EU03
EU03
EU03
by
R.J. Demarée
EGYPTOLOGISCHE UITGAVEN
Ill
THE 3 h zkr n Re-STELAE
V •
R.J. DEMAREE
CONTENTS
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX
Chapter I Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter V The meaning and function of the 3!J 1~r n Rc-stelae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Dedicated to the memory of:
Prof. dr. A. de Buck
Prof. dr. J. L:erny
PREFACE
has been paid to the last named formula, beyond a few fairly general
remarks. Maspero 12 wrote: "La formule ... est une sorte d' ex-voto,
fait par les parents du mort a une partie de l'ame humaine distincte
de eel le a qui on adresse d' ordinaire les prieres des s b~les" . He
continued by explaining the status of the so-called 'K.hou instruit'
and then observed: "Le defunt est identifie ici au soleil, comme
ailleurs il l'est a Osiris: l'idee de lumiere contenue dans le terme
de 3h, se continue dans le titre de Re. C'est au defunt glorieux et
"'
instruit, resplendissant et omniscient comme le soleil, que s'adresse
le proscyneme de nos steles. L'identification avec Ra, qu'on croit
avoir ete exclusivement reservee aux rois, etait done accordee aux
simples particuliers sous la XIXe et sous la XXe dynasties, sinon plus
tot."
Maspero's opinion has, in fact, served as the basic concept about both
this type of stelae and the characteristic designation figuring in
the, usually, short texts upon them.
Bruyere in 1939 was not only able to enlarge the number of known
stelae from 12 to 29, he also did some further research into the
meaning of the special formula, basing himself upon the general con-
clusions made by Maspero, and the cult connected with it, thereby also
taking into account other documents from Deir el-Medfna.
catalogue of the stelae Bruyere argues: "Il est certain que cette
liste est incomplete; mais elle suffit a confirmer la theorie emise
par Maspero et que corroborent nos propres recherches".
Bruyere's main conclusions 15 follow after he presents a short list of
related documents from Deir el-Medfna:
"Cette liste n'a pas non plus la pretension d'etre complete mais elle
contient assez d'examples pour confirmer les renseignements des
steles et pour permettre de certifier que le culte du Khou aker est un
culte des ancetres qui se pratiquait dans la maison et comportait les
memes rites et les memes offrandes que les cultes des dieux dans les
temples et des morts dans les tombes. Pour conclure, le culte du
Khou aker, qui n'est pas une innovation du Nouvel Empire, remonterait
par dela l'epoque thinite, jusqu'a celle des adorateurs d'Horus, sous
une autre forme il est vrai, et, par sa concordance de temps, de lieux
et de doctrine avec le culte heliopolitain d'Harmakhis, honorerait
13 ) Op . ci t . , p . 15 2 .
14) Op. ci t. , p. 15 3 .
15) Op.cit., pp. 166-167
5
A. Stelae
b generally like a (1), but in the arch besides or above the text
are one or two wg3t-eyes, a sn-ring and the water-symbol upon a
:icb-vase.
(1) like b but dedicatee facing left.
(2) like b but upper part of stela pointed.
g stela with pointed top; the scene in the upper part - a sun-disk or
a solar barque - is separated from the main scene representing the
dedicatee seated or standing, facing left and adoring royal figures;
9
A 1 (Pl.I)
"A boon which the king gives (to) Re-Harakhty, Atum, Lord of
the Two Lands, Heliopolitan, that he may give all good and
pure things for the ka of the able spirit of Re, Any,
2
justified ."
left
/
"A boon which the king gives (to) Osiris, Foremost of the West,
that he may give all good and pure things for the ka of the
able spirit of Re, A(ny ••• )."
inside
Onomastique, p. 112.
5. the son of Nakhy, cf. 0. Cairo 25796, II, 20.
Of these five no.3 might be identical with either no.l
or 2, as the term 'brother' in Deir el-Medina at least
is commonly used for 'brother-in-law', 'colleague' or
5
even 'companion of the same generation'.
In the absence of any further information on this
stela it seems impossible to identify our Any with
any of the listed namesakes.
In fact it is even probable that, as all of these five
14
lived during the second half of the 19th dynasty, our
Any belonged to an older generation - i.e. he was per-
haps the grandfather of one of them. This would
certainly be more in accordance with the most likely
date of the stela - mid-19th dynasty.
1) For this type see Vandier, Manuel IV, pp. 88-89 and fig. 25.
2) The writing of m3c hrw
v
with two lines only is not uncommon, at
least in Deir el-Medina inscriptions, cf. A.-P. Zivie, La tombe de
Pached, p. 28; see also our Chapter III 5. Epigraphy.
