Abstract
The Opet Festival is known for its juridical function relating to the oracles of Amun. There are only three texts unequivocally relevant to its oracular sessions, dated to the Nineteenth Dynasty and later. However, other evidence can be associated with this celebration, based on the dates of events. This paper consists of two parts, each re-examining the known evidence and presenting new one. The new sources examined here are mostly related to the installations of high-ranking individuals, such as the high-priests of Amun, the divine wives, and viziers. Unlike juridical oracular sessions, the dates of their ceremonial appointments are rather peripheral in nature, taking place in proximity either to the beginning or the end of the festival. This may hint at the legal assumption of priestly titles prior to religious events and subsequent approval by the god in ceremonial settings, or reward ceremonies when those individuals received special favours from the king for their devotion to him after particular festivals. The author also notes that the accessions of kings were probably modeled on the same pattern in view that some rulers celebrated an accession anniversary at the Opet Festival in their first regnal year when they went on a tour all over Egypt to proclaim their new authority.
