Ancient Egyptian Temple Elements

Part V: Associated Element

by Mark Andrews

A temple complex was virtually never constructed in isolation, for most at least needed an estate
in order to survive at all. In fact, the temple itself was almost always surrounded by other support
facilities, or facilities needing support from the temple. Some of the structures were directly
related to religious functions of the temple, while others were more administrative in nature.
Unfortunately, many such structures, such as the Sanatoria, the House of Life, storage and
support facilities, were built of mudbrick and are therefore significantly deteriorated.

Mammisis

The mammisi, which is often referred to as a birth house and considered by some to be a temple
in its own rite, was certainly a structure with considerable religious significance, especially for
the king. This term, which is actually a coptic word for "birth-place", was originally invented for
the structure by Jean Francois Champollion. Located within the temple precinct and often
oriented at right angles to the main temple axis, this type of structure was associated with the
mysterious birth of the gods and the celebration of their births. Particularly in New Kingdom
mammisis, the divine birth of the king might also be celebrated. While the birth of a god, such as
Horus the Younger was primary in the mammisi, the king's divine relationship with the gods is
also frequently stressed.

Mammisis were very common in the Greek and Roman period, when they were present in all
known, major temples, but their origin was probably Egypt's Late Period. However, their
appears, evidenced by 18th Dynasty reliefs describing the divine birth of Hatshepsut at Deir el-
Bahri and that of Amenhotep III at Luxor, to have been earlier counterparts.

The best known mammisi is associated with the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, which was
dedicated to Ihy (the son of Hathor and Horus). This mammisis was built by Augustus, but not
decorated until the reign of Trajan. This particular structure is especially useful, for its
inscriptions and decorative theme provide explanations and information on mammisis. At
Dendera there was also an earlier birth house begun by Nectanebo I during the 30th dynasty,
while other such structures are known by us at Philae, celebrating the birth of Horus, Kom
Ombo, for the birth of Panebtawy and Edfu, celebrating the birth of Harpre.

The best preserved of these is the frontal part of the mammisi at Edfu and the rear section of that
at Dendera. From these, we see a somewhat unique architectural style, at least from the Greek
and Roman Periods, where an entrance vestibule opens into a relatively shortened building.
Surrounding this room, a peristyle structure with screen like walls between the columns, might
also be erected.

The decorative theme within these structures was obviously related to the birth of a god and his
or her godly parents. Hymns were often included but text might describe the complete act of
procreation, from the courtship of the parent deities through the birth and presentation of their
child. In the mammisi located in the Temple of Hathor celebrating the birth of Ihy even depicts
his formation on the potter's wheel.

However, these birth houses did not just depict the divine child and parents, but often included
other associated deities, who were frequently portrayed in the act of praising the young god. Bes
was frequently carved in relief on the abaci of the columns, and in several birth houses, Hathor is
not only the goddess of motherhood, but is also shown in her role as goddess of music and
intoxication.

Sacred Lakes

We believe that most temple precincts included a sacred lake. Archaeologists have excavated a
number of these, and therefore we know that at least from the New Kingdom times, these lakes
were rectangular in shape with straight, or sometimes with sides that were slightly curved
inward. However, other forms of sacred lakes existed as well, such as the horseshoe shaped pool
(known as an isherw-water) that enclosed the main buildings in the sacred precinct of Mut at
Karnak. Another form, which was the pool that completely surrounded the main cult place called
the Osireion at Abydos and also encircled the shrines of the Maru-Aten at el-Amarna.

These lakes were usually cut deep enough to take advantage of the underlying ground water and
then lined with stone. On the side of the lake facing the actual temple complex, a stairway was
included in order to reach the level of the water, which could vary at different times of the year.
Sacred, or divine lakes (pools), were known to the Egyptians as shi-netjer (she netjeri), but they
were also provided with individual names like most major elements of the temple complex. They
usually functioned on both a symbolic and practical level. Physically, they could provide the
priests of the temple with a reservoir of water to bath in at dawn before entering the temple to
begin their day's work, as well as a source of water for ritual purification and offerings.

