The site of Nedit and its importance in Ancient Egyptian Religion

Abstract

This research deals with one of the places which was mentioned many times in the ancient Egyptian religious texts. The place of Nedit was mentioned in the pyramid texts as the place where Osiris was killed by his brother Seth. The scientists disagreed on the exact location of Nedit. Some of them believed that it was a mythological place, while others believed that it currently lies near Abydos. In this research I will explain the origin and the meaning of the word Nedit, and its importance in Egyptian religion according to the religious texts. I will also present the different opinions of scientists about the real place of Nedit. 1.The meaning of word Nedit The meaning of Nedit was unidentified. Some scientists believed that the word was derived from the verb ndj which means throw down[1], this interpretation is based on texts describing Nedit as the place of throwing Osiris down by Seth. If this interpretation is right, then it means that this place was called Nedit because of the Myth of Osiris's assassination which took place upon its land. So we must search about the ancient name of this place. [1] LA IV;372;. R.Hannig, Groβes Handworterbuch Agyptisch-Deutsch (2800-950v.Chr.)Kulturgeschichte der Antiken Welt 64 (2006),471; T. Hare, Remembering Osiris: Number, Gender, and the Word in Ancient Egyptian Representational Systems, Stanford University Press (1999) 251.