Popularity index: 1920. Sign up for email updates about museum events, exhibit highlights and special offers. Nephthys is a consolatory deity who comforts and advises those left behind when someone passes on. The fields and other holdings belonging to Nephthys's temple were under the authority of two Nephthys prophets (named Penpmer and Merybarse) and one (mentioned) wa'ab priest of the goddess. Pronunciation: Coming soon This was the aspect of Set worshiped in the western oases during the Roman period, where he is depicted with Nephthys as co-ruler.[14]. Alternative names: Neb-Hut, Nebthet, Gender: Female As a mortuary goddess like Isis, Neith, and Serqet, Nephthys was one of the protectresses of the canopic jars of Hapi. She is a daughter of Nut and Geb and wife of Set. Please mention Godchecker.com when praying to the Gods. This fits well with more general textual themes that consider Nephthys to be a goddess whose unique domain was darkness or the perilous edges of the desert. Invoke Nephthys to guard and guide you during magick workings. This means ‘mistress of the mansion. Nephthys could also appear as one of the goddesses who assists at childbirth. [7] Though other goddesses could assume this role, Nephthys was most usually portrayed in this function. It kind of looks like a bowl or a cup. She also gives support to the souls of the dead as they embark on their journey to the afterlife. Nephthys's healing skills and status as direct counterpart of Isis, steeped, as her sister in "words of power", are evidenced by the abundance of faience amulets carved in her likeness and by her presence in a variety of magical papyri that sought to summon her famously altruistic qualities to the aid of mortals.[19]. She often has trouble with her hair. Not sure of the spelling? (Copyright notice.) Do we sell Nephthys graphic novels, books, video or role-playing games (RPG)? To be certain, the House of Nephthys was one of fifty individual, land-owning temples delineated for this portion of the Middle Egyptian district in Papyrus Wilbour. Though it commonly has been assumed that Nephthys was married to Set and they have a son Anubis, recent Egyptological research has called this into question. Try entering just the first three or four letters. Name: Nephthys There, Nephthys was the primary protectress of the resident Osirian relic, of the Bennu Bird, and of the local Horus/Osiris manifestation, the god Neferhotep.[25]. HTML: To link to this page, just copy and paste the link below into your blog, web page or email. In the funerary role, Nephthys often was depicted as a kite or as a woman with falcon wings, usually outstretched as a symbol of protection. The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum is an educational institution that uses trans-disciplinary approaches to increasing knowledge about the past, present, and future, especially related to the diversity and relationships in nature and among cultures. I' Sanctuaire central. "Nephthys and Seth: Anatomy of a Mythical Marriage", Paper presented at The 58th Annual Meeting of the American Research Center in Egypt, Wyndham Toledo Hotel, Toledo, Ohio, Apr 20, 2007. Along with her sister Isis, Nephthys represented the temple pylon or trapezoidal tower gateway entrance to the temple which also displayed the flagstaff. Nephthys assisted Isis in resurrecting Osiris, who had been murdered by Set.. During the Second Sundering, Nephthys and other deities from the pantheon returned in the form of demigods and led the Mulhorandi uprising against the Imaskari, in a manner similar to how the Chosen manifested in other regions. Nephthys was attested as one of the four "Great Chiefs" ruling in the Osirian cult center of Busiris in the Delta[15] and she appears to have occupied an honorary position at the holy city of Abydos. For official Godchecker merch please visit our God Shop where a wide range of items are available to buy. Please do not copy without permission. Just copy the text in the box below. Diospolis Parva), the chief city of Nome VII. In Egyptian mythology, Nephthys was the daughter of Geb (Earth) and Nut (sky) and the sister of Isis. In contrast, Nephthys is sometimes featured as a rather ferocious and dangerous divinity, capable of incinerating the enemies of the pharaoh with her fiery breath. Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders. [24], Nephthys was considered the unique protectress of the Bennu bird. Consider donating a few pennies to the Godchecker Temple Roof Fund. "[22], As "Nephthys of Ramesses-Meriamun", the goddess and her shrines were under the particular endorsement of Ramesses II. Copyright 2020 Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum | All Rights Reserved | design by Placemaking Group, Treasures of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. [16] These "Festival Songs of Isis and Nephthys" were ritual elements of many such Osirian rites in major ancient Egyptian cult centers. Nephthys was an ancient goddess, who was referenced in texts dating back to the Old Kingdom.She was a member of the Ennead of Heliopolis as the daughter of Geb and Nut and the sister of Osiris, Isis and Horus and the sister and wife of Set.When the Ennead and Ogdoad merged, Nephthys was given a place on Ra’s boat so that she could accompany him on his journey through the underworld. The only thing that shows who she is is that she wears her name’s hieroglyph on top of her head. Nephthys's association with the kite or the Egyptian hawk (and its piercing, mournful cries) evidently reminded the ancients of the lamentations usually offered for the dead by wailing women. [3][4] Alternatively Anubis appears as the son of Bastet[5] or Isis. Relevés des scènes et des textes. He notes his obvious administration of the "House of Set" and adds: "I am also responsible for the ship, and I am responsible likewise for the House of Nephthys, along with a heap of other temples. Image: Nephthys statue at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. The Papyrus Bologna records a complaint lodged by a prophet of the temple of Set in that town regarding undue taxation in his regard. Nephthys or Nebet-Het in Ancient Egyptian (Greek: Νέφθυς) is a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion.A