The name of Bubastis in Egyptian is Pr-Bȝst.t, conventionally pronounced Per-Bast but its Earlier Egyptian pronunciation can be reconstructed as /ˈpaɾu-buˈʀistit/. It is a compound of Egyptian pr “house" and the name of the goddess Bastet; thus the phrase means "House of Bast".[4] In later forms of Egyptian, sound shifts had altered the pronunciation. In Bohairic Coptic, the name is rendered Ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ, Ⲡⲟⲩⲁⲥϯ or Ⲃⲟⲩⲁⲥϯ.
Bubastis served as the capital of the nome of Am-Khent, the 18th nome of Lower Egypt. Bubastis was situated southwest of Tanis, upon the eastern side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile. The nome and city of Bubastis were allotted to the Calasirian division of the Egyptian war-caste.
Twelfth Dynasty
In the Middle Kingdom, Tell Basta was the site of a large mudbrick palace (16,000 sqm) dated to the Twelft Dynasty.[6] It has been thought to be a residence of Amenemhat III. A limestone lintel shows the king during his Heb Sed Festival.
Second Intermediate Period
Following the Twelfth Dynasty, the Middle Kingdom faded out. At Bubastis, a red granite architrave belonged to Sekhemre Khutawy Khabaw.[7] In another monument found at Tanis, he is mentioned along with Hor.
Twenty-Second Dynasty
It became a royal residence after Shoshenq I, the first ruler and founder of the 22nd Dynasty, became pharaoh in 943 BC. Bubastis was its height during this dynasty and the 23rd. It declined after the conquest by Cambyses II in 525 BC, which heralded the end of the Saite 26th Dynasty and the start of the Achaemenid Empire.
The Twenty Second Dynasty of Egyptian monarchs consisted of nine, or, according to Eusebius[8] of three Bubastite kings, and during their reigns the city was one of the most considerable places in the Delta. Immediately to the south of Bubastis were the allotments of land with which Psamtik I rewarded the services of his Ionian and Carian mercenaries;[9] and on the northern side of the city commenced the Canal of the Pharaohs, which Pharaoh Necho II began (but never finished) to go between the Nile and the Red Sea.[10]
Persian rule and decline
After Bubastis was taken by the Persians, its walls were dismantled.[11] From this period it gradually declined, although it appears in ecclesiastical annals among the episcopal sees of the province Augustamnica Secunda. Bubastite coins of the age of Hadrian exist. The following is the description which Herodotus gives of Bubastis, as it appeared shortly after the period of the Persian invasion, 525 BC, and Hamilton remarks that the plan of the ruins remarkably warrants the accuracy of this historical eye-witness:
Temples there are more spacious and costlier than that of Bubastis, but none so pleasant to behold. It is after the following fashion. Except at the entrance, it is surrounded by water: for two canals branch off from the river, and run as far as the entrance to the temple: yet neither canal mingles with the other, but one runs on this side, and the other on that. Each canal is a hundred feet wide, and its banks are lined with trees. The propylaea are sixty feet in height, and are adorned with sculptures (probably intaglios in relief) nine feet high, and of excellent workmanship. The Temple being in the middle of the city is looked down upon from all sides as you walk around; and this comes from the city having been raised, whereas the temple itself has not been moved, but remains in its original place. Quite round the temple there goes a wall, adorned with sculptures. Within the inclosure is a grove of fair tall trees, planted around a large building in which is the effigy (of Bast). The form of that temple is square, each side being a stadium in length. In a line with the entrance is a road built of stone about three stadia long, leading eastwards through the public market. The road is about 400 feet (120 m) broad, and is flanked by exceeding tall trees. It leads to the temple of Hermes.[12]
Religion
Relief of the pharaoh Amenhotep II, made of red granite. It depicts the pharaoh worshiping the god Amun. From the 18th Dynasty, circa 1430 BC, with an additional inscription by Seti I (circa 1290 BC). Originally from Bubastis, British Museum.[13]
Bubastis was a center of worship for the feline goddess Bastet, sometimes called Bubastis after the city, who the Greeks identified with Artemis. The cat was the sacred and peculiar animal of Bast, who is represented with the head of a cat or a lioness and frequently accompanies the deity Ptah in monumental inscriptions. The tombs at Bubastis were accordingly the principal depository in Egypt of the mummies of the cat.[14][15]
The most distinguished features of the city and nome of Bubastis were its oracle of Bast, the splendid temple of that goddess and the annual procession in honor of her. The oracle gained in popularity and importance after the influx of Greek settlers into the Delta, since the identification of Bast with Artemis attracted to her shrine both native Egyptians and foreigners.
