pi-beseth Summary and Overview

(Ezek. 30:17), supposed to mean. "a cat," or a deity in the form of a cat, worshipped by the Egyptians. It was called by the Greeks Bubastis. The hieroglyphic name is "Pe-bast", i.e., the house of Bast, the Artemis of the Egyptians. The town of Bubasts was situated on the Pelusian branch, i.e., the easternmost branch, of the Delta. It was the seat of one of the chief annual festivals of the Egyptians. Its ruins bear the modern name of Tel-Basta.

a town of lower Egypt, mentioned in #Eze 30:17| the same as Bubastis, so named from the goddess Bubastis. It was situated on the west bank of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, about 40 miles front Memphis. It was probably a city of great importance when Ezekiel foretold its doom.

PI-BE'SETH , or PIB'ESETH, a city of Lower Egypt, named from the goddess Bubastis. The hieroglyphic name is "Pe-Bast," "the house of Bast," the Egyptian Artemis, the goddess of fire, the calf-headed goddess, also shown with a lion's head. The name appears in Scripture only as one of the cities of Egypt which Ezekiel foretold would be destroyed. Eze 30:17. From this it would seem to have been a city of great importance. The name appears occasionally in Egyptian annals. An earthquake is mentioned on Manetho's list which took place there about b.c. 2470. Herodotus speaks of the temple of the goddess Bubastis, whom he identifies with the Greek Artemis, as the most beautiful he had ever seen. It was built of the finest red granite, in the midst of a sacred enclosure 600 feet square. Ruins still bearing the name of Fel Besta mark the site of the ancient city, which was situated on the eastern or Pelusiac branch of the Delta, some 20 miles from the Nile and 40 miles north-east of Memphis. Remains of the ancient houses of brick and of a fortress are found. The temple is entirely ruined, but the names of several of the sovereigns have been traced out, including those of Rameses II. and Shishak. The city was taken by the Persians, b.c. 352, and the walls were overthrown. It continued to exist, however, as a considerable city under the Roman empire.