Philae - Temple of Isis Proper

From the roof steps lead down to the Osiris Chambers, which contain fine reliefs relating to the death of Osiris. Vestibule, left hand wall: the northern Nile god offers a libation of milk to the soul of Osiris, sitting before him in the form of a bird; the falcon headed Harendotes pours the water of consecration over the falcon headed mummy of Osiris; behind, the god's sisters; four demons, the god Shu and the Emperor Antoninus Pius (who built this chamber) before Osiris and his sisters Isis and Nephthys. Small main chamber, opposite door, middle row (from left to right): Isis and Nephthys at the bier of Osiris Onnophris (who is naked); the tomb of Osiris (head missing), with two kneeling goddesses; the doorway of the tomb, with a lion; four demons carrying the falcon headed mummy of Osiris. Lower row (left to right): the frog headed Heqet and the falcon headed Harsiesis at the bier of Osiris, under which are the canopic jars for his entrails; the body of Osiris among swamp plants, with a priest pouring the water of consecration; the dog headed Anubis at the bier of Osiris, with Isis and Nephthys kneeling beside it.

The description of the Nilometer by the Greek geographer Strabo (ca. 63 B.C.-A.D. 20) is still accurate:

"The Nilometer is a well built of regular hewn stone on the bank of the Nile, in which is recorded the rise of the stream: not only the highest and the lowest rises but also those in between, for the water in the well rises and falls with the stream. On the side of the well are marks, measuring the height sufficient for irrigation and other water levels. These are observed and made known to all.... This is of importance to the peasants for the management of the water, the embankments, the canals and so on, and also to the officials for the purpose of taxation; for the higher the rise of the water the higher are the taxes."

Southwest of Hadrian's Gateway is a Nilometer, which has the scale marked in hieratic and demotic as well as in the usual Coptic characters. Northwest of the gateway can be seen the foundations of a Temple of Harendotes built by the Emperor Claudius.

The reliefs in the Vestibule, left unfinished and now ruinous, are of particular interest. Over the door in the south wall, above: Horus seated on a bench, with Nephthys and Isis presenting the crowns of Lower and Upper Egypt; Thoth (left) and Seshat, goddess of writing (right) inscribing the King's name on a palm branch; behind Thoth sits the air god Shu, holding a sail, and behind him again another god and a goddess playing a lyre. Below: the tomb of Osiris at Abaton, with the body of Osiris borne by a crocodile; to the left Isis; above, the sun between mountains; and above the whole scene the sun, crescent moon and stars. All this lies within a small temple with a door on the left, in front of which are one small and two large pylons; to the right are rocks. To the left of the door are unfinished reliefs showing the King making grants of land; above are three lines in Meroitic cursive script. On the right hand wall (second top row) is a famous relief depicting the source of the Nile: the god of the Nile, with a snake entwined round his body, pours water from two jars under a rocky crag on which are perched a vulture and a falcon. To the right of this is the soul of Osiris in the form of a bird within the sacred grove, worshiped by Hathor (left) and by Isis, Nephthys, Horus and Amun (right).

A number of antechambers flanked by dark side chambers lead into the Sanctuary, lit by two small windows, with a base (presented by Euergetes I and his wife Berenice) for the sacred barque bearing the image of Isis. To the left of the first antechamber is a small room with reliefs of the King in the presence of Isis. On the west side of this room is a door leading out of the temple; on the north side is astaircase leading to the roof of the sanctuary.

On each side of the Court was a small colonnade with a single column. The court could be shaded from the sun by an awning; the holes for the cords can be seen on the upper part of the cavetto cornice facing the second pylon.

Northwest of the second pylon is the small Gateway of Hadrian, in the old enclosure wall of the temple. This, together with a much ruined vestibule, was built in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian and decorated with reliefs by Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. The gateway presumably led to the Sanctuary of Abaton on the neighboring island of Bigga, where there was a Tomb of Osiris, and accordingly the reliefs relate to the cult of Osiris. On the lintel Hadrian is depicted making offerings to Osiris, Isis and Harsiesis and to Osiris, Nephthys and Harendotes; on the left hand jamb is the sacred relic of Abydos, on the right hand jamb the djed pillar of Osiris (the sacred emblem of Busiris). Within the gateway, on the right (above), Marcus Aurelius is depicted in the presence of Osiris and Isis (note the guidelines for the artist); (below) Marcus Aurelius making offerings of food, including grapes, and flowers to Isis.

The Vestibule, with eight columns, was originally separated from the court by screens between the columns on the front. The conversion of the vestibule and court into a Christian church is recalled by Coptic crosses incised in the walls and a Greek inscription that "this good work" was done in the time of Bishop Theodore (during the reign of Justinian). Above the door is an inscription commemorating the archeological expedition sent to Philae in 1841 by Pope Gregory XVI.