Egyptian cat god's 2,200-year-old temple unearthed in Alexandria

A 2,200-year-old temple that may have been dedicated to the ancient Egyptian cat god Bastet has been unearthed in Alexandria, the Supreme Council of Antiquities said today.

The ruins of the Ptolemaic-era building were discovered by Egyptian archaeologists in the port city founded by Alexander the Great around 331BC. Alexandria was the seat of the Greek-speaking Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt for 300 years until the suicide of Queen Cleopatra.

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A statue of the the cat god Bastet that was found in the remains of a temple belonging to Queen Berenice, the wife of King Ptolemy III (246-222 BC) in Alexandria, Egypt. Photograph: Egyptian Department of Antiaquities/EPA

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I love stories such as this , as I am sure many of you out there do as well , enjoy

The artistic style of the Bast figure is really very charming, and very different from the traditional Egyptian ones. This should come as no surprise, since the Ptolemys were Greek rulers of Egypt and a lot of their statues and art shows the Greek influence.

By this time, the concept of Bast had changed (she's one of the oldest Egyptian gods, so by then she would have been around for about 3,000 years). Originally she's the "Right Eye of Ra", the bringer of justice. Through the years, newer goddesses give some of their traits to her (the maternal aspect, for instance) and other goddesses (Sekhmet) become confused with her or take on some of her traits.

I love that statue, though.