Ancient cat goddess temple found in Egypt

[joeybee12]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34935739/ns/technology_and_science-science/

CAIRO - Egypt said Tuesday that its archaeologists have unearthed a Ptolemaic-era temple dating back more than 2,000 years, that may have been dedicated to the ancient cat goddess, Bastet.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities said the temple's ruins were discovered in the heart of the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, the seat of the dynasty founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C., that ended with the suicide of Cleopatra 300 years later.

The statement said the temple was thought to belong to Queen Berenice, wife of King Ptolemy III who ruled Egypt in the 3rd century B.C.

[conscious evolution]

1. And cats have never forgotten

[joeybee12]

3. Exactly !!!! n/t

[Occulus]

6. They've modernized, though

Dogs have masters, cats have staff.

[azurnoir]

24. In my household that staff includes the dog n/t

[emilyg]

23. Mine haven't for sure.

[Alias Dictus Tyrant]

2. Neat n/t

[montanto]

4. Headline should read

"Temple keeper found dead at foot of stairs, little Bastet blamed."

[tuckessee]

5. How can they tell it was a temple dedicated to cats?

Was it the ruined furniture or the petrified hairballs found all over the place?:)

[MineralMan]

7. This is why I do not let my cats see the news.

If they find out they are deities, there will be Hell to pay.

[joeybee12]

9. Find out? They already know!

I think a cat's DNA already tells them they're Gods!

[MineralMan]

10. Mine have doubts, which is natural, since they live with an atheist.

I encourage these doubts by feeding them at unusual intervals to keep them off-balance. It is my only hope.

[Ikonoklast]

27. Then they have succeeded in deceiving you entirely.

Your overconfidence in actually believing that you know what they are thinking shall be your undoing.

Their apparent agreement with your beliefs in public must a great source of private amusement for them.

May Bast show mercy to you on their behalf when your time comes.

[KansDem]

12. Really! If my three cats saw this report, I'd soon be a "Bastet case."

They can pretty demanding, at times...

[brooklynite]

21. What do you thing they're doing when they curl up on your computer screen "for warmth..."?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

25. If I put a sheet of newsprint on the floor, the cat immediately camps out

on it. It is undoubtedly scanning for mention of this "deity" news. It has nothing to do with the fact that newsprint on the floor is generally followed by a pile of catnip.

:hi:

And the proper place for a deity is laying on the belly of its food server.

[thelordofhell]

8. And inscribed at the base of the temple were the words........

Can I haz cheezburger pleeze?

[conscious evolution]

11. lol!

[CatWoman]

15. LOL!!!

:rofl:

[On the Road]

13. Wife of Ptolemy, Hmm?

So she must have been a Greek. Apparently she either picked up the local religion or was trying to ingratiate herself with the population.

On Edit: From what I've heard, Greeks tended to regard the Egyptian gods with scorn since they combined animal heads with human bodies. ("How could anyone believe in those stupid-looking gods? Our Gods look like regular people.")

[CatWoman]

14. fun fact: Cleopatra was the only ruler in the Ptolemy family

who spoke Egyptian.

[Solomon]

28. And what will future people think of us, what with lions and horses

bulls, bears and all manner of animal statues all over our cities? ("oh look, they worshipped lions and horses")

[burning rain]

16. Cat-worshipping religion should make a comeback in the Internet age.

After all, the Internet's basic purpose is to provide a medium for exchanging pictures of cats.

[ellie]

17. All Hail Cats!

[Arugula Latte]

18. I am bowing down now.

Cat and sun worship are the only religions that make any sense to me. Cats in the sun? Well, that's the ultimate.

[Arugula Latte]

19. Archeologists said the temple contained a shredded couch and a shag-carpeted kitty perch.

:)

[arcadian]

20. All this time I've been telling my kitty she's the "bestest kitty in the whole wide world".

She's been hearing "Bastet kitty". No wonder she's got such a huge ego.

[slackmaster]

22. My cat goddess tried to stop me from going to work today

She's so cute it's almost unbelievable.

[Tailormyst]

26. After such a crappy morning- thank you for posting this.

This definitely brought a smile to my face and I stopped worry about the election for a bit :)

[undeterred]

29. No dog temple?

No wonder their civilisation declined.

[joeybee12]

30. They ruled longer than most...they had their priorities straight! n/t