Votive Offerings to Hathor

This book examines the worship in ancient Egypt of Hathor, the goddess of women and of foreign places, and the contribution which votive offerings can make to the study of a traditional religion. The first part of the book covers the main sites at which large groups of votive offerings to Hathor have been found, and for each site the history of the temple or shrine is outlined and the evidence for the find-places of the votive offerings is assembled from excavation reports and archival material. The second part examines the main types of votive object, with illustrations and discussion of their possible symbolism. The final part examines the offerings in the general context of popular religion and in the light of comparative material from other cultures.