The Cultural Implications of the Symbols of the Goddess Hathor

Presentation of a research project as part of the "Jeudis de la Maison Suger", a residents' research seminar.

This session will welcome Daphna Ben-Tor for a discussion on the cultural implications of the symbols of the goddess Hathor in the Levant during the second millennium BCE, in connection with political transformations and intercultural exchanges between Egypt and its neighbouring territories.

Presentation of the project

"The unique significance of the Egyptian goddess Hathor in the Levant during the second millennium BCE is well documented. Her importance in the region is primarily linked to her role as a protective deity of the natural resources sought by the Egyptians abroad. This is reflected in temples dedicated to her in Byblos, on the Lebanese coast—the Levant’s main trading port with Egypt—as well as in the turquoise mines of Sinai and the copper mines of Timna in southern Israel. The second millennium BCE was marked by major political developments in both Egypt and the Levant, which led to changes in cultural interaction between these regions. These shifts are reflected in the cultural implications of the appearance of Hathor’s symbols in the Levant throughout this long and varied period."

Speaker

Daphné Ben-Tor received a B.A. in archaeology, and M.A. and Ph.D in Egyptology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She served as curaor of Egyptian archaeology at the Israel Museum from 1992 until my retirement in 2016. She curated a number of exhibitions with associated catalogues, and published objects from the collection. Her scholarly work focuses on Egyptian-Levantine relations in the second millennium BC, based primarily on scarabs from both regions.