Aspekte der spätägyptischen Religion by Wolfhart WestendorfReview by: K. A. KitchenJournal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 102, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1982), pp. 389-390Published by: American Oriental SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/602549 .

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Reviews of Books 389

sections in historical works, medical and navigational works. He chooses to study the travellers' accounts and the naviga- tional works in particular because they are the most impor- tant and nearest to the original sources.

In addition to this critical textual history, Tibbetts' discus- sion of the Arab geographers' conception of South-East Asia (pp. 66-99), followed by an equally interesting discussion of the Arab navigators' conception of South-East Asia (pp. 230-

257), are as enlightening as they are informative. Originating from three completely different historical periods, three dif- ferent conceptions of the topography of South-East Asia

appeared in the Arab geographical literature: (a) a Ptolemaic conception based entirely on the maps of Ptolemy; (b) a classical Arab conception which was contemporary with the early geographical texts (eighth-ninth centuries A.D.); and (c) a modern conception which is fully developed in the works of the navigational authors.

The introduction of the extremely out of date Greek material and the constant mixing up of the African Zanj and the Asian Zabaj are explained by the author as reasons for the uselessness of the maps prepared by the early Arab geo- graphers. The navigational treatises too are not free from error, the most obvious being the alignment of Java and the islands of Timor. The author agrees, however, that the Arab works constitute an important legacy covering a period in history when there was little else in the way of written sources.

Undoubtedly, this mine of historical information and anal- ysis complete with seven maps which the author drew on the basis of information supplied by the Arab texts, will remain as an indispensable reference for any student of South-East Asian history. The inclusion of an index of Arabic names and technical terms is most commendable.

M. KAMAL HASSAN

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA

Aspekte der spdtdgyptischen Religion. Edited by WOLF-

HART WESTENDORF. Pp. 115. (Gbttinger Orientforschun- gen, IV. Reihe: Agypten, Band 9). Wiesbaden: OTTO HARRASSOWITZ. 1979. 20 DM.

This slim but dense volume is the result of various lectures given in Gbttingen under various auspices and here gathered together. It contains five essays, or more precisely four essays and a summary.

First is Dr. J. Assman's "Primacy and Transcendence: structure and origin of the Egyptian concept of a 'highest being"' (pp. 7-42). The heart of his study is the contention that a 'Weltgott' or supreme power who can be manifested in the 'natural world' (pantheistically) is not in Egypt an inven- tion of the 1st millennium B.C., but can be clearly seen fully

developed in the Ramesside age (13th-12th centuries B.C.),

having earlier roots. Specifically, Assmann produces data to show that this was no chance happening: it sprang out of theological reaction (especially by the Amun-priests of Thebes) to the challenge of polytheism posed by the 'Aton- monotheism' formulated and promulgated by Akhenaten at the expense of Amun and the pantheon. Pantheistic identifi- cation of the supreme being (here termed Amun) took two forms. One identified the god's body (or parts) with elements in nature (water, light, etc.), the other with locations (e.g., with sky, earth, netherworld, the west, etc.). Another aspect of the supreme being is that he was not simply Amun-his real name was considered to be unknown, the 'visible' deities being merely symbols or outward signs of a power utterly hidden from mere mankind. Concerning the so-called 'Memphite Theology' (p. 17), an additional word is now in order. Following Junge, Assmann recognises that this remarkable document no longer offers evidence for the 3rd-millennium theology of Egypt. However, it should be said that Junge's own attempt to date the origin of this document to the 25th Dynasty is directly contradicted by the introductory state- ment of Shabako (of that Dynasty) that he had ordered it to be recopied durably from a worm-eaten manuscript. On this point Shabako was doubtless much better informed than Dr. Junge. But now, the date of the Memphite Theology can be narrowed to the Ramesside Period onwards, as it employs syncretisms of the type Ptah-Tatenen, Ptah-Nun, not so far attested before the 19th Dynasty, as set out by H. A. Schlogl, Der Gott Tatenen, Freiburg/Gottingen, 1980, pp. 110ff. Thus, there is the attractive possibility that, just as the great Amun-hymns and various Theban tomb and temple texts give us the Theban theologians' response to Amarna, so the "Memphite Theology" is part of the response of the priest- hood of Ptah of Memphis to the same situation-after all, Amun was not the only god to suffer the Atonist challenge at all levels. In any case, the Ramesside period visibly produced far more (and richer) fruits than merely Abu Simbel and the Battle of Qadesh!

Dr. P. Derchain's "The Egyptian God as a Person and a Function" appears here as a mere summary (pp. 43-45), enlivened by two diagrams. D.'s thesis is that, to the believer, the Egyptian deity was personal, having a fixed place in the temple cult-image (pied-ti-terre, one might say!), as well as being omnipresent in the heavenly realm. Thus the deity's power is revealed on earth in natural phenomena that become the subject of myth. The temple-ritual sets the whole in motion. Thus rites and offerings in the temple to the deity's image are intended to elicit response from the deity in heaven, that he may fulfil his function (defined in the mythology) in natural conditions back on earth. Which of course, will include provisions that in turn goes into offerings, so closing the circle.

