1
Heryshef
MEG L. GUNDLACH
The god Heryshef (rendered Arsaphes by the
Greeks, and equated to HERAKLES (HERCULES)
(Wilkinson 2003: 193)) was a ram deity prom-
inent in Middle Egypt. The god’s name, Hry-
˙
š ¼ f, translated as “he who is upon his lake,”
has prompted a range of interpretations, some
suggesting a reference to a sacred lake in his
cult center at HERAKLEOPOLIS MAGNA, and others
to the primeval mound. Heryshef became
associated with the great state gods OSIRIS and
Re (see RE AND RE HORAKHTY), due to his role as
the personification of their ba (Wilkinson
2003: 193). While he can be shown in zoomor-
phic form as a long horned ram, he is
most often shown in theriomorphic form as a
standing ram-headed man in a royal kilt.
Heryshef may wear the atef crown, connecting
him to Osiris, or a sun disk due to his associ-
ation with Re (Leitz 2002: 381). The cult center
of Heryshef was based in the Middle Egyptian
city of Henen-nesut (renamed Herakleopolis
by the Greeks and Ehnasya by the Arabs)
(Spanel 2001: 91). While the Palermo Stone
attests to a cult center there from as early as
The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,
and Sabine R. Huebner, print page 3193.
© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah15195
the 1st Dynasty, the earliest temple remains
date to the Middle Kingdom (Petrie 1904: 3).
The cult center was also greatly expanded dur-
ing the New Kingdom, particularly during the
reign of Rameses II. During the First Interme-
diate Period, Herakleopolis rose to be the capital
of the Northern Kingdom, and it was during
this time Heryshef was placed into a position of
prominence – a position he enjoyed in that area
until the end of the Pharaonic Period.
SEE ALSO: First Intermediate Period, Egypt;
King Lists, Pharaonic Egypt; Rameses I–XI.
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
Altenmüller, B. (1977) “Harsaphes.” In W. Helck
and E. Otto, eds., Lexikon der Ägyptologie 2:
1015–8. Wiesbaden.
Leitz, C. (2002) “H - h.” In C. Leitz, ed., Lexikon der
˙
ägyptischen Götter ˘und Götterbezeichnungen,
vol. 5: 381–3. Leuven.
Petrie, W. M. F. (1904) Ehnasya. London.
Spanel, D. (2001) “Herakleopolis.” In D. Redford,
ed., The Oxford encyclopedia of ancient Egypt 2:
91–3. Oxford.
Wilkinson, R. H. (2003) The complete gods and
goddesses of ancient Egypt. London.