لخّصلي

One would ask about the relation between the successors of Alexander and the sacred animals.It is a painted and gilded limestone stela (H.72 W. 50 cm) dedicated to the Buchis bull by Ptolemy V. It was found in the Bucheum of Armant (Fig.18) Ptolemy V Epiphanes 204 -180 BC presents offerings to Buchis bull.No burial of a mother of Apis is recorded between year 9 of Nectanebo II (351 BC) and year 3 of Alexander the Great (329 BC).?102 Different decrees, like the one of Canope, under Ptolemy III, or that of Memphis, under Ptolemy V, the famous copy discovered in Rosette by the army of Bonaparte during his campaign on Egypt, mentioned the interest of the sovereigns or their kindness towards the sacred animals and particularly the Apis of Memphis and the Mnevis of Heliopolis.103 Ptolemy VI Philometor attended in year 24 the ceremony of the installation of the Buchis bull at Thebes.The animal, born in year 19 of his reign, had been already consecrated.104 Another visit to Buchis was made by Cleopatra VII accompanied by her brother.105 The queen accompanied the animal in the bark of Amun till Armant.106 Many stelae indicate that the Ptolemaic kings participated in the ceremonies of the sanctification of the animals.107 The stela of Mendes confirms that the sacred animal wasn't only appreciated by the ordinary people but also by the kings.Ptolemy II asked Apollonios, the finance minister, to provide hundred talents of myrrh destined to the treatment of the cow Isis Hesat of Aphroditopolis.99 There is a stela from Mendes, in the Delta, which indicates the visit to Ptolemy II. On the upper part of the monument the king is represented facing the offerings made to a ram and placed on the pedestal.For example, the Mendes stela reported that Ptolemy II exempted the temple of the ram from a great part of taxes that were paid for the royal house: -His Majesty ordered that no bread -tribute should be paid as regards the Ram -temple and its district, or in its name.?108 The top of the stela is rounded and decorated with the winged sun disc and two snakes.The text gives important details about the animal of the god, his conditions in life and the finding of a new enthroned ram.100 Ptolemy III was sent in the 21st year of his reign to assist the installation of the animal in his renovated sekos which suffered, according to the text, from the Persians.101?There is evidence that during the second Persian period the sacred animal cults may have suffered from neglect or even aggression.Behind the ram there are some divinities, Harpocrates, who is represented with the side -lock, naked, and putting his finger in his mouth, a ram -headed divinity wearing a composite crown and accompanied with the following inscription: -the ram, the master of Gedet?The extensive building program of Ptolemy I and II in the Serapeum area and Anubieion suggests that the 30th Dynasty structures had either been left unfinished or had been damaged.Behind her stands the young Ptolemy, followed by the Nekhbet vulture that wears the crown of Upper Egypt (Fig.17).110 Many stelae from Armant -Hermonthis?After Ptolemy I, (Soter) became king in 305 B.C. He realized that it would not be possible to establish his rule on a firm foundation without reconciling the Egyptians and the Greeks by appealing to religion, which was a subject dear to the hearts of both communities.It represents the ram of Mendes standing in a naos crowned with the sun -disc and the cobra.

One would ask about the relation between the
successors of Alexander and the sacred animals.
The Ptolemies revealed to the public, in rare occasions,
their interest in the animals. Ptolemy I dedicated fifty
talents of money for the funerals of the dead Apis bull.
