God among men: Ancient Egyptian conceptions of the nature and purpose of pharaohs
The SPbU Representative Office in Spain invites you to an online lecture "God among men: Ancient Egyptian conceptions of the nature and purpose of pharaohs". The lecture will be delivered by Arkady Demidchik, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor at the Department of Ancient Oriental Studies at St Petersburg University, and an Honoured Worker of Higher Professional Education in the Russian Federation.
The visible embodiment of the veneration of rulers can be seen in the grandiose royal tombs — the colossal pyramids. These monumental structures, built over centuries, served not only as burial sites for pharaohs but also as symbols of their eternal power and divine origin. The pyramids were designed not just for burial but also to serve as a place for the royal soul, which, according to Egyptian religion, was believed to continue its existence in the afterlife. Each structure was meticulously planned to align with profound spiritual and cosmological concepts, such as the pharaoh’s connection to the gods and their role in maintaining universal order and harmony.
During the lecture, we will explore the ongoing scholarly debate about the role and purpose of pharaohs; examine the unique features of the ancient Egyptian category of "god (netjer)"; investigate how Egyptians perceived the most significant manifestations of their rulers’ "divinity"; uncover the concept of the pharaoh as "(the god) Horus" and "Son of the Sun"; and analyse the ritual and etiquette norms governing interactions with the pharaoh.
Lecturer
Arkady Evgenievich Demidchik is the author of over a hundred Egyptological publications, including works published in Australia, Austria, England, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, and France. He has also contributed sections on the history and culture of Ancient Egypt to the Russian Historical Encyclopedia. Arkady Demidchik has delivered public lectures at the University of Pennsylvania Museum (Philadelphia), Emory University (Atlanta), and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (Moscow).
His English-language publications have been included in "selected bibliographies" in anthologies of ancient Egyptian literature published by Yale University, London, and Oxford.
The event will be held online in Russian with simultaneous translation into Spanish.