The Sacred Lake

The lake is located on the south side of the Karnak Temple. It is a vast stretch of water surrounded with a magnificent view. The lake symbolizes the waters of the primordial ocean. The water of the lake comes from the Nile. At the northwest corner of the lake lies a magnificent beetle shaped scarab that watches over the lake. The scarab was placed by King Amenhotep III. It symbolizes the transforming quality of the sunlight that comes out of the darkness. The encircling walls of the lake have courses of stones that has a wavy design. That was a hieroglyphic symbol for the water flow. The lake was used by ancient Egyptian priests for purification of souls. A person may wonder where the tradition of Christian baptism inside the churches, compared to temples, came from.