Author Description

Many Egyptologists believe that most religious ceremonies and magical rituals preserved in Temple and tomb reliefs were observed initially in dramatic form to convey a transcendental ambiance to the teaching. Edfu's sacred drama inscribed on the inner west wall of the temple precinct was not the least revered of its literary traditions. It tells how the Neter confronts Set in eleven reliefs after attaining the majority and claiming Asar's throne, each featuring a theatrical scene and dialogue. Dramatis personae in The Mystery Play appear to have been members of the Royal House; the audience included nomarchs and the general populace, and the priests served as both theatrical directors and commentators. In Edfu, the play was performed annually on the 21st of Menhir, the second month of winter, and four days afterward, the Festival of Victory. This fell just before the spring equinox in 110 B.C.E. (when the walls at Edfu were engraved).