Summary
Isis was the most powerful goddess of ancient Egypt: goddess of magic, motherhood, healing and protection, the faithful wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. She brought her murdered husband back to life and raised her son in hiding to win back his throne, so every king was called her son. Her worship lasted longer than that of any other Egyptian deity: her temple at Philae was the last working temple of the old religion, and her cult spread from Egypt across the whole Roman Empire.
Who Was Isis?
Isis, in Egyptian Aset, “the throne”, was a daughter of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, and the sister of Osiris, Seth and Nephthys. She is usually shown as a woman wearing a throne-shaped sign on her head; later she wears cow horns with the sun disk, the crown she shared with Hathor. She often spreads protective wings, and on coffins and sarcophagi she and Nephthys guard the dead.
Her name, “the throne”, shows her role: she was the seat of kingship. The pharaoh sat in her lap as a child sits in its mother’s, and every king was her son.
Isis and Osiris
When Seth murdered Osiris and scattered his body, Isis searched Egypt for him in mourning, with her sister Nephthys; the two are often shown as kites, birds of prey whose cries sound like weeping. Isis found and reassembled the body, and with the help of Anubis made the first mummy. Using her magic she brought Osiris back to life long enough to conceive a son, Horus. She then hid in the marshes of the Delta and raised him in secret, protecting him from scorpions, snakes and Seth, until he was strong enough to claim his father’s throne.
The Goddess of Magic
Isis was called “great of magic”. In one famous story she wanted to learn the secret name of the sun god Ra, the source of his power. She made a snake from clay mixed with his spittle and placed it in his path. When it bit him, only she could heal the poison, and only if he told her his true name. Ra gave in, and Isis gained power over all creation. Egyptians called on her in spells to protect children, cure scorpion stings and heal the sick. Her knot amulet, the tyet, protected the dead; see ancient Egyptian symbols.
Philae: The Last Temple of Isis
The island temple of Philae, near Aswan, was the great centre of Isis worship in the last centuries of ancient Egypt. Pilgrims came from Egypt, Nubia and beyond, and her rites continued here long after the rest of the country had become Christian. The last known hieroglyphic inscription, dated 394 AD, is carved on its walls, and the temple was finally closed by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in the 530s AD. When the Aswan dams threatened to flood it, the whole temple was moved, stone by stone, to the island of Agilkia between 1972 and 1980.
8-Day Cairo, Siwa and White & Black Desert Adventure
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View This TripIsis Across the Roman World
Under the Greeks and Romans, Isis became a universal goddess, “Isis of the ten thousand names”. Her temples stood in Athens, Rome, London and along the Rhine, and a well-preserved temple of Isis survives at Pompeii. Sailors honoured her as protector of ships, and her mysteries offered followers the hope of a blessed life after death. Images of Isis nursing the infant Horus were common across the empire.
Where to See Isis in Egypt
| Where | What to see |
|---|---|
| Philae Temple, Aswan | Her great temple, birth house and the sound and light show |
| Dendera | A small temple of Isis behind the temple of Hathor |
| Temple of Seti I, Abydos | The chapel of Isis, beside those of Osiris and Horus |
| Valley of the Kings | Isis with outstretched wings on royal sarcophagi and tomb walls |
Philae is part of the Aswan sightseeing on our Nile cruises. Meet the rest of her family in ancient Egyptian gods.
Isis: FAQ
What is Isis the goddess of?
Magic, motherhood, healing and protection, and the throne of Egypt.
Who was the husband of Isis?
Osiris, her brother, whom she brought back to life after he was murdered by Seth.
Who was the son of Isis?
Horus, the falcon god, whom she raised in secret to avenge his father and win the throne.
Where is the temple of Isis?
Her most famous temple is at Philae, on an island near Aswan, the last temple of the old Egyptian religion.
What does the name Isis mean?
Her Egyptian name, Aset, means “the throne”, which is the sign she wears on her head.
