Abstract
Sopdet (or Sothis, via Greek
Σωθις
) is the Egyptian name for the brightest star, Sirius (α Canis Majoris). Sopdet appears as a female star‐deity associated with Isis in the
Pyramid Texts
,
Coffin Texts
, and
Book of the Dead
, and later as a compound deity Isis‐Sopdet. From the First Intermediate Period to the Greco‐Roman period, Sopdet is a member of the Decans, and its annual behavior is described in the Book of Nut as a model for decans. Sopdet is an hour star in Ramesside star clocks and is depicted in astronomical ceilings as a human female or cow.