3) As a motif - Isis and Nephthys in connection with the sunrise -
this does not appear before the 19th dynasty; cf. J. Assmann,
Liturgische Lieder an den Sonnengott (Berlin 1969), pp. 202-203.
4) Possibly from Tomb 1069, cf. Bruyere, Rapport 1926, pp. 35-36.
5) Cf. M.L. Bierbrier, JEA 66 (1980), pp. 104-106.
15
A 2 (Pls. II and XIV)
Text: right
2 c
"The Osiris, the able spirit of Re, w b-priest of
3 4
Djesert-Amun , Kha' (em)nun, justified on every day
forever."
16
left
2
" The Osiris, the able spirit of Re, web-priest of
3
Djesert-Amun , Amenemone, justified."
3 5
"His son, ••• , web-priest in Djesert-Amun , Nebwen ."
Text:
Name: Amennakht - .
;Tmn-nhtw •
Date: mid 20th dynasty.
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,31 x 0,53 m.
Technique: ostracon with line drawing.
Colours: figure in red and black; fillet and throne in -green.
Conservation: broken in three pieces, repaired; figure and text
rubbed off.
Type: a (2).
Provenance: Thebes, Valley of the Kings, Tomb 9 (Ramesses VI).
Present location: Cairo, Egyptian Museum, Cat. 25136, Exhibited
Room 24.
1
Description: on the right the dedicatee is seated on a throne ,
holding a lotus-flower in his right hand; his left
hand posed on his lap is making a gesture towards the
altar with four stands, bearing circular loaves and
vegetables (lettuce) 2 ; before the altar is a text in six
. 1 1"lnes 3 •
vertlca
Text:
3
22
11
(5-6) for the ka of the able spirit of Re, the
chief draughtsman Amennakht, justified with Re."
A 5 (Pl. III)
c
Name: An~otep - n-~tp.
same as no. 2.
2. the wife of her cousin Nekhemmut, cf. M.L. Bierbrier,
Late New Kingdom, p. 31 and Chart VIII; also J. Cerny,
Bankes Call., stela no. 9.
3. the wife of the chief workman Nefer~otep the Younger
(the owner of Tomb 216), cf. J. Cerny, Rep. Onomastique,
pp. 102-108 and M.L. Bierbrier, op.cit., p. 21 and
Chart V; she was the daughter of chief workman Baki, cf.
Bruyere, Rapport 1927, pp. 92, 115 and 127.
In the absence of any further evidence it seems difficult
to decide which of the two or three ladies might be the
dedicatee of this stela. Whatever the case, this Webkhet
most probably also appears on our Doe. A 39.
29
A 7 (Pl.III)
Text:
I z 3
"A boon which the king gives (to) Re-Harakhty, that he may
give all good and pure things for the ka of the spirit 1 of
Re, Baki, justified2."
Commentary: This stela was found in the small corridor behind room II
of House C. VI. Amongst other finds from this house are
our Does. A 23 and B 1. Furthermore this house offers a
clue as to where the 3b 1kr stelae were placed, i.e. in
the so-called niches laraires, cf. p. 286.
The figure of the seated man with short wig and long robe
date this stela to the first half of the 19th dynasty.
From this period only two men named Baki are known in the
prosopography of Deir el-Medina:
1. the chief workman Baki (the owner of Tomb 298) who held
office during the reign of Sethos I and the first years
of Ramesses II, cf. J. Cerny, Community, pp. 291 and
315.
2. a workman, the son of Amenemone, cf. O.Or. Inst.
Chicago 17007, rt. I 23 and possibly 0. DeM 333, 3, 4,
6, 7 and 9, both from year 37 of Ramesses II.
Of these two no. 1 is clearly the most likely candidate
for being the dedicatee of this stela, the more so since
in House C. VI a fragment of a stela dedicated to
probably his son Mose was also found, cf. our Doe. A 23.
1) The usual vase under the water symbol is missing; cf. too our Does.
A 15 and A 51.
2) The graphic variant sJJ for is not uncommon on
hieroglyphic monuments from Deir el-Medina, see Chapter III 5.
Epigraphy.
3) Cf. M. Kolodko, Rocznik Museum 23 (Warsaw 1979), pp. 14-21.
4) Most probably the same man is meant in the texts on the doorjambs
of a shrine next to Sethos I's Hathor Chapel at Deir el-Medina,
cf. K.A. Kitchen, KRI III, 729, 3-4.
34
A 9 (Pl.IV)
Text:
=
,,
Name: Paisy -
Date: 19th/20th dynasty.
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,22 x 0,16 m.
