Nebamun’s cattle, fragment of a scene ,Thebes, Egypt Late 18th Dynasty, around 1350 BC.

The Egyptians considered cows an essential element of life and survival. As the once fertile area of Northern Africa became a desert, the domesticated cow brought life and nourishment. The goddess Hathor was also frequently depicted as a cow's, or at least with the horns of cows as part of her crown.