Horon is one of the best attested deities of
Levantine origin who came to be worshiped in
ancient Egypt. It is presumed that his
cult was introduced from
Canaan, but more detailed reconstruction of its early development is not presently possible. His earliest cult center was
Giza. The exact date of his introduction is not known, though he already appears on a
stela of a certain Mes, possibly to be dated to the reign of
Thutmose III, as well as on foundation tablets from the local
temple of
Harmachis. This would indicate that his arrival was contemporary with the introduction of other deities of similar origin, namely
Resheph and
Ashtart, into the local pantheon of
Memphis. Evidence for both royal and private worship of Hauron is available. However, no accounts of clergy dedicated to him or to Hauron (or Hauron-Harmachis) are available, with the exception of an isolate reference to a certain Pay, a grain measurer in his service, which is considered difficult to reconcile with the large number of available sources documenting the daily life of ancient Giza. While it is known that he did receive offerings like other deities, further features of his official cult are therefore difficult to ascertain. The limestone doors of a building from the reign of
Tutankhamun located in the proximity of the Great Sphinx refer to the pharaoh as the "beloved of Hauron".
Seti I dedicated a stela depicting him during a hunt and praising his military accomplishments to Hauron-Harmachis. During the reign of
Ramesses II, the cult of Hauron is attested outside Giza for the first time, specifically in
Deir el-Medina and possibly also in
Pi-Ramesses. A reference to "Hauron of Lebanon" has been identified in the inscription on a sphinx from the Ramesside period from Tell el-Maskhuta too.
Associations with local deities In Egyptian context, Hauron came to be associated with
Harmachis. The modern spelling of this
theonym is a
hellenized form of Haremakhet, "Horus-in-the-horizon". This god was associated with the
Great Sphinx of Giza, referred to with his name from the period of the
New Kingdom on. The name of Hauron himself could also be used as a designation for this monument. While it was initially assumed that only foreigners referred to it by this name, Christiane Zivie-Coche argues that this view should be abandoned, as based on names of individuals mentioned in documents using this designation they were either Egyptian, or at least Egyptianized to such a degree they used Egyptian personal names and titles.
Richard H. Wilkinson does consider it possible that it was initiated by workmen from outside Egypt present in the area, but he also proposes that it might be rooted in a hitherto unknown mythological connection. According to Zivie-Coche, the scope of the connection between Hauron and Harmachis was unique and it should be considered a distinct phenomenon from the other instances of adoption of northern deities in Egypt. The names Hauron, Harmachis and Hauron-Harmachis could be used interchangeably to designate the same deity. A personal prayer of a certain Kheruef uses the formula "Harmachis in his name of Hauron", and implores the god to grant him a long life, reassuring him that he will "follow [his]
ka" (remain faithful). The reasons behind the partial
conflation remain uncertain, as the character of Harmachis shows no apparent similarities to Hauron. On amulets from
Deir el-Medina, Hauron instead appears alongside
Shed, and according to Jacobus van Dijk seemingly could be identified with him in this area, as evidenced by use of double names Hauron-Shed and Shed-Hauron.
Iconography It was the norm in
ancient Egyptian art to depict foreign deities in the same manner as native ones, with attributes reflecting their individual character and position in the pantheon rather than their origin. Hauron could be depicted either as an armed man or as a
falcon, possibly due to the phonetic similarity of his name to that of
Horus. This form has no forerunner in earlier iconography of any deities from the Levant. A famous example from Egypt is a statue which shows the avian Hauron protecting
Ramesses II, in this case shown as a child. It is assumed that he served as one of the
tutelary deities of this pharaoh. As Hauron-Harmachis he could also be depicted in various forms: while that of a
sphinx was typical, a Horus-like falcon form is known too. A stela showing the latter form is presently in the collection of the
Egyptian Museum in
Cairo. ==First millennium BCE attestations==