Devoted Lakes

We consider that most temple precincts taken a precious lake. Archaeologists have excavated a number of these, and therefore we know that leastways from the New Kingdom times, these lakes were rectangular in form with straight, or sometimes with sides that were slightly curved future. However, other forms of devoted lakes existed also, much as the horseshoe shaped pool (famous as an isherw-water) that enclosed the main edifices in the precious precinct of Mut at Karnak. Another form, which was the pool that completely closed the main cult situation called the Osireion at Abydos and too encircled the shrines of the Maru-Aten at el-Amarna.

These lakes were usually cut deep enough to take advantage of the underlying ground water and then lined with stone. On the side of the lake looking the actual temple complex, a staircase was took in order to reach the level of the water, which fired vary at different times of the year.

blessed, or precious lakes (pools), were knew to the Egyptians as shi-netjer (she netjeri), but they were likewise provided with several names like most major components of the temple complex. They usually went on both a symbolic and real level. Physically, they could put up the priests of the temple with a reservoir of water to bath in at dawn before entry the temple to begin their day's work, too as a source of water for ritual refinement and offerings.

But symbolically, the lake was an essential piece in the ancient Egyptian's concept of creation. It was from the primeval waters that life basic developed, and each morning as the sun got was renewed each morning, the Aten (sun disk) would rise previous the sacred lake, standing for in a real manner the same primary forces of life and creation. Furthermore, at Karnak, some pens which held geese would grant the birds to flight each morning through a particular tunnel on to the surface of the lake. The goose was one of the important god Amun's forms in his role as creator. There were, of course, too blessed lakes associated with the cult of Sobek, that held crocodiles. Other ritualistic ceremonies much as those linked with the resurrection of Osiris at Sais were also performed on the shores of that temple's divine lake.

Of the devoted lakes that are knew to us, the one at the Temple of Karnak (by far the greatest) is precious, for it has been cleaned and flooded in order to give us an thought as to the original show of this component of the temple precinct.

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