Technique: shallow sunk relief with incised text.
Colours: no traces.
Conservation: damaged on lower right and left corners.
Type: a ( 1).
Provenance: Deir el-Medina ?
Present location: Paris, Louvre E 13080 (formerly Bibliotheque
nationale 36).
Description: on the left the dedicatee is seated on a chair, holding
a lotus-flower in his left hand, with his right hand
posed on his lap; his feet rest on a footstool; before
him are two high altars bearing circular loaves and
nmst-vases; between the two altars is a bouquet of
lotus-flowers; in the arch is a simplified sn-ring above
the head of the dedicatee and a text in five vertical
lines.
Text:
11
A boon which the king gives to Re-Harakhty, Lord of Heaven,
King of the Gods, that he may give invocation-offerings
(consisting) of bread, beer, oxen, fowl, incense, cool water,
1
wine, for the ka of the spirit of Re, Paisy. 11
38
" For the ka of the fan-bearer on the right of the king, the
king's scribe, the general of the army, the king's son of
Kush, the chief of the foreign countries of the South, the
first prophet of Amun king of the gods, the chief of the
granaries of Pharaoh, for the ka of the able spirit of Re,
the commander of the archers of Pharaoh, Paiankh."
Bibliography: Bruyere 21; PM V, 51; A. Mariette, Abydos II, p. 55
and Pl. 57 (b); Ramadan el Sayed, BIFAO 78, (1978),
197-199 and Pl. LXVI. 2
Commentary: Although the general style and the careful execution of
this stela would rather point to an earlier date (cf. our
Doe. A 9), the titles and the name of the dedicatee make
it clear that we are dealing with a stela from the very
end of the Ramessid age. Paiankh, often called the son
of ~eri~or 3 , is a well known person and he must have
lived under Ramesses XI. From the correspondence of the
necropolis scribes Dhutmose and Butehamon in J. Cern~,
Late Ramesside Letters, we know of his intricate
connections with the Deir el-Medina community of that
period; see also 0. Cairo 25745.
.
Ancient Egypt in the Late Period - Twenty-first Dynasty, p. 226
and fig. 147 (after Mariette, Abydos II, pl. 57).
3) But see E.F. Wente, 'Was Piankh Herihor's Son?' in Drevniy Vostok
1975, pp. 36-38.
41
A 12 (Pl. IV and XIV)
"For the ka of the able spirit (of) Re, Lord of Heaven, King of
the Gods, Panel;tsy."
1
"The spirit of Re, Panakht/Panekhu, justified in peace."
A 15 (Pl.V)
1) The usual vase under the water symbol is missing; cf. too our
Does. A 8 and A 51.
2) Not in a basket, as Tosi-Roccati, p. 54, say. For a clear picture
of what was intended to be represented under the chair - two
gourds and some figs - cf. Bruyere, Rapport 1923-1924, Pl. XII,
the offering-tables of 'Kenherkepeschef, Rames'.
3) The only other dedicatee shown with shaven head is Khamuy of our
Does. A 33 and A 36. The fact that they appear with their head
49
3
"The Osiris , the able spirit of Re, PaJ::tatia."
right side
4
"Made by his brother, who makes his name live, the web-priest
of the lord of the two lands in the West (of Thebes), Ipuy,
justified."
51
left side 5
"Hade by4 the son of his brother, the draughtsman of the lord of
the two lands, Amennakht, justified."
A 18 (Pl. XVI)
left
~~~c~mP=J
"King's wife Sit-Kamose."
56
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,29 x 0,235m ( x 0,094 m).
Technique: shallow sunk relief with incised text.
Colours: red on the visible parts of the bodies of the male figures,
on the ointment in the jar under the chair, and on the sun-
disk;
some traces of black in the outlines of the barque, the
seated figure and some of the hieroglyphs.
Conservation: top edge damaged.
Type: e (2) •
Provenance: Thebes, Funerary Temple of Merenptah ('First Court').
Present location: Manchester, The Manchester Museum No. 1554.
Description: in the arch is the solar barque with the rising-sun
symbol flanked by two wg3t-eyes; under the barque at
the right are two fishes; these symbols are separated
from the main scene below by two parallel lines; in the
main scene on the left the dedicatee is seated on a chair,
holding a lotus-flower in his left hand and an ankh-signl
in his right hand; he wears a long skirt and a double
neck-collar; his feet rest on a footstool in the form
of a reed mat and under the chair is an unguent jar;
before him stanus another man raising his hands 2 in
adoration and wearing a short skirt; in between the two
figures is an altar bearing a nmst-vase and a lotus-
flower; above and in between them is a text in eight
vertical lines.