member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis in Egyptian mythology, she was a daughter of Nut and Geb.Nephthys was typically paired with her sister Isis in funerary rites because of their role as protectors of the mummy and the god Osiris and as the sister-wife of Set. She was not paired with Set the villain, but with Set's other aspect, the benevolent figure who was the killer of Apophis. The Ramesside pharaohs were particularly devoted to Set's prerogatives and, in the 19th Dynasty, a temple of Nephthys called the "House of Nephthys of Ramesses-Meriamun" was built or refurbished in the town of Sepermeru, midway between Oxyrhynchos and Herakleopolis, on the outskirts of the Fayyum and quite near to the modern site of Deshasheh. Nephthys was also considered a festive deity whose rites could mandate the liberal consumption of beer. Less well understood than her sister Isis, Nephthys was no less important in Egyptian religion as confirmed by the work of E. Hornung[11] along with the work of several noted scholars. She was associated with mourning, the night/darkness, service (specifically temples), childbirth, the dead, protection, magic, health, embalming, and beer. Nephthys helped Isis bring Osiris back to life after he was killed by Seth, so she is often depicted in tombs and on coffins as a protector of the dead, specifically associated with the organs placed in canopic jars. Nephthys is the Greek form of an epithet (transliterated as Nebet-hut, Nebet-het, Nebt-het, from Egyptian nbt-ḥwt).The origin of the goddess Nephthys is unclear but the literal translation of her name is usually given as "Lady of the House", which has caused some to mistakenly identify her with the notion of a "housewife" or as the primary lady who ruled a domestic household. She is part of the Heliopolitan Ennead. The cult-image's inscription originally pertained to "Nephthys, Foremost of the Sed [Festival] in the Booth of Annals" (at Medinet-Habu), but was re-inscribed or re-dedicated to "Nephthys, Foremost of the [Booths of] Herakleopolis". At times it seems to resemble the mummy wrappings of the dead and she has to resort to wearing a basket on her head. Here, as Papyrus Wilbour notes in its wealth of taxation records and land assessments, the temple of Nephthys was a specific foundation by Ramesses II, located in close proximity to (or within) the precinct of the enclosure of Set. [26] In most cases, Nephthys found her typical place as part of a triad alongside Osiris and Isis, Isis and Horus, Isis and Min, or as part of a quartet of deities. Nephthys also was the goddess of the "Mansion of the Sistrum" in Hwt-Sekhem (Gr. Nephthys was a great help to her sister during the Osiris business, but prefers to remain in the shadowy background as befits her status as a Goddess of Sympathy. Sauneron, Elephantine, Beitrage Bf. Nephthys and Isis look very similar and can only be differentiated by their headdresses. Area of expertise: Funerals, Good/Evil Rating: Unknown at present She’s the daughter of Geb and Nut, sister of Isis and Osiris, and — according to some sources — Anubis’s mum. [8][9], New Kingdom Ramesside Pharaohs, in particular, were enamored of Mother Nephthys as is attested in various stelae and a wealth of inscriptions at Karnak and Luxor, where Nephthys was a member of that great city's Ennead and her altars were present in the massive complex.[10]. Another temple of Nephthys seems to have existed in the town of Punodjem. In this capacity, it is easy to see how Nephthys could be associated with death and putrefaction in the Pyramid Texts. Article last revised on August 22, 2018 by Rowan Allen. Byron Esely Shafer, Dieter Arnold, Temples in Ancient Egypt, p. 112, 2005, J. Berlandini, p. 41-62, Varia Memphitica, VI - La stèle de Parâherounemyef, BIFAO 82, A. Gutbub, J. Bergman, Nephthys découverte dans un papyrus magique in Mélanges, Publications de la recherche, université de Montpellier, Montpellier, FRANCE, 1984, 'Land Tenure in the Ramesside Period' by S. Katary, 1989, 'Les Deesses de l'Egypte Pharaonique', R. LaChaud, 1992, Durocher-Champollion, Forgeau, 'Pretres Isiaques,' BIFAO 84, 155-157, Sauneron, Beitrage Bf. Found this site useful? Examples: JUPITER, JUP, JUPI. Nephthys also serves as the nursemaid and watchful guardian of the infant Horus. [6], As the primary "nursing mother" of the incarnate pharaonic god, Horus, Nephthys also was considered to be the nurse of the reigning pharaoh himself. For all media enquiries please contact us here. To purchase such goodies we suggest you try Amazon, Ebay or other reputable online stores. Godchecker™ is a trade mark used under license. The same divine power could be applied later to all of the dead, who were advised to consider Nephthys a necessary companion. Nephthys was clearly viewed as a morbid-but-crucial force of heavenly transition, i.e., the pharaoh becomes strong for his journey to the afterlife through the intervention of Isis and Nephthys. If you wish to use our material in your essay, book, article, website or project, please consult our permissions page. It is Nephthys who assists Isis in gathering and mourning the dismembered portions of the body of Osiris after his murder by the envious Set. [23], There can be little doubt that a cult of Nephthys existed in the temple and great town of Herakleopolis, north of Sepermeru. After making an introductory appeal to "Re-Horakhte, Set, and Nephthys" for the ultimate resolution of this issue by the royal Vizier, the prophet (named Pra'emhab) laments his workload. Her name means quite specifically "Lady of the [Temple] Enclosure" which associates her with the role of priestess[citation needed]. She also sometimes represented Lower Egypt along with Ptah-Tanen. Levai, Jessica. Nephthys is shown with a basket on her head, however she is also sometimes depicted as a hawk or a mourning woman. She argues that the later evidence suggests that: while Nephthys's marriage to Set was a part of Egyptian mythology, it was not a part of the myth of the murder and resurrection of Osiris. Nephthys and Isis at the resurrection of Osiris. She was Seth’s sister and wife and was the mother of Anubis, although in some myths Nephthys was barren.