Download Facts About the Virtual Egyptian Temple

Facts About the Virtual Egyptian Temple
Temple Version 5.0
Jeffrey Jacobson, Ph.D. 617-435-0517 [email protected]
Here we provide historical information on the Virtual Egyptian Temple, version 5.0, produced by
PublicVR. It is raw material for museum docents and classroom teachers to construct a live tour
of the virtual temple for K-12 and general public audiences. The tour is live because the temple is
an actual 3D space, which the presenter navigates while interacting with the audience.
The majority of the explanations here are the work of Lynn Holden, referring to earlier versions
of the temple from 2000-2005. Dr. Robyn Gillam supplied updates and corrections several years
later. Materials were reassembled and edited by Dr. Jeffrey Jacobson.
Introduction to the Temple
The city temple was usually located at the heart of a town or city. Leading to the temple was a
sacred road, usually lined with statues – often sphinxes, the life-giving animal form of the deity
protecting the King. This road was the site of
elaborate processions on special occasions,
such as the arrival of the King. Not every
community had a temple; some temples
served several communities.
Though most Egyptian architecture was built
of mud-brick, temples were generally made of
stone so that they would be eternal and endure
forever. Many (not all) temples were oriented
towards the east, so that, from the interior, the
sun would be seen to rise between the
rectangular towers of the entrance Pylon.
Because of this alignment, the light would, at
special times, stream into the interior through specially sited openings to illuminate the images of
the Gods and the Kings.
The forms of ancient Egyptian buildings often display a striKing harmony with the shapes of
Egypt’s natural environment. The forms of a temple echo the horizontal lines and rectilinear
textures of the cliffs of the Nile Valley and the mounds and pyramidal masses of the desert that
surrounded it. An example of this is the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahri,
shown in the earlier section. The paintings that decorated it reflected the colors of the landscape
as well. This connection with the environment is one of many manifestations of the ancient
Egyptians’ love of harmony and balance.
Temple interiors were richly decorated with scenes from the stories of the lives of the Gods and
of the Kings. The ceilings were usually carved with stars and painted blue to imitate the sky,
sometimes adorned with flying vultures and hawks or with personified stars and constellations in
boats sailing on the celestial Nile (the Milky Way). These scenes were almost always highly
organized into structured registers with base lines, and the figures themselves arranged with the
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help of painted grid lines. The size and association of figures is also revealing, with the largest
figures in a scene being the most important and usually attended by ranks of smaller figures.
Like the architecture of the temple, the art within it was highly stylized and very traditional. It
consisted of simple but effective shapes contained within an outline. The human figure was
represented in a functionally stylized manner with the head, waist, and arms and legs in profile to
allow indication of action and movement, but with the shoulders seen from front view to show
details of jewelry and clothing.
The color palette the
Egyptians
used
was
relatively simple: red
(ochre - iron oxide),
yellow (yellow ochre),
green (malachite), blue
(copper salts), brown
(dark
ochre),
black
(carbon)
and
white
(gypsum). But these
colors were used very
powerfully to convey
vibrancy and contrast.
Over time changing ideas
of color led to more being
available.
Nevertheless, this style
and the presence of
hieroglyphs in the scenes
gives
a
stylized
appearance to Egyptian
art.
A wall of mud brick surrounded most temples. Other buildings often associated with the temple
often had what we would consider non-religious purposes. For example, many temples had large
storehouses for grain, which was collected in times of plenty and distributed in times of scarcity
when crops failed because the annual Nile flood was too high or too low. Also, most temples had
a “House of Life,” a center for education and a place where texts were stored. These texts
contained not only descriptions of religious beliefs and rituals but also literature and historical
accounts. The Egyptians were particularly fascinated with history. The “House of Life” texts also
included legal and governmental records. Land records were especially important because
landmarks could be washed away during a particularly high Nile flood. In addition to buildings,
temple grounds often included a sacred lake where purifications were performed and myths were
enacted, as well as sacred groves and gardens.
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Floor plan of the temple
Other General Facts
•
The virtual temple simulates a city temple, which was part of the local community. Its
community functions stemmed from its core religious mission. It was the center of learning, a
place of healing, a site very important to the economy, and often the seat of government,
especially in later times.
•
The virtual temple, as a city temple, is not to be confused with the mortuary temple, which
was located away from everyone, usually to the west at the edge of the desert or near sacred
mountain. It is a memorial monument, dedicated to the memory of a specific person, usually
a King, local patron, or hero (such as Amenhotep Son of Hapu).
