to several times in thePrt em Hrw(Book of the
Coming Forth by Day). Ausar became a central
figure in priestly life, and his shrine is located in
one of the oldest predynastic cities in Ta-Merri,
often referred to as Anu, Abju, or Abydos.
OriginsMany have speculated as to the origins of Ausar.
The most prominent explanation is that he was
imported from Waset (Thebes) and brought into
Anu. Ausar is not attested to by name until the
50th dynastic period in the Pyramid Texts. The
probable antiquity of many of the Pyramid Texts
makes it plausible that he was recognized at an
earlier period, perhaps under the name Khenti
Amentiu (Lord of Amenta or Lord of the Perfect
Black; Amen–the Hidden One–blackness).
A central element of the later Ausarian myth,
the pairing of Heru and Set, is attested from the
middle of the 1st dynasty, predating the first attes-
tations of Ausar by six centuries or more. Abbe
Emile Amelineau, a French Egyptologist, discov-
ered a series of tombs in present-day Om El Gaab
(Anu), in which the Tomb of Ausar was found.
This makes probable the notion that Ausar may
have been a real-life personage who was later
deified by the people of Kemet.
Over the centuries, the temple of Ausar was suc-
cessively rebuilt or enlarged by Pepi I, Ahmose I,
Thutmose III, Ramses III, and Ahmose II.
Statuettes of Ausar have been found as far away as
in the Shaba region of the Republic of the Congo
in Central Africa.
WorshipAmong the centers of worship for Ausar were
the temples at Abju, 8th Nome, Upper Egypt;
Saqqara, 1st Nome, Lower Egypt; Hut-
Heryib/Athribis, 1st Nome, Lower Egypt; Djedu,
9th Nome, Lower Egypt; Taposiris Magna, west
of Alexandria, Lower Egypt; Djan ́net Tanis, 19th
Nome, Lower Egypt; Bigeh, 1st Nome, Upper
Egypt; Waset, 4th Nome, Upper Egypt; and at
Karnak there were five chapels built for Ausar.
The earliest depictions of Ausar are of his head
and torso on a block during the 5th dynasty of
King Isesi. Ausar’s name is written in Mdw Nt_r
(hieroglyphics) on the block, and above it the
symbol of an eye (Iri), which means “to do” or
“to make,” and of a throne (As). Ausar is often
depicted in human form, usually in a black or
green color. When he is depicted in the black
color, it is a representation of the people of Kemet,
as well as the richness of the Earth. Often he is
depicted green as a symbol of the resurrection
principle in agriculture. At times he is in Wi
(mummy) form with his arms protruding out
holding the signs of kingship: staff and flail. The
Atef crown (White) of Upper Kemet is also associ-
ated with Ausar.
The Djed or Tet symbol is used in association
with Ausar. Djed is usually to mean “stability” or
“steadfastness.” The Djed pillar is the earliest
known symbol associated with Ausar and may
actually be predynastic. In the Book of the
Coming Forth by Day, often called theEgyptian
Book of the Dead, it is said that the Djed pillar is
the vertebrae of Ausar. Some believe that the pil-
lar is actually a pole in which grain was tied. It is
often seen used in decorative friezes, together with
the Ankh and Was sceptre hieroglyphs, but just as
frequently with the “Tyet” knot, symbol of Auset.
This may be the reason that Ausar is often spelled
Wasiri because his early depictions included the
Was sceptre.
Ausar was also associated with the Sahu or Sah
(Orion) star system of the southern sky. Sahu is a
constellation in the equatorial zone, visible to the
naked eye thanks to its brilliant stars, which form
a quadrilateral enclosing a shape like a “T.”Myth
According to Kemetic mythology, Ausar was
murdered by his brother, Set, and then brought
back to life by the love of his sister and wife,
Auset. The love of Auset is symbolic of regenera-
tion and the promise of eternal life. The cycle of
destruction, death, and rebirth was repeated each
year in the annual flood of the Nile, the river that
provided the essential ingredients needed to sus-
tain life, giving birth to one of the first civiliza-
tions. Ausar and Auset had a son named Heru.
Together they represent a holy family: god, god-
dess, and divine child. In the New Kingdom, the
main temples throughout Ta-Merri venerated a
holy family modeled on the Ausar, Auset, and
Heru triad.78 Ausar