One of the colorful aspects of going to the Temple of Horus is the way we get there after the cruise ship docks:
The Egyptian city of Edfu, located on the West bank of the Nile between Esna and Aswan, is a common stop for the many cruise ships on the Nile. The main destination in Edfu is the Temple of Horus. Of all the temple remains in Egypt, this is considered to be the most completely preserved. Depicted on the colonnade of the Temple below is a Pharaoh in the famous "smiting" pose, which mimics the constellation Orion, with the defeated enemy held in victory in one hand, with the upraised club about to strike in the other.
Pharaohs who are found in this pose on inscriptions include:
Pharaohs who are found in this pose on inscriptions include:
- Narmer, the first king of Egypt
- Den
- Sekhemkhet
- Sneferu, the builder of the Dahshur pyramids
- Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid
- Sahure
- Neuserre
- Pepi
- Amenemhet III
- Thutmosis III
- Thutmosis IV
- Nefirtiti
- Ramses II
- Ptolemy VIII
- Ptolemy XII
- and even the god Horus
According to legends carved on the stone walls of this Horus Temple, founded during the reign of Ptolemy III, the current temple replaced a much earlier structure designed in accordance with a divine plan that "dropped down from heaven to earth near the city f Memphis." Its architect was the fabled Imhotep, who designed the famous Step Pyramid in Sakkara.
Andrew Collins, Joseph Jochmans and others insist that the so-called "Building Texts" on Edfu's walls teach of an ancient world that existed before the pharaonic age. The texts give accounts of the people who lived after Zep Tepi, the Egypt expression for Creation, literally "the first time."
Andrew Collins, Joseph Jochmans and others insist that the so-called "Building Texts" on Edfu's walls teach of an ancient world that existed before the pharaonic age. The texts give accounts of the people who lived after Zep Tepi, the Egypt expression for Creation, literally "the first time."