The festival of Bubastis was considered the most joyous and gorgeous of all in the Egyptian calendar as described by Herodotus:
Barges and river craft of every description, filled with men and women, floated leisurely down the Nile. The men played on pipes of lotus. the women on cymbals and tambourines, and such as had no instruments accompanied the music with clapping of hands and dances, and other joyous gestures. Thus did they while on the river: but when they came to a town on its banks, the barges were made fast, and the pilgrims disembarked, and the women sang, playfully mocked the women of that town and threw their clothes over their head. When they reached Bubastis, then held they a wondrously solemn feast: and more wine of the grape was drank in those days than in all the rest of the year. Such was the manner of this festival: and, it is said, that as many as seven hundred thousand pilgrims have been known to celebrate the Feast of Bast at the same time.[16]
Christian bishopric
Extant documents mention the names of three Christian bishops of Bubastis of the 4th and 5th centuries:
The tomb of the late New KingdomvizierIuty was discovered in December 1964 in the "Cemetery of the Nobles" of Bubastis by the Egyptian archaeologist Shafik Farid.
Upper part, figure of an official of Amenhotep III, from a double statue. From Bubastis (Tell-Basta), Egypt. From the Amelia Edwards Collection. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London
Since 2008, the German-Egyptian "Tell Basta Project" has been conducting excavations at Bubastis. Previously, in March 2004, a well preserved copy of the Decree of Canopus was discovered in the city.[20]
^Ezek. 30:17. בחורי און ופי-בסת, בחרב יפלו; והןה, בשבי תלכןה. "Youths of Awen and Pi-Beset will fall by the sword; and they (fem) will go into captivity." הןה "they (feminine)" cannot refer to the youths, and so must refer to the cities. Hebrew words meaning "city" are generally feminine (עיר, קריה).
^Mohamed I. Bakr, Helmut Brandl, "Bubastis and the Temple of Bastet", in: M.I. Bakr, H. Brandl, F. Kalloniatis (eds.), Egyptian Antiquities from Kufur Nigm and Bubastis. Museums in the Nile Delta January 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine (M.i.N.) vol. 1, Cairo/ Berlin 2010, pp. 27-36, ISBN978-3-00-033509-9.
^Evans, Elaine A. (May 2001). "Cat Mummies". McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture. McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
^Scott, Nora E. (PDF). Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
bubastis, character, watchmen, characters, watchmen, bohairic, coptic, Ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ, poubasti, greek, Βούβαστις, boubastis, Βούβαστος, boubastos, also, known, arabic, tell, basta, egyptian, bast, ancient, egyptian, city, often, identified, with, biblical, beseth, h. For the character in Watchmen see Characters of Watchmen Bubastis Bubastis Bohairic Coptic Ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ Poubasti Greek Boybastis Boubastis 1 or Boybastos Boubastos 2 also known in Arabic as Tell Basta or in Egyptian as Per Bast was an ancient Egyptian city Bubastis is often identified with the biblical Pi Beseth Hebrew פי בסת py bst Ezekiel 30 17 3 It was the capital of its own nome located along the River Nile in the Delta region of Lower Egypt and notable as a center of worship for the feline goddess Bastet and therefore the principal depository in Egypt of mummies of cats Tell BastaⲠⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ تل بسطةView of BubastisShown within EgyptAlternative nameBubastisPer BastLocationTell Basta Sharqia Governorate EgyptRegionLower EgyptCoordinates30 34 22 N 31 30 36 E 30 57278 N 31 51000 E 30 57278 31 51000 Coordinates 30 34 22 N 31 30 36 E 30 57278 N 31 51000 E 30 57278 31 51000TypeSettlementSite notesConditionIn ruinsMap of ancient Lower Egypt showing Bubastis BubastisEgyptian hieroglyphsIts ruins are located in the suburbs of the modern city of Zagazig Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Twelfth Dynasty 2 2 Second Intermediate Period 2 3 Twenty Second Dynasty 2 4 Persian rule and decline 3 Religion 4 Christian bishopric 5 Excavations 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksEtymology EditThe name of Bubastis in Egyptian is Pr Bȝst t conventionally pronounced Per Bast but its Earlier Egyptian pronunciation can be reconstructed as ˈpaɾu buˈʀistit It is a compound of Egyptian pr house and the name of the goddess Bastet thus the phrase means House of Bast 4 In later forms of Egyptian