But symbolically, the lake was an important piece in the ancient Egyptian's concept of creation.
It was from the primeval waters that life first arose, and each morning as the sun got was
renewed each morning, the Aten (sun disk) would rise above the sacred lake, representing in a
tangible manner the same underlying forces of life and creation. Furthermore, at Karnak, special
pens which held geese would allow the birds to escape each morning through a narrow tunnel on
to the surface of the lake. The goose was one of the great god Amun's forms in his role as
creator. There were, of course, also sacred lakes associated with the cult of Sobek, that held
crocodiles. Other ritualistic ceremonies such as those associated with the resurrection of Osiris at
Sais were also performed on the shores of that temple's divine lake.

Of the sacred lakes that are known to us, the one at the Temple of Karnak (by far the largest) is
notable, for it has been cleaned and flooded in order to give us an idea as to the original
appearance of this element of the temple precinct.

Nilometers

Ancient Egyptian life revolved around the level of the Nile river. It's high floods bought fertile
growth to the Nile Valley, and when the flood was lacking, so was the abundance that Egyptians
came to expect. In order to measure the height of the river and thus predict when the flood would
arrive, an open or well-like gauge was used at sites from Aswan (Elephantine) to Memphis, and
later deep within Nubia at the second and fourth cataracts (rapids). There gauges were known as
Nileometers, and the records of concerning the level of the Nile were archived, which have at
times been instrumental in various type of analysis by Egyptologists.

Varying considerably in size, the Nileometer usually consisted of measuring steps at the water's
edge but could be entirely open, or flanked by walls, sometimes with a roof. They could consist
of only a few steps, or like have as many as ninety, such as the one on Elephantine Island at
modern Aswan which was built during the Roman Period. Many temples had their own
Nileometers, which were obviously not only important gauges of Nile flood levels, but of the
god's favor (and the king's performance in his role as intermediary god) as well. For example, on
the island of Philae, there were two such structures within only a few hundred meters of each
other, one descending down a cliff from the colonnade near the temple of Nectanebo I on the
southwest corner of the island, while another further to the north was near a Greek Period
mammisi. Obviously there was no real world need for two Nileometers in such close proximity
to one another.

It should be noted that the Nilometer, while connected with aspects of the ancient Egyptian
religion, continued to be an important device long after the last temple was closed. For example,
there is an Islamic Nilometer dating to about 705 to 715 AD at Geziret el-Rhoda in Cairo, and in
1870, the Khedive Ismail had the one at Elephantine repaired for practical use.

Sanatoria

A sanatoria was basically the very ancient equivalent of a medical (or magical) clinic (with
hospital attributes), where the sick or injured could come to seek healing from the gods and
perhaps, the wisdom of the priests and scholars of the temple. Unfortunately, few such structures
remain, though there are ruins at several temples that are thought to perhaps be sanatorias
(including one at Hatshepsut's temple on the West Bank at Thebes (modern Luxor). However, in
the Graeco-Roman Period temple at Dendera dedicated to Hathor we do find a clear example of
this structure. In fact, that sanatoria was probably very important and it developed a reputation
for healing, drawing people from great distances due to Hathor's reputation as a goddess of
compassion.

The sanatoria at Dendera consisted of many chambers where the sick rested while they awaited
the dreams that might bring divine prescriptions for their recovery. Within this sanatoria was a
central courtyard where temple priests would pour water over statues that had been inscribed
with magical texts, allowing the magic to pass into the water. This was then given to the sick for
drinking or bathing.

It is entirely possible that the Sanatoria may have been partially connected with the "house of
life", for there we find the study of medicine in ancient Egypt.
The House of Life

The institutions associated with the ancient temples and known to the Egyptians as per ankh, or
"house of life", were nothing less then the forerunners of our modern universities, though they
probably also served as an administrative archive of the temple complex as well. They were a
central point of concentration for scribes and ancient scholars. We know from documentary
evidence of these institutions at Memphis, Akhmim, Abydos, Koptos, Esna and Edfu, though
there must certainly have been one located at Thebes. However, archeological evidence of their
existence is rare, though we have bricks stamped with the words "per ankh" that were discovered
at el-Amarna.

The precise relationship between the temple and the "house of life" is not entirely known, for
they certainly also had an important role within the palace court. Some of these institutions may
have developed somewhat independently, while others may have had a close relationship with
the temple complexes.