•
Our virtual temple is theoretically situated in Egypt’s late period, sometime between the end
of the New Kingdom and the Ptolemaic (Greek-ruled) period. This range is approximately
500 BCE – 30 BCE, ending with the Reign of Cleopatra.
•
As seen in certain apocalyptic writings, there were bad times, and times of change. But at its
base, ancient Egypt was a static culture, striving for continuity, stability and balance forever
and ever. The duration of its culture is remarkable.
•
Ancient Egypt has been an important influence on a number of different cultures. Its art and
architecture profoundly influenced that of Greece, and the worship of its Gods and the ideas
associated with them spread throughout the Graeco-Roman world. Its esoteric learning also
left a mark on both Christian Europe and the Islamic Middle East. Over centuries the
rediscovery and dissemination of this culture has provided inspiration to people everywhere.
•
Our virtual temple is dedicated to Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis. He is the great hero and
slayer of evil, the god of Kingship. On behalf of all gods, he supports Pharaoh granting him
power and authority to rule on earth. On behalf of the people of Egypt Pharaoh offers Horus
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“every good thing” from the earth. He is also called Re-Horakhty, when he appears in the
temple artwork with sun above his head.
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Surroundings
•
A mud brick wall surrounded the temple, separating it from the rest of the town or city. The
bricks were laid in a wavy pattern to depict the original waters of creation, the primordial
chaos from which the first land rose.
•
The space between the wall and the temple was generally crowded with areas for workshops,
living quarters for the priests and sometimes for other people working for the temple,
gardens, groves of trees, and open space for religious ceremonies, particularly in the front of
the temple. (When time and budget allow, we will add more of these features to our virtual
temple.)
•
In this area surrounding the temple, religious events and ceremonies happened, people met to
conduct business, and children played. This was also true of the courtyard, the first area
inside the temple.
Sacred Lake
The temple precinct
contained at least
one Sacred Lake,
filled with water
from the Nile or
subterranean
sources. It was used
for purification
ceremonies and nonpublic ritual
performances with
sacred boats.
Outer Gate
A colossal gate in the
temple’s surrounding wall
led to the village, town, or
city beyond. It was directly
opposite the main gate of the
temple.
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The Pylon
•
The first part of the virtual temple that we encounter is a massive stone front wall (facade)
called the Pylon.
•
It symbolizes the eastern horizon and two mountain peaks between which the sun rose every
dawn and at the beginning of creation.
•
Public ceremonies often took place in front of the temple. Some of those reaffirmed the
power and the goodness of the King. Others were public oracles, where the God dispensed
advice and judgment to the people through signs interpreted by the high priest.
•
The temple is dedicated to the God, Horus. He is shown as a hawk in statues on either side of
the gate and in Hawk-headed form on the wall.
•
Horus is the son of Amun, the sun God and King of all Gods.
•
Horus’s hawk-headed form is often shown with a golden globe on his head, representing the
Sun. In that form, he is called “Re-Horakhty.”
•
The flagpoles shown here would be 120 feet high in an actual temple. Temple flagpoles were
often carved from giant Cedars of Lebanon shipped to Egypt. Today, there are none of the
great trees left.
Hawk:
•
This is the hawk form of Horus, with Pharaoh standing under his
breast, under his protection.
•
Horus is the God of Kingship, representing all Gods in his
transactions with Pharaoh.
•
Pharaoh, in turn, is the link between the people and the Gods.
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King:
•
On the front of the
pylon Pharaoh is
depicted on a grand
scale, defeating the
enemies of Egypt.
•
On the left, Re
Horakhty
grants
Pharaoh the power
to
conquer,
represented by a
sword. He also
grants the authority
to rule, represented
by a scepter.
•
In the battle scene, Pharaoh holds the enemies of Egypt by their hair and threatens them with
a mace. The Egyptians believed that their King’s supremacy in war was essential to the
proper order of things in the world.
Disk:
•
The disk is a symbol of the
world
according
to
the
Egyptians, representing the
rulership of the king and his
connection to Re and Horus, the
gods of kingship.
Gate:
•
The entrance to the temple was a massive
gateway, also of carved cedar. (We modeled
the virtual temple without its gates, for
readability. No real temple would be without
them.)
•
The monumental gateway is crowned with
the winged disk, as are all gates in the temple.
The hieroglyphs on the top and sides say,
“The king of upper and Lower Egypt, lord of
the two lands, Usermaat Re Mery Amun
beloved of Amun, lord of the two lands; The
son of Re, Lord of appearances, Ramesses,
ruler of Iwnu (Heliopolis), beloved of Mut
the great.” I suggest skipping over the part in
italics, because its likely to be confusing to
the audience.
