alignments
under construction!
Saiph crossing the north/south meridian; Hyades, a distinctive triangle asterism 45° south of west:
Hyades triangle asterism 45° south of west:
Iunu and Khem
Iunu
An important religious centre with shrines and temples dedicated to many deities, Iunu (pillar or pillars) is mentioned in a text on the outside of a 3rd Dynasty beer jar that may once have held papyri - a summary of the contents written on the outside of the jar reads "Year of: The Following of Horus; 11th occasion of the count of the herds of Iunu" (Strudwick 2005: 74)
Netjerikhet’s name was found on fragments from a shrine at Iunu. Imhotep, possibly responsible for the design of Netjerikhet's mortuary complex, held the title, ‘Great Seer’ a title held by the high priest at Iunu. Rahotep, a son of Snefru or possibly Huni, held the title, ‘Great Seer of Iunu' (wr mA jwnw).
The bas of Iunu (the 'deities of Iunu') are mentioned in a year by year record of the 5th Dynasty kings, Userkaf, Sahura, and Neferikara. A Middle Kingdom 'Coffin Text' explains who the 'Bas of Iunu' are: "I know the Bas (bAw) of Iunu; they are Sun (ra), Shu (Sw) and Tefnut (tfnt)..." CT 154 II 287bc
In the New Kingdom 'chapter for opening the mouth of Ani' (Chap. 23), from the 'Book of Going Forth by Day', Ani identifies himself with 'Sah (sAH, 'Orion') the Great' who dwells with the 'Bas of Iunu’.
Khem
"Hr xm, 'Horus of Khem' ...... The god 'had important royal associations in the early Old Kingdom' (F.D. Friedman 1995: 36).
Six panels deep underground below Netjerikhet's pyramid and 'south tomb' show Netjerikhet running or standing in various shrines. Netjerikhet is wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt in five of the panels, but under the 'South Tomb', a panel shows him wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt and standing in the Lower Egyptian shrine of 'Horus of Khem’ (Hrw xm). This particular shrine was important to the king, as its the only Lower Egyptian shrine included on any of the panels.
The emblem of 'Horus of Khem' appears on the bracelets of one of the fragmentary high-relief statues of Khufu's father, Snefru, in his Lower Temple at Dahshur, and numerous elements from the insignia of 'Horus of Khem' were used in the decoration of the chest lid and walking stick of Khufu's mother, Hetepheres.
"The title held by the High Priest of Horus of Letopolis (Khem) first appears at the end of the Third Dynasty (Goedicke, 1966)" (T. Wilkinson 2001 (1999): 273)
A great star was associated with Khem: ”.....my eyes are opened for me by the Eyeless One, the great star, joined to Khem, and I see with them." CT 106 II, 117
Iunu is due east of Khem and both are mentioned together in the Pyramid / Coffin texts and in the 'Book of Going Forth by Day’.
"Live! Live - you have not really died - like Horus, Foremost of Khem, lives: he to whom the great cavern has been opened, the one of Iunu, he of the great baton, the great one of the sedan chair of Foremost of the Westerners." P 32 (PT 438)
"........who are in Iunu and Khem." CT 146 II, 196
"I have come from Khem to Iunu in order to inform the Benu-bird about the matters of the Duat." ‘Book of going forth by Day’ (Theban Recension) Chap. 64
The four children of ‘Horus of Khem’ (N 522) were the watchmen of Egypt (P 513), and they fetched for the king his identity of an Imperishable Star (N 524).
The north/south centre axis line of Netjerikhet's 'Step' pyramid is ~4.33° east of north and extended ~9.271km (~17700 cubits) southwards aligns with Snefru's southern pyramid. The distance separating Netjerikhet's mortuary complex with Snefru's southern pyramid at Dashur may relate to Thoth who was associated with the moon - 50 x 354 = 17700. Although 354 is the number of days in the 12 lunar month cycle (11 days short of the 365-day yearly solar cycle) the ancient Egyptians created an idealized calendar of 12 x 30-day months totalling 360 days and added 5 extra days to conform to the 365-day solar year.
