Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Sheep in Ancient Egypt


In ancient Egypt they had sheep too. Of course. Even a god with a ram's head, Khnum.

Sheep were kept for their meat, milk, skins and wool, and flocks of sheep were used to trample newly sown seed into the ground.

Rams, seen as a symbol of fertility, were identified with various gods, notably Khnum, a creator god, and Amun, the great god of the city of Thebes. Ram-headed sphinxes flank the entrance to the temple of Amun at Thebes.

The bodies of some rams were mummified and equipped with gilded masks and even jewellery.

1 comment:

Youssouf said...

Guess what, P-B, I am a RAM! I am also a sheep, but a male one. So, glory to me ;-)