Editing Nephthys (section)

==Function==
[[File:Nephthys N4051 mp3h8832.jpg|thumb|Nephthys – ''Musée du Louvre'', Paris, France|left|254x254px]]

At the time of the [[List of Egyptian Dynasties|Fifth Dynasty]] [[Pyramid Texts]], Nephthys appears as a goddess of the [[Heliopolis (ancient Egypt)|Heliopolitan]] [[Ennead]]. She is the sister of Isis and companion of the war-like deity, [[Set (deity)|Set]]. As sister of [[Isis]] and especially [[Osiris]], Nephthys is a protective goddess who symbolizes the death experience, just as Isis represented the birth experience. Nephthys was known in some ancient [[Egyptian temple]] theologies and cosmologies as the "Helpful Goddess" or the "Excellent Goddess".<ref>{{cite book |first=P. |last=Wilson |title=A Ptolemaic Lexikon: A lexicographical study of the texts in the Temple of Edfu |series=OLA |volume=78 |year=1997}}</ref> These late ancient Egyptian temple texts describe a goddess who represented divine assistance and protective guardianship.

Nephthys is regarded as the mother of the funerary deity [[Anubis]] (Inpu) in some myths.<ref>{{cite journal |first=G.A. |last=Wainwright |title=Seshat and the Pharaoh |journal=The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology |volume=26 |date=February 1941 |pages=30–40|doi=10.1177/030751334002600105 |s2cid=192254249 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Virginia |last=Schomp |title=The Ancient Egyptians |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |year=2007 |page=27}}</ref> Alternatively Anubis appears as the son of [[Bastet]]<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=A.K. |editor-last=Eyma |title=A Delta-man in Yebu |publisher=Universal Publishers |year=2003 |page=219 |article=On a topos in Egyptian medical history |first=Hedvig |last=Györy}}</ref> or [[Isis]].<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Donald B. |last=Redford |title=The literary motif of the exposed child (cf. Ex.&nbsp;ii 1-10) |magazine=Numen |volume=14 |number=3 |date=November 1967 |pages=209–228}} The discussion of Isis as the mother of Anubis appears on pages&nbsp;222-223.</ref> In Nubia, Nephthys was said to be the wife of Anubis.<ref name="Levai-2007"/> 

Though usually considered the aunt of Horus, she often appears as his mother. She is also seen as a wife of Horus.<ref name="Levai-2007"/> As the primary "nursing mother" of the incarnate pharaonic god, [[Horus]], Nephthys also was considered to be the nurse of the reigning [[pharaoh]] himself.<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=K.A. |editor-last=Kitchen |title=Ramesside Inscriptions |year=1993 |publisher=Blackwell}}</ref> Though other goddesses could assume this role, Nephthys was most usually portrayed in this function. In contrast, Nephthys is sometimes featured as a rather ferocious and dangerous divinity, capable of incinerating the enemies of the pharaoh with her fiery breath.<ref>Sauneron, Elephantine, Beitrage Bf. 6, 46 n.d.{{full citation|date=March 2020}}</ref><ref>Traunecker, Karnak VII, 184 n. 2; Cauville, 'Essai,' 152 n.7{{full citation|date=March 2020}}</ref>

[[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] Ramesside Pharaohs, in particular, were enamored of ''Mother Nephthys'' as is attested in various stelae and a wealth of inscriptions at [[Karnak]] and [[Luxor]], where Nephthys was a member of that great city's Ennead and her altars were present in the massive complex.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-first=B. |editor1-last=Porter |editor2-first=R. |editor2-last=Moss |series=Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings |volume=II |title=Theban Temples |place=Oxford, UK |edition=Second}}</ref>
[[File:Flickr - Gaspa - Dendara, tempio di Hator (56).jpg|thumb|right|Temple decoration at [[Dendera Temple complex|Dendera]], depicting the goddesses Isis and Nephthys watching over the corpse of their brother [[Osiris]]]]
Nephthys was typically paired with her sister [[Isis]] in funerary rites<ref name="Shahawy-2005" /> because of their role as protectors of the mummy and the god [[Osiris]] and as the sister-wife of [[Set (deity)|Set]]. Less well understood than her sister [[Isis]], Nephthys was no less important in [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian religion]] as confirmed by the work of E. Hornung<ref>{{cite book |article=Versuch über Nephthys |editor-first=A.B. |editor-last=Lloyd |title=Studies in Pharaonic Religion and Society in Honour of J.G. Griffiths |place=London, UK |year=1992 |pages=186–188}}</ref> along with the work of several noted scholars.

:Ascend and descend; descend with Nephthys, sink into darkness with the Night-bark. Ascend and descend; ascend with Isis, rise with the Day-bark.<br />   — ''Pyramid Text'' utterance&nbsp;222, line&nbsp;210<ref>{{cite book |title=Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts |editor-first=R.O. |editor-last=Faullkner |publisher=Oxford University Press |place=Oxford, UK |year=1969}}</ref>