Egypt Exploration Society

The Cult of the [God]-Pole Author(s): Percy E. Newberry Source: The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 33 (Dec., 1947), pp. 90-91 Published by: Egypt Exploration Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3855442 Accessed: 15/03/2010 15:40
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The Cult of the I-pole A SMALL pot with figureof a boat with ensign (fig. i) was found by Petriein 1900 at DiospolisParva but is not referredto by him in the text.' In 1921 the same writer(Prehistoric Egypt,20) remarked that 'the sign differsfrom all others in being on a double pole. The nature of it is unknown'. A glanceat the drawingshows that the left-handpole is placedslantinglyon top of the mastbehind the aft-cabin and the lower end of it rests on the cabin roof. This ensign is identical with the hieroglyph1, 1, I which, on some Predynasticpots (fig. z) is drawnwith two, three, and in one instance,four streamerslike the one on the boat.

FIG. 2. Petrie, Royal Tombs,

II,pl.55a,Nos.I53, FIG. i. Petrie, Diospolis Parva, pl. I6, No. 40 b.

5Ix, 49.

FIG. 3. (a) Cairo No. i, Dyn. II. (b) Garstang, Mahasna and Bet Khallaf, pl. 8, Dyn. III. (c) Petrie, Medum, pl. 24, Dyn. IV. (d) Murray, Saqq. Mast. I, pl. i, Dyn. V. (e) Der elBahri, fragment, Dyn. XI.

FIG. 4. Petrie, Royal Tombs,

II,

pl. 3 A.

FIG. 5. Petrie, Tanis,

II, pl. 42.

The hieroglyphI representsa pole wrappedroundwith a band of cloth, bound by a cord, the end flap at top (fig. 4); that projectingas a flap or streamer(fig. 3). Anotherearlyform has a triangular it corresponds with the I is clearfrom a comparisonof the First and Twenty-sixthDynasty(fig. 5) of the temple of Neith at Sais. These poles before the temples are the tall masts representations (snty) that were set up in front2of the great temple pylons of the New Kingdom. They served to marka sacredareajust as the hieroglyph ~ markeda cemeteryor 'God's Acre'. In Pharaonictimes the hieroglyphI was the commonideographfor 'god'; it was the emblem of divinity,though earlier,as is seen in the Diospolis Parvapot, it was itself a cult-objectlike all the other ensignsfiguredon the red-on-buffpots. Beforethe union of the two kingdomsof Upper and Lower Egypt the cult of the I-pole must have been the predominantcult among the peoplewho had originated evolved the hieroglyphicsystem of writing. If the Upper EgyptianHieraconpolites
the subject. Note that in Petrie, PrehistoricEgypt Corpus, 1921, pl. 33, no. 40 L, the drawing does not correspond to that given in Diospolis Parva, pl. I6: the slanting pole has been omitted. z Arkell (JEA XIX, 176) records that in the Blue Nile Province of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and also north of Khartum westwards to Darfur, where any form of building has been erected over a holy man's grave, flags are always placed in front of the entrance and not in any other position. I have noted this also in Nubia and along the Mediterranean littoral as far west as Sollum.

I I do not know in which museum this pot is preserved and should be grateful for any information on

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it we should expect that the words for temple and priestwould have been written Jand whereasthe formeris invariablyIO and the latter I .' The originalseat of the 1-cult in Egypt was probably ~ Ntr (Pyr. I268), Behbit el-Hagar,in the CentralDelta, and this is the easternmostof all the ensigns displayedon the pots of the PredynasticPeriod. Isiswas the chief divinity here and the secular name of the city was I ';J 4 'Festival-town'. At the presentday flags are alwaysdisplayedat festivals. The Venetianmast is a tall pole wrappedspirallywith colouredbands of cloth, and in Europegenerallyit is used for the decorationof streets and open places on festal occasions. The I-pole was certainlynot a cult-object of Egyptianorigin for Egypt does not produce any tree with straighttrunkof the size needed for the masts of temple pylons. The regionfrom whence the trunkswere importedwas I " Tf-ntr'the land of the ntr-pole'(usuallytranslated'Gods' land). The geographicalname denoted, not a territorywith definite boundaries,but a region of wide extent, probablythe whole countryto the north-eastand south-eastof Egypt. It includedcountries to the north of Syria, Syriaitself, the easternand westernlittoralof the Red Sea, and partof Abyssinia. It wasthe northernpartof Syriathat was especiallyfamedfor its splendidtrees,and the pylon masts in Dyn. XVIII were cut from them. There are numerous referencesto these masts in inscriptionsfrom the beginning of the New a fir (Abiescilicica, Kingdomto Romantimes. They arealwaysstatedto havebeen of '- cr-wood, source of much and the Carriere,Wb. I, 228, i) that is still common in Syria and Asia Minor, turpentineoil. This tree is describedas 'of Byblos',of 'the Lebanon',of 'the Terraces',and of 'the in northernSyria. A resinoussubstanceexudes from its trunk,which was, and Domains of Amfun' still is, used as incense; in moderncommerceit is known as commonfrankincense. Sometimesthe hieroglyphI is depictedwith a bowl or bag below it 1,, 1; this bowl or bag was employedto catch the resinexudingfromthe stem. In moderndaysthe resinis often collectedby puncturingthe bark and letting the resinousturpentinedrip into a bowl fixed below the punctureon the trunk. In the LondonMedicalPapyrus i6, i6, it is said |io J f, ? lAI <>k 'the incenseof the god

fromhim'. Theincenseissaidto be the issuing

17o 3

|1

of the 'sweat

god descendedto the ground; he has given it to all the gods'. The :-pole is probablythe same as the asherawhich is often mentionedin the Bible. This was a post of wood (Deut. i6, 21), a thing fashionedby men's hands (Isa. 17, 8; cf. i Kings I6, 33), an speaks of 'Astartein the Ashera of the object of worship (the Phoenicianinscriptionof MIas'ub divinityof Hamon'). Everyaltarhadits ashera(Deut. I6, 21I, cf. 2 Kings 13,6). Therewereprophets of it (i Kings I8, I9) and cloth was specially woven for it by women devotees (2 Kings 23, 7). The names of Baaland Asheraare often found coupled preciselyas those of Baal and Astarteand it has been inferred that Ashera was only another name or form of the great Semitic goddess. Cybele, the great mother goddess in Phrygia,is also identified with Astarte and it is important to note that on the first day of Spring, the festival of Cybele and Attis (at Rome and in Phrygia), a coniferoustree was cut down in the woods and brought into the sanctuaryof Cybele where it was treatedas a great divinity and the trunk swathedwith woollen bands (Fraser,Adonis,i, 267; W. RobertsonSmith, Religionof the Semites,I894, I87 f.). The bands in which the I-pole were wrapped would themselves absorbsome of the divine effulgencefrom the resinoustrunk and in that way they became divine. When taken off they were employed in wrappingmummies. The Egyptianprayedthat there might be fitted upon him the sacredlinen of fine stuffs from the cast-offvestmentsof the divine limbs. Paheri(pl. 9, 4) desired that he be wrappedin clothingwhich the god hadtakenoff. This explainsthe meaningof the I-sign in the Sign Papyrusof Tanis (Col. xv. 2) Q 'swaddled',cf. ]>6 'mummy-bands', 'gare S>
ment of the god' (Wb. II, 363).
H

PERCY E. NEWBERRY