High Dam, in 1971, the water level stabilized around the newly chosen island – the Island of Egilica (or Agilika). Egilica was completely reshaped to imitate the original Philae Island as closely as possible, and the whole original temple was moved and impressively rebuilt - stone by stone.

The relief shows the Egyptian goddess Isis using her wings to protect her husband, the god Osiris; and nearby, a pharaoh offers them a libation. The name Isis means “throne,” and her headdress was that of a throne. The ancient Egyptians regarded Isis as the “Eye of Ra,” the feminine counterpart to the sun god Ra, and a violent force that subdues enemies. The Egyptian goddess was regarded as the symbolic mother of the king, as well as the patroness of nature and magic. The name Osiris means “the seat of the eye,” and he was revered as the god of resurrection. Osiris, together with Isis and their son Horus, formed the main triad of the Egyptian religion. Indeed, the Osiris myth is the most complex and influential story in ancient Egyptian mythology. It revolves around the murder of Osiris, the husband of Isis - who was also her brother and a primeval king of Egypt - and the response to that murder. In the story, the murderer of Osiris, his brother Set, usurps the throne. But Isis restores her husband's body, thus enabling him to posthumously conceive a son with her. The product of Isis and Osiris' union is Horus. Early on, as a child, Horus is vulnerable to snakes, predators, and other dangers, but is protected by his mother. (And thus Egyptians believed Isis protected mortal children also.) Later, no longer as vulnerable, Horus becomes Set's challenger for the throne. Their frequently violent conflict ends with Horus' victory. This brings order back to Egypt, puts an end to Set's wicked rule, and finalizes Osiris' complete resurrection. The myth, with its elaborate symbolism, is integral to the ancient Egyptian ideas of kingship and succession, conflict between order and disorder, and, especially, death and the afterlife. It also illustrates the character of each of the four deities in the story. Many elements of their worship in ancient Egypt came from this myth.