Snefru's dual pyramid layout relative to Netjerikhet's mortuary complex is similar to the celestial appearance of the 'twin' stars Castor and Pollux relative to Capella:
Sirius appeared over the eastern horizon in vertical alignment with Betelgeuse - simultaneously, the 'twin' stars Castor and Pollux relative to Capella aligned in a similar way to Snefru's dual pyramid layout relative to Netjerikhet's mortuary complex:
“The Winter Triangle is an astronomical asterism formed from three of the brightest stars in the winter sky. It is an imaginary equilateral triangle drawn on the celestial sphere, with its defining vertices at Sirius, Betelgeuse, and Procyon, the primary stars in the three constellations of Canis Major, Orion, and Canis Minor respectively.”
"The Ibis reveals Thoth's creative powers. The step of the bird is said to measure one cubit (Aelian, Nat. anim. 10.29) and the spreading of the legs formed an equilateral triangle. (Plutarch, de Isid. et Osirid. 381D, Quaest. coniv. 670C; compare the white triangle on Apis's brow). The cubit was sacred to Thoth and by means of it the god measured the cosmos and its counterpart Egypt, thus establishing the cosmic order (Eg Maat)." ('Dictionary of deities and demons in the Bible' K. van der Toorn, B. Becking, P.W. van der Horst 1995: 444)
At the northern end of Netjerikhet's complex, a raised platform reached by a stairway ramp, has an 8m square hollow - a base for an obelisk?:
Dual parallel sightlines: DS....G2 = 69.84° N of W; DN....G1 = 69.87° N of W (DS to G2 ~21 x 2000 = 42000 cubits):
The 3-star asterism in the centre of Orion bears a striking resemblance to the site layout of the three largest pyramids on the Giza plateau. The angle of the asterism relative to the horizon is similar to the angle of the Giza layout when Alnitak and Saiph are in vertical alignment in the southeastern sky:
Orion over Netjerikhet's mortuary complex viewed from any suitable location along a ~52.2° south of east sightline from Djedefre's pyramid:
An inscription in the pyramid of Merenre that mentions a stairway for the king's ascent to Orion (sAH):
sq(j) n.k rdw j<r> dAt jr bw nt(j) sAH jm Szp jH pt a.k
“A stairway (rdw) has been laid down for you away from the Duat (dAt) and toward the place where Orion (sAH) is, and the Sky’s Ox (jH pt)* shall receive your arm.” (M 375 (PT 610) Sethe Vol. 2: 406; §1717ab). *a star or constellation
From the Coffin Texts:
My mother is Sirius (spdt), and she prepares my path, she sets up a stairway to this very great plain of Nenmut for my ascent from the Valley of the Mountain of the SeHseH-bird on the north within my river-banks, at the place whence Orion issues. I find Orion (sAH) standing in my path with his staff of rank(?) in his hand; I accept it from him and I will be a god by means of it. I will spit on(?) the great ones by means of it, it will make me noble in the presence of Sirius (spdt), it will make me secure in the Mansion of Orion. I ascend and appear as a god, my signs of rank are on me, and I will make the lands of the Fenkhu impotent through them. I sit on a throne within the shrine and make summons to Orion that he should come to me: O Orion, come and see me! I have come manifest and besouled, exalted, divine and enshrined in these divine dignities of mine. (CT 469 V, 389..391)
O Sirius (spdt)) my soul, make my path ready, set up a stairway to the great plain, for you are my mother(?), and Hu is at (the place) whence Orion (sAH) issues. I find Orion standing on the path with the staff in his hand, and I set up the staff and receive it, and I am a god by means of it. He gives me the staff which is in his hand, and he says: "Give me my son, for it is he who rises in peace; you shall be ennobled before your throne, for you are my son, the lord of my house." (CT 470 V, 399, 400)
PT 273-4 §408c:
J.P. Allen: I have now been given title as the great control by Orion, the gods' father
C. Eyre: He has been given authorisation as a great power by Orion, father of the gods.)
It is Orion (sAH) who has given me his warrant; it is The Plough / Big Dipper (msxtjw) which has made a path for me to the western horizon; it is Sirius (spdt) who greets me as the birth of a god. (CT 482 VI, 51)
An enlarged view of the asterism:
The centre of the west side of G3 is ~45° (44.95°) and 2000 cubits (1047.6m) from the centre of the east side of G1. The centre of G3 is ~45° (44.95°) and 2000 cubits (1047.6m) from the entrance to Khufu's cult complex on the east side of the pyramid:
Viewed from Djedefre's pyramid, Capella with accompanying 3-star 'sharp' triangle asterism appeared directly over Iunu as they rose above the northeastern horizon:
