Ba’eb Djet (Banaded, Mendes) This is the ancient Egyptian name for the sacred ram of mendes. Depicted with elaborate horns surmounted by the uraeus, the animal was carefully sought and tested for signs of its fitness to serve as a manifestation of re, osiris, and ptah. In some eras the ram was believed to house Osiris’s soul. Ba’eb Djet was altered to Banaded in time, which the Greeks translated as mendes. A living ram was kept in the temple at Mendes to ward off misfortunes. thoth, the god of wisdom, is supposed to have recommended this practice in ancient times. The ram was a popular subject for statues and reliefs. in later eras the animal stood as a symbol of the great god amun. In this form the ram had great curved horns and an elaborate crown.
Bagoas (fl. fourth century b. c.e.) Eunuch chamberlain of the Persian Empire and a notorious slayer He was a confidential friend of artaxerxes iii ochus who ruled Egypt 343-332 b. c.e., after defeating nectanebo ii (r. 360-343 b. c.e.) at pelusium. Bagoas’s name is the Greek form of the persian word for eunuch.
When Artaxerxes III conquered Egypt, Bagoas was commander in chief of the Achaemenid forces. He looted the Egyptian temples and sold the sacred papyri back to the priests at exorbitant prices, thus amassing considerable wealth. Bagoas also worked with Mentor of Rhodes and consolidated his power in court. Bagoas poisoned Artaxerxes III and all of his sons, except arses, whom he placed on the throne. Two years later, Arses was also poisoned by the eunuch to make way for darius iii. Bagoas made an attempt at a court gathering to slay Darius iii but was forced to drink from the royal cup that he offered the king and promptly died.
Baharia Oasis This site is located in the Libyan desert, southwest of HERAKLEOPOLIS MAGNA, considered one of the most important of the ancient Egyptian oases. KAMOSE, the last ruler of the Seventeenth Dynasty (r. 1555-1550 b. c.e.) rested at this oasis with his troops while campaigning against the Hyksos (Asiatics) in the northern territories. The Baharia oasis, hidden in an expanse of sand and wilderness, served as a sanctuary for Egyptians in this era. The oasis was also a starting point for desert caravans to the Nile. The wines of the region were popular in ancient times and were considered an important tribute from the area.
El-Qasr is now the capital of the Baharia oasis, which has become a modern archaeological focus because of the VALLEY OF THE GILDED MUMMIES, a Greco-Roman necropolis. Also on the site are tombs and monuments from various historical periods. Amenhotep Huy, a governor of the oasis during the New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.) is buried in a site at Qarat Heluwat. The ibis catacomb and tombs of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664-525 b. c.e.) are at el-Qasr and at el-Bawiti, along with the chapel of apries (r. 589-570 b. c.e.). At Qasr Allam there is a stone chapel of ALEXANDER III the great (r. 332-323 b. c.e.).
Baharia oasis also served as a cult center for the god BES. A temple was erected for the deity there, complete with a causeway, halls, magazines, and shafts. A statue of Bes was also recovered on the site. Temples dating to the reigns of Apries and Alexander the Great are preserved.
Bahnasa, el - See oxyrrynchus (1).
Bahr Libeini This was a waterway through Memphis dating to the Early Dynastic Period. Legend stated that AHA (r. 2920-? B. C.E.) altered the course of the Nile in order to reclaim the region of land constituting the city of Memphis as the site of Egypt’s first capital.
Bahr Yusef (Hau-wereh) A natural canal connecting the Nile to the faiyum between hermopolis and meir, originally called Hau-wereh, the stream was allowed to enter the Faiyum region but was trapped there, forming a lake and an area for agriculture. The name, translated as “Joseph’s River,” is not of biblical origin but honors a local hero of Islam. The canal is supposed to have been regulated by amenemhet iii (r. 1844-1797 b. c.e.) of the Twelfth Dynasty during the reclamation and irrigation projects conducted at that time. The Bahr Yusef paralleled the Nile for hundreds of miles, and is fed in modern times by a canal at assiut.
Bain-a’abtiu These were the deities of the souls in ancient Egypt that were transformed into baboons at each new dawn. In this form, the deities performed spiritual concerts in adoration of re as the god emerged as the sun. In some eras, the term bain-a’abtiu identified the Morning Star.