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390 Journal of the American Oriental Society 102.2 (1982)

Third in line is Dr. E. Graefe's ("King and God as guarantors of the Future . . . in Graeco-Roman temple- inscriptions" (pp. 47-78). G. starts from the role of the king to fulfil the temple offering-rites so as to induce the gods to maintain the cosmic order in being. He brings to notice a special phrase, expressing the king's 'right attitude/relation- ship' in this duty: tp-bi'3(t). He cites 12 examples from Ptolemaic/ Roman temple-texts, and one from a private text. He then notes that the Egyptians persisted with their rites even when deity had already pledged that the cosmos would continue and that there would be a tomorrow. This divine guarantee found expression in the phrase sr uit, "announcing what was coming," some 20 examples of which are then reviewed by G. He is careful to point out that the terms used here have little to do either with oracles or with prediction in (e.g.) the biblical sense. Rather, sr l'it was the deity's announce- ment of his decision that tomorrow (in narrow or broad sense) would be, his decision being inevitable. The paper ends with an excursus on scenes of offering a pectoral. The latter is merely one of a number of amulets, as the discordant texts show.

R. Grieshammer writes on "God and the Negative from Sources of the Egyptian Late Period" (pp. 79-92). Here, the negative' is all that opposes or threatens the ordered world, i.e., chaos/evil. G. notes that, in contrast to earlier periods, the Graeco-Roman temple-scenes of offering ma'et (Truth/ right) include a denial of the converse, isft, 'wrong'-a word that becomes rare in private texts (unlike its para-synonym grg). The overcoming of evil is a task never finally finished, and always highlighted at royal accessions.

Finally, F. Junge discusses "Isis and the Egyptian Mys- teries" (pp. 93-115). J.'s basic proposition is that the Isis so popular in the Graeco-Roman world was not just a Hellenistic goddess in Egyptian colouring, but rather a real Egyptian goddess in Hellenistic guise. His contentions should at least provoke Hellenists into examining their Isis-beliefs carefully.

As the foregoing account and comments may indicate, this volume offers much useful and challenging material to the serious student of ancient Egyptian religion-and by no means wholly restricted to the Late Period in its effects. Occasionally, greater simplicity and clarity of expression would have been helpful (cf. Assmann's I 1-line sentence including a 7-line bracket, p. 21!), and one expects citations from standard text-editions when available (e.g., the reviewer at least would expect 'Kitchen, Ramesside Inscriptions, IV, pp. 29:5-6' in note 8, p. 63 of Graefe, as A nnales is not available so widely). A useful work, all round.

K. A. KITCHEN

WOOLTON, LIVERPOOL

L'Elkabien, EpipaMolithique de la Valle du Nil Egjptien.

By PIERRE M. VERMEERSCH. [Elkab II] Pp. vii + 157 + 2 tables + 6 plates. Leuven, Belgium: UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN

PRESS. 1979. 1,500 Bfr.

The discovery and careful excavation of a stratified, Epipalaeolithic settlement at El Kab in southern Upper Egypt constitutes an important contribution to Egyptian Palaeolithic archaeology in particular and to Egyptian prehistory in general. By promptly reporting his finds in a number of short articles published over the last dozen years and then following these preliminary accounts with an exhaustive, comprehensive monograph, Prof. Vermeersch has fulfilled his scientific duties in exemplary fashion. Although Elkah II is an expensive volume, it is clearlv the most desirable way in which to publish primary archaeological data and a lesson to archaeo- logists who regard information as a secondary appendage to their theories.

Elkah II is divided into six substantive chapters followed by a brief English summary. Chapter 1 deals with the geographic and geologic location of the site and describes the principal geomorphic and sedimentological units in the El Kab area. Particularly useful is Table I which correlates the El Kabien units with those described in Wendorf and Schild (1976) for nearby El Kilh and by Butzer and Hansen (I1972) for the Kom Ombo Plain just to the south.

Chapter 11 presents a discussion of excavation techniques, a definition of archaeological-stratigraphic zones and several topographic maps, artifact distribution plans and stratigraphic profiles. the figures are neat, well labelled and easy to understand.

Chapter III, the largest section of this monograph, deals with the archaeological material itself. The chapter is divided into four parts. Parts A. and B. deal respectively with discussions of cryptocrystalline cores and waste for all levels. Part C. reviews the tools-that is, the worked specimens-level by level. The description of the artifacts is exhaustive and accompanying line drawings, superb. Particularly useful is the careful juxtaposition of figures and printed descriptions--- a difficult editorial task, the results of which pay handsome dividends for the scientist or scholar wishing to compare his material with that reported by Vermeersch and his associates. Six tables illustrate the frequencies and metric characteristics of the El Kabien Epipalaeolithic assemblage.

Chapter IV is devoted to specialized, ancillary studies. Part A., by Achilles Gautier, presents an analysis of the vertebrate fauna from the Epipalaeolithic levels. Despite poor preser- vation, Gautier was able to identify a number of species, reflecting a varied game and fish diet and suggesting that the Epipalaeolithic sites were occupied seasonally, between July and November. In light of the recent palaeoenvironmental work done by Wendorf and his associates in the Western

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