The Role of Breastfeeding in Ancient Egyptian Religion and Kingship

这个项目研究了从古王国到希腊罗马时期（约1000年）的古埃及寺庙和坟墓中的神圣护理主题（古埃及国王被女神母乳喂养）所扮演的宗教和政治角色。2450 BCE - 31 CE）。我正在通过对每个场景的王权和主题的图像分析，以及对每个场景的伴随铭文的文本分析，分析这一时期寺庙或坟墓建筑群中的每一个已知的神圣护理场景。此外，某些场景将作为案例研究，对它们在寺庙或坟墓中的位置以及它们与周围场景的关系进行上下文分析。我将专注于以下研究问题：在埃及寺庙和坟墓的背景下，神圣护理主题的作用是什么？这些场景如何与其他场景相关联并相互作用？关于古埃及神圣王权的本质，这些场景可以揭示什么？关于妇女在埃及宗教、王权和世界观中的作用，这些场景揭示了什么？为了这个分析，我已经开始创建一个数据库，记录埃及神圣护理主题的每一次出现（大约130个场景）。由于所有这些场景尚未出版或出版时没有可用的线条画或照片，因此前往埃及拍摄这些场景至关重要。数据库和照片将与最后的论文一起提供。神圣的护理场景被认为象征着国王被众神收养，他接受了成为国王所需的神圣保护和权力。这种普遍接受的理解主要依赖于Jean Leclant（1951 & 1960）的著作。Leclant和后来的学者（Maruejol 1983; Budin 2011; Gomez-Landero 2016）通常只关注特定数量的场景，例如某个时期或地点的场景，并且在很大程度上独立于其更大的装饰背景来研究场景。虽然这些研究方法已被证明在许多方面是有用的，但这些场景是一个更大的项目的一部分，当考虑到它们的背景时，将获得更多的理解。因此，对所选案例研究的语境分析将使我的研究对我们理解这一主题及其在各种语境中的使用做出独特而重要的贡献，我的研究也将有助于我们理解古埃及王权和妇女在宗教和政治中的作用。这些场景创造了国王和女神之间的个人联系。因此，他们的使用，图像和文本可以阐明关于国王与神的关系的信仰，以及这些信仰如何随着时间的推移而改变。此外，这些场景描绘了国王依赖女神的滋养和照顾。通过对这一母题的研究，我们可以更好地理解妇女在古埃及世界观中所扮演的角色及其在政治和宗教中的应用。

This project examines the religious and political role played by the divine nursing motif (depictions of the ancient Egyptian king being breastfed by a goddess) in ancient Egyptian temples and tombs from the Old Kingdom through the Greco-Roman period (ca. 2450 BCE - 31 CE). I am analyzing every known divine nursing scene from a temple or tomb complex during this period through an iconographic analysis of the regalia and subjects of each scene and a textual analysis of each scene's accompanying inscriptions. Additionally, certain scenes will act as case studies for a contextual analysis of their location in the temple or tomb as well as their relationship to surrounding scenes.I will focus on the following research questions:What is the role of the divine nursing motif in the context of Egyptian temples and tombs? How do these scenes relate to and interact with other scenes?What can these scenes reveal regarding the nature of divine kingship in ancient Egypt?What do these scenes reveal regarding the role of women in Egyptian religion, kingship, and worldview?For this analysis, I have begun to create a database of each appearance of the Egyptian divine nursing motif (approximately 130 scenes). As all of these scenes have not been published or were published without usable line drawings or photos, a trip to Egypt to photograph such scenes will be essential. The database and photos will be made available with the final dissertation.Divine nursing scenes are believed to have symbolized the king's adoption by the gods and his reception of the divine protection and power needed to be king. This generally accepted understanding relies largely on the writings of Jean Leclant (1951 & 1960). Leclant and later scholars (Maruejol 1983; Budin 2011; Gomez-Landero 2016) have generally focused on only a select number of scenes such as those of a certain period or location and have largely examined the scenes independent of their larger decorative context. While these methods of study have proven useful in many ways, these scenes were meant to be part of a larger program and more understanding will be gained when their context is considered. As such, the contextual analysis of the selected case studies will allow my research to make unique and important contributions to our understanding of this motif and its use in various contexts.My research will also contribute to our understanding of ancient Egyptian kingship and the role of women in religion and politics. These scenes create a personal connection between the king and a goddess. Thus, their use, iconography, and texts can illuminate beliefs regarding the king's relationship with the divine and how these beliefs may have changed over time. In addition, these scenes depict the king dependent on a goddess for nourishment and care. In this way, this study of the motif can help us better understand the roles played by women in the ancient Egyptian worldview and its application in politics and religion.