•
The name of the king appears in the cartouche, “Ramesses.” We had to put a real King’s
name here, but we have otherwise avoided tying the virtual temple to any particular Pharaoh.
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The Courtyard
•
The Courtyard is an open and undivided space, accessible to the public at most times and
made for large religious celebrations.
•
Pilgrims would come from all over Egypt to take part in the great Temple Festivals, which
took place on special days of the Lunar Calendar, such as the New Year, Beginning of the
Flood (Season), the Harvest, Birthdays of the Gods, Coronation Day of the King, and Days of
Honoring the Ancestors.
•
During many of these Festivals there were ritual performances of sacred mystery plays,
which dramatized well-known local and national myths.
•
At these Festivals it was possible for ordinary people to interact with their leaders, including
the “Divine King,” and often Sacred Oracles took place to settle local issues or disputes.
•
The open sky over the Courtyard reminds us of the connection between heaven and earth. All
Egypt is united under the sun, which embodies the creator God, Amun Re. (A simplification.
It’s really Re who created the world as the sun. Amun is like him in that he is a creator.)
Columns:
•
The King and God embrace, representing humanity
and divinity coming together in a public way. The
King represents all Egyptians, while Horus
represents both the Gods and the natural world.
•
The God, as Re Horakhty, gives the King (the
Pharaoh) an Ankh representing life, literally putting
it up Pharaoh’s nose because it represents the “breath
of life.” He is breathing eternal life into Pharaoh.
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Offering Scene:
•
On behalf of all Egyptians, the King gives thanks by offering ‘every good thing’ to the God,
Horus Son of Isis. In return, he blesses the King, the land of Egypt and all its people with life
and prosperity forever.
•
The King is shown holding an offering a plate of food.
•
The God offers him a scepter representing the authority to rule and an Ankh representing life.
•
Horus wears the crown of Upper Egypt (upstream, which is South) surmounted with the two
Feathers of Truth. According to Egyptian mythology, Horus himself was the first Pharaoh of
Egypt.
•
This was the basic arrangement between Gods and men, defining Pharaoh’s role as the
intermediary. In effect, Pharaoh was the highest priest in Egypt.
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Festival Scenes:
•
The celebrations depicted on the walls of the courtyard are joyous events showing the
peoples' gratitude to the Gods. It is a sacred duty, a serious business, but also an enjoyable
one. Everyone brings the best things they have to give as further offerings of gratitude.
•
Many Jewish religious celebrations are also joyous, such as Hannuka, Sukkot, and Passover.
•
As we enter the courtyard, we can see a processional depicted on the walls along the righthand side. This shows the Festival of Min (image above). The processional is shown
heading out of the temple, symbolizing that the harvest is a gift from the Gods to the people.
•
Along the left side of the courtyard is a different processional depicted on the wall, the
Festival of Sokar-Osiris, which celebrates the resurrection of Sokar-Osiris and goes into the
temple. Osiris is the god of wisdom and father of Horus.
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Archway to the Festival Hall
•
This portal to the Festival Hall is
conspicuously split along the top.
In many temples, portals were
built this way to make room for
processionals, usually including a
sacred boat carrying a shrine
holding the divine image of the
God. The whole ensemble was
heavily decorated and often
reached to a great height.
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The Festival Hall
•
The Festival Hall is a quiet and private place, although built on a grand scale. Along with the
priests, only the literate people, the upper class, ever came here.
•
Important temple ceremonies also took place here, but it was also a place where people could
make private devotions to their ancestors. (See Offering Tables in the Festival Hall, below.)
Columns:
•
The Egyptians believed that the first
land rose from the waters at the
beginning of time and was soon after
surround by the primeval marsh. The
Festival Hall is filled with plant-form
columns, which represent the primeval
marsh.
•
Before they built their temples, the
Egyptians lived in housing woven from
the reeds and very tall grasses by the
side of the Nile. This is similar to how
the Marsh Arabs of Southern Iraq live
today.
•
Square holes are built into the ceiling to admit sunlight. They are funnel-shaped, so that each
one admits a strong sunbeam for at least half the day. We put them in the virtual temple
because they are found at the temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the models for our temple.
Later we learned that they were probably added by restorers in the 19th century, so in our next
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version of the temple, we will take them out. This is an example of how presentations of
history often change as new evidence comes to light.
Ceiling Vultures:
The vultures on the ceiling represent both the mother
of the god (Horus) and the mother of Pharaoh. They
show the King/Horus their proper path, leading into
the temple. In ancient Egypt the mother of the King
was powerful and respected.
