A Naos of Nekhthorheb from Bubastis: Religious Iconography and Temple Building in the 30th Dynasty

Abstract

• The first full publication of a monumental red granite naos of king Nekhthorheb from the temple at Bubastis in the Nile Delta (360–343 BC). Originally 3.5m tall, fragments were excavated by Edouard Naville in the 1880s, many of which are now in the British Museum, the naos is an important source for late religious iconography and relief sculpture as it bears extensive depictions of divine figures, arranged in registers and carved in exquisite detail at a small scale. A comprehensive photographic coverage of the architecture and decoration is presented, alongside facsimilies, plans and reconstructions. The purpose and meaning of the decoration is discussed, and the naos placed in the context of the extensive temple building programme of the 30th dynasty, which sought to complement military defence with sacred protection in the face of Persian invasion attempts.