Egyptian god Osiris may have gained new representation according to archaeologists

According to Egyptian mythology, Osiris is a direct descendant of Ra, god of all creation, being the son of Geb and Nut. Osiris would have reigned in Egypt as the first pharaoh until he was assassinated by his brother Set, who envied him. With this jealous death, Osiris became the supreme god of the underworld, also known as the judge of the underworld.

During the glory of Pharaoh Aton (Akhenaton), only himself could be venerated. Thus, the conductor forbade the worship of Osiris and 2, 000 other gods of ancient Egypt. For the first time in the country's history, only one god was worshiped, but lasted only until Aton's death in 1336 BC.

Osiris's representation

(Source: Jason Engle / Artstation)

The god of the underworld has always been represented as a mummified man with a white crown and ostrich feathers. In addition, he always appeared with his arms crossed, carrying a staff and a whip. Unlike other known Egyptian gods, Osiris was not usually represented as an animal, but when it did, it was usually a crocodile, bull, or fish.

The discovery of the new representation

An ongoing study found a potential new representation for the god Osiris. Egyptologists at the National Museum, along with Argentine researchers, found in the tomb of Neferhotep (which lived 3, 300 years ago) the scribe of the Karnak Temple, a depiction of Osiris as a night sun.

(Source: GizModo / Playback)

According to Argentine archaeologist Violeta Pereyra, Osiris' new depiction marks the transition between the monotheistic period established by Pharaoh Akhenaton and the return of the Old Gods after his death. "The restoration of the Osirian universe after Amarna is what we want to know better, " said the researcher.

The period was confirmed by inscriptions on the tomb of Neferhotep which, according to analyzes, were made between the end of the reign of one pharaoh and another. Thus, the confirmation that the different depiction of the god Osiris as a night sun came after the reign of Aton, who was usually represented as the sun disk.