sound shifts had altered the pronunciation In Bohairic Coptic the name is rendered Ⲡⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥϯ Ⲡⲟⲩⲁⲥϯ or Ⲃⲟⲩⲁⲥϯ History Edit Hathor capital from the Temple of Bubastis in the collection of the British Museum 5 Bubastis served as the capital of the nome of Am Khent the 18th nome of Lower Egypt Bubastis was situated southwest of Tanis upon the eastern side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile The nome and city of Bubastis were allotted to the Calasirian division of the Egyptian war caste Twelfth Dynasty Edit In the Middle Kingdom Tell Basta was the site of a large mudbrick palace 16 000 sqm dated to the Twelft Dynasty 6 It has been thought to be a residence of Amenemhat III A limestone lintel shows the king during his Heb Sed Festival Second Intermediate Period Edit Following the Twelfth Dynasty the Middle Kingdom faded out At Bubastis a red granite architrave belonged to Sekhemre Khutawy Khabaw 7 In another monument found at Tanis he is mentioned along with Hor Twenty Second Dynasty Edit It became a royal residence after Shoshenq I the first ruler and founder of the 22nd Dynasty became pharaoh in 943 BC Bubastis was its height during this dynasty and the 23rd It declined after the conquest by Cambyses II in 525 BC which heralded the end of the Saite 26th Dynasty and the start of the Achaemenid Empire The Twenty Second Dynasty of Egyptian monarchs consisted of nine or according to Eusebius 8 of three Bubastite kings and during their reigns the city was one of the most considerable places in the Delta Immediately to the south of Bubastis were the allotments of land with which Psamtik I rewarded the services of his Ionian and Carian mercenaries 9 and on the northern side of the city commenced the Canal of the Pharaohs which Pharaoh Necho II began but never finished to go between the Nile and the Red Sea 10 Persian rule and decline Edit After Bubastis was taken by the Persians its walls were dismantled 11 From this period it gradually declined although it appears in ecclesiastical annals among the episcopal sees of the province Augustamnica Secunda Bubastite coins of the age of Hadrian exist The following is the description which Herodotus gives of Bubastis as it appeared shortly after the period of the Persian invasion 525 BC and Hamilton remarks that the plan of the ruins remarkably warrants the accuracy of this historical eye witness Temples there are more spacious and costlier than that of Bubastis but none so pleasant to behold It is after the following fashion Except at the entrance it is surrounded by water for two canals branch off from the river and run as far as the entrance to the temple yet neither canal mingles with the other but one runs on this side and the other on that Each canal is a hundred feet wide and its banks are lined with trees The propylaea are sixty feet in height and are adorned with sculptures probably intaglios in relief nine feet high and of excellent workmanship The Temple being in the middle of the city is looked down upon from all sides as you walk around and this comes from the city having been raised whereas the temple itself has not been moved but remains in its original place Quite round the temple there goes a wall adorned with sculptures Within the inclosure is a grove of fair tall trees planted around a large building in which is the effigy of Bast The form of that temple is square each side being a stadium in length In a line with the entrance is a road built of stone about three stadia long leading eastwards through the public market The road is about 400 feet 120 m broad and is flanked by exceeding tall trees It leads to the temple of Hermes 12 Religion Edit Relief of the pharaoh Amenhotep II made of red granite It depicts the pharaoh worshiping the god Amun From the 18th Dynasty circa 1430 BC with an additional inscription by Seti I circa 1290 BC Originally from Bubastis British Museum 13 Bubastis was a center of worship for the feline goddess Bastet sometimes called Bubastis after the city who the Greeks identified with Artemis The cat was the sacred and peculiar animal of Bast who is represented with the head of a cat or a lioness and frequently accompanies the deity Ptah in monumental inscriptions The tombs at Bubastis were accordingly the principal depository in Egypt of the mummies of the cat 14 15 The most distinguished features of the city and nome of Bubastis were its oracle of Bast the splendid temple of that goddess and the annual procession in honor of her The oracle