Text: right
61
left
c
Name: May - M y.
Date: 19th dynasty.
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,38 x 0,29 m ( x 0,08 m).
Technique: shallow sunk relief with incised text.
Colours: traces of red on the body of the male figure.
Conservation: surface worn, slight damages on all edges.
Type: e (1).
Provenance: Deir el-Medina (bought by Schiaparelli 1900-1901).
Present location: Turin, Museo Egizio 50023 (formerly suppl. 1306;
908).
Description: in the upper register on the left the dedicatee is
seated on a chair, holding a lotus-flower in his left
hand and a cloth in his right hand posed on his lap;
1
his feet rest on a footstool; before him stands a man
offering incense and water; between the two men is an
altar bearing circular loaves, cakes and a vase full of
grapes; under the altar at each side a lettuce plant;
in the lower register three persons, two kneeling women
and a standing boy, are adoring and offering lotus-
flowers; above the inscription in four vertical lines
in the upper register is the sn-ring (now disappeared)
flanked by two w~3t-eyes.
Text: right
"The Osiris 11
left
I Z
! ~4~ ~0·~44~
"The able spirit, beloved of Re, May."
64
.., 1~r
Noteworthy is the unique formula 3h mr1 Re instead
of the usual 3h .
.... ikr n Rc.2
In view of the lack of further evidence it is not possible
with any certainty to identify the dedicatee with the
owner of Tomb 338, cf. M. Tosi, La cappella di Maia,p.33,
V '"
of stela Bankes no. 1, cf. J. Cerny, Bankes Coll.,and
stela Turin 50009, cf. Tosi-Roccati, pp. 41-42. It should
be noted however that the name May is extremely rare in
the prosopography of Deir el-Medina.
of the other persons named Mose from the 19th dynasty was
the dedicatee of this stela, e.g.
1. the son of Khabekhnet, cf. J. Cerny, Rep. Onomastique,
p. 14 (= same as Ramose?).
2. the son of Io'~nufe and father of Amenemope, cf.
J. Cerny, Community, p. 250 and notes 10 and 11, and
Tosi-Roccati, p. 168.
3. the son of Any, from Tomb 1069, cf. Bruyere, Rapport
1926, p. 31 and fig. 16.
The findspot and the circumstantial evidence, however,
seem to favour an identification of the dedicatee of
this stela with a member of Baki's family.
A 24
A 25 (Pl. VII)
left
2
" The able spirit of Re, Nebnakht, justified."
lower register
right
2
"The able spirit of Re, Nebnakht, justified."
Name: Nekh - Nh
... •
Date: 19th/20th dynasty.
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,36 x 0,21 m.
Technique: shallow sunk relief with incised texts.
Colours: slight traces.
Conservation: surface worn in several places;. right edge and corner
damaged.
Type: e (1).
Provenance: Thebes, Medinet Habu, D-E/5-6, stratum of 'Fellahin
. 1
Village' (ln houses south-east of enclosure).
Present location: Chicago., Oriental Institute Museum 14287.
Description: in the upper register on the left the dedicatee is
seated on a chair, holding a lotus-flower in his left
hand and a cloth in his right hand; he wears a youth-
hairlock and has a cone of unguent and a lotus-flower
on the head; before him stands another man, dressed in
a soldier's skirt, adoring and making an incense offering;
between the two men is an altar bearing a nmst-vase
and a lotus-flower; in the middle of the arch above the
two men is the sn-ring upon the water symbol and a vase;
behind each man is a vertical line of text (the right
one in fact beginning in the centre of the arch);
in the lower register on the left is an altar with
four pedestals around which is a garland; on the altar
circular loaves and vases full of grapes are encircled
2
by a typical cover ; before the altar are a kneeling
woman dressed in a long gown and a standing naked,
bald-headed girl; between them are vertical lines of
text.
Text: above 1 %
above
left
below
left
"Tamit."
r
"For the ka of the able spirit of Re, the builder of
the Temple of Amun, Nesamun, justified."
79
left
1) Noteworthy is the fact that the vase interrupts the dividing line
between the symbols in the arch and the main scene below.
0
2) It is uncertain whether the w b-priest Roma appearing on stela
Cairo J. 36671 from the first half of the 19th dynasty can be
identical with either of the two mentioned above; cf. Bruyere,
Rapport 1935-1940, III, pp. 77-78 and fig. 7 (=PM II, 166).
82
A 29 (Pl. VIII)
c c
Name: ?apy'o - ~ py- 3.
Date: 18th-19th dynasty.
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,08 x 0,15 m ( x 0,02 m) (fragment only).
