Worship

Neith’s prominence in early dynastic times - as seen in Ist-dynasty labels, funerary stelae, and in the names of her priestesses and the contemporary queens such as Neithotep and Merneith - suggest the goddess was worshipped from the beginnings of Egyptian culture. In fact, the earliest portrayal of what is thought to be a sacred shrine in Egypt is associated with Neith. Her symbol stands in the enclosure of a reed-built sanctuary on an ebony label from Abydos which seems to depict a visit made by the Ist-dynasty King Aha to a sanctuary of Neith. Yet widespread depictions of Neith’s standard on early pottery indicate the goddess was venerated over a considerable area, and she was doubtless the most important goddess of the Early Dynastic Period. This pre-eminence may have eventually been challenged, however, and the 5th-dynasty King Userkaf is believed to have re-emphasized the cult of Neith after the later rulers of the 4th dynasty had supplanted her with Hathor. Nevertheless, there is ample evidence that Neith’s

Status continued to be high. By the Old Kingdom Nei:h also had a sanctuary at Memphis, and '.he Coffin Texts (Spell 408) also refer to her as ‘mistress of Mendes’, indicating an important presence there.

In the Middle Kingdom and early New Kingdom Neith seems to have lost some of her earlier status, but perhaps as a result of the Ramessid relocation of the capital to the Delta area. Neith regained importance in the 19th dynasty. She was credited with superlative powers in several texts, and in Ramesses II’s coronation scene recorded in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak it is Neith who stands next to the enthroned state god Amun. In post-New Kingdom times Neith naturally rose to particular importance in the 26th dynasty when kings of the great cult centre of Neith - the Delta city Sais (modern Sa el-Hagar) - ruled Egypt. The goddess received revenue from the Greek trading settlement at Naukratis, further enriching her impressive temple, which the Greek historian Herodotus described. Neith was highly venerated in other temples of the Graeco-Roman Period - especially at Esna - where she was worshipped with Khnum, and her great festival was celebrated on the thirteenth day of the third month of the ‘summer’ season each year. The worship of Neith thus spanned virtually all of Egypt’s history and she remained to the end ‘Neith, the great’.