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NebtHet is a shadowy lady who tends to slip away when you try to get a hold of her. But taking a closer look might reveal some unexpected features.

The image to the left is from the tomb of Khaemwaset,
Valley of the Queens.

The Name
of Nebt-Het, Nbt-Hwt (Gr: Nephtys) means "Mistress of the House" or "Mistress of the Mansion/Temple". It is a title rather than a name, and the same word is shown in her hieroglyphic sign above her head. So her name reveals nothing of her origin. She has several other titles or epiteths, like: "Friend of the Dead", "Good Sister", "Joyful One", "Sister of the Gods", "She Who Stands Behind Her Brother". In the Pyramid Texts, she and Aset are repeatedly referred to as the "Mooring-Posts", by which is meant the place where the deceased is receieved.

In the Heliopolitan Creation Myth
NebtHet is daughter to Geb and Nut, sister to Aset (Gr: Isis), Wesir, (Gr: Osiris) and sister-spouse to Set. Her rôle in the Myth of Wesir is always one of supporting Aset in her search for his body and mourning by her side. Nowhere in the myth is she referred to as taking the side of her spouse Set, the slayer of Wesir. Instead she helps Aset with searching for the pieces of the body of Wesir and with reassembling and guarding them and for the most seems as if seh was Aset´s shadow. Sometimes they are called the "Mourning Women", or the "Sad Sisters". By this myth, and due to the many mentionings of her in the Pyramid Texts, Nebt-Het became one of the major funerary deities in Egypt. Together with Aset she receives the deceased King in the Heareafter and guards him there. The two are often seen standing behind the enthroned Wesir in the Hall of Maat.

Depictions
She is often depicted at one end of a bier while Aset is seen at the other. In this context, NebtHet and Aset were two of the four deities who protected the canopic jars and other funerary items in both royal and private burials. (The other ones being Nit and Serqet) She is sometimes associated with the linen bandages that are used for the mummy and she also protects and takes care of the young Heru child, son of Aset. But there is no myth pertaining to NebtHet alone.

NebtHet can appear in the form of either a female deity with the hieroglyphic sign of her name above her head, or in birdform; most frequently the kite, like Aset is, but sometimes also a hawk or a swallow. These depictions are seen guarding biers, sarcohphagi and shrines; either of them at each end of it, or both the deities together at the head end. In these situations they can be seen either in human form or in bird form.

In later times NebtHet was said to be the mother of Inpew (Anubis) of which the father would be Wesir. No stories of jealousy on the part of either Aset or Set are found though. Another Late Period connection to NebtHet, although vague, is with Anuket of Abu (Elephantine) though the connection with Aset always takes precedence throughout
the various time periods.

Right: Aset and NebtHet standing behind the Throne of Wesir in the Hall of Maat.
From Papyrus Ani.
Below: NebtHet and Aset in the form of kites, guarding the bier of Wesir.
From the tomb of Nefertari, Valley of the Queens

NebtHet and other Deities
As has been said, the foremost conncetions between NebtHet and other deities are with Aset, Set and Wesir. The relation to Anuket is somewhat vague. But there are two other deities which are more interesting to look at in connection to NebtHet: (Nit (Gr: Neith) and Seshat.

Nit and NebtHet
are both connected with life and death and in Egyptian texts and imagery, they are often juxtaposed opposite each other. Not only that, but they act as a pair which also is juxtaposed oppsite the two other funerary deites, namely Aset and Serqet, with whom they form the quadruple of protective deities for canopic shrines and other funerary items. Just as Aset and Serqet functions as two sides of the same deity, it seems that NebtHet and Nit fill the same position. Another connection beween the two, is that they both are named as spouses to Set, yet another one is found on certain funeral papyeri where Nit has taken the place of NebtHet and guards Wesir together with Aset in the Hall of Judgment. There are also several other instances where Nit exchanges place and functions of NebtHet. So is NebtHet in the Leyden Papyrus seen as the weaver of the linen bandages, something which traditionally is done by Nit. However, the connection is of course open for further research.

Seshat and NebtHet
also seem to be connected. Going back to the Pyramid Texts, it says: "NebtHet has collected all your members for you in this her name of Seshat, Lady of Builders, which is a rather direct statement. And at the temple at Esna, both Seshat and NebtHet are called "Lady of Books", being the owner and director of the house of records there.

Cult Places
For a long time it has been thought that NepbtHet enjoyed no cult of her own. Excavations in the late 1900´s have however revealed some interesting things and three different cult centers of NebtHet can now be discerned.

1. Already in the Early Dydnastic Period, Hiw, or Diospolis Parva, was the capital of the 7th Nome of Upper Egypt. The local deity at that time was Bat, who in the Middle Kingdom became merged with HetHert, who in turn in the Late Period was taken over - not with Aset but with NebtHet. At this time NebtHet had become the main deity here in Diospolis Parva, and her rôle was much the same as Aset in Behbet el-Hagar, i.e she was the protector and guardian of the rites of Wesir. So here we find the almost unlikely exception to the supremacy of Aset in her traditional position as caretaker and guardian of Wesir in every other cult place in Egypt. At this location, NebtHet was in charge. Here she has titles like: "The Lady of Hiw", "The Lady who Dwells in the Heart of Hiw" and "The Lady of the Mansion of the Sistrum", which all points at her being the main deity of this cult center.

Although no temple remains have ben found here, other inscriptions in the 7th Sepat, talks about NebtHet as: "the domain of NebtHet".

2. From the 19th and 20th Dynasty, New Kingdom, there has been discovered at Seperemeru, near Oxhyrrunchus, 19th Sepat, Upper Egypt, two separate temple foundations, for NebtHet and for Set. They each had their own priesthood, were equal in size and were attested already in the Wilbur Papyrus, the famous listing of priesthood and taxes. It seems that from this time onward, NebtHet enjoyed an important and widespread worship which last into the Ptolemaic Period.