Who were Bastet and Anubis?

The Myth of Anubis. In the old kingdom of ancient Egypt, Anubis was considered the most important god of the dead. He is depicted either in full animal form as a jackal or as a human body with a jackal head. read more

Bastet and Anubis were ancient Egyptian gods. The Egyptians said Anubis was part of the constellation Canis Major, the Great Dog, in the sky. Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is part of Canis Major, and is called the ‘dog star’. read more

However, few were as highly regarded as Anubis and Bastet. Anubis, depicted either in full animal form as a jackal or as a human body with a jackal head, became famous as the god associated with the passing into the afterlife, while Bastet, the cat goddess, was associated with funeral perfumory containers. Consequently, both Anubis and Bastet were synonymous with ancient Egyptian funeral practices. read more

More than 300,000 mummified cats were discovered when Bastet's temple was excavated. The main source of information about the Bastet cult comes from Herodotus who visited Bubastis around 450 BCE after the changes in the religious sect. read more

Anubis was the son of Nephthys, goddess of service, and either Seth, god of the desert; Osiris, god of the dead; or Ra; the sun god. The ancient Egyptians called him Inpu. read more

Bastet was a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion, worshiped as early as the 2nd Dynasty (2890 BCE). As Bast, she was the goddess of warfare in Lower Egypt, the Nile River delta region, before the unification of the cultures of ancient Egypt. Her name is also translated as Baast, Ubaste, and Baset. read more

However, few were as highly regarded as Anubis and Bastet. Anubis, depicted either in full animal form as a jackal or as a human body with a jackal head, became famous as the god associated with the passing into the afterlife, while Bastet, the cat goddess, was associated with funeral perfumory containers. read more