An ancient deity of Egypt in the form of a lion, usually depicted in pairs, back to back, and called Akeru in the plural, Aker was originally an earth god but became involved in the cult of RE, which was solar in origin. He represented the eastern and western horizons of the Underworld, or TUAT, and faced both the sunrise and the sunset. The Akeru guarded the solar bark of Re on his daily sojourns across the sky. A lion cult in Aker’s honor was started at To Remu or LEONTOPOLIS (the modern Tel Migdam). Akeru were depicted in the tomb of Queen NEFERTARI, the Great Wife, or first consort, of RAMESSES II (r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.).