Technique: shallow sunk relief (?) with incised text.
Colours: no traces.
Conservation: only upper part preserved; damaged on top and right
edge.
Type: ? ( e ?).
Provenance: Deir el-Medina (Hathor chapel of Sethos I).
. 1
Present l ocatlon: unk nown, presumabl y Storerooms Delr
. e l -Me d-
lna •
Description: in the arch is the sn-ring upon the water symbol and
a vase flanked by two wg3t-eyes; above the figure(s)
in the main scene is a text in seven vertical lines.
Text:
"A boon which the king gives ••• the able spirit of Re,
?ori, justified."
3
Bibliography: not in Bruyere; not in PM; unpublished.
Commentary: Judging from the scanty traces, this ostracon seems to
date from the late 19th or the first half of the
20th dynasty.
Most probably it is a sketch rather than a more simple
version of a real stela, yet see our Does. A 4, A 14
and A 53.
As the name ?ori was very popular in the Deir el-Medina
community, it seems impossible to identify the dedicatee
of this stela. In view of the findspot of this ostracon
...
a likely candidate is the scribe ?ori, cf. J. Cerny,
Community, pp. 216-219.
Text:
6) Cf. too 0. Cairo 25573, II, 3; 0. DeM 116, rt. 1; 0. DeM 188 + 373,
4; stela BM 8497, M.L. Bierbrier, Hieroglyphic Texts 10 (London
1982), p. 32 and Pls. 74-75; stela Turin 147/1560 (together with
'his brother' Amennakht), G. Maspero, RT II, p. 179 (not in
Tosi-Ro·ccati, Stele); stela BM 341 of Pashedu and Pennub, Hall, HT
VII, Pl. 25; figured ostracon BM 8508, PennUb before the goddess
Mertseger, Bruyere, Mert Seger (Cairo 1930), fig. 50. Possibly
PennUb is the 'grandson' of ?ori, the owner of stela Turin 50008,
Tosi-Roccati, pp. 39-41.
7) See also M.A. Green in Orientalia 45 (1976), p. 398 note 17; and
M.L. Bierbrier, op.cit., p. 32.
93
A 33 (Pl. IX and XV)
r u~@~4~ ~ 0 'le44~N
97
left
443, 11-13.
left
!
2
" ••• swee t b reeze ••• "
lower register
right
3
"The Osiris, the able spirit of Re, Khamuy ."
101
left
1) The sign ~ ,in between the two lotus-flowers and buds, possibly
is to be interpreted as wdn- "offering".
2) "Sweet breeze" and the two rudders in the top register are
related to the scene with the solar barque, as seen on our
Does. A 1, A 2, A 9, A 11, A 20, A 27, A 42, A 44 and A 48.
3) After both names there seems to be no space for m3° 9rw.
102
A 38 (Pl.X)
A 39
A 40 (Pl.XI)
3
"The able spirit of Re, Kynebu, justified ."
113
left
z. J
01 ~o~7.
"The spirit 4 of Re, ,Sipair." "Ahmose (Nefertari) ."
=
el-Medina to be taken into consideration
rJ 4Jf..1J •4~
of the letter 0. DeM 115 to the workman
5
is the web K.,
the sender
~enymin 6 • Both
the offering-table and the letter date from mid-20th
dynasty. The rarity of the name and the title lead to
the possible identification of our Kynebu with the owner
1) Doe. A 27 is the only other stela in this group made out of this
material.
2) Cf. our Doe. A 19, note 2 on p. 59.
3) For this writing of m3c !]rw, cf. our Doe. A 7, note 2 on p. 130.
c
4) For the writing 3b n R see p. 275.
5) Another Kynebu in Deir el-Medina texts is a fisherman of that name,
cf. 0. DeM 142, rt.
18-19 (year 26 of Ramesses III); probably also in o. Strassbourg
1256=H 84, rt.3 (year 7 of Ramesses VII; unpubl.).
6) The workman ~enymin is known from year 15 of Ramesses III,
o. DeM 253, vs. 3, until year 2 of Ramesses IV, o. IFAO 574
(unpubl.).
7) For a statue of this Kynebu, Hannover 2945, cf. M. Cramer, ZAS 72
(1936) T pp. 100-103 (21-2), Pl. IX (1,2).
115
A 43
"A boon which the king gives (to) Re-Harakhty, that he may give
all good and pure things for the ka of the able spirit of Re,
2
"The able spirit of Re, Taweretherti , justified."
118
left
A 45 (Pl.XII)
"The Osiris, the able spirit of Re, Takhy ... (?) .. "
A 47
left
~ ~!4!~~_@-~V~
1
"The able spirit of Re, Djeserka."
