Isis is egyptian deity who had a prominent role in egyptian religiosity, assuming a leading role around the first millennium BC. W. She was the wife of Osiris, another very important god in Egyptian religiosity, and considered the mother of all pharaohs, being directly associated with the Egyptian throne.
It is believed that her cult arose in the third millennium BC. C., and she was called Eset by the Egyptians. The cult of Isis accepted the existence of priests and priestesses, and the Egyptians believed that Isis and her husband, Osiris, were responsible for giving important teachings to humanity. The cult of Isis spread to places like Greece It is Pomegranate.
See too:Anubis — the god of the dead for the civilization of Ancient Egypt
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary about Isis
- 2 - Meeting the goddess Isis
- 3 - Isis and Osiris in Egyptian Mythology
- 4 - Isis in Egyptian religiosity
Summary about Isis
Isis was one of the most important deities of Egyptian religiosity.
She was directly associated with the pharaohs who ruled Egypt.
Her cult spread throughout Ancient Egypt, but the main shrine was at Behbeit el-Hagar.
She was the wife of Osiris, and the Egyptians believed that both were responsible for important teachings for humanity.
Her cult came to influence Roman and Greek religiosity and only lost strength in the 6th century AD. C., with the growth of Christianity.
Meeting the goddess Isis
Isis is a goddess who was originally linked with Egyptian religiosity, but became so popular that she became part of the religiosity of other peoples of the Asenioritylike the Greeks and Romans. went to most popular deity of egyptian religion, being venerated in all parts of the Ancient Egypt.
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Historians believe that the cult of Isis was established during the Old Kingdom (which lasted from 2686 BC. W. to 2181 a. C.) and that gradually became popular, giving Isis the status of the most important goddess of Egypt in the first millennium BC. W. The Egyptians believed that she was responsible for the floods of the Nile and that she, along with Osiris, would have taught the techniques of healing. agriculture for Humanity.
You Egyptians believed that Isis it was the mother of all pharaohs, considering herThe also The responsible for maintaining life. In addition, she was considered the protector of sailors and merchants, and this belief in her made these groups use amulets to ensure the goddess's protection.
. This was a direct reference to Osiris, her husband, considered the first pharaoh.It was common for Isis to be represented with an adornment on her head in the form of a throne.Being considered the mother of all pharaohs, Isis had a strong relationship with the Egyptian throne, and this was demonstrated in the way she was represented.
The Egyptians referred to Isis as Eset, an ancient Egyptian word meaning "seat." The name Isis is, in fact, an inheritance from the Greeks. It is important to point out that Isis could be known by other names in Egyptian religiosity, such as Weret-Kekau, ("the great magic", in a literal translation), name that was used to refer to the powers of this goddess.
Isis is part of what became known as the Abydos Triad, a triad of Egyptian gods formed by her, Osiris and Horus. Isis and Osiris were extremely popular deities in Egyptian religiosity, having taught important knowledge to humanity. Their union established marriage as an institution among mankind.
Check out our podcast:10 facts about Ancient Egypt you should know
Isis and Osiris in Egyptian Mythology
The marriage of Isis and Osiris is one of the most important myths about this goddess. in the religiosity of the ancient Egyptians. This myth recounts the murder of Osiris by Set, brother of Osiris, and Isis' entire journey to rescue her beloved and bring him back to life.
We mentioned that Osiris was the first pharaoh in Egyptian belief, ruling the Earth along with his wife. Both exercised a government marked by justice and prosperity. Osiris' power and influence were the envy of his brother, Set, who masterminded Osiris's assassination.
What motivated the murder would have been the betrayal of Nephthys, wife of Set, who disguised herself as Isis to lie down with Osiris. He, believing he was with his wife, lay with Nephthys, making her pregnant. Set organized a trap to imprison and murder his brother, and thus the murder of Osiris took place..
His body was thrown into the rthe Nile, and the waters carried him to the Phoenician. Her body was found by Isis and taken back to Egypt, but Set discovered that Osiris' body was back in Egypt and so acted cutting the body of Osiris into different parts (the versions of the myth are conflicting about how many parts the body of Osiris was divided into).
Isis recovered all parts except Osiris's penis, and then began a ritual to resurrect him, but as a body part is missing, he cannot remain in the world of the living, needing to settle down in the afterlife. death. After resurrecting Osiris, Isis became pregnant by her husband, begetting her son Horus.
Isis in Egyptian religiosity
Isis was extremely popular among the egyptian population, and the cult of her spread throughout Egypt, but the most important shrine to this goddess was located in Behbeit el-Hagar. The existing temple on this site was named after Iseu. The cult of Isis was formed by both priests and priestesses, who played a crucial role in maintaining the temples dedicated to this goddess.
The Egyptian population could attend the temples of Isis to leave offerings to her, but the most important sanctuary was visited only by the priests. The rituals that formed the cult of Isis were largely secret., and today we know very little about the details of the cult of Isis. The Egyptians believed that worshiping Isis would guarantee them a good afterlife.
The cult of Isis reached the culture Greek after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander, the Great, in the 4th century BC. W. This caused Isis to be related to demeter, goddess of agriculture of the Greeks and who had one of the most important religious festivals in Greek culture. The cult of Isis in Egypt was extremely popular until the 6th century AD. W., when it began to lose strength with the advance of the christianity.
By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher
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