tes, as well as by the courtiers
and populace. The proceedings terminated, apparently, with certain
funeral rites, the object being to make the identification of Osorkon
with Osiris complete.

[Illustration: 244.jpg PICTURE IN THE HALL OF THE HARPS IN THE FIFTH
TOMB]

The Egyptian deities served in a double capacity, as gods of the dead as
well as of the living, and no exception could be made in favour of the
deified Osorkon; while yet living he became an Osiris, and his double
was supposed to animate those prophetic statues in which he appeared as
a mummy no less than those which represented him as still alive.

[Illustration: 245.jpg GATE OF THE FESTIVAL HALL AT BUBASTIS]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a restoration by Naville.

Another temple of small size, also dedicated to Bastifc or Pasht, which
had been built in the time of Ramses II., was enlarged by Osorkon I.,
and richly endowed with workshops, lands, cattle, slaves, and precious
metals: Tumu-Khopri of Heliopolis, to mention but one of the
deities worshipped there, received offerings of gold in value by
weight.L120,000, and silver ingots worth L12,000.*

* This is the small temple afterwards described by Herodotus
as being dedicated to Hermes.

A country which could afford to indulge in extravagances of this nature
must have been in a flourishing condition, and everything goes to prove
that Egypt prospered under the rule of the early Bubastite kings.

The very same causes, however, which had ruined the Ramessides and
the Tanites were now openly compassing the downfall of the Bubastite
dynasty. The military feudalism from which it had sprung, suppressed for
a time by Sheshonq I., developed almost unchecked under his successors.
They had thought to break it up and turn it to their own advantage, by
transferring the more important religious functions and the principal
fiefs to their own sons or nephews. They governed Memphis through
the high priests of Phtah; a prince of the blood represented them at
Khmunu,* another at Khninsu** (Heracleopolis), and others in various
cities of the Delta, each of them being at the head of several thousand
Mashauasha, or Libyan soldiers on whose fidelity they could entirely
rely.

* E.g. Namroti, under Pionkhi-Miamun, whose rights were such
that he adopted the protocol of the Pharaohs.

** Stole 1959 of the Serapaeum contains the names of five
successive princes of this city, the first