130
right
I ~ .1 y s-
A 51 (Pl.XIII)
~--
1) In her left hand she carries an object which cannot be defined due
to the worn surface of the stela.
2) From the prosopography of Deir el-Medina no feminine name showing
these elements is known to me.
3) Although there is no clear proof for the presence of this
expression in the text, we have included the stela in our group A
(following Tosi-Roccati, op.cit.) on account of the conformity in
style and representation. It would have been equally possible to
list this stela with the documents under C, see pp. 157 ff.
137
A 52 (Pl.XIII)
Name: ?
Date: 19th dynasty.
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,16 x 0,12 m ( x 0,045 m) (fragment only).
Technique: shallow sunk relief with incised text.
Colours: no traces.
Conservation: fragmentarily preserved; surface damaged.
Type: a (2) ?
Provenance: Deir el-Medina (found by Schiaparelli in 1909).
Present location: Turin, Museo Egizio 50018 (formerly Suppl. 9520).
Description: on the right the dedicatee is seated (?),holding a
lotus-flower in her right hand (?); she has an elaborate
1
wig and a cone of unguent on the head; above the
figure is a text in vertical lines.
Text:
r 2
" ••• (spirituality ?) in heaven and power on earth , •••
(for) the ka of the (able?) spirit (of Re?) ••• ,
possessor of honour in peace ••• "
A 53
Name: ?
Date: 19th or 20th dynasty.
Material: limestone.
Dimensions:? (fragment).
Technique: ?
Colours: no traces.
Conservation: small fragment only.
Type: ?
1
Provenance: Deir el-Medina (near Ptolemaic Temple) •
2
Present location: Cairo Museum or Deir el-Medina storehouse
Description: only a fragment of the text is preserved.
Text:
--- ~~..
"The able spirit of Re, Nesamuntawemet, justified;
saying (?) there may be given water and a (sweet ?)
breeze."
141
Addendum1
A 55 (Pl. XVII)
r JI~~!~!r~~ ~
lower register
"1 /~ ~ 7~}\~ Jl
"His daughter Nyia"
In spite of many uncertainties, one thing has become clear from the
foregoing catalogue: the majority of the stelae originates from Deir
el-Medina. Bruyere, in his article 'in Rapport 1934-1935, pp. 165-167,
already drew attention to the presence of the epitheton 3h .
... 1kr n Re
on other objects - offering-tables - from this site. However, his
references were by no means intended to be complete. In the following
section therefore, we shall present all the documents in as far as i t
was possible to gather them from their various sources, so as to permit
a survey of all the known material. In this section, of course, the
main interest will lie in the evidence provided by the documents - as
no exhaustive study of the group per se is intended.
B 1 A~mose - "Icf}-ms
left:
libation-basin
right:
left:
11
11
••• 0siris, Pre-eminent in the West
B 3 Iuy - 7wy
11
for the ka of the able spirit of Re, Iuy ... 11
"
cf. J. Cerny, op.cit., p. 49.
5. The wife of Nefersenut and the mother of Paneb (Tomb 211), cf .
....
J. Cerny, op.cit., p. 88.
Although definite clues to the identification of the dedicatee of this
offering-table are lacking, its findspot makes i t more than likely
that she is to be identified with no. 5 above, as the cluster of houses
in the south-east of the Village at one time belonged to the family of
Nefersenut: S.E. VII to his brother Nebamente, and S.E. VIII to his
brother's son Nebamun (see our Doe. B 10).
B 4 Irynufe - Iry(t)-nfr
in the Divine Booth, that they may give all good and
pure, pure things for the ka of the able spirit2 of Re,
Irynufe."
libation-basin
right:
B 5 Pay - P3y
1
The date of this fragmentary object is Ramessid 1 , most probably 19th
dynasty, as indicated by a comparison with more readily datable
offering-tables from Deir el-Medina.
For a possible identification of the dedicatee Pay, see our Doe. A 9,
p. 34.
1
B 5: 1) This formula, W. Barta, Qpferformel, p. 159, 1
Bi tte 286
(ssp.k ~3tt msktt p~wt mcngt).
151
B 7 Pa~erypedjet - P3-~ry-p9t
" ... great (god), Lord of Ta-Djeser, that he may give all
(good and pure) things for the ka of the able spiritl
of Re, Pa~erypedjet, justified."
left:
~ ...c£:l-
~.n ~
-'4 ell
,.--. t
rffil """"
.e>C'l
I A
.Q /Jr -
,~
c::::::J ....__..
