festival of preparation. During the night preceding this day there
takes place the procession of the goddess Hathor and the divinities with
her. The circuit of her temple is made and all is duly fulfilled according
to the custom. Upon this follows the return to their places (chambers in
the temple). The golden one (Nubet, the ordinary appellation of
Hathor-Isis as the star Sothis-Sirius, Brugsch) rises, shining, above the
brow of her progenitor, and her mysterious (literally, full of secrets)
form is at the prow of the boat of the sun. As soon as she reaches the ak
(centre) of her city in the presence of her Nomos, she beholds her
dwelling with the most joyful feelings. When she enters her house her body
is full of delight. When she has taken possession of her exalted dwelling,
surrounded by her fellow-gods, who stand at each side of her, her soul in
her body is full of rejoicings. When they join the rays of her father (the
sun god) and are united to the radiance of his disk, the city Anet
(Tentyra) is happy. Adoration is made in Adut (the lying-in chamber) and
Pi-anet is in festive state, when it beholds the great, the powerful
leader, she who creates the festival in the holy city on that beautiful
day of the New Year."

Elsewhere we read: "The city of Anet is in a constant exaltation when the
goddess Isis is born in it (in the small Isis temple) in the form of a
dark red woman, whose name is Khnum-Ankhet, the lady of love, the queen of
goddesses and women, the bride. It is beautiful to see the shining
appearance of the ray of light in the heaven, in the dusk, at the time
when she is born in this city.... A flying beetle (?) is born in the sky
in the primaeval city of Tentyra at the period of 'the night of the child
in its cradle.' The sun shines in the heaven at dusk when her birth has
taken place. Gods and goddesses praise the name of her majesty...."
"Ra-Hur of Apollinopolis magna, god Sam-ta, comes forth, or arises, in the
dawn (akhekh) when the birth takes place in 'the night of the child in its
cradle,' on the great festival of the entire world (or the entire land).
He shines for her majesty when she has brought forth (the child). Her
child is in the form of a beautiful boy, who is the lord of Tentyra. The
gods and goddesses came to her carrying the symbol of life (the ankh) and
the sceptre of power (the tam) so as to fulfil their desire and her wish"
(p. 103).

The following extract from a papyrus which belonged