Regardless, the per ankh certainly functioned as a scriptorium, where religious and magical texts
associated with the cult of the gods were written, copied, collated, edited and archived in the
associated House of Books (per medjat). Many of the texts that were created or copied and
archived in the "house of life" were considered sacred as they dealt with divinely revealed
matters, called by the ancient Egyptians, the ba re, meaning the "soul" or "emanation" of Re. All
manner of cult text were produced, including mythical and theological treaties, texts used in the
recitations performed at temple rituals and the master text that would later be inscribed on the the
temple walls, obelisks and other architectural elements. In this regard, the priests and officials of
the "house of life" may have even been concerned in a supervisory role with the work of temple
craftsmen.

It may have been in these institutions, from the New Kingdom onward, that copies of the Book
of the Dead were produced, perhaps sometimes individually for important individuals, and as
templates to be personalized later with an individual's name. Such books were considered to be
divinely inspired in much the same way that the scriptures of our modern faiths of today.
However, in addition to religious text, it is thought that a separate area of the per ankh, or
perhaps within a separate building attached to it, temple accounts, contracts, correspondence and
other temple records were also archived, and in fact, all manner of secular information may have
been stored within these institutions.
With his boast that he had studied all the texts of the per ankh in order to discover the secrets of
the gods, Ramesses IV implies that the institution was regarded as a center of learning in every
aspect. Perhaps more encompassing, the Priest Pa-ti-Ist , who was selected to accompany the
Pharaoh Pasammetichus (Psamtik) II on this expedition to Syria was told, "Look, you are a
scribe of the House of Life, there is nothing on which you could be questioned to which you
would not find an answer!" This statement seems to imply a vast coverage of both secular and
religious knowledge associated with the per ankh.

Indeed, the "house of life" appears to have not only been a place where religious texts were
copied and archived but also a center for scholarly learning in many fields. It was here that
priests and scribes studied subjects such as writing, art, theology, rituals, magic, astronomy, law,
mathematics and medicine, among others. And while there may have been no classrooms, it is
likely that children of the royal court and other elite may have received instructions in these
fields as well.

As libraries, with their wide collection of knowledge, they became famous throughout the world.
For example, in the 2nd Century AD, the medical writer Galen tells us that Greek physicians
visited the library of per ankh at Memphis to learn from its texts. In fact, there is little doubt that
the most famous institution of learning during ancient times, the Library of Alexandria, was
modeled after the more ancient per ankh.

Support Facilities

Larger temples might literally employ thousands of people in various capacities, and around
these institutions, various industries matured. Often within the temple's perimeter walls, they
supplied the real world needs of the cult, as well as offerings to the gods, and could include
slaughterhouses, bakeries and kitchens, breweries workshops and artistic studios. They might
produce everything from bread to furniture and even the floral arrangements and other gifts for
the gods.

The Temple Estate

Temples were endowed by the kings of Egypt, an arrangement that gave the pharaoh, as well as
the temple, considerable power. These estates were used to both fund the temple operations, as
well as provide the personnel with their basic necessities. The endowments included agricultural
land near the temple complex, but might encompass considerably more complex holdings. The
estate would almost certainly include farm land, but might also consist of vineyards and
orchards, gardens and even quarries and mines as well as areas such as marshlands, all for the
temple's use.

While these estates were most often adjacent to the temple, the could at times be remotely
located as well. For example, during the New Kingdom, the Temple of Seti I controlled large
areas even south of the second cataract in Nubia.

Storage Facilities

Granaries were an important storage area for most temple complexes. The usually consisted of
independent or a series of adjacent silos made from mud or mudbrick. Independent silos were
usually arranged in groups of two to five, arranged in a square courtyard.

Besides the products of the temple estate and items produced in the temple workshops and other
facilities, temples also received gifts and offerings brought in from outside sources. Hence, not
only were granaries needed to store the yield from the temple's agricultural land, but other
various types of storage facilities might also be needed. These structures were often located
behind the temple in the vicinity of a roadway. Others, particularly those associated with
mortuary complexes, were frequently build around the temple within its enclosure, a feature
probably due to their isolation.

Interestingly, while these facilities might at first seem to be a relatively secular component of the
temple complex, they often had religious aspects as well. Our knowledge of the religious
activities surrounding these storage facilities is highly lacking, but for example, we know that
Granaries were often the site of specific religious rituals. Various New Kingdom tomb scenes
show offerings that were made to gods at granaries, and specifically at the granary of Amun at
Karnak, there is a relief depicting Hapi making offerings of to the grain and harvest goddess
Renenutet. Perhaps such ceremonies predate the modern religious concept of tithing, which
might induce the various gods to allow a bountiful crop.
Even at other storage facilities we find evidence of cult activity. A stone dais adjacent to the
magazines at the end of the portico along the facade of the Ramesseum on the West Bank at
Thebes, as well as another in the court next to the magazines of the mortuary temple of Seti I at
Abydos appear to include features that might have been related to cult activities.