Offering Tables in the Festival Hall
•
All Egyptians had a shrine to their ancestors, where they made offerings to the departed. It
provided a different means and a more personal way than the large public ceremonies for
them to connect to heaven.
•
Citizens who could afford a significant donation to the temple were allowed to set up shrines
to their ancestors in the Festival Hall. Often this was a gift or permission by the king in
acknowledgement of public service. A real Festival Hall would have been stuffed with them
and other sacred objects. (As time and budget allow, we will add more.)
•
Usually each shrine centered on an “offering table,” like the three shown here. Each one is a
copy or analog of a real offering table in the Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt at the Carnegie
Museum of Natural History (CMNH) in Pittsburgh. Some of the objects on them are also
replicas of artifacts from that museum.
•
Each table holds offerings of the finest foods that people could bring for their ancestors, who
would derive spiritual nourishment from it. At the end of the day, the food was reverted and
consumed by the priests. Eating this food was a great privilege.
•
Each offering table also had depictions of foods and other gifts engraved on it, which would
nurse the departed, if their family was not
able to provide for them for some reason.
Offering Table With Ancestor Image
•
An offering table often had a statue, like
the one shown here, representing all of the
family’s ancestors. This one is a virtual
replica of a statue in the Carnegie Museum
of Art in Pittsburgh.
•
To the right of the statue is a mummified cat,
a very expensive offering an Egyptian might
give to an ancestor or to a God. This one is
a virtual replica of the one in the CMNH.
•
On the plate is a fish and three eggs. The
bowl is full of dates. In the foreground is a
lotus flower. The ancient Egyptians loved
having flowers on their table settings.
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Offering Tables With Stelae
•
In many cases, an offering table had a stela behind it, which depicted a likeness, stories, and
other symbolism around the family. The stelae physically resemble modern tombstones.
•
The two stelae depicted here are copied from the CMNH collection.
•
The brass “Quebeh Vessel” by the offering table on the left is also a CMNH collection
replica. It held sacred water from the Nile, used in ceremonies.
•
The left table has a lotus flower in a cup, a plate with cooked ribs and three eggs, a melon,
and a drinking cup.
•
The right table has two lotus flowers, a papyrus flower, a bowl of dates, , and a holder for a
small candle.
•
The stela on the right depicts a departed wealthy person and his wife with two priests. As the
glorified dead, the couple receives offerings in the funerary cult as celebrated by the priests.
The priest on the right is of higher rank, indicated by the leopard skin he is wearing.
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Sanctuary
•
The Sanctuary is the most central and most important place in the temple. Its decorations are
of the most intricate and excellent workmanship, all made of the best materials. The most
important ceremonies happened here.
The Shrine and the Divine Image
•
The spiritual focus of the temple is the divine
image of the God, shown here standing in his
shrine. The inscription is in red to imitate the
use of the stone inlays popular at this period
and add to its numinous presence. The wooden
doors stand open, hung as is proper, inside out,
as the God is thought of as coming into the
temple from out of this world.
Daily Cult Ceremony
•
Artwork on the back and right walls depict key
steps to the Daily Cult ceremony, where the
divine image of the God (shown standing in the
shrine) is cared for.
•
Each day, he is awakened with a special chant
or song. His image is then undressed, purified,
anointed, and offered (pure) food and drink.
Only the Pharaoh or the high priest of the
temple, acting in his stead, cab lead the
ceremony.
•
If these devotions are done properly, the Spirit
of God will inhabit the divine image, much as the soul of a person inhabits that person’s
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body. Only if this is done correctly will the God bring favor to the land and the people, for
example by bringing a good harvest.
•
The essence of the daily cult ceremony is this: The Gods want what you want, which is to be
loved and cared for. Care for them, and they will care for you.
Floor
•
The ground under the Sanctuary is the primordial mound, representing the “Original First
Place” (or Primeval Mound) which came forth from the “Primeval Flood” at the beginning of
time. This is also where the first God came down to Earth.
•
The floor is elevated, higher than the floor of the Festival Hall and Courtyard. People in every
town in Egypt thought that the world began or appeared on the ground where their local
temple stands.
•
The floor of the sanctuary discovered with pure sand and there is a special ritual when the
King or high priest sweeps it clean of footprints at the end of each ceremony.
The Processional Oracle
• Artwork on the left wall depicts the sacred boat, with the shrine on top of it, wrapped in
linen. Inside that shrine would be a smaller divine image of the God. Each temple would
have at least one boat, which they would take out of the temple and into the community. (For
more information on this, see: http://publicvr.org/html/pro_oracle.html.
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