Les hymnes au dieu Khnoum de la façade ptolémaïque du temple d'Esna

The hymns on the soubassements of the Ptolemaic facade of the temple of Esna are well known in Egyptological bibliography. Despite this fact, knowledge about them is only fragmentary because of their poor state of conservation and textual complexity. Engraved in the period of the coregency of Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatre II (170 and 169-164 BC), each one of these hymns (Esna II, 17 and 31) has a length of 64 columns and contains a homage to the main gods of the Latopolitan region, namely Khnum-Ra, Neith, Shu and Tefnut. Their multiple associations with other deities express the rich syncretism in late Egyptian religion. Esna II, 17 includes a cosmogonical text relating the creation by Khnum-Ra of the world and the gods, but also of human beings and all other creatures. Since the mid-19th century several sources have displayed copies of these texts, edited by Serge Sauneron in the 1960's. Some of these materials remained unpublished until now, but they are included in the present work, such as the Wilbour papers (Brooklyn Museum, New York), containing an extensive part of both hymns, and the photos taken by Serge Sauneron in 1965, kept in the archives of the French Institute in Cairo (IFAO). Abraham I. Fernandez Pichel now presents a new edition, translation and commentary of the hymns. He proposes an interpretation of both hymns reflecting some of the main axes of the theology of the temple of Esna during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Thus, the plurality of aspects of the Latopolitan divinities, the thematic complementarity between both texts and their integration into the decoration of the facade are the main topics of the present study. Cover Title Page Copyright Table of Contents Body Liste des figures et tableaux Liste des planches Avant-propos INTRODUCTION Travaux précédents et éditions du texte Historique de la recherche Sources Cadre architectural et état de conservation Datation Caractéristiques générales des hymnes Typologie et structures Langue et particularités graphiques Présentation de lʼédition ESNA II, 17. TRADUCTION ET COMMENTAIRE Titulature royale (col. 1-4) Paragraphe 1 (col. 5-7) : Aspects primordiaux et reproducteurs de la divinité Commentaire (col. 5-7) Paragraphe 2 (col. 7-12) : Dieu créateur et pourvoyeur Commentaire (col. 7-12) Paragraphe 3 (col. 12-14) : Le monde avant la création Commentaire (col. 12-14) Paragraphe 4 (col. 14-16) : Apparition de la lumière Commentaire (col. 14-16) Paragraphe 5 (col. 16-19) : Création du cadre physique de lʼexistence Commentaire (col. 16-19) Paragraphe 6 (col. 20-24) : Création de lʼêtre, animation et distinction Commentaire (col. 20-24) Paragraphe 7 (col. 25-31) : Création des dieux et de lʼhumanité. Animation des êtres Commentaire (col. 25-31) Paragraphe 8 (col. 32-38) : Création des animaux Commentaire (col. 32-38) Paragraphe 9 (col. 39-41) : Synthèse de la création Commentaire (col. 39-41) Paragraphe 10 (col. 42-44) : Dieu nourricier et naissance de la végétation Commentaire (col. 42-44) Paragraphe 11 (col. 45-50) : Hypostases et manifestations de la divinité Commentaire (col. 45-50) Paragraphe 12 (col. 51-54) : Dieu atlante et solaire Commentaire (col. 51-54) Paragraphe 13 (col. 55-59) : Menhyt/Neith et Khnoum-Rê dʼEsna Commentaire (col. 55-59) Paragraphe 14 (col. 59-64) : Création, naissance et destinée. Union des dieux Commentaire (col. 59-64) Translitération et traduction suivie ESNA II, 31. TRADUCTION ET COMMENTAIRE Titulature royale (col. 1-4) Paragraphe 1 (col. 5-10) : Aspects créateurs et célestes Commentaire (col. 5-10) Paragraphe 2 (col. 11-27) Paragraphe 3 (col. 28-33) Commentaire (col. 14-33) Paragraphe 4 (col. 34-37) Commentaire (col. 34-37) Paragraphe 5 (col. 38-40) : Théologies thébaines et de la ville de Komir Commentaire (col. 38-40) Paragraphe 6 (col. 41-42) : Formes sensibles et aspects guerriers Commentaire (col. 41-42) Paragraphe 7 (col. 42-47) : Théologies hermopolitaines et memphites Commentaire (col. 42-47) Paragraphe 8 (col. 48-56) : Aspects royaux de la divinité Commentaire (col. 48-56) Paragraphe 9 (col. 56-64) : Création de Chou et Tefnout. Les deux oisillons à Esna Commentaire (col. 56-64) Translitération et traduction suivie SYNTHÈSE Les destinataires des hymnes La création comme sujet à part entière Dernières remarques structurales et thématiques La façade ptolémaïque du temple : unité thématique Parallèles et influences Bibliographie Index des textes Index thématique Planches The hymns on the "soubassements" of the Ptolemaic facade of the temple of Esna are well known in Egyptological bibliography. Despite this fact, knowledge about them is only fragmentary because of their poor state of conservation and textual complexity. Engraved in the period of the coregency of Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatre II (170 and 169-164 BC), each one of these hymns (Esna II, 17 and 31) has a length of 64 columns and contains a homage to the main gods of the Latopolitan region, namely Khnum-Ra, Neith, Shu and Tefnut. Their multiple associations with other deities express the rich syncretism in late Egyptian religion. Esna II, 17 includes a cosmogonical text relating the creation by Khnum-Ra of the world and the gods, but also of human beings and all other creatures. Since the mid-19th century several sources have displayed copies of these texts, edited by Serge Sauneron in the 1960's. Some of these materials remained unpublished until now, but they are included in the present work, such as the Wilbour papers (Brooklyn Museum, New York), containing an extensive part of both hymns, and the photos taken by Serge Sauneron in 1965, kept in the archives of the French Institute in Cairo (IFAO). Abraham I. Fernández Pichel now presents a new edition, translation and commentary of the hymns. He proposes an interpretation of both hymns reflecting some of the main axes of the theology of the temple of Esna during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Thus, the plurality of aspects of the Latopolitan divinities, the thematic complementarity between both texts and their integration into the decoration of the facade are the main topics of the present study. Text is in French The hymns on the soubassements of the Ptolemaic facade of the temple of Esna are well known in Egyptological bibliography. Despite this fact, knowledge about them is only fragmentary because of their poor state of conservation and textual complexity. Engraved in the period of the coregency of Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatre II (170 and 169?164 BC), each one of these hymns (Esna II, 17 and 31) has a length of 64 columns and contains a homage to the main gods of the Latopolitan region, namely Khnum-Ra, Neith, Shu and Tefnut. Their multiple associations with other deities express the rich syncretism in late Egyptian religion. Esna II, 17 includes a cosmogonical text relating the creation by Khnum-Ra of the world and the gods, but also of human beings and all other creatures. Since the mid-19th century several sources have displayed copies of these texts, edited by Serge Sauneron in the 1960's. Some of these materials remained unpublished until now, but they are included in the present work, such as the Wilbour papers (Brooklyn Museum, New York), containing an extensive part of both hymns, and the photos taken by Serge Sauneron in 1965, kept in the archives of the French Institute in Cairo (IFAO).0Abraham I. Fernández Pichel now presents a new edition, translation and commentary of the hymns. He proposes an interpretation of both hymns reflecting some of the main axes of the theology of the temple of Esna during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Thus, the plurality of aspects of the Latopolitan divinities, the thematic complementarity between both texts and their integration into the decoration of the facade are the main topics of the present study