Los himnos Esna II, 17 y 31: interpretación teológica e integración en el programa decorativo de la fachada ptolemaica del templo de Esna

Abstract

The publications dedicated to the inscriptions on the Ptolemaic façade of the temple of Esna in recent decades have enabled us to advance our knowledge of the complex theologies of this Egyptian sanctuary from the Greco-Roman period. The present paper analyses the configuration in the hymns of the soubassements of the façade (Esna II, 17 and 31) of a complex diptych devoted to the main deities of the region of Esna (Khnum-Ra and Neith, on the one hand, and Shu and Tefnut, on the other) and to the creation of the world and existence. The thematic analogies found with the texts and images that decorate the Ptolemaic façade fully justify their integration into the decorative programme of this area of the temple.