AS: "When we see the star religion start to appear in the private tombs and such, we explain it away by claiming the religion was being "democracized". I'm not sure that's an entirely defendable position, in light of recent discoveries."
The royal afterlife ideology had an important celestial theme with both solar and stellar aspects. The stellar aspect (note, NOT 'star cult' or 'star worship') is attested from the early dynastic period right through the OK, including Dyn 4.
AS: "I contend that we should be making no such forced differentiations, and consider the simple thesis that the star cult was nowhere near as pervasive as most people imagine it was."
What star cult???????
You once claimed there was a "star cult" at Saqqara - but you gave no evidence for a "cult" - temples and priests etc.
AS: "Also, that indeed there might have been an entirely different cult at operation in Egypt that took the fore during the reigns of Khufu, Sneferu, and on until Djedkare-Izezi. The cult of Re was relatively new, and clearly became immensely dominant just as the smooth-sided mega-pyramids were introduced into the cultural landscape."
The solar aspect of the royal funerary beliefs is attested from the Early Dynastic Period, as is the stellar aspect. Sun temples were a Dyn 5 phenomena at Abusir. AFAIK, there is very little evidence for an exclusive cult of Re at Giza or in Dyn 4 as you have previously claimed, so how can you assert it "clearly became immensely dominant" already at the beginning of Dyn 4 - what clear evidence do you have for this immense dominance? - can you list the priests of Re during Khufu's reign, the temples to Re, the 'Followers of Re' etc - these would be clear indications of an "immensely dominant" cult of Re at this time as you claim.
There is evidence of a solar ASPECT to the royal funerary beliefs in Dyn 4 however, and the stellar aspect is also evident as you should well know - hint, two Dyn 4 pyramids with explicit stellar names, stars in Sneferu's funerary complex, similar stars discovered in Khufu's funerary complex......
CT
