NEAREAST 240 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Cult Image
5 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
The home of a particular god/goddess and their cult. Housing the god and performing rituals helps maintain order. Temples recapitulate cosmology attempts to show creation in architecture. Inner sanctuary god"s bedroom special only high priests allowed. Typically become more elaborate as the centuries continue. Obelisk represent a shaft of light. Sometimes contain smaller temples to other gods within. Sometimes have causeway path leading to nile so god can journey to other temples. Typically covered in repetitive images of the king often with subtle differences. Painted elaborately with bright colors & gives a festive appearance. Temple texts preserved a lot of information that otherwise would"ve been lost. Small temples were built in little populated areas on the outskirts of egypt. Cult image essential for a temple typically a small-ish statue made of precious material. Opening of the mouth ceremony brings breath and speech to statue. Sometimes taken out in an elaborate processional bark/boat & carried around focus of daily ritual.