The Living Quarters

From the above discussion, it is clear that priests were far from the only members of the temple
complex staff. There were ordinary field hands, administrators, scholars and scribes, artists,
bakers, warehousemen and others. Many of these people might reside in local villages, but
others, and specifically the priests as well as high officials and administrators, often lived in
housing on the temple estate, or sometimes even within the temple walls. At times, in association
with huge temple complexes, such developments could constitute entire villages.
Kuno Candi Elemen Mesir
Bagian V: Elemen Terkait
oleh Mark Andrews

Sebuah kompleks candi hampir tidak pernah dibangun dalam isolasi, untuk sebagian
setidaknya diperlukan estate untuk bertahan hidup sama sekali. Bahkan, kuil itu sendiri
hampir selalu dikelilingi oleh fasilitas pendukung lainnya, atau fasilitas membutuhkan
dukungan dari kuil. Beberapa struktur yang langsung berhubungan dengan fungsi
keagamaan candi, sementara yang lain lebih administrasi di alam. Sayangnya, struktur
seperti banyak, seperti sanatorium, Gedung fasilitas Hidup, penyimpanan dan
dukungan, yang dibangun dari mudbrick dan karena itu secara signifikan memburuk.

Mammisis

Para mammisi, yang sering disebut sebagai rumah kelahiran dan dianggap oleh
beberapa orang untuk menjadi sebuah kuil di ritus sendiri, tentu saja struktur dengan
makna keagamaan yang cukup, terutama untuk raja. Istilah ini, yang sebenarnya kata
Koptik untuk "kelahiran-tempat", pada awalnya diciptakan untuk struktur oleh Jean
Francois Champollion. Terletak di daerah pusat candi dan sering berorientasi pada
sudut kanan terhadap sumbu candi utama, struktur jenis ini dikaitkan dengan kelahiran
misterius para dewa dan perayaan kelahiran mereka. Khususnya di New Kerajaan
mammisis, kelahiran ilahi raja mungkin juga dirayakan. Sementara kelahiran seorang
dewa, seperti Horus Muda adalah yang utama di mammisi, hubungan ilahi raja dengan
dewa juga sering ditekankan.

Mammisis sangat umum dalam periode Yunani dan Romawi, ketika mereka hadir di
semua, kuil yang dikenal besar, tetapi asal mereka mungkin Periode Akhir
Mesir.Namun, muncul mereka, dibuktikan dengan relief Dinasti ke-18 yang
menggambarkan kelahiran ilahi Hatshepsut di Deir el-Bahri dan bahwa Amenhotep III di
Luxor, telah rekan-rekan sebelumnya.

Yang paling dikenal mammisi dikaitkan dengan Kuil Hathor di Dendera, yang
didedikasikan untuk Ihy (putra Hathor dan Horus). Mammisis ini dibangun oleh
Augustus, tetapi tidak dihiasi sampai pemerintahan Trajan. Struktur khusus ini sangat
berguna, untuk tulisan dan tema dekoratif memberikan penjelasan dan informasi
tentang mammisis. Di Dendera ada juga sebuah rumah kelahiran sebelumnya dimulai
oleh Nectanebo I selama dinasti 30, sedangkan struktur lain seperti dikenal dengan
kami di Philae, merayakan kelahiran dari Horus, Kom Ombo, untuk kelahiran
Panebtawy dan Edfu, merayakan kelahiran Harpre.

Yang terbaik diawetkan ini adalah bagian depan dari mammisi di Edfu dan bagian
belakang yang di Dendera. Dari ini, kita melihat gaya arsitektur yang agak unik,
setidaknya dari Periode Yunani dan Romawi, di mana ruang depan pintu masuk
membuka ke sebuah bangunan yang relatif singkat. Sekitar ruangan ini, struktur
peristyle dengan layar seperti dinding antara kolom, mungkin juga akan didirikan.
Tema dekoratif dalam struktur ini jelas terkait dengan kelahiran seorang dewa dan
orang tua saleh nya. Himne sering termasuk tetapi teks mungkin menggambarkan
tindakan lengkap prokreasi, dari pacaran para dewa tua melalui kelahiran dan
presentasi dari anak mereka. Dalam mammisi terletak di Kuil Hathor merayakan
kelahiran Ihy bahkan menggambarkan formasi pada roda tembikar.

