sharing powers with PEUKESTAS. His term in office and the
length of his satrapy are not documented well.
Ba’lu-shipti(fl. 14th century B.C.E.) Prince of Gezer, in
modern Palestine
Hesucceeded Miliku as Gezer’s ruler in the reign of
AKHENATEN(1353–1335 B.C.E.). Ba’lu-shipti wrote to the
pharaoh to complain about the commander of the Egyp-
tian forces in Palestine, a man named Maya, and his cor-
respondence is included in the ’AMARNA LETTERS. Upon
arriving in the area to offer assistance, Maya and his
troops reportedly commandeered Ba’lu-shipti’s palace,
and the prince expressed his outrage to Akhenaten.
Ba’lu-urs(fl. 14th century B.C.E.) Prince of the coastal
plains of Palestine, south of Mount Carmel
Ba’lu-urs was active in the reign of AKHENATEN
(1353–1335 B.C.E.). He wrote to the Egyptian pharaoh to
protest the marauding activities of a neighboring ruler,
LAB’AY U, who was raiding his lands. His correspondence
was included in the ’AMARNA LETTERS.
baptism This spiritual ritual was depicted in the tem-
ple of Hermonthis (modernERMENT) portraying TUTHMO-
SIS III(r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.).Another baptism is portrayed
on the walls of KARNAK, showing SETI I(r. 1306–1290
B.C.E.) and RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) performing
the rite. HATSHEPSUT(r. 1473–1458 B.C.E.) was also por-
trayed receiving baptism in her shrine in THEBES. The
temples at ABYDOS,AMADA, and HELIOPOLISdepicted the
same ceremony.
Egyptian baptism was a solemn cleansing by means
of water. The rite was often connected with coronations,
and at that time called the hespurification. In baptismal
ceremonies the deities of Egypt saluted the PHARAOHand
welcomed him into the sacred circle of kingship. Water
and the ankh,the ansate cross symbol of life, were shown.
Some references to baptism as part of the daily morning
rituals of the pharaoh are evident.
barks of the gods Sacred boats, either in miniature
form or full-size, used as part of ancient Egyptian
religious ceremonies, these vessels were important be-
cause they accentuated the nurturing role of the Nile in
Egyptian life through the centuries. The religious signifi-
cance of the barks can be traced to the belief in the
spiritual Nile, which carried the dead to the various
levels of eternal paradise and bliss. The spiritual Nile
led the deceased out of the mortal world if they were
worthy.
RÉsailed across the heavens on solar barks, using the
MANDETto ascend the sky each morning and the MESEKET
to descend at twilight. He also employed a bark for his
nightly voyage through the TUATor the Underworld. The
bark of OSIRISwas mentioned in the PYRAMID TEXTS.An
elaborate vessel, this bark had a cabin for a shrine and
was decorated with gold and other precious metals and
stones. In the New Kingdom, the bark of Osiris was
called the neshmetor the KHA’EMHET, and was refurbished
or replaced by each pharaoh. The bark of the god PTAH
was the neb-heh.
AMUN’S bark, called the userhetamun, or the
weseghatamun,“Mighty of Brow Is Amun,” was Egypt’s
most famous ritual boat. Made of cedar wood and about
200 feet in length, the bark was entirely gilded and deco-
rated with gems. The rams’ heads were fashioned out of
gold. The vessel was replaced or redecorated almost every
year and was used for special Amunite ceremonies in and
around THEBES. A special lake was built for certain rites,
and a temple was designed to house the bark when it was
not in use.
Most barks followed a similar design. They were
fashioned as floating temples, fronted by miniature
obelisks, with flagstaffs and highly ordained cabins,
which served as the sanctuary of the god. The major
deities had barks covered in gold. Other Egyptian deities
sailed in their own barks on feast days, with priests row-
ing the vessels on sacred lakes or on the Nile. KHONS’S(1)
bark was called “Brilliant of Brow” in some eras. The god
MIN’S(1) boat was named “Great of Love.” The HENNU
BOAT of SOKAR was kept in MEDINET HABU and was
paraded around the walls of the capital on feast days.
This bark was highly ornamented and esteemed as a cul-
tic object. The barks could be actual sailing vessels or be
carried on poles in festivals. The gods normally had both
types of barks for different rituals. A fleet of such barks
was discovered in ABYDOS.
See also ABYDOS FLEET.Barramiyeh Asite on the eastern desert near EDFU,
this was a rich mining area for the ancient Egyptians.
SETI I(r. 1306–1290 B.C.E.) of the Nineteenth Dynasty
recorded his efforts to dig wells for the benefit of the local
miners there. Such projects were royal obligationsBarramiyeh 6 5The bark of Amun, from a temple relief in Thebes. Such ves-
sels sailed on the Nile and on temple lakes or were carried in
gala processions.