Construction of a Temple with Regard to the Rising Sun Ray

2021 ◽  
pp. 100-106
Author(s):  
Nikolay L. Pavlov
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Greece ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Cultural Traditions ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Main Attribute

Using the example of a number of cultural traditions, the author considers a construction of the temple structure along a rising sun ray. There are two main types of temples built according to the rising sun ray: the temples oriented towards the sunrise by their sanctuaries, and the temples oriented towards the sunrise by the entrance portal. Examples of such a construction are given for the temples of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Orthodox and Catholic Christianity, Hinduism and Shintoism. The first type of temple in Ancient Egypt is shown to represent the birth of the sun in its sanctuary. In Christianity, this type of temple represents a ray of the sun entering the temple from an apse window – from the God depicted there. The second type of temples in Ancient Egypt represents the revival of image of the pharaoh-god located in his sanctuary, with the rising sun ray. In the ancient tradition, this type of temple represents the meeting of the rising sun over the large pre-temple altar, along with a statue of a deity in the depths of the sanctuary. It is shown that the main cathedral of Catholic Christianity, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, is oriented towards sunrise not according to Christian, but according to ancient tradition. In the Hindu Shaiva tradition, the meeting of the rising sun in front of the temple portal is associated with penetration of its ray into the sanctuary and the highlighting of the statue or the main attribute of the god. In the Shinto tradition, the ascendant is presented in a special portal. The welcoming sacrifice takes place on the pre-temple altar. In general, the paper deals with the semantic, spatial, decorative, and ritual aspects of the construction performed of both types of temples.

A Pleasing Odour for Yahweh

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-24
Author(s):  
Anne Katrine De Hemmer Gudme
Keyword(s):  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Sacred Space ◽  
Ancient World ◽  
Hellenistic Period ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The West ◽  
Sense Of Smell ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Crucial Part

This article investigates the importance of smell in the sacrificial cults of the ancient Mediterranean, using the Yahweh temple on Mount Gerizim and the Hebrew Bible as a case-study. The material shows that smell was an important factor in delineating sacred space in the ancient world and that the sense of smell was a crucial part of the conceptualization of the meeting between the human and the divine.  In the Hebrew Bible, the temple cult is pervaded by smell. There is the sacred oil laced with spices and aromatics with which the sanctuary and the priests are anointed. There is the fragrant and luxurious incense, which is burnt every day in front of Yahweh and finally there are the sacrifices and offerings that are burnt on the altar as ‘gifts of fire’ and as ‘pleasing odors’ to Yahweh. The gifts that are given to Yahweh are explicitly described as pleasing to the deity’s sense of smell. On Mount Gerizim, which is close to present-day Nablus on the west bank, there once stood a temple dedicated to the god Yahweh, whom we also know from the Hebrew Bible. The temple was in use from the Persian to the Hellenistic period (ca. 450 – 110 BCE) and during this time thousands of animals (mostly goats, sheep, pigeons and cows) were slaughtered and burnt on the altar as gifts to Yahweh. The worshippers who came to the sanctuary – and we know some of them by name because they left inscriptions commemorating their visit to the temple – would have experienced an overwhelming combination of smells: the smell of spicy herbs baked by the sun that is carried by the wind, the smell of humans standing close together and the smell of animals, of dung and blood, and behind it all as a backdrop of scent the constant smell of the sacrificial smoke that rises to the sky.

Art. VII.—Some Early Babylonian Contract-Tablets or Legal Documents II

1899 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-120
Author(s):  
Theophilus G. Pinches
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
Legal Documents ◽  
The Temple

Nûr-îli-šu has built for his god the temple of Lugala and Šullat. One šar (is the measure of) the temple of his god—he has dedicated it for his life. Pî-ša-Šamaš is the priest of the temple. Nûr-îli-šu shall not make a claim against the priesthood (i.e., demand the restitution of the property he has given). The curse of the Sun-god and Suma-îla (shall be upon him) who brings an action.