Bakenkhonsu (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Official of the Nineteenth Dynasty
He served ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) as the high priest of amun. Bakenkhonsu was a member of the amen-emopet clan of that era, and he supervised the building of one of Ramesses’ temples and erected sacred barks for the gods of THEBES. Bakenkhonsu also served in the Egyptian court system. He was mentioned in the Berlin PAPYRUS and memorialized on some statues now in the possession of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. His name is associated with Queen nefertari also, as some lists place her as a member of his family.
Bakenkhonsu was a temple priest who entered the service of the deity as a young man. He spent 12 years as a devotee in the temple, before being named the Third Prophet of Amun, an office that he held for 15 years. Becoming the Second Prophet of Amun, Bakenkhonsu became the high priest and is recorded as serving in that exalted capacity for more than a quarter of a century A second Bakenkhonsu followed him into the same priestly office.
Bakenrenef (Wahka-re, Bocchoris) (d. 712 b. c.e.) Ruler of the city of Sais in the Twenty-fourth Dynasty He reigned from 717 b. c.e. until his death. Bakenrenef succeeded tefnakhte, his reported brother. Joining in the alliance against piankhi (1), the Nubian conqueror, the Egyptians, including Tefnakhte and Bakenrenef, were defeated. He was eventually allowed to remain in SAIS.
However, when shabaka (r. 712-698 b. c.e.) entered Egypt to found the Kushite, or Nubian, Dynasty, the Twenty-fifth, he put Bakenrenef to death by burning him alive.
Baketamun (Baketaten) (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Princess of the Eighteenth Dynasty
She was a daughter of amenhotep iii (r. 1391-1353 B. C.E.) and Queen tiye (1). Baketamun was a sister of AKHENATEN (Amenhotep IV) and witnessed the ’amarna era of Akhenaten’s reign in living there with her mother for a time. She bore the name Baketaten in ’Amarna and was depicted in tomb reliefs. A limestone bust was identified as Baketamun in ’Amarna.
Baketwerel (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twentieth Dynasty
She is believed to have been the consort of amenmesses, a usurper in the reign of seti ii (1214-1204 b. c.e.). Her remains have not been identified but possibly have been found in Amenmesses’ tomb, alongside his mother, TAKHAT (1). Baketwerel has also been identified as the consort of ramesses ix. If she were the consort of Ramesses iX, she would have been the mother of ramesses X. It is possible that a second Baketwerel was named after an ancestral member.
See also queens.
Bakhau A spiritual site called “the Land of the Sunrise,” and part of the cult of the god re, Bakhau was the setting of the cosmic battle between Re and the god SET, who was defeated. The site was called the spiritual “Mountain of Sunrise” and was associated with solar rituals. baboons greeted the dawn at Bakhau as part of the solar rituals. Manu was the spiritual “Mountain of Sunset.”
See also buchis.
Bakht (Baqet) (fl. 21st century b. c.e.) Official and nomarch of the Eleventh Dynasty (2040-1991 b. c.e.)
He served as governor of the Oryx nome. He was buried in his clan necropolis in beni hasan. Bakht’s tomb contains a rectangular chapel with two columns and seven shafts. Elaborate wall murals depict Bakht and his wife in everyday activities, and paintings of gazelles, a unicorn hunt, and winged monsters are also preserved. Bakht’s son was Kheti, who inherited the office and titles of the nome. He was buried nearby. Bakht was the third member of his clan to bear that name.
Balakros (fl. fourth century b. c.e.) Greek satrap of Egypt, appointed by Alexander the Great (332-323 b. c.e.) Balakros was the son of Amyntos, a member of Alexander’s military command. When the conqueror left Egypt, Balakros was given partial control of the Nile region,
Sharing powers with peukestas. His term in office and the length of his satrapy are not documented well.
Ba’lu-shipti (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Prince of Gezer, in modern Palestine
He succeeded Miliku as Gezer’s ruler in the reign of AKHENATEN (1353-1335 b. c.e.). Ba’lu-shipti wrote to the pharaoh to complain about the commander of the Egyptian forces in Palestine, a man named Maya, and his correspondence is included in the ’amarna letters. Upon arriving in the area to offer assistance, Maya and his troops reportedly commandeered Ba’lu-shipti’s palace, and the prince expressed his outrage to Akhenaten.
