Magical Stele Carved Egyptian Reproduction

A stele is a slab or tablet, usually made of stone and inscribed with a text or decorative relief. In ancient Egypt only a select few were educated, scholars guessing about 20%. In order to use the magic stele people simply poured water over the carvings. When the water poured over the carved words on the stele the power of the words were transferred into the water. The person would then drink the healing water and effect a cure.

To the ancient Egyptians, magic and medicine walked hand-in-hand. Both were acceptable ways of curing disease. The front of this stele shows the god Horus standing on the backs of two crocodiles while holding dangerous animals in his hands. In each hand there are two snakes and a scorpion.

In the left hand there is a lion and in the right hand an oryx. At the top of the front of the stele is the head of the god Bes, a household deity whose fearsome image was meant to scare away evil.

On the back of the stele, at the top, is a simple carving representing an Egyptian myth and how the appeals to the god Thoth brings Horus back to life and gives him the power to trample dangerous creatures.

Size: 4 1/4" L X 2 1/2" W X 1 1/4" D; Ships with case and information about the stele. Display base not included.

This stele is a full-sized, museum quality reproduction of the actual stele owned by the University of Pennsylvania Museum. It was cast from the original, which dates from the Ptolemaic Period (305-30 BC).

Interesting additional to any archaeological collection.