Namun, rumah-rumah ini lahir tidak hanya menggambarkan anak ilahi dan orang tua,
tetapi sering termasuk dewa yang terkait lainnya, yang sering digambarkan dalam
tindakan memuji dewa muda. BES sering diukir pada relief di abaci dari kolom, dan di
rumah beberapa kelahiran, Hathor tidak hanya dewi ibu, tetapi juga ditampilkan dalam
perannya sebagai dewi musik dan keracunan.

Danau Suci

Kami percaya bahwa daerah sekitar kuil paling termasuk sebuah danau suci. Para
arkeolog telah menggali sejumlah ini, dan karena kita tahu bahwa setidaknya dari masa
Kerajaan Baru, danau-danau yang berbentuk persegi panjang dengan lurus, atau
kadang-kadang dengan sisi yang sedikit melengkung ke dalam. Namun, bentuk lain dari
danau suci ada juga, seperti kolam berbentuk tapal kuda (dikenal sebagai air isherw-)
yang tertutup bangunan utama di daerah pusat suci Mut di Karnak. Bentuk lain, yang
merupakan kolam renang yang benar-benar dikelilingi tempat pemujaan utama disebut
Osireion di Abydos dan juga mengepung kuil Maru-Aten di el-Amarna.

Danau ini biasanya dipotong cukup dalam untuk mengambil keuntungan dari air tanah
yang mendasari dan kemudian dilapisi dengan batu. Di sisi danau yang dihadapi
kompleks candi yang sebenarnya, sebuah tangga dimasukkan untuk mencapai tingkat
air, yang dapat bervariasi pada waktu yang berbeda tahun ini.

Danau suci, atau ilahi (kolam), yang dikenal sebagai Mesir shi-netjer (dia netjeri), tetapi
mereka juga diberikan dengan nama-nama individu seperti unsur paling utama dari
kompleks candi. Mereka biasanya difungsikan pada kedua tingkat simbolis dan
praktis. Secara fisik, mereka bisa memberikan para imam kuil dengan reservoir air
untuk mandi di saat fajar sebelum memasuki kuil untuk memulai pekerjaan hari mereka,
serta sebagai sumber air untuk pemurnian ritual dan persembahan.

Tapi secara simbolis, danau merupakan bagian penting dalam konsep Mesir kuno
penciptaan. Itu dari air purba yang hidup pertama muncul, dan setiap pagi saat
matahari mendapat diperbaharui setiap pagi, Aten (matahari disk) akan naik di atas
danau yang sakral, yang mewakili secara nyata kekuatan dasar yang sama hidup dan
penciptaan. Selanjutnya, di Karnak, pena khusus yang diadakan angsa akan
memungkinkan burung untuk melarikan diri setiap pagi melalui sebuah terowongan
sempit pada permukaan danau. Angsa adalah salah satu bentuk dewa Amun yang
besar dalam perannya sebagai pencipta. Ada, tentu saja, juga danau suci terkait
dengan kultus Sobek, yang memegang buaya. Upacara ritual lain seperti yang terkait
dengan kebangkitan Osiris di Sais juga dilakukan di tepi danau ilahi yang candi.
Dari danau suci yang kita kenal, satu di Kuil Karnak (yang terbesar) adalah penting,
karena telah dibersihkan dan banjir dalam rangka untuk memberi kita ide untuk
penampilan asli dari elemen Candi polisi.

Nilometers

Kehidupan Mesir kuno berkisar tingkat sungai Nil. Banjir tinggi itu membeli
pertumbuhan subur ke Lembah Nil, dan ketika banjir itu kurang, begitu pula kelimpahan
Mesir yang datang ke harapkan. Dalam rangka untuk mengukur tinggi sungai dan
dengan demikian memprediksi kapan banjir akan tiba, sebuah pengukur terbuka atau
dengan baik-seperti digunakan di situs dari Aswan (Elephantine) ke Memphis, dan
kemudian jauh di dalam Nubia di katarak kedua dan keempat (jeram ).Ada alat
pengukur dikenal sebagai Nileometers, dan catatan tentang tingkat Nil yang diarsipkan,
yang pada waktu telah berperan dalam berbagai jenis analisis oleh Mesir Kuno.