1
f.'~ .•. ~~
~ ~ .. ,
jE g
t ®A "C::' :%'···%
Aj::' 'l
named: the son of ~uy and the brother of chief workman fa~a, cf. M.L.
Bierbrier, The Late New Kingdom in Egypt (Warminster 1975), p. 36 and
Chart IX. He occurs in the years 35-37 and 40 of Ramesses II in 0.
Or.Inst.Chicago 17007, 8 and passim [unpubl.], and 0. BM 5634, rt. 21
(= H.O. 83) 2 respectively. The identification therefore seems certain.
B 8 Menna - Mnn3
"A boon which the king gives (to) Re, Atum, that they may give
(an offering consisting of ... ), beer, oxen, fowl, cool water,
wine, milk, for the ka of the (able) spirit of Re, Menna,
justified."
B 9 Nebamun - Nb-~Imn
right side:
back:
'~/£lA ~~.c=~~~f)~~n~4~~s~&~
~ A~ ~c:>dl~ 'i ,.__,., .;u, ~ "< ~ .._7
B 10: 2) The scene can be compared with our (sub)type c (1), see p. 8.
155
give
For a Nebamente, father of Nebamun, see our Doe. B 9.
r ~~~~~~ ~ ~ t~ ~~a
"The able spirit6 of Re, Neferl}otep, justified."
B 11: 1) In this connection the scene on the east wall is also note-
worthy, cf. Bruyere, op.cit., pp. 133-135 and fig. 90, where
the tomb-owner Nakhtamun is shown, dressed as a sem-priest,
making offerings to his 'ancestors' - a man and a woman only
indicated by the titles 'the master of the house' and
'mistress of the house', ~~~ and ~ }fr:-:l 1 , without
specific names.
2) This attitude can be compared with our (sub) type a (1), see
p. 8.
3) For the same act see our Doe. A 49, p. 129.
4) The lady Nubemshaset is presenting the same type of vase or
basket with offerings tied up with a ribbon as seen on our
156
The tomb of the sculptor Nakhtamun can safely be dated to before ea.
year 35 of Ramesses II, see M.L. Bierbrier, The Late New Kingdom in
Egypt (Warminster 1975), p. 25.8 As there is no evidence that
Nakhtamun had a 'real' brother Nefer~otep, it is most probable that
the 'able spirit of Re, Neferhotep' honoured here, was the chief
workman Nefer~otep the Elder.9 This is supported by the fact that in
the tomb of the necropolis-scribe Ramose (Tomb 250), we find a similar
scene in which offerings are brought to chief workman Nefer~otep the
Elder and his wife Iiemwaw, see Bruyere, Rapport 1926, p. 62 and Pls.
VII and VIII.10 Although in this scene the texts are so much damaged
as to make it uncertain whether Nefer~otep the Elder is called 'able
spirithere, comparison of the scenes in the two tombs almost certainly
proves the identity of both their subject and of the honoured person.
c. Additional documents
c 1
"Offering all good and pure things to your ka- pure, pure."
Although the text on the left in the arch is damaged beyond repair and,
therefore, the dedicatee must remain anonymous to us, the findspot
makes it probable that this stela belongs to the same category as the
greater part of the documents in our section A .•
c 2
c 3
The general style (note especially dress and wig) and execution of
this stela indicate a - somewhat provincial - 20th dynasty date. The
scene is executed in bas relief. The hieroglyphs are incised.
On the right two men are represented. The first one wears a long gown,
a broad necklace and a wig. He has his hands raised in adoration. The
second one is smaller and wears a skirt and a broad necklace. He has a
shaven head, carries a bunch of three lotus-flowers in his right hand
and he has his left hand raised in adoration. On the left is a standing
figure of the god Osiris in front of an altar laden with circular
loaves, a nmst-vase and a cover crowned with a lotus-flower. In the
arch above the figures is a text in six vertical lines.
Text:
right:
left:
Nothing seems to be known about the dedicatee or his son. For the name
Atumnakht cf. Ranke, PN II, 268, 13. The name of the son has been read
as 'Anmaa byRanke, PN I, 61, 16 (giving this place only and indicating
sic above the first element of cn-m3c).
The expression "Osiris, who dwells in Lake-Land (Fayum)" was not very
common in the New Kingdom, cf. WB V, 227, 1.
c 4
Granite stela, possibly from Abydos.l Cf. D.A. Lowle, 'A remarkable
family of draughtsmen-painters from early ninetheenth-dynasty Thebes 1,
Oriens Antiquus XV (1976), pp. 91-106 with Pls. 1 and 2; the texts also
published by K.A. Kitchen KRI I, pp. 327-329. The stela, which is
worked on both faces, is dated by Lowle and Kitchen to the early 19th
dynasty.