Ba’lu-urs (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Prince of the coastal plains of Palestine, south of Mount Carmel Ba’lu-urs was active in the reign of akhenaten (1353-1335 b. c.e.). He wrote to the Egyptian pharaoh to protest the marauding activities of a neighboring ruler, lab’ayu, who was raiding his lands. His correspondence was included in the ’amarna letters.
Baptism This spiritual ritual was depicted in the temple of Hermonthis (modern erment) portraying tuthmo-SIS III (r. 1479-1425 b. c.e.). Another baptism is portrayed on the walls of karnak, showing seti i (r. 1306-1290 b. c.e.) and ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) performing the rite. hatshepsut (r. 1473-1458 b. c.e.) was also portrayed receiving baptism in her shrine in thebes. The temples at abydos, amada, and Heliopolis depicted the same ceremony.
Egyptian baptism was a solemn cleansing by means of water. The rite was often connected with coronations, and at that time called the hes purification. In baptismal ceremonies the deities of Egypt saluted the pharaoh and welcomed him into the sacred circle of kingship. Water and the ankh, the ansate cross symbol of life, were shown. some references to baptism as part of the daily morning rituals of the pharaoh are evident.
Barks of the gods Sacred boats, either in miniature form or full-size, used as part of ancient Egyptian religious ceremonies, these vessels were important because they accentuated the nurturing role of the Nile in Egyptian life through the centuries. The religious significance of the barks can be traced to the belief in the spiritual Nile, which carried the dead to the various levels of eternal paradise and bliss. The spiritual Nile led the deceased out of the mortal world if they were worthy.
RE sailed across the heavens on solar barks, using the MANDET to ascend the sky each morning and the meseket to descend at twilight. He also employed a bark for his nightly voyage through the tuat or the Underworld. The bark of OSIRIS was mentioned in the pyramid texts. An
The bark of Amun, from a temple relief in Thebes. Such vessels sailed on the Nile and on temple lakes or were carried in gala processions.
Elaborate vessel, this bark had a cabin for a shrine and was decorated with gold and other precious metals and stones. In the New Kingdom, the bark of Osiris was called the neshmet or the KHA’emhet, and was refurbished or replaced by each pharaoh. The bark of the god ptah was the neb-heh.
Amun’s bark, called the userhetamun, or the weseghatamun, “Mighty of Brow Is Amun,” was Egypt’s most famous ritual boat. Made of cedar wood and about 200 feet in length, the bark was entirely gilded and decorated with gems. The rams’ heads were fashioned out of gold. The vessel was replaced or redecorated almost every year and was used for special Amunite ceremonies in and around thebes. A special lake was built for certain rites, and a temple was designed to house the bark when it was not in use.
Most barks followed a similar design. They were fashioned as floating temples, fronted by miniature obelisks, with flagstaffs and highly ordained cabins, which served as the sanctuary of the god. The major deities had barks covered in gold. Other Egyptian deities sailed in their own barks on feast days, with priests rowing the vessels on sacred lakes or on the Nile. khons’s (1) bark was called “Brilliant of Brow” in some eras. The god min’s (1) boat was named “Great of Love.” The hennu BOAT of SOKAR was kept in medinet habu and was paraded around the walls of the capital on feast days. This bark was highly ornamented and esteemed as a cul-tic object. The barks could be actual sailing vessels or be carried on poles in festivals. The gods normally had both types of barks for different rituals. A fleet of such barks was discovered in abydos.
See also abydos fleet.
Barramiyeh A site on the eastern desert near edfu, this was a rich mining area for the ancient Egyptians. SETI I (r. 1306-1290 b. c.e.) of the Nineteenth Dynasty recorded his efforts to dig wells for the benefit of the local miners there. Such projects were royal obligations throughout Egypt’s history. A temple at the wadi mi’ah celebrated his concerns and care also.
See also Egyptian natural resources.
Bastet A goddess of ancient Egypt, whose theophany was the cat, Bastet’s cult center was at bubastis. She was the protector of pregnant women and was a pleasure loving goddess who served as the patroness of music and dance. Bastet was also believed to protect men from diseases and demons. The goddess was considered the personification of the warming rays of the sun on the Nile. she was normally depicted as a woman with a cat’s head, holding a sistrum and the symbol of life, the ANKH.
