Hi Avry - Thank you for your thoughtful reply to my query.

My main problem with Conman's approach is that she seems to be placing too much connection between the Dendera and Edfu findings with the far earlier Middle and Old Kingdom material. She appears to want to see an early form of astrology at the heart of the Pyramid and Coffin Texts. I don't see this at all, especially not in the Pyramid Texts and the earlier parts of the Coffin texts.

I don't rule a connection out for the later Decanal material, but this is largely because I am not well enough versed in either the various Decan texts, nor in Babylonian and Greek astrological thought.

In addition, she seems to be totally unaware of the penchant for dualities in AE thinking in general, and in AE religious thought in specific. Without an acknowledgement of the dual nature of the players in the AE pantheon, I am afraid she has often allowed herself to be led far off track - to the point where I believe that she is merely chasing her own tail.

She is partly right, though, in regard Meskhetiu - in the early texts, at least, This was NOT a reference to Ursa Major. It was meant to refer to Ursa Minor - although I don't yet completely rule out the possibility that in some Coffin Texts it may have been meant to refer to both together - as if they were to be seen as a single assemblage having two constituent parts.

I haven't read Conman's SAK article. I have downloaded it and will look through it as time allows.