Memvariasikan dalam ukuran, biasanya terdiri Nileometer mengukur langkah-langkah di

tepi air, tetapi bisa sepenuhnya terbuka, atau diapit oleh dinding, terkadang dengan
atap. Mereka bisa terdiri dari hanya beberapa langkah, atau seperti memiliki sebanyak
sembilan puluh, seperti yang ada di Pulau Elephantine di Aswan modern yang dibangun
selama Periode Romawi. Banyak kuil Nileometers mereka sendiri, yang jelas tidak
hanya alat pengukur penting tingkat banjir Nil, tetapi mendukung dewa (dan kinerja raja
dalam perannya sebagai perantara dewa) juga. Sebagai contoh, di pulau Philae, ada
dua struktur tersebut dalam hanya beberapa ratus meter dari satu sama lain, satu turun
menuruni tebing dari lorong dekat kuil Nectanebo saya di sudut barat daya pulau itu,
sementara yang lain lebih lanjut untuk utara berada di dekat mammisi Periode
Yunani. Jelas tidak perlu dunia nyata selama dua Nileometers di dekat tersebut untuk
satu sama lain.

Perlu dicatat bahwa Nilometer, sementara terhubung dengan aspek agama Mesir kuno,
terus menjadi perangkat penting lama setelah candi terakhir ditutup. Misalnya, ada
Nilometer Islam dating ke sekitar 705-715 AD di Geziret el-Rhoda di Kairo, dan di tahun
1870, Ismail Khedive memiliki satu di Elephantine diperbaiki untuk penggunaan praktis.

Sanatorium

Sanatorium Sebuah dasarnya setara sangat kuno dari sebuah klinik (atau magis) medis
(dengan atribut rumah sakit), dimana sakit atau terluka bisa datang untuk mencari
penyembuhan dari para dewa dan mungkin, kebijaksanaan para imam dan ulama
candi. Sayangnya, struktur seperti tinggal beberapa, meskipun ada reruntuhan di
beberapa kuil yang dianggap mungkin akan sanatorias (termasuk satu di kuil
Hatshepsut di Tepi Barat di Thebes (modern Luxor). Namun, di kuil Periode Graeco-
Romawi di Dendera berdedikasi untuk Hathor kita menemukan contoh yang jelas dari
struktur ini. Pada kenyataannya, bahwa sanatorium mungkin sangat penting dan
mengembangkan reputasi untuk penyembuhan, menggambar orang dari jarak besar
karena reputasi Hathor sebagai dewi kasih sayang.
Para sanatorium di Dendera terdiri dari ruang di mana orang sakit beristirahat
sementara mereka menunggu mimpi yang mungkin membawa resep ilahi untuk
pemulihan mereka. Dalam sanatorium ini halaman tengah tempat kuil imam akan
menuangkan air di atas patung yang telah ditulis dengan teks magis, sihir yang
memungkinkan untuk lulus ke dalam air. Ini kemudian diberikan kepada orang sakit
untuk minum atau mandi.

Sangat mungkin bahwa sanatorium mungkin sebagian telah terhubung dengan "rumah
kehidupan", karena di sana kita menemukan studi kedokteran di Mesir kuno.

Rumah Kehidupan

Lembaga-lembaga yang terkait dengan kuil-kuil kuno dan Mesir dikenal sebagai per
ankh, atau "rumah kehidupan", yang tidak kurang maka pelopor universitas modern
kita, meskipun mereka mungkin juga menjabat sebagai arsip administratif kompleks
candi juga. Mereka adalah titik pusat konsentrasi untuk ahli-ahli Taurat dan para
sarjana kuno. Kita tahu dari bukti dokumenter dari lembaga-lembaga di Memphis,
Akhmim, Abydos, Koptos, Esna dan Edfu, meskipun ada pasti sudah menjadi salah
satu terletak di Thebes. Namun, bukti arkeologis keberadaan mereka jarang, meskipun
kami memiliki batu bata dicap dengan kata-kata "per Ankh" yang ditemukan di el-
Amarna.