The goddess remained popular throughout Egypt even to Roman times. Her festivals at Bubastis were among the most well-attended celebrations in Egypt. People set out in festooned barges, and music accompanied all who made the pilgrimage to her shrine. The festival was a time of pranks as well as another designated period of intoxication. A gigantic parade culminated the celebration, and on that day few Egyptians were sober. shrines of the gods were erected in Rome, Ostia, Nemi, and Pompeii.
See also bubasteion.
Bata (1) (Bet, Batu) A truly ancient deity of Egypt, whose cult dates to the first dynasties (2920-2575 B. C.E.), he was portrayed as a bull or a ram.
Bata (2) A character in the ancient Egyptian work TALE OF TWO BROTHERS, preserved in the Papyrus orbiney in the British Museum, the character is believed to represent BATA (1), or Batu, the deity, who quarrels with Anup (a possible representation of the god anubis). Anup’s wife, repulsed by Bata when she tries to seduce him, accuses him of assault. Anup learns the truth and slays her, while Bata goes on many adventures. In the end, he sires the first pharaoh of Egypt, ’aha (Menes; r. 2920 B. C.E.). The tale, much loved in Egypt, was in the library of seti ii (r. 1214-1204 B. C.E.) of the Nineteenth Dynasty
See also literature.
Batn el-Hagar Called “the Belly of Stone” by the local inhabitants, a site near the second cataract, Batn el-Hagar is a desolate region extending more than 100 miles, filled with white-water rapids, eddies, and hidden rocks surrounded by harsh wastelands. such stark landscapes were part of the natural defenses of ancient Egypt throughout its history The kings normally fortified areas such as Batn el-Hagar, using them to control the movements of the Nubians, modern Sudanese, in the region.
Battle of the Nile This was a naval and land engagement that took place in 47 B. C.E. between Julius caesar and PTOLEMY XIII (r. 51-47 B. C.E.) on the Nile near ALEXANDRIA. Caesar, who had been under attack in the palace of cleopatra vii (r. 51-30 b. c.e.) after ousting Ptolemy Xiii from the throne, faced an Egyptian army opposed to his decision. The Roman leader, however, had summoned an ally, Mithridates of Pergamum, who had arrived with a large military force.
Ptolemy Xiii tried to halt Mithridates but saw his units swept aside. He then waited for Caesar to join his ally but was taken by surprise when the Romans sailed around his encamped forces to link up with Mithridates. The Egyptians were routed, and in the effort to retreat, Ptolemy Xiii drowned in the Nile. Cleopatra vii became the sole ruler of Egypt.
Bauerdat (Bauerded) (fl. 24th century b. c.e.) Official of the Fifth Dynasty
Bauerdat served IZEZI (Djedkare; r. 2388-2356 b. c.e.) as a leader of expeditions to the regions below the cataracts of the Nile. Bauerdat and his companions journeyed as far south as nubia, modern Sudan, in the service of the pharaoh. He is supposed to have returned to court with a DWARF, probably of the Deneg variety Dwarfs were highly prized in the Egyptian royal households in every period. Bauerdat recorded his honors and service on a mortuary stela.
See also harkhuf; pepi ii.
Baufre (fl. 26th century b. c.e.) Prince of the Fourth Dynasty
He was a son of khufu (Cheops; r. 2551-2528 b. c.e.) who is listed in older studies on Egypt as the successor of KHAFRE (Chephren). Baufre was the brother of DJEDEFHOR, a renowned sage. His role in dynastic affairs, however, remains obscure, and there is no evidence that he assumed the throne at any time. Baufre was mentioned in the westcar papyrus and was depicted at wadi ham-MAMAT. His name meant “Re is his soul.” He has also been identified as Nebka. His unfinished pyramid was found in zawiet el-aryan.
Bay (Irsu) (fl. 12th century b. c.e.) Official of the Nineteenth Dynasty
Bay served both siptah and Queen-Pharaoh twosret (r. 1204-1196 B. C.E.). He was supposedly of Syrian descent, a fact that irritated many Egyptian aristocrats of his era. A confidant of Twosret, he began his usurpation of power while she was regent for the young siptah.
When Twosret served as queen-pharaoh in her own right, Bay was her chancellor. He is listed in Siptah’s mortuary texts. The official was much disliked by his contemporaries, however, and he has been recorded as a usurper and interloper during the days of failing pharaonic power. His mortuary graffiti lists him as the one “who establishes the king upon the seat of his father,” a phrase denoting his role. He built himself a smaller gravesite in the valley of the kings.
