. A history of art in ancient Egypt . -A^~| k -^ ic -k -k ie -k A >c -^ y -Jj i< Fig. 253.—The battle against the Khetas, Luxor, (From Champollion, pi. 328.) deposited in the naos. Upon the occurrence of a festival, thepriest to whom the duty was delegated by the king entered thenaos and brought out the mysterious emblem which was hiddenfrorn all other eyes ; he covered it with a rich veil, and it wasthen carried under a canopy. A ritual to which so much pomp and circumstance wasattached required material appliances on a great scale. Thepreservation of so much apparatus required extensiv
. A history of art in ancient Egypt . -A^~| k -^ ic -k -k ie -k A >c -^ y -Jj i< Fig. 253.—The battle against the Khetas, Luxor, (From Champollion, pi. 328.) deposited in the naos. Upon the occurrence of a festival, thepriest to whom the duty was delegated by the king entered thenaos and brought out the mysterious emblem which was hiddenfrorn all other eyes ; he covered it with a rich veil, and it wasthen carried under a canopy. A ritual to which so much pomp and circumstance wasattached required material appliances on a great scale. Thepreservation of so much apparatus required extensive store-rooms,which, like the sanctuary itself, had to be kept in almost totaldarkness in order to preserve the sacred vestments and other ^ To follow these processions was an act of piety. Upon a Theban stele we findthe following words addressed to Amen-Ra : I am one of those who follow theewhen thou goest abroad. The stele of Suti and Har, architects at Thebes,translated into French by Paul Pierret, in Reaieil de Travaiix, p. ON »—( a n o a, u 2 c s H o oc1) o a X en S 3 B Pi General Characteristics of the Egyptian Temple. 439 objects from the deteriorating effects of sun, dust, heat, and theinsects which they engender. There is nothing in the texts whichseems to hint at the celebration of any rites in the dark parts ofthe temple by artificial light, and no trace of the discolorationcaused by smoke has been found upon the walls. There seems tohave been no necessity for anything beyond the most subdueddaylight within the chambers of the temple. All the importantpart of the ritual was performed in the open air, and the fewliturgical acts in the naos were short and took place before avery restricted audience. They consisted of a few prayers said bythe king or by the chief priest, and in the presentation of thetraditional offerings. The cares of maintenance and of preparationfor the periodical festivals had also to go on in that part of thetemple. Such duties, however,
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