Sandstone royal statue in the pose of Osiris, from Armant (south of Thebes),

originally dating to Montuhotep III (Sankhkare, ruled 200!"##2 $%, ""th &ynasty)
and restored by Merenptah ($aenra, ruled "2"'!"20' $%, "#th &ynasty)( The
statue sho)s the king as Osiris( The statue )as one of eight and )as painted red
(for the fa*e and hands) and )hite for the attire( Originally it had a beard and
*arried t)o items in it+s hands (probably the *rook and ,ail)(
The ins*riptions reads- The perfe*t god )ho does )hat is bene.*ial in the house
of his father Montu, ruler of /ermonthis, 0ing of 1pper and 2o)er 3gypt, $a!3n!
4e, son of 4e, Merenptah, *ontented in truth gi5en life fore5er(
Armant is the an*ient 6reek settlement of /ermonthis, but the history of the *ity
mu*h predates that( 2o*ated a little o5er "2 miles south of Thebes and it thri5ed
during the Middle 0ingdom and )as enlarged during the "7th &ynasty )ith the
*onstru*tion of huge temples (no) gone)( %leopatra 8II made it the *apital of the
surrounding nome and the *ity *ontinued to do )ell into the beginnings of the
%hristian era( Today, nothing is left of %leopatra+s Temple, as it )as used for
materials to build a "#th *entury sugar re.nery( The Temple dedi*ated to the god
Montu still e9ists( /ere, Montu is represented by the $u*his bull, )hi*h )ere
buried in sa*red 5aults of the $u*heum near the Temple of Montu( In an*ient
times, Armant )as part of the :alladium of Thebes, )hi*h )as sa*red land pla*ed
under the prote*tion of Montu( This is an area *onsisting of /ermonthis, ;orth
0arnak, Medamud and Tod(
Montu, )ho )e generally identify as an an*ient )ar god in 3gypt, a*tually
originated in the form of a lo*al solar god in 1pper (southern) 3gypt, apparently at
/ermonthis (%ity of the Sun)( /is )orship seems to ha5e been e9ported to Thebes
during the ""th &ynasty( $e*ause of this god+s asso*iation )ith the su**essful
0ing ;ebhepetre Montuhotep I or II )ho ruled during 3gypt+s ""th &ynasty, Montu
(Mentu) a*hie5ed the rank of state god( Montuhotep I reunited 1pper and 2o)er
3gypt after the <irst Intermediate :eriod( /is asso*iation )ith Montu is ob5ious
from his name, )hi*h means, Montu is satis.ed( /o)e5er, by the "2th &ynasty,
Montu be*ame subordinated to Amun( It )as during this period that Montu+s role
in 3gyptian religion took on the true attributes of a )ar god(

Sandstone royal statue in the pose of Osiris, from Armant (south of Thebes), originally
dating to Montuhotep III (Sankhkare, ruled 200!"##2 $%, ""th &ynasty) and restored by
Merenptah ($aenra, ruled "2"'!"20' $%, "#th &ynasty)( The statue sho)s the king as
Osiris( The statue )as one of eight and )as painted red (for the fa*e and hands) and
)hite for the attire( Originally it had a beard and *arried t)o items in it+s hands (probably
the *rook and ,ail)(
The ins*riptions reads- The perfe*t god )ho does )hat is bene.*ial in the house of his
father Montu, ruler of /ermonthis, 0ing of 1pper and 2o)er 3gypt, $a!3n!4e, son of 4e,
Merenptah, *ontented in truth gi5en life fore5er(
Armant is the an*ient 6reek settlement of /ermonthis, but the history of the *ity mu*h
predates that( 2o*ated a little o5er "2 miles south of Thebes and it thri5ed during the
Middle 0ingdom and )as enlarged during the "7th &ynasty )ith the *onstru*tion of huge
temples (no) gone)( %leopatra 8II made it the *apital of the surrounding nome and the
*ity *ontinued to do )ell into the beginnings of the %hristian era( Today, nothing is left of
%leopatra+s Temple, as it )as used for materials to build a "#th *entury sugar re.nery(
The Temple dedi*ated to the god Montu still e9ists( /ere, Montu is represented by the
$u*his bull, )hi*h )ere buried in sa*red 5aults of the $u*heum near the Temple of
Montu( In an*ient times, Armant )as part of the :alladium of Thebes, )hi*h )as sa*red
land pla*ed under the prote*tion of Montu( This is an area *onsisting of /ermonthis, ;orth
0arnak, Medamud and Tod(
Montu, )ho )e generally identify as an an*ient )ar god in 3gypt, a*tually originated in
the form of a lo*al solar god in 1pper (southern) 3gypt, apparently at /ermonthis (%ity of
the Sun)( /is )orship seems to ha5e been e9ported to Thebes during the ""th &ynasty(
$e*ause of this god+s asso*iation )ith the su**essful 0ing ;ebhepetre Montuhotep I or II
)ho ruled during 3gypt+s ""th &ynasty, Montu (Mentu) a*hie5ed the rank of state god(
Montuhotep I reunited 1pper and 2o)er 3gypt after the <irst Intermediate :eriod( /is
asso*iation )ith Montu is ob5ious from his name, )hi*h means, Montu is satis.ed(
/o)e5er, by the "2th &ynasty, Montu be*ame subordinated to Amun( It )as during this
period that Montu+s role in 3gyptian religion took on the true attributes of a )ar god(