Thursday, October 3, 2013

SHARKIYA, EGYPT—A life-sized statue of Ramses II has been found by a joint Egyptian-German team of archaeologists in the temple of the cat goddess Bastet at Tel-Basta. Carved from red granite, Ramses II is depicted standing between the goddess Hathor and the god Petah. The king’s cartouche and hieroglyphic text are engraved on the back of the statue. Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud, head of the Ministry of State of Antiquities, thinks that there may have been a New Kingdom temple dedicated to Ramses II at Tel-Basta.