INTRODUCTION

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Fowler
Keyword(s):  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Special Section ◽  
Third Century ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Urban Archaeology ◽  
The Moon ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Temple

This is the twenty-fifth Special Section published in Ancient Mesoamerica, and therefore it represents something of a milestone in the history of the journal. The goal has been to present in each special section a collection of related papers from a single project or region or on a selected topic to provide readers a tightly integrated summary of current research and interpretations. Certainly one of the most compelling and provocative special sections we have published was “Urban Archaeology at Teotihuacan” which appeared in vol. 2, no. 1 (1991). This collection of papers featured two stunning articles on the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, then often referred to as the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Constructed in the early third century A.D., the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, along with the Sun Pyramid and the Moon Pyramid, was one of the three most powerful monuments in the sacred urban landscape of Teotihuacan. Rubén Cabrera Castro, Saburo Sugiyama, and George L. Cowgill (1991) reported on excavations in the 1980s of the Feathered Serpent Pyramid and the investigation of more than 137 sacrificial burials, including more than 70 males identified as soldiers because of associated offerings, discovered at the base of and underneath the pyramid. In the second article, Alfredo López Austin, Leonardo López Luján, and Saburo Sugiyama (1991) presented their brilliant iconographic analysis of the sculptural facades of the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, arguing that the monumental structure was dedicated to the myth of the origin of time and calendric succession, a tangible cosmogonic proclamation that Teotihuacan was “the place where time began.”

scholarly journals THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPORTS IN UKRAINE AND ABROAD

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (20) ◽  
pp. 42-46
Author(s):  
A.M. Kulish ◽  
V.V. Turpitko
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Olympic Games ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Ancient Greece ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Physical Culture ◽  
Ancient India ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Further Development

Sport has always served to establish peace, to help different peoples of the world to study each other’s culture, to create conditions for the humane resolution of conflicts, to be an opportunity to express their talents. Therefore, he never fell out of sight of society. In this work, the authors present the formation and development of sports in Ukraine and abroad. The main features of the primitive community were identified. It is determined that the invention of the chariot for the physical culture of the states: Babylon, Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Ancient India, China, Persia became the starting point for the further development of sports in this region. It has been found that ancient Greece made a significant contribution to the development of sports. After all, it was the basis of the main principles of modern professional sport. Attention is drawn to the Olympic Games that took place in Ancient Greece: their appearance, conditions, prohibition, and revival Pierre de Coubertin. Further new competitions (Paralympic Games, Olympic Games, etc.) were added to them. It is revealed that international organizations and institutions have been set up to control such competitions. The authors found that religion had a great influence on the formation of physical culture during the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. Trends in the development of modern sport and the factors that influence it was found out. As a result, it was concluded that sports are currently in the process of transformation. Therefore, the authors indicate what has the greatest influence on the formation and continued existence of sports. The main stages of the formation of physical culture in Ukraine were analyzed. It is also established that Ukraine has built a domestic sport in accordance with world experience in this field. Keywords: sports, physical culture, Olympics, doping, consolidating function.

Abusir of Sons of the Sun

Abusir ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Verner
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Town

This chapter examines the influence of the town of Heliopolis—the center of the sun cult in Egypt—on the foundation and development of the royal cemetery in Abusir. It begins with an overview of the history and meaning of the sun cult in ancient Egypt, showing that sun worship in the Nile Valley can be traced to prehistory. It then describes some pyramid complexes built in ancient Heliopolis, including the pyramid complex of Sahure, and the decline of the Abusir necropolis. It also discusses the decline of the Fourth Dynasty and the rise of the Fifth Dynasty; the mystery surrounding three royal mothers, all named Khentkaus; the papyri as fragmentary records of the Abusir pyramid temple administration and economy; Ptashshepses, the vizier and son-in-law of Nyuserre; and the funerary cult of the kings buried at Abusir. The chapter concludes with an assessment of sun temples of the Fifth Dynasty kings.

In the Shadow of Memphis

Abusir ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Verner
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Third Millennium ◽  
Third Millennium Bc ◽  
History Of ◽  
First Dynasty ◽  
The City ◽  
The Temple

This chapter focuses on Memphis, a metropolis of ancient Egypt, and the possibility that it was the site of the remains of monumental temples, royal residences, palaces, and many other urban features. Meni, the legendary unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty at the turn of the fourth to third millennium BC, is credited with the founding of Memphis. It is believed that, in addition to the stronghold, Meni also founded the Temple of Ptah, the chief god of the new royal seat. The chapter traces the history of Memphis and describes the district of the Temple of Ptah, along with the pyramids, royal tombs, and other structures located in the city. It also considers some of the deities who had their cult in Memphis, including Hathor. Finally, it looks at the pharaohs who built their tombs in Memphis.

