Overview

English summary: The age of the Karnak temple and the genesis of the cult of Amon have been the subject of debate and inconsistent conclusions for years, due to the lack of decisive elements, but it is now possible to present some new hypotheses on the development of the site and the rise of the cult of Amon. The course of the Nile clearly endured some major changes and it appears that the site of Karnak, that was originally located on the left bank, became a desert island during the Old Kingdom. In the XIth Dynasty, after the island became part of the right bank, the new Theban kings took advantage of the emerged land to build a sanctuary, dedicated to a new divinity, which was supposed to guarantee their legitimacy. The divinity, Amon-Re, though a new one, was not created ex nihilo. Amon-Re summarizes the Memphite Heliopolitan concept of Imn, ""hidden"", and the solar dimension that is a feature of Re-Item of Heliopolis, as well as the iconography and the Coptite liturgies of Min. For those sovereigns coming from the South, Amon-Re became the god that they contributed to reveal, to the contrary of the previous kings, who did not rightly appreciate it. French description: L'anciennete du temple de Karnak et la genese du culte d'Amon ont longtemps fait l'objet de debats aux conclusions incertaines, faute d'indices determinants, mais il est desormais possible de proposer de nouvelles hypotheses sur le developpement du site et l'essor du culte d'Amon. Le Nil a connu des changements importants de son cours et il semble que le site de Karnak, primitivement situe rive gauche, soit devenu une ile inhabitee durant l'Ancien Empire. Sous la XIe dynastie, apres le rattachement de l'ile a la rive droite, les nouveaux dynastes thebains mirent a profit les terres emergees pour edifier un sanctuaire, consacre a Amon-Re, garant de leur legitimite. Cette divinite, quoique nouvelle, n'a pas ete elaboree ex nihilo: elle synthetise le concept memphito-heliopolitain d'Imn, ""cache"", la dimension solaire empruntee a Re-Atoum d'Heliopolis, l'iconographie et les liturgies coptites du dieu Min. Amon-Re devint ainsi, pour ces souverains originaires du Sud, le dieu qu'ils avaient revele et que les rois precedents n'avaient pas su reconnaitre.

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Luc Gabolde est directeur de recherche au CNRS (Archeologie des societes mediterraneennes, UMR 5140, Montpellier-Lattes), Luc Gabolde a ete membre scientifique de l'IFAO de 1989 a 1993 avant de rejoindre en tant que chercheur la mission permanente du CNRS a Karnak ou il a ete affecte de 1993 a 2003. Il a etudie et publie les vestiges du temple de Sesostris Ier sur le site, ainsi que les monuments en calcaire aux noms de Thoutmosis II, Hatchepsout et Thoutmosis III (IF 934 A-B).

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