The Goddess Tjenenet at Karnak Temples during the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods

Document Type : research articles

Authors

1 Tourism Guidance Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Egypt. LMU Munich, Institute for Digital Cultural Heritage Studies, Munich, Germany

2 Department of Tourist Guiding, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University

3 Tourism Guidance Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum, Egypt

Abstract

The goddess Tjenenet was adopted in the ancient Egyptian religion since the Middle Kingdom. She was regarded as a goddess of maternity and birth and enjoyed a widespread cult over the 4th Theban Nome, “wAst”, from the Middle Kingdom to the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods. This paper aims to trace the depictions of the goddess Tjenenet in the territory of Karnak Temples to shed light on her features and roles during the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods. It is concluded that the Karnak Temples precinct was a secondary cult centre for Tjenenet, where she joined the god Montu and the god Sobek as consort. Tjenenet appeared in three versions: Tjenenet, Tjenenet-Rettawy and Tjenenet-Iunit. At the Karnak Temples, Tjenenet was regarded as a primitive mother goddess, a protective goddess, and a member of the lunar escort in the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods. In the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods, the earliest attestation for Tjenenet came during the time of Ptolemy III, while the latest came during the time of Emperor Tiberius. Therefore, this article highlights Tjenenet’s evolving cultic importance, providing insights into the religious integration of Karnak Temples. 

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