Eclipses and Science

Eclipses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Close
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ancient Greece ◽  
The Sun

What science has come from eclipses? The philosophers of Ancient Greece used eclipses and occultation to build the first conception of a three-dimensional universe and overthrow the impression that Earth is at the center of a celestial dome on which the Sun, Moon, planets, and...

scholarly journals New discoveries on astronomical orientation of Inca site in Ollantaytambo, Peru

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Karolína Hanzalová ◽  
Jaroslav Klokočník ◽  
Jan Kostelecký
Keyword(s):  
Digital Elevation Model ◽  
Satellite Images ◽  
Observation Point ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Winter Solstice ◽  
Machu Picchu ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
The Temple

<p>This paper deals with astronomical orientation of Incas objects in Ollantaytambo, which is located about 35 km southeast from Machu Picchu, about 40 km northwest from Cusco, and lies in the Urubamba valley. Everybody writing about Ollantaytambo, shoud read Protzen. (1)  He devoted his monograph to description and interpretation of that locality. Book of Salazar and Salazar (2) deals, among others, with the orientation of objects in Ollantaytambo with respect to the cardinal direction. Zawaski and Malville (3) documented astronomical context of major monuments of nine sites in Peru, including Ollantaytambo. We tested astronomical orientation in these places and confirm or disprove hypothesis about purpose of Incas objects. For assessment orientation of objects we used our measurements and also satellite images on Google Earth and digital elevation model from ASTER. The satellite images were used to estimate the astronomical-solar-solstice orientation, together with terrestrial images from Salazar and Salazar (2). The digital elevation model is useful in the mountains, where we need the actual horizon for a calculation of sunset and sunrise on specific days (solstices), which were for Incas people very important. We tested which astronomical phenomenon is connected with objects in Ollantaytambo. First, we focused on Temple of the Sun, also known the Wall of six monoliths.  We tested winter solstice sunrise and the rides of the Pleiades for the epochs 2000, 1500 and 1000 A.D. According with our results the Temple isn´t connected neither with winter solstice sunrise nor with the Pleiades. Then we tested also winter solstice sunset. We tried to use the line from an observation point near ruins of the Temple of Sun, to west-north, in direction to sunset. The astronomical azimuth from this point was about 5° less then we need. From this results we found, that is possible to find another observation point. By Salazar and Salazar (2) we found observation point at the corner (east rectangle) of the pyramid by <em>Pacaritanpu,</em> down by the riverside. There is a line connecting the east rectangular “platform” at the river, going along the Inca road up to vicinity of the Temple of the Sun and then in the direction to the Inca face. Using a digital elevation model we found the astronomical azimuth, which is needed for confirm astronomical orientation of the Temple. So, finally we are able to demonstrate a possibility of the solar-solstice orientation in Ollantaytambo.</p>

From E-Group to Funerary Pyramid: Mortuary Cults and Ancestor Veneration in the Maya Centre of Nakum, Petén, Guatemala

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarosław Źrałka ◽  
Wiesław Koszkul ◽  
Bernard Hermes ◽  
Juan Luis Velásquez ◽  
Varinia Matute ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Structure ◽  
Classic Period ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Ancestor Veneration ◽  
Solar Observations ◽  
Preclassic Period ◽  
The Temple

Recent investigations at the Maya centre of Nakum (in Guatemala) enabled the study of the evolution of an interesting complex of buildings that started as the so-called E-Group, built during the Preclassic period (c. 600–300 bc). It was used for solar observations and rituals commemorating agricultural and calendrical cycles. During the Classic period (ad 250–800), the major building of the complex (Structure X) was converted into a large pyramidal temple where several burials, including at least one royal tomb, were placed. We were also able to document evidence of mortuary cults conducted by the Maya in the temple building situated above the burials. The architectural conversion documented in Structure X may reflect important religious and social changes: a transformation from the place where the Sun was observed and worshipped to the place where deceased and deified kings were apotheosized as the Sun Deity during the Classic. Thus the Maya transformed Structure X into one of the most sacred loci at Nakum by imbuing it with a complex solar and underworld symbolism and associating it with the cult of deified ancestors.

Cult of the Sun: Myth and Magic in Ancient Egypt

1982 ◽  
Vol 37 (135) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
M. L. Wilson ◽  
R. David
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
The Sun
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