Statue of Rehuankh

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Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
by
published on 21 July 2016
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Statue of Rehuankh Download Full Size Image

Rehuankh was mayor of Abydos, where Osiris (the god of death and the afterlife) had his principal temple. He was also a "senior lector priest": a scholar with knowledge of rituals and sacred texts. The inscriptions on this statue are of unusual content and are probably composed by Rehuankh. They describe his close involvement with the temple's daily affairs, ensuring a steady flow of offerings. He also took part in an unusual festival that re-enacted the mythical victory of Osiris over his enemies. Rehuankh played a ceremonial role aboard the sacred boat that carried the god's cult effigy in a river procession. Rehuankh's statue stood in the necropolis of Abydos, in an offering chapel for his mortuary cult. It is made of quartzite, a very hard stone only quarried in Heliopolis (now part of modern-day Cairo). Its use was sporadic and was reserved for kings and selected royal favorites. 12th Dynasty, 1860-1830 BCE. From Egypt, Abydos, necropolis behind the temple of Osiris, offering chapel of Rehuankh. (The British Museum, London).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2016, July 21). Statue of Rehuankh. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5384/statue-of-rehuankh/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Statue of Rehuankh." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified July 21, 2016. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5384/statue-of-rehuankh/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Statue of Rehuankh." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 21 Jul 2016. Web. 26 Jul 2024.

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