Station M3

Outer exterior wall M 3

With a length of more than 70 m the western exterior wall is the best preserved part of the temple. The base (soubassement) is almost complete, It starts in the north with an introductory scene showing the king offering before the temple gods. Then follow the representatives of the Lower Egyptian nomes, i.e. the regions in the Delta. These take the form of 20 nome deities, each one followed by a field goddess.

Then come 22 additional figures, 11 so-called supplementary nomes, i.e. other important cult centres especially in the regions of Memphis and Heliopolis, and 11 additional field goddesses. At the end there are the three representatives of the Egyptian seasons (inundation, growing, and harvest) as well as three representatives of different mining regions.

The most important scene of the first register is the downing of a bull for slaughter which is a manifestation of the evil god Seth. South of this scene the ibis-headed moon-god Thoth offers a wedjat-eye to the child-god Kolanthes and the lion-headed Repit. The wedjat-eye is a common designation of the moon which enjoyed special veneration in the nome of Akhmim of which Athribis was a part.

Even farther to the south is a scene from the foundation rituals. The king and the scribe-goddess Seshat who wears a leopard skin, drive in posts which are holding the ropes for enclosing the building plot.