Isis

Sister and wife of Osiris, mother of Horus. Isis is the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, called Soped by the ancient Egyptians.

This star disappears behind the sun for seventy days, then reappears to announce the annual Nile flood.

Isis was thus identified with the waters of the Inundation that bring dry, dead land back to life.

When her husband, king Osiris, was murdered, she found his decomposing body, bound it together with linen strips, and used her magic to bring him back to life in a limited way.

Isis' name in Egyptian is Ast which refers to the throne of the king, which she personifies.

Besides performing the first mummification, Isis was known for her ferocious dedication to her son, Horus.

She upheld his right to rule Egypt against the claims of her powerful brother, Seth or Sutekh.

With determination, cunning, and a little magic, she was able to ensure that her son succeeded to the throne of his father.

The story of Isis and Osiris, a love story, a story of triumph over death, and the victory of good and right over brute force, became the most popular of Egyptian myths.

Thousands of years after the last pyramids were built, Cleopatra VII, the last great queen of Egypt, identified herself with Isis, devoted wife and mother.

The cult of Isis survived the annexation of Egypt by the Roman empire, and remained a powerful religion until the rise of Christianity and Islam.