CHAP. XIII. NETPE, RHEA. 313 



heavens, enclosing the Zodiacs, is also distinct from 

 her, as from Neith and Netpe." 



** She is sometimes represented with a vase on her 

 head, the initial of her name; and she frequentlv 

 occurs in the paintings of the tombs, standing in 

 the sycomore fig tree, pouring a liquid from a vase, 

 which the deceased and his friends, and even the 

 soul of the former under the form of a bird with a 

 human head, are catching in their hands. Besides 

 this nectar of heaven, she presents them with a 

 basket of fruit from the sacred tree." It is to 

 Netpe, and not to Athor, that the sycomore was 

 dedicated ; and " the number of instances I have 

 met with of Netpe in this tree, leave no doubt of 

 the fig, which gave the name of Hierosycaminon to 

 a town of Nubia*, being sacred to the mother of 

 Osiris." The representation of this tree at Hiero- 

 sycaminon, is very rude, and of the late era of the 

 Roman Empire: if, therefore, the Goddess seated 

 beneath it has rather the character of Isis, or of 

 Athor, than of Netpe, the authority of such a 

 period is of little weight ; and we liave abundant 

 proofs from the oldest monuments, that the syco- 

 more was consecrated to Netpe, as the Persea to 

 Athor. 



The Athenians had a holy fig tree, which grew on 

 the " sacred road," where, during the celebration 

 of the Eleusinian mysteries, the procession which 

 went from Athens to Eleusis halted. This was on 

 the sixth day of the ceremony, called lacclius, in 



* Now Maharraka, or Oofideeua. 