gained in popularity and importance after the influx of Greek settlers into the Delta since the identification of Bast with Artemis attracted to her shrine both native Egyptians and foreigners The festival of Bubastis was considered the most joyous and gorgeous of all in the Egyptian calendar as described by Herodotus Barges and river craft of every description filled with men and women floated leisurely down the Nile The men played on pipes of lotus the women on cymbals and tambourines and such as had no instruments accompanied the music with clapping of hands and dances and other joyous gestures Thus did they while on the river but when they came to a town on its banks the barges were made fast and the pilgrims disembarked and the women sang playfully mocked the women of that town and threw their clothes over their head When they reached Bubastis then held they a wondrously solemn feast and more wine of the grape was drank in those days than in all the rest of the year Such was the manner of this festival and it is said that as many as seven hundred thousand pilgrims have been known to celebrate the Feast of Bast at the same time 16 Christian bishopric EditExtant documents mention the names of three Christian bishops of Bubastis of the 4th and 5th centuries Harpocration one of the bishops ordained by Melitius of Lycopolis listed in 325 Hermon a contemporary of Athanasius of Alexandria in about 362 Iulianus at the Second Council of Ephesus in 449 17 18 19 Excavations EditThe tomb of the late New Kingdom vizier Iuty was discovered in December 1964 in the Cemetery of the Nobles of Bubastis by the Egyptian archaeologist Shafik Farid Upper part figure of an official of Amenhotep III from a double statue From Bubastis Tell Basta Egypt From the Amelia Edwards Collection The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology London Since 2008 the German Egyptian Tell Basta Project has been conducting excavations at Bubastis Previously in March 2004 a well preserved copy of the Decree of Canopus was discovered in the city 20 See also EditList of ancient Egyptian towns and citiesReferences Edit Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Bubastis Herodotus ii 59 137 Strabo xvii p 805 Diodorus xvi 51 Plin v 9 s 9 Ptol iv 5 52 Ezek 30 17 בחורי און ופי בסת בחרב יפלו והןה בשבי תלכןה Youths of Awen and Pi Beset will fall by the sword and they fem will go into captivity הןה they feminine cannot refer to the youths and so must refer to the cities Hebrew words meaning city are generally feminine עיר קריה Mohamed I Bakr Helmut Brandl Bubastis and the Temple of Bastet in M I Bakr H Brandl F Kalloniatis eds Egyptian Antiquities from Kufur Nigm and Bubastis Museums in the Nile Delta Archived January 8 2015 at the Wayback Machine M i N vol 1 Cairo Berlin 2010 pp 27 36 ISBN 978 3 00 033509 9 British Museum Collection Palace of King Amenemhat III Britisn Museum EA 1100 Chronicon Herodotus ii 154 Herodotus ii 158 Diod xvi 51 Herodotus ii 59 60 British Museum Collection Evans Elaine A May 2001 Cat Mummies McClung Museum of Natural History amp Culture McClung Museum of Natural History amp Culture Retrieved 8 April 2018 Scott Nora E The Cat of Bastet PDF Metropolitan Museum of Art Metropolitan Museum of Art Archived from the original PDF on 9 August 2019 Retrieved 8 April 2018 Smith William ed 1854 1857 Bubastis Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography London John Murray Retrieved 2012 01 28 Pius Bonifacius Gams Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae Leipzig 1931 p 461 Michel Lequien Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus Paris 1740 Vol II coll 559 562 Klaas A Worp A Checklist of Bishops in Byzantine Egypt A D 325 c 750 in Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik 100 1994 283 318 Tell Basta Project EES University of Gottingen SCA Archived 2013 10 30 at the Wayback Machine Egypt Exploration Society This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Smith William ed 1854 1857 Bubastis Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography London John Murray External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bubastis Tell Basta Project EES University of Gottingen SCA Egypt Exploration Society Preliminary German website of Tell Basta Project Finds from Bubastis on the website of MUSEUMS IN THE NILE DELTA project M i N Preceded byTanis Capital of Egypt945 715 BC Succeeded byLeontopolis Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bubastis amp oldid 1144652777, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
