Bastet is the Egyptian goddess of the home, domesticity, women's secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth. She protected the home from evil spirits and disease, especially diseases associated with women and children. As with many deities in Egyptian religion, she also played a role in the afterlife.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 2890 BCE - c. 2670 BCEBastet gains in popularity during the Second Dynasty of Egypt.
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c. 2400 BCE - c. 2300 BCEBastet associated with the king of Egypt as nursemaid and protector.
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c. 2134 BCE - c. 2040 BCEBastet known as Protector of the Dead and associated with Egyptian afterlife.
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525 BCECambyses II of Persia invades Egypt and uses Bastet's image to force Egyptian surrender at the Battle of Pelusium.