Hubungan yang tepat antara kuil dan "rumah kehidupan" tidak sepenuhnya diketahui,
karena mereka tentu juga memiliki peran penting dalam pengadilan istana. Beberapa
institusi mungkin telah mengembangkan agak independen, sementara yang lain
mungkin memiliki hubungan dekat dengan kompleks candi.

Apapun, per Ankh tentu difungsikan sebagai skriptorium, di mana teks-teks agama dan
magis terkait dengan pemujaan dewa-dewa ditulis, disalin, disusun, diedit dan
diarsipkan di Gedung terkait Buku (per medjat). Banyak dari teks-teks yang diciptakan
atau disalin dan diarsipkan dalam "rumah kehidupan" yang dianggap suci karena
mereka berurusan dengan hal-hal yang ilahiah, disebut oleh orang Mesir kuno, kembali
ba, yang berarti "jiwa" atau "emanasi" dari Re . Semua ragam teks kultus diproduksi,
termasuk perjanjian-perjanjian mitos dan teologis, teks yang digunakan dalam bacaan
ritual dilakukan di kuil dan teks master yang kemudian akan tertulis di dinding candi,
obelisk dan elemen arsitektur lainnya. Dalam hal ini, para imam dan para pejabat dari
"rumah kehidupan" mungkin bahkan telah terlibat dalam peran pengawasan dengan
karya pengrajin candi.

Ini mungkin telah di lembaga-lembaga, dari Kerajaan Baru dan seterusnya, bahwa
salinan dari Kitab Orang Mati diproduksi, mungkin kadang-kadang individu untuk orang-
orang penting, dan sebagai template yang akan dipersonalisasi kemudian dengan
nama individu. Buku semacam itu dianggap diilhami ilahi dalam banyak cara yang sama
bahwa tulisan suci dari agama modern kita saat ini. Namun, di samping teks agama, ia
berpikir bahwa area yang terpisah dari ankh per, atau mungkin dalam sebuah
bangunan yang terpisah yang melekat padanya, candi account, kontrak, surat menyurat
dan catatan candi lain juga diarsipkan, dan pada kenyataannya, secara
semua informasi sekuler mungkin telah disimpan di dalam lembaga tersebut.

Dengan membanggakan bahwa dia telah mempelajari semua teks dari ankh per rangka
untuk menemukan rahasia para dewa, Ramses IV menyiratkan bahwa lembaga itu
dianggap sebagai pusat pembelajaran dalam setiap aspek. Mungkin lebih menyeluruh,
Imam Pa-ti-Ist, yang dipilih untuk menemani Firaun Pasammetichus (Psamtik) II pada
ekspedisi ke Syria diberitahu, "Lihat, Anda adalah seorang juru tulis dari Rumah
Kehidupan, tidak ada yang Anda bisa dipertanyakan yang Anda tidak akan menemukan
jawaban! " Pernyataan ini tampaknya menyiratkan cakupan yang luas pengetahuan
baik sekuler dan religius yang terkait dengan Ankh per.

Memang, "rumah hidup" tampaknya tidak hanya menjadi tempat di mana teks-teks
agama disalin dan diarsipkan tapi juga pusat untuk belajar ilmiah dalam berbagai
bidang. Itu di sini bahwa para imam dan ahli Taurat belajar mata pelajaran seperti
menulis, seni, teologi, ritual, sihir, astronomi, hukum, matematika dan kedokteran,
antara lain. Dan meskipun ada mungkin telah ada kelas, ada kemungkinan bahwa
anak-anak dari pengadilan kerajaan dan elit lain mungkin telah menerima petunjuk di
bidang ini juga.

Seperti perpustakaan, dengan koleksi yang luas pengetahuan mereka, mereka menjadi
terkenal di seluruh dunia. Sebagai contoh, pada abad ke-2, penulis Galen medis
mengatakan bahwa dokter Yunani mengunjungi perpustakaan per Ankh di Memphis
untuk belajar dari teks-teks. Bahkan, ada sedikit keraguan bahwa lembaga yang paling
terkenal dari pembelajaran selama masa kuno, Perpustakaan Alexandria, adalah model
setelah lebih kuno per Ankh.

