heart The physical organ called hatas a material bodily
entity and abas a spiritual body. The heart was consid-
ered the seat of reason, faith, and essence by the Egyp-
tians and was normally left in the body during
mummification. A heart SCARAB was included in the
wrappings because the heart testified at the JUDGMENT
HALLS OF OSIRIS. The heart was weighed there against a
feather of the deity MA’ATto determine the worthiness of
the deceased. Heart AMULETSwere popular in the New
Kingdom (1550–1070 B.C.E.) and were fashioned out of
carnelian or glass.
Heart, Divine An attribute of the god HORUSthe Elder.
In some traditions, RÉwas also believed to have a Divine
Heart. Two companions, WA and AA, remained always
with the Divine Heart.
heb The ancient Egyptian word for festival. The hiero-
glyph for the hebis a primitive reed hut on a bowl,
depicting vegetation or reed growth in the hut and purity
in the bowl. All festivals contained two distinct aspects in
Egypt. They were reenactments of past events in history
or in traditions, and they were channels for divine graces
and aspects of spiritual existence that were manifested in
the lives of the participants.
Hebenu This was a site in Upper Egypt, probably the
foundation for the modern village of Zawiet el-Meiten,
that served as a cult center for the falcon, worshiped as
the soul of HORUS. Called bikin Egyptian, the falcon was
revered especially in Hierakonpolis as the hawk. The fal-
con or hawk was an important pharaonic insignia.
Hebenu was one of the oldest settlements on the Nile. An
unidentified pyramid was erected in Hebenu’s necropolis.
heb-sed The five-day jubilee celebration of the 30th
year of a pharaoh’s reign, this FESTIVALwas depicted in
the STEP PYRAMID of DJOSER (r. 2630–2611 B.C.E.) in
SAQQARA, in the southern tomb area. Djoser was por-
trayed running a race, being crowned, sitting on the
throne of Lower Egypt and then on the throne of Upper
Egypt, and dispensing gifts to the local priesthoods. The
heb-seddemonstrated a ruler’s vigor after three decades
and was associated with the god Sed, a canine integrated
into the cult of WEPWAWET. Later rulers did not always
wait 30 years before celebrating the heb-sed.And some
long-lived pharaohs such as PEPI II(r. 2246–2152 B.C.E.)
and RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) celebrated more
than one.
Hecataeus of Abdera(fl. fourth century B.C.E.)Greek
historian who authored an Egyptian history c. 300 B.C.E.
He was in Egypt in the reign of PTOLEMY I SOTER
(304–284 B.C.E.). Hecataeus visited the mortuary com-
plex called the RAMESSEUMat THEBESand translated the
inscriptions on the remains of a colossal seated statue of
RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.). He wrote the name of
Ramesses as Ozymandias. The statue was originally 66
feet high and weighed 1,000 tons. DIODORUS SICULUS
copied a great deal from Hecataeus’s history when he
composed his work in the mid-first century B.C.E.Hedjhekenu(fl. 25th century B.C.E.) Royal woman of
the Fourth Dynasty
She was a lesser ranked wife of KHAFRE(Chephren; r.
2520–2494 B.C.E.) and the mother of Prince Sekhenkaré.
Queen Hedjhekenu was entombed in Khafre’s pyramidal
complex in GIZA.Heh The god of eternity, one of the deities of the
OGDOADof HELIOPOLIS. The consort of HAUKHET, he was
depicted as a man kneeling and holding notched palm
ribs, the symbol of years. An ANKH,the life sign, some-
times hangs on his arm. The word hehmeant millions.
Heh’s cult center was at HERMOPOLIS MAGNA, and he was
the protector of the pharaohs. In some depictions he is
shown holding a SOLAR BOAT.Hek (Hakut) See HEKET.heka See CULTS; MAGIC.heka 163Heh, the god of eternity, shown seated on a sacred djeba,or
perch, carrying rods of life and the ankh,the symbol of life.
He wears a solar disk, surmounted by cobras, the protectors
of Lower Egypt and the kings of Egypt.