Ptolemy II asked Apollonios, the finance minister, to
provide hundred talents of myrrh destined to the
treatment of the cow Isis Hesat of Aphroditopolis.99
There is a stela from Mendes, in the Delta, which
indicates the visit to Ptolemy II. On the upper part of the
monument the king is represented facing the offerings
made to a ram and placed on the pedestal. The text gives important details about the animal of the god, his
conditions in life and the finding of a new enthroned
ram.100
Ptolemy III was sent in the 21st year of his reign to
assist the installation of the animal in his renovated
sekos which suffered, according to the text, from the
Persians.101‖There is evidence that during the second
Persian period the sacred animal cults may have
suffered from neglect or even aggression. The
extensive building program of Ptolemy I and II in the
Serapeum area and Anubieion suggests that the 30th
Dynasty structures had either been left unfinished or
had been damaged. No burial of a mother of Apis is
recorded between year 9 of Nectanebo II (351 BC) and
year 3 of Alexander the Great (329 BC).‖102
Different decrees, like the one of Canope, under
Ptolemy III, or that of Memphis, under Ptolemy V, the
famous copy discovered in Rosette by the army of
Bonaparte during his campaign on Egypt, mentioned the interest of the sovereigns or their kindness towards
the sacred animals and particularly the Apis of
Memphis and the Mnevis of Heliopolis.103
Ptolemy VI Philometor attended in year 24 the
ceremony of the installation of the Buchis bull at
Thebes. The animal, born in year 19 of his reign, had
been already consecrated.104 Another visit to Buchis
was made by Cleopatra VII accompanied by her
brother.105 The queen accompanied the animal in the
bark of Amun till Armant.106 Many stelae indicate that
the Ptolemaic kings participated in the ceremonies of
the sanctification of the animals.107
The stela of Mendes confirms that the sacred animal
wasn‘t only appreciated by the ordinary people but also
by the kings. The inscriptions and the stelae show us
that the kings had an interest in this subject throughout
the ages, as they presented offerings to the sacred
animals. For example, the Mendes stela reported that
Ptolemy II exempted the temple of the ram from a great part of taxes that were paid for the royal house: ―His
Majesty ordered that no bread
-tribute should be paid as
regards the Ram
-temple and its district, or in its
name.‖108
The top of the stela is rounded and decorated with the
winged sun disc and two snakes. One wears the white
crown, while the other wears the red crown. Beside the
right snake it is written: ―The great god, the god of the
sky, who has decorated feathers, the one who comes
from the horizon, the giver of life and power.‖ It
represents the ram of Mendes standing in a naos
crowned with the sun
-disc and the cobra. Behind the
ram there are some divinities, Harpocrates, who is
represented with the side
-lock, naked, and putting his
finger in his mouth, a ram
-headed divinity wearing a
composite crown and accompanied with the following
inscription: ―the ram, the master of Gedet‖ (This is the
deceased ram that is replaced by the new one that is
depicted in the main scene). The goddess Hat Mehet,
in the shape of a lady surmounted with the symbol of
the 16th nome of Lower Egypt, a crowned woman accompanied with the inscription: ―The daughter of the
king, the sister of the king, the wife of the king, the
great, the beloved one, the goddess that loves her
brother, Arsinoe.‖All these figures carry in the hand the
ankh sign and the sceptre, except for Harpocrates who
holds only the ankh sign.109 In front of the ram stands
the royal family that presents the offerings to the ram.
Ptolemy II appears surmounted with the double crown,
and holding a jar of perfume. The inscription reads: ―The presentation of the perfume to his father and the
presentation of the myrrh to the nose of the god‖.
Behind the king stands the queen Arsinoe holding the
ankh sign in one hand and wheat in the other. Behind
her stands the young Ptolemy, followed by the Nekhbet
vulture that wears the crown of Upper Egypt (Fig.17).110
Many stelae from Armant ―Hermonthis‖ represent the
Potelmies presenting the offerings to the Buchis bull.
We do not know if the Ptolemies did sanctify the
animals or not. But evidently they took part in such
rituals, and this is the only thing that matters. The most
important offering stela is the one that belonged to Ptolemy V, who is represented wearing the Pharaonic
costume and presenting offerings. It is a painted and
gilded limestone stela (H.72 W. 50 cm) dedicated to the
Buchis bull by Ptolemy V. It was found in the Bucheum
of Armant (Fig.18)
Ptolemy V Epiphanes 204
-180 BC presents offerings
to Buchis bull. In the upper part, the winged sun disc
flies at the top of the stela as a usual protective
element. Under this disc, the scarab beetle of the sun
god is flanked by two cobras wearing sun discs.Two
jackals are presented with a flail over the shoulder.
We can conclude from what was mentioned before, that
the Ptolemies had a positive attitude towards the
animal sanctification. We do not know if this official
attitude helped in assessing the concept of the animal
sanctification among the Greeks, or not. This could be
due to the insufficient Greek texts that reached us.
Even the trials that were made to base the knowledge
on the texts of the Late Period, as being the source of
the Hellenistic one, is not sufficiently justified. We can
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only use such texts if they mentioned direct quotations
from authors
.
111
Religion played an important and impressive role in the
life of ancient Egyptians, as it was considered a sacred
part of their life that could not be insulted. Therefore,
the Ptolemies showed interest in the religious behavior
of the Egyptians and the Greeks. After Ptolemy I,
(Soter) became king in 305 B.C. He realized that it
would not be possible to establish his rule on a firm
foundation without reconciling the Egyptians and the
Greeks by appealing to religion, which was a subject
dear to the hearts of both communities. He, therefore,
resorted to the clergy. The Egyptian priests, led by
Manetho, and the Greeks, led by Timotheus, finally met
and made the effort to mix Egyptian and Greek
convictions and beliefs into one doctrine to unite the
Greeks and Egyptians in one cult.112
They came up
with the Alexandrian triad: Sarapis
-Isis
-Harpocrates.
It is worth mentioning that this new cult succeeded in
getting new worshippers both from the Egyptians and the Greeks. It provided Alexandria with a religious role
in the world. This is confirmed by its spread in the
Mediterranean world