dead. It was probably prompted by the custom of the
commoners or the poor who gave used linens to the
embalmers for the ritual preparation of each mummy.
The poor could not afford new linens, so they wrapped
their family corpses, called “Beloved Osirises,” in those of
“yesterday.”
lion It was an ancient Egyptian theophany, or divine
manifestation, associated with the gods RÉ, HORUS, and
AKER. Called the ma’au,the lion was renowned for its
courage and strength. The cult center for lion worship
was established in LEONTOPOLISin the Delta in the earli-
est periods. Several lion forms were worshiped in the
temples, including Matit, Mehet, Mehos, and PAKHET, dat-
ing to the time of the First Dynasty (2920–2770 B.C.E.).
The Akeru cult was involved in the worship of Ré. The
Akeru, a pair of lions, guarded the sacred sites of the Ré
cult and the “Gate of the Dawn,” the mythical abode
through which Ré passed each morning.
Lions of Sebua Called Sebel in some lists, they are a
remarkable pair of stone figures erected by AMENHOTEP III
(r. 1391–1353 B.C.E.) of the Eighteenth Dynasty at Sebua
in southern NUBIA(modern Sudan). The lion figures were
carried away by raiders of later eras when they invaded
the territory and now are in the British Museum in Lon-
don. During the ’Amarna Period, when AKHENATEN
(Amenhotep IV; r. 1353–1335 B.C.E.), instituted the cult
of ATEN, the inscriptions on the lions were destroyed,
because of the religious nature of the words. TUT’ANKH-
AMUN(r. 1333–1323 B.C.E.) restored the reliefs when he
returned the nation to the worship of AMUNat THEBES.He
also added his own commemoratives.
Lisht, el- This was a site on the western shore, south
of ABUSIR, that served as a necropolis for the city of ITJ-
TAWY, the Twelfth Dynasty capital started by AMENEMHET I
(r. 1991–1962 B.C.E.). The pyramids of Amenemhet I and
SENWOSRET I(r. 1971–1926 B.C.E.) dominate the region,
providing mortuary complexes on the elevated portion of
the site. The pyramidal complex was called “Amun Is
High And Beautiful.” Two monuments discovered there
are in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The pyra-
mid was built on a commanding position, and the com-
plex functioned on two levels as royal family members
and court officials were provided with tombs as part of
the design. A causeway can still be seen, but the valley
temple has disappeared. A great wall (TENEMOS) sur-
rounded the area.
Amenemhet I’s pyramid, also called “the Places of
Amenemhet Shine,” was covered originally with TUREH
limestone and had an entrance on the north face. There
was an offering chapel with a FALSE DOOR and a deep
burial chamber included in the design. The pyramid of
Amenemhet I was surrounded by royal tombs, containing
family members and erected on adjoining lands. The
pyramid complex of Senwosret I was called “the One
Who Is Associated With Senwosret” and was erected in
the southern area. Large and covered with Tureh lime-
stone, the pyramid was surrounded by nine royal graves.
The complex also contained 10 statues of the pharaoh.
There is no surviving evidence of a VALLEY TEMPLEin
Senwosret I’s complex, but a causeway survived, fash-
ioned out of Tureh limestone and adorned with colorful
reliefs. The pyramid is surrounded by two enclosure
walls, the outer one made of brick, and the inner wall
enclosing a MORTUARY TEMPLEand decorated with relief
panels. Senwosret I’s pyramid, named “Senwosret Sur-
veys The Two Lands,” and “Protected Are The Places Of
Senwosret,” had a rubble and sand core. Irregular cham-
bers were incorporated into the pyramid, and the entry
was part of a chapel. Other tombs at el-Lisht include
those of INTEFOKER, a high-ranking official, and SENWOS-
RET-ANKH, whose mastaba contained PYRAMID TEXTSand
a star ceiling.List of Offerings A mortuary document that specified
the gifts to be presented to the deceased in tomb cere-
monies, the Listdates to the Old Kingdom (2575–2134
B.C.E.) and concerns private and royal tombs and some-
times includes presentations made by the pharaohs.
Offerings of meat, drink, and incense were provided each
day by the funerary priests contracted to perform the cer-
emonies. TOMB BALLS, containing wadded contracts made
between the priests and the deceased or surviving rela-
tives, were sometimes included in the grave sites as proof
of the services rendered. The List of Offerings evolved
over the centuries into a full LITURGY OF THE FUNERARY
OFFERINGS, used in MORTUARY RITUALS.Litanies of Sokar This is a compilation of 100 lines
addressed to the god SOKAR, a Memphite funerary deity.
Discovered in the RHIND PAPYRUS, the litanies praised the
deity, who was associated with PTAHand OSIRISin mortu-
ary traditions.Litany of Osiris A hymn recited to Osiris, the God of
the Dead, the “Foremost of the Westerners” in many his-
torical periods of Egypt, the litany was included in the
ANI PAPYRUS, now in the British Museum in London.Litany of Ré This was a funerary text used in the tomb
of TUTHMOSIS III(r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.). The highly styl-
ized design of crude figures used in the reliefs on the
walls of the tomb depict the deceased making his way
through the TUAT, or Underworld, that led to eternal par-
adise. Remarkably executed, the figures depicting the
stages of the litany demonstrate the metamorphosis of the
afterlife and the harrowing endurance tests undergone by
the deceased.Litany of Ré 215