Bastet with an additional feminine suffix, as "Bastet". The name change is thought to have been added to emphasize pronunciation of the ending "t" sound, which was often left silent. Use of the new name became very familiar to Egyptologists. Cats in ancient Egypt were revered highly, partly due to their ability to combat vermin such as mice, rats (which threatened key food supplies), and snakes—especially cobras. Cats of royalty were, in some instances, known to be dressed in golden jewelry and were allowed to eat from their owners' plates. Turner and Bateson estimate that during the Twenty-second Dynasty (), Bastet
Sun goddess of the Earth she is mostly attested in curses, oaths, and purification rituals. The Sun goddess of the Earth was worshipped in various places in the Hittite Empire, such as , A(n)galiya near , Ankuwa, Nerik, and Zippalanda. Her worship is also attested in the land of Kizzuwatna. Sun goddess of the Earth The Sun goddess of the Earth (Hittite: "taknaš UTU", Luwian: tiyamaššiš Tiwaz) was the Hittite goddess of the underworld. Her Hurrian equivalent was and her Sumerian/Akkadian equivalent was Ereshkigal, both of which had a marked influence on the Hittite goddess from an early date. In the Neo-Hittite period, the Hattian