Antelopes
Ibex
Source: Excerpt, 'Ancient Egypt', Time-Life Books
Boats decorated with antelope heads were dedicated to the god Soker, guardian of the desert and of the royal cemeteries near the northern capital Memphis. At first the goddess Satis, Mistress of Elephantine, was worshipped in the form of an antelope, in historic times she wore a headdress consisting of the crown of Upper Egypt and two antelope horns. The Egyptians seem to have made a symbolic connection between the waters of the Nile and the antelope. Just like Satis, another goddess of the cataracts, Anuket, was also represented by an antelope.
![[Image: Antelope. Source: British Museum website]](antelope.jpg)
Antelope
Source: British Museum website
A white antelope was the symbol of the 16th Upper Egyptian nome. In later times a Horus falcon was added to this.
I appointed for thee hunting archers to capture white oryxes, in order to offer them to thy ka at all thy feasts.
From the offerings made by Ramses III to Re at Heliopolis, Papyrus Harris
J.H.Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Four, §266
 
Dikdik on a leash
Source:
Antelopes, desert animals belonging to Seth, were generally hunted, though the straight-horned oryx, quite frequently used for ceremonial sacrifice, was also grown on farms. The practice of fattening oryx bulls for this purpose was largely discontinued in the New Kingdom, but the sacrifices continued. Takelot II (850–825 BCE) of the 22nd dynasty appointed Osorkon as High Priest, and when Osorkon arrived at Thebes...
...he made a great oblation ////// bulls, gazelles, antelopes, oryxes, fattened geese in tens of thousands
J.H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Four, §768
Similar to ancient Asiatic custom, antelopes represented the refreshing night in Egypt too and their images were worn as amulets or incised in artefacts such as the knife of Gebel el-Arak.
In the following line drawing after depictions in the tomb of Ptahhotep at Saqqara five antelopes are being presented, from right to left: an oryx, an ibex, an addax, and a bubale. The last one may be a springbok or some other gazelle.
![[Image: Antelopes, Ramesseum]](antelopes.gif)
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