The Papyrus Harris I described Bay as “the Syrian who made himself chief.” The name Irsu translates as a “self-made usurper.” His attempt to rule after Twosret died brought sethnakhte, the founder of the Twentieth Dynasty, to action in Thebes. Bay’s Egyptian name was Ramesse-kha’emnetjeru. Bay’s tomb was taken over by RAMESSES iii for the burial of one of his family members, and his remains are unidentified. The tomb was vast and filled with reliefs.
Bay A surveying instrument used by the ancient Egyptians for determining Nile sites and for architectural planning, the bay gave the builders an accurate sighting on the horizon and charted the terrain, important elements in the construction of temples and shrines.
Beards Sacred symbols in the early eras of Egypt, the first conquerors, such as narmer and the scorpion King, were depicted as having beards. Reliefs of the Early Dynastic Period (2920-2575 b. c.e.) display beards as well. References to the kings and gods even in later periods noted that these divine beings wore “beards like lapis lazuli.” These beards were affectations, however, as the Egyptians normally were clean-shaven or wore only mustaches.
Beatty Papyrus IV, Chester A document that dates to the Ramessid Period, the Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties (1307-1070 b. c.e.), the papyrus contains medical diagnoses and prescriptions for the treatment of diseases of the anus. The breast, heart, and bladder are also discussed, indicating an advanced knowledge about the human anatomy concerning organ functions and symptoms. Such papyri have offered modern scholars an insight into the sophisticated medical knowledge and practices of the ancient Egyptians, a science that was not attributed to them in the past.
See also medicine.
Bebi (fl. 21st century b. c.e.) Official of the Eleventh Dynasty
He served montuhotep ii (r. 2061-2010 b. c.e.) as chancellor and administered the affairs of a united land. He was also a nomarch, a hereditary nobleman of den-DEREH, part of the aristocratic clan in power in that cult center for the goddess hathor.
Bedouins (Badu, Bedu, Bedwi, Bedawi, Bedway) The Asiatic, nomadic tribes of the southern sinai, on Egypt’s eastern border, the tribes threatened Egyptian mining interests in the region. The Bedouins tried to hold their ground against the many expeditions sent by the
Egyptians in the early eras of the nation. Such expeditions were designed to locate quarries, mines, and other natural resources. in time full operations were conducted in Bedouin territories, resulting in military campaigns and the eventual displacement of the tribes. The Bedwi were sometimes recorded as the Shashi, and they were believed to have been members of the Khabiri clan of the Sinai, active in that historical period.
See also Egyptian natural resources.
Beer called heneket or booza, a popular drink in ancient Egypt, the brew was made of barley and homebrewed in some areas. Pieces of barley bread were soaked in water, and the beer was drained off after a period of fermentation. Beer was kept in vats in cellars and storehouses and was consumed by rich and poor alike. Modern excavations of Egyptian brewery sites indicate that the beer was usually potent. A brewery in hierakonpolis was recently discovered. Another brewery was discovered on the giza plateau near the pyramids. Various brews were served to the local work crews at least three or four times a day. There were five types of beer available, stored in jars. Some were made of barley, emmer, or both grains, and dates, honey, and spices were added for flavors. The Egyptian beer was nutritious and was used as a staple in the diets of commoners in all historical periods.
See also agriculture; foods.
Bees A favored insect of the Egyptians, used as a source of HONEY from the earliest years in the Nile Valley, the bee products resulting from the keeping of hives were taxed by the state in the Ptolemaic Period (304-30 b. c.e.). Beekeeping methods and breeding programs were instituted at this time in the Nile Valley, as honey was a staple in the diets of the people.
See also foods.
Behbeit el-Hagar (Per-hebyt, Iseum) This was a site in the north central territory of the Delta, near seben-NYTOS (modern Sammanud). A temple dedicated to the goddess isis was built in Behbeit el-Hagar. Reliefs were placed in the temple by nectanebo i (r. 380-362 b. c.e.) and NECTANEBO ii (r. 360-343 b. c.e.). ptolemy ii philadelphus (r. 285-246 b. c.e.) completed the temple, and PTOLEMY iii euergetes (r. 246-221 b. c.e.) added other reliefs. The temple of isis was plundered in a later era by the Romans, and parts of it were taken to Rome for the observances of the isis cult there.
World History
