 
Qadesh, or Qetesh, is an ancient Egyptian Goddess Whose name means ‘Holy One’. She may have been imported from Canaan (though She is not attested there as anything other than a title), or She may have been a native Egyptian Goddess heavily influenced by Canaanite religion. She is usually shown nude, with a frontal pose (quite unusual in Egyptian art), with hair similar to Hathor’s. She is sometimes shown standing on the back of a lion, much like Ishtar of the Babylonians, and if often shown holding a lotus in one hand, and a snake (or two) in the other. She is called ‘Mistress of the Stars’, ‘Great of Magic’, or ‘Beloved of Ptah’ (patron God of craftsmen). She has been called a fertility Goddess, though Her reputation as a ‘sacred harlot’ is probably unwarranted; I’d guess She’s a Goddess of renewal, given the snakes and lotuses She holds. At any rate She was associated with foreign lands and foreign peoples to the Egyptians. This design is available on prints through ArtPal. |