This document, written in crumbling hieroglyphs on an obelisk of red granite, is the only authentic fragment that remains from the ancient religion of Antinous. It is believed to have been authored by Hadrian, or a high priests, proclaiming the Egyptian basis of the cult of Antinous.

It vividly proclaims the religion of Antinous, and it is the only document where the voice of Antinous speaks directly. If it was written by Hadrian, then it is what the founder of the religion of Antinous wished to convey to us.

The Obelisk of Antinous is the most important document of the new religion of Antinous, it is the only vestige of the original cult, a sacred inscription without parallel, but it's origin and purpose remain completely veiled in mystery, as is everything that remains of Antinous.

SOUTH FACE

Antinous who is here and rests in this place
Is in the border fields of Our Lady Rome.

He is known as God in the godly places of Egypt.
Temple sanctuaries are erected for him.

And he is worshipped as a god
By the prophets and priests of Upper and Lower Egypt,
As well as by the inhabitants of Egypt.

A city was named after him.
The soldiers of Greece,
The cult members that belong to Upper and Lower Egypt,
Who are in the temples of Egypt,
They come out of their towns and villages
And are given cultivated land,
To make their lives good beyond all measures.

A temple sanctuary of this God is therein,
Who is called Osiris-Antinous the Justified,
Built from good white stone,
Surrounded by statues of the gods and the sphinxes,
And innumerable pillars,
As they were made by the ancestors before,
And as they were made by the Greeks.
All gods and goddesses will give him
The air of life,
So that he breathes rejuvenated.

EAST FACE

A request for salvation,
which is expressed by Antinous-Osiris,
Whose heart exceedingly rejoices,
Since he recognized his shape after revival,
And he has seen his father Re-Harakhte.

His heart spoke:
"O Re-Harakhte, highest of the gods,
Who hears the calling of gods and men,
The transfigured and the dead
Hear also the call of Hadrian,
Who approaches you! Give Hadrian reward for this,
Who has done this for me,
Antinous, your beloved son.
Hadrian is the King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Who established a cult practice in the temple sanctuaries for all men,
With which the gods are pleased
Who is loved by Hapi and all the gods,
The Lord of Crowns, Hadrianus Caesar,
Who may live, be whole and healthy,

Who may live eternally, like Re,
With a prospering and newly-risen age!
He is the Lord of Welfare,
The ruler of all countries,
The Distinguished Noble Augustus.
The nobles of Egypt bow to him,
And the Nine Arches are united under his soles
As with the Pharaohs,
The rulers of both Upper and Lower Egypt.
They come to being under his word every day.
His might goes as far as the borders of the whole area of this country
In its four world-regions.
The bulls and their cows mingle lustily
And multiply their offspring for Hadrian,
To please his heart
And that of his great and beloved queen,
The queenly ruler of both Upper and Lower Egypt and their cities,
Sabina Sebaste Augusta, May she live, be whole and healthy,
And may she live eternally.
Hapi, father of the gods,
Make the acres fertile for them
And arrange the inundation for them in its time
To overflow the two countries,
Upper and Lower Egypt!"

NORTH FACE

The God, Antinous-Osiris the Justified, is there

An arena was prepared in his place in Egypt,
Antinoopolis, which is named after him,

For the strong athletes who are in this country
And for the rowers and the runners
Of the whole country,

And for all people who belong
To the place of the holy scriptures,
where Thoth is.

And they are bestowed with honor-prizes
And garlands upon their heads,
While they are rewarded with many good things.

One sacrifices on his altars daily,
After offering the sacrifice of the gods each day.

He is praised by the men of the arts of Thoth
According to his glory.

He goes out of his places
To numerous temples in the whole country
And he hears the pleas
Of he who calls upon him;
He heals the diseases of the needy ones
By sending a dream.

Once he has accomplished his works among the living,
He takes on every shape of his heart,

Because the semen of god is truly in his body…

His Mother's whole body heals.
He was raised at his birthplace…

WEST FACE

The God, Osiris-Antinous the Justified,
Has become a youth, with perfect countenance
And festively decorated eyes, …
In strength, he whose heart is glad
Like the heart of a strong-armed hero,
After he received the order of the gods
At the time of his death.

On Antinous will be repeated every ritual of the hours of Osiris
Together with each of his ceremonies in secret.
His teachings will be spread to the whole country,
Helpful in the instruction and effective in the expression.
Nothing comparable has been done
For the earlier ancestors until today
And for his altars, his temples and his titles
While he breathes the air of life
And his reputation comes into being
In the hearts of mankind.

Lord of Hermopolis,
Lord of the Words of Gods, Thoth!
Rejuvenate the soul of Antinous
Like all things at their time,
In the night and by day,
At all times, and every second!
The love for Antinous is in the hearts of his followers
And the fear of him with all…
And his praise is with all his subjects when they worship him.
He takes his seat in the hall of the Just,
The transfigured and the clarified and the splendid,
Who are in the entourage of Osiris in the Realm of the Dead,
While the Lord of Eternity gives him justification.
They let his words endure on the Earth,
Because their hearts are pleased by him.
He goes anywhere he pleases.

The guardians of the gates
Of the kingdom of the underworld
Say "Praise to You", to Him...
They loosen their bolts
And open their gates before him...
Many years long...daily...
As his duration of life is the sun
Never in eternity elapsing.

The Temple of Antinoi