Elkab: temple

The temple of Nekhbet was located in the city and surrounded with a separated wall, although its date is uncertain. It is impossible to determine the area of the temple in the times of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III, since the whole temple was dismantled and blocks were used as a building material for a new construction.

Very little can be said about the temple in Elkab during the reign of Hatshepsut. Almost nothing is preserved, only three blocks can be surely taken into consideration: block with the speech of Weret-hekau, lintel of Hatshepsut and one of the architraves of Thutmose III. Its existence can be also proved by the presence of two officials: Amen-hetep, son of Pen-Nekhbet, who bore the title of the First King's Son of Nekhbet and Pa-heri having a title of the Overseer of Prophets of Nekhbet, as well as the sister of Pa-heri, Khenemet who was the Chantress of Nekhbet. The blocks coming from the temple of the times of Hatshepsut were discovered in the foundation of the Late Period temple of Nekhbet together with blocks from different historical periods.^[1] The platform on which this late temple was erected was constructed of three to four layers of sandstone blocks, about 1.6m thick in the middle of the hypostyle hall and 2.07m thick in front of the hypostyle hall, where decorated blocks of 18th dynasty were re-used.^[2] It is certain that part of the temple was built by Amenhotep I,^[3] the cartouches of Thutmose II are attested among others,^[4] although they could have been carved under Hatshepsut and Thutmose III.
It is difficult to reconstruct the plan of the temple during the reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. On one hand, not enough blocks were discovered and published, and on the other hand, it is almost impossible to distinguish architectural elements from the reign of Hatshepsut from these added by Thutmose III during his sole reign. One of the dedicatory inscriptions mentions Thutmose III as a founder of the ḥwt-nṯr of Nekhbet Lady of Faget,^[5] but it does not mean that Hatshepsut was not involved in its construction. C.C. Van Siclen showed a simple reconstruction of the temple of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III.^[6] He states that the foundation of the courtyard added to the previously existing shrine of Amenhotep I is visible on the east and south, while on the west, a part of the wall can be seen.^[7] It is likely that the part erected by Amenhotep I survived since his names were changed to these of Amenhotep III^[8] and blocks from this construction were built in the foundation together with blocks of Thutmose III among others. The presence of the cartouche Mn-ḫpr-kȝ-Rʿ on one of the architraves^[9] suggests that part of the building was prepared during the reign of Hatshepsut. There is also another name of the king that suggests no precise data: Ḏḥwtj-ms-nfr-ḫpr.^[10] It must be stressed, however, that on the elements of colonnade mainly late names of Thutmose III appear, e.g. Mn-ḫpr-Rʿ-nb-ḫpš, Mn-ḫpr-Rʿ-stp-n-Rʿ, Mn-ḫpr-Rʿ-jr-n-Rʿ, Mn-ḫpr-Rʿ-ḥqȝ-Mȝʿ.t and Kȝ-nḫt-ḫʿ-m-Mȝʿ.t,^[11] which indicates that this part was decorated by Thutmose III alone. It appears then that, contrary to C.C. Van Siclen's concept, the decoration of the courtyard was not performed at the same time but must be seen as a result of at least two phases of decoration: earlier phase during the reign of Hatshepsut and later one in late years of the king. This second phase, unlike the first one, can be dated thanks to the inscription of Thutmose III carved on one block and giving the date 47, 48 or 49 year.^[12] Moreover, C.C. Van Siclen's idea of decoration of the courtyard partially covered with the sunken relief is questionable, some part of the outer wall instead of the inner one had to be decorated then. It is difficult to discuss C.C. Van Siclen's theory more precisely, because he did not publish any example of blocks in sunken relief. As far as the courtyard is considered, it seems that almost all architraves were decorated in the second phase, although the name of the king responsible for its construction is not preserved.^[13] It is then even possible that the architrave with preserved Mn-ḫpr-kȝ-Rʿ name of Thutmose III comes from another room inside the temple, together with the lintel published by J. Capart,^[14] e.g. from the hypostyle hall.^[15]
In the second court of the Late Period temple on the axis of the main gate and the central sanctuary a granite threshold was found.^[16] It is not connected with the Late Period plan, but most probably is a remaining element of an older building. The threshold is situated on the line of the outer wall of the courtyard of the temple of Amenhotep II, which can be an indication that during the reign of this king façades of both temples were laid out in one line.
Thanks to the titles of clergy attested in tombs of Pa-heri and Ah-mes Pen-Nekhbet on one hand, and the dedicatory inscription of Thutmose III on the other, it can be concluded that that the temple of Elkab was devoted to the cult of Nekhbet.