Conservation work at a 2,200-year-old Egyptian temple has uncovered 12 reliefs depicting the signs of the Babylonian zodiac, as well as representations of stars and constellations that the ancients used to measure time.
The images were found carved into the ceiling of Esna Temple in Luxor, which was completed around 250 CE and dedicated to the Egyptian fertility god Khnum. They were revealed by a restoration team, made up of archaeologists from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the University of Tübingen in Germany, who cleared millennia of dirt and bird droppings from the surfaces of the temple to unveil the 12 unusual astrological patterns. for a place of worship in Egypt.
One of the signs of the zodiac, representing Scorpio. Photo: Ahmed Emam / Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
“Representations of the zodiac are very rare in Egyptian temples”, says Christian Leitzprofessor at the University of Tübingen, who explained that the Babylonian zodiac was probably introduced to Egypt during the Ptolemaic rule between 305 and 30 BCE
“The zodiac was used to decorate private tombs and sarcophagi and was of great importance in astrological texts, such as the horoscopes found inscribed on potsherds,” added Daniel von Recklinghausen, a researcher in Tübingen. “However, it is rare in the decoration of temples. Apart from Esna, only two completely preserved versions remain, both from Dendera.
Representations of the decans, signs of the zodiac used to measure the twelve hours of the night. Photo: Ahmed Emam / Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Representations of the decans, signs of the zodiac used to measure the twelve hours of the night. Photo: Ahmed Emam / Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Zodiac signs aside, the restoration effort has unearthed a wealth of other reliefs, including illustrations of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.
A host of deities and fantastic animals have also been found, such as a ram-headed serpent, a crocodile-headed bird, and yet another four-winged serpent.
Representation of winged snakes and an animal with the features of a bird, a crocodile and a snake. Photo: Ahmed Emam / Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
In addition, the researchers discovered previously unknown inscriptions, which had been covered in soot and inadvertently preserved. Analyzes are in progress on these new findings.
The restoration of the Temple of Esna began in 2018 and involved cleaning and recolouring the surfaces of the monument. Along the way, the team recorded discoveries, including a colorful fresco composed of 46 representations of the Egyptian goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet, as well as painted inscriptions which detail the royal titles and caption the constellations engraved in the ceiling of the temple.
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