Dukungan Fasilitas

Candi besar secara harfiah bisa mempekerjakan ribuan orang dalam berbagai
kapasitas, dan di sekitar lembaga-lembaga, berbagai industri matang. Seringkali dalam
dinding perimeter candi, mereka memasok kebutuhan dunia nyata kultus, serta sebagai
persembahan kepada para dewa, dan bisa mencakup pemotongan hewan, toko roti dan
dapur, lokakarya pembuatan bir dan studio seni. Mereka mungkin menghasilkan segala
sesuatu mulai dari roti untuk furnitur dan bahkan rangkaian bunga dan hadiah lain untuk
para dewa.

Estate Temple

Candi diberkahi oleh raja-raja Mesir, pengaturan yang memberikan firaun, serta bait
suci, kekuasaan besar. Perkebunan ini digunakan untuk mendanai operasi kedua candi,
serta menyediakan personil dengan kebutuhan dasar mereka. Para hibah termasuk
tanah pertanian dekat kompleks candi, tetapi mungkin mencakup kepemilikan jauh lebih
kompleks. Perkebunan akan hampir pasti mencakup lahan pertanian, tetapi juga
mungkin terdiri dari kebun-kebun anggur dan kebun-kebun, kebun dan bahkan tambang
dan tambang serta bidang-bidang seperti rawa, semua untuk menggunakan candi.
Sementara perkebunan yang paling sering berdekatan dengan kuil, bisa pada waktu
yang akan terletak jauh juga. Sebagai contoh, selama Kerajaan Baru, Kuil Seti I
dikendalikan daerah yang luas bahkan selatan katarak kedua di Nubia.

Fasilitas Penyimpanan

Lumbung itu merupakan tempat penyimpanan penting bagi kompleks candi yang
paling. Biasanya terdiri dari serangkaian independen atau silo yang berdekatan terbuat
dari lumpur atau mudbrick. Silo Independen biasanya diatur dalam kelompok 2-5, diatur
dalam halaman persegi.

Selain produk dari real candi dan item diproduksi dalam lokakarya candi dan fasilitas
lainnya, candi juga menerima hadiah dan persembahan dibawa dari sumber luar. Oleh
karena itu, tidak hanya yang diperlukan lumbung untuk menyimpan hasil dari lahan
pertanian candi, tetapi berbagai jenis lain dari fasilitas penyimpanan juga mungkin
dibutuhkan. Struktur ini sering terletak di belakang kuil di sekitar jalan raya. Lain,
terutama yang berhubungan dengan kompleks pemakaman, sering membangun sekitar
candi di dalam kandang, sebuah fitur mungkin karena isolasi mereka.

Menariknya, sementara fasilitas ini mungkin pada awalnya tampak menjadi komponen
yang relatif sekuler kompleks candi, mereka sering memiliki aspek religius
juga.Pengetahuan kita tentang kegiatan keagamaan di sekitar fasilitas-fasilitas
penyimpanan yang sangat kurang, tapi misalnya, kita tahu bahwa sering Lumbung
tempat ritual keagamaan tertentu. Berbagai Kerajaan Baru makam adegan
menunjukkan persembahan yang dibuat untuk dewa-dewa di lumbung, dan secara
khusus di lumbung Amun di Karnak, ada kelegaan yang menggambarkan Hapi
membuat persembahan ke gandum dan Renenutet dewi panen. Mungkin upacara
seperti mendahului konsep agama modern persepuluhan, yang mungkin menginduksi
berbagai dewa untuk memungkinkan tanaman berlimpah.

Bahkan di fasilitas penyimpanan lain kita menemukan bukti aktivitas kultus. Sebuah
batu podium berdekatan dengan majalah pada akhir serambi sepanjang fasad
Ramesseum di Tepi Barat di Thebes, serta pengadilan lain di sebelah majalah candi
kamar mayat dari Seti I di Abydos muncul untuk menyertakan fitur yang mungkin telah
berhubungan dengan kegiatan kultus.

Living Quarters

Dari diskusi di atas, jelas bahwa imam jauh dari satu-satunya anggota staf kompleks
candi. Ada tangan lapangan biasa, administrator, ulama dan ahli-ahli Taurat, seniman,
tukang roti, warehousemen dan lain-lain. Banyak dari orang-orang mungkin berada di
desa-desa, tetapi yang lain, dan khususnya para imam serta para pejabat tinggi dan
administrator, sering tinggal di perumahan di real kuil, atau kadang-kadang bahkan
dalam dinding candi. Pada kali, dalam hubungan dengan kompleks candi besar,
perkembangan seperti itu bisa merupakan seluruh desa.