Summary
Osiris was the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, the afterlife and rebirth, shown as a mummified king with green or black skin, holding the crook and flail. According to myth, he was once a good king of Egypt, murdered by his brother Seth and brought back to life by his wife Isis, so that he could rule the world of the dead. Every Egyptian hoped to become “an Osiris” after death and live again like him. His holiest city was Abydos, where pilgrims came for 2,000 years.
Who Was Osiris?
Osiris, in Egyptian Wesir, was one of the most important gods of Egypt. He was the eldest son of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, and the brother of Isis, Seth and Nephthys. He is shown:
- wrapped like a mummy, because he was the first to be mummified;
- with green or black skin, the colours of plants and of the fertile Nile mud, both signs of new life;
- wearing the tall white atef crown with ostrich feathers;
- holding the crook and flail, the symbols of kingship later carried by every pharaoh. See ancient Egyptian symbols.
The Myth of Osiris
- The good king. Osiris ruled Egypt wisely and taught people farming and the laws, with Isis beside him.
- The murder. His jealous brother Seth killed him. In the version told by the Greek writer Plutarch, Seth tricked him into lying in a beautiful chest, sealed it and threw it into the Nile.
- The search. Isis searched everywhere and found the chest at Byblos, in Lebanon, inside a tree. Seth then cut the body into pieces and scattered them across Egypt, and many cities later claimed one as a sacred relic.
- The first mummy. Isis and her sister Nephthys gathered the pieces, and Anubis wrapped them. Isis brought Osiris briefly back to life and conceived their son Horus.
- King of the underworld. Osiris could not return to the living, so he became lord of the dead, while Horus fought Seth for the throne of Egypt and won.
Judge of the Dead
In the Book of the Dead, Osiris sits enthroned in the Hall of Two Truths while the heart of the dead person is weighed against the feather of Maat by Anubis, with Thoth recording the result. Those who passed joined Osiris in the Field of Reeds, an ideal Egypt where life went on for ever. Because Osiris had died and lived again, every Egyptian hoped to do the same: after death a person was called “the Osiris” followed by their name. Read how the dead were prepared in Egyptian mummies and sarcophagi.
Osiris, the Nile and the Harvest
Osiris was also the god of the yearly cycle of life: the Nile flood was sometimes said to be his life-giving fluids, and the grain that sprouted from the dark soil after the flood was his rebirth. In the month of Khoiak, his festival was celebrated with “Osiris beds”, figures of the god made of earth and seed that were watered until they sprouted green: the dead god coming back to life. Read about the farmers who lived by this cycle in farmers in ancient Egypt.
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View This TripAbydos: The City of Osiris
Abydos in Upper Egypt was the holiest place of Osiris. The Egyptians believed his head, or his whole body, was buried there, and from the Middle Kingdom they identified his tomb with the tomb of an early king, Djer, at Umm el-Qa’ab. Every year a great festival re-enacted his death and rebirth, and people from all over Egypt set up stelae or were buried near him to share in his resurrection.
Today Abydos is home to the beautiful Temple of Seti I, with its chapels for Osiris, Isis and Horus, and behind it the Osireion, a half-flooded symbolic tomb of Osiris built of massive granite pillars. Visit both on our Dendera and Abydos day tour from Luxor.
Where to See Osiris in Egypt
| Where | What to see |
|---|---|
| Abydos | The Osiris chapels of the Temple of Seti I and the Osireion |
| Dendera | The roof chapels where the mysteries of Osiris were performed |
| Philae | Reliefs of Osiris and Isis; his legendary tomb was on the island of Biggeh nearby |
| Valley of the Kings | Osiris enthroned as judge in the painted royal tombs |
Meet the rest of his family in ancient Egyptian gods.
Osiris: FAQ
What is Osiris the god of?
The dead, the afterlife, resurrection, and the fertility of the land and its crops.
Why is Osiris green?
Green was the colour of plants and new life, showing that Osiris was reborn, like grain sprouting after the Nile flood.
Who killed Osiris?
His brother Seth, who wanted his throne.
Who was Osiris’s wife?
Isis, his sister and wife, who gathered his body and brought him back to life long enough to conceive Horus.
Where was Osiris worshipped?
Throughout Egypt, above all at Abydos, which the Egyptians believed was his burial place.