As only the reverse side of this stela of the chief draughtsman of
Amun, Dedia, is of interest for our subject, we shall concentrate our
attention on this section (cf. Lowle, op.cit., p. 105, fig. 2). Apart
fromconventional~tp-d1-nsw formulae in the margins 2 and an equally
customary invocation to any reader of the stela, the scene on the base
of a man and a woman offering is accompanied by a central line of
text: "Presenting incense and libation to Re, Atum, and Osiris and his
ennead, that they may grant invocation offerings consisting of bread
and beer, oxen and fowl, for Dedia, for [his wife] Iuy, and for his
forefathers", and a list of seven generations of Dedia's ancestors. 3
In the lunette above these inscriptions the Abydos fetish in the
middle is flanked by seated deities - on the right Nephthys, Hathor,
and Anubis; on the left Isis, Ma'at, and Thoth. Behind each group of
deities is the emblem for 'West'. Above the whole scene is the sn-ring
upon the water symbol and a vase flanked by two WQ3t-eyes, the royal
names of Amenophis I and his mother A~mose-Nefertari, and the Osiris
epithets Wenen-nefer and Foremost of the Westerners. In the corners,
on each side behind the western emblem, are two short texts:
right:
left:
c 5
The standing man is wearing a short skirt and on his head he has a
peculiar wig. On the base before the feet of the statuette is a text
engraved in four horizontal lines.
Text:
"A boon which the king gives (to) Harakhty, the Great God, Lord
of Heaven, that he may give bread and beer for the ka of the able
spirit, Ba'aref, justified."
c 6 (Pl. XIX)
left:
In view of the unknown provenance of this stela and the defective and
uninformative text it seems impossible to identify either dedicatee
and dedicator. Yet it is likely that the dedicatee can be linked with
the Jg 1~r Ahmose from our Does. B 1, B 2 and A 42, see pp. 145 and 112
respectively.
c 7 (Pl. XIX)
Limestone stela, found in the Main Street opposite House no. 4 of the
(Workmen's) Village at Tell el-Amarna. 1 Cf. T. Eric Peet and C. Leonard
Woolley, The City of Akpenaten I (London 1923), pp. 66 and 68; R.A.
Lunsingh Scheurleer, Mededelingenblad van de Vereniging van Vrienden
van het Allard Pierson Museum, nr. 25, oktober 1982, p. 5 and figs. 9-11.
The findspot certainly points to a date in the late 18th dynasty. The
general style of the stela however shows little of the characteristic
elements of Amarna art. In fact one is reminded strongly to represen-
tations on stelae from the early 18th dynasty.2
The scene on this little round-topped stela is painted and, in spite of
the modern(?) resinous varnish covering the surface, the colours are
still visible: the man's body is reddish brown; his garment is white;
his wig, the chair, the outlines of the altar and the loaves are black;
parts of the lotus-flower, the bunch of onions on the altar and the
rim framing the complete scene are greenish blue.
The dedicatee is represented sitting on a chair, holding a lotus-flower
in his left hand and a cloth in his right hand posed on his lap. His
feet rest on a footstool. He is wearing a wig crowned with a tall cone of
unguent. Before him is an altar laden with three loaves and a bunch of
onions. As the stela appears to be uninscribed, the dedicatee must re-
main anonymous to us. Yet, in view of the find-spot and the
characteristics of the scene represented, this stela probably belongs
to the same category as the documents in our group A.J
c 8
c 9
The scene on this stela is executed in sketchy style but with outlines
incised. On stylistic grounds Bjorkman rightly suggests a date at the
end of the 18th dynasty or the beginning of the 19th dynasty.
The dedicatee is represented on the left seated on a chair, holding a
lotus-flower in his right hand, while the left hand is posed on his
lap. In front of him is an offering-table or altar with four loaves
crowned by two horizontal lines, indicating lotuses.2 In the middle at
the top of this miniature stela there is a small hole for suspending
l' t . 3
c 10
The scene ~ithin the frame has a black line border. Represented on the
left is a female figure seated on a throne. 2 The woman wears a long,
tri-partite wig, a necklace and a long close-fitting garment. In her
right hand she holds a lotus-flower, while her left hand lies flat on
her lap. Since there is insufficient space above the head of the female
figure she cannot very well be a goddess.
Facing her is a standing man, who wears a short kilt and holds up his
right hand in adoration, while holding a lotus-flower and some other
small object in his left.
Above the figures are two vertical columns for inscriptions, left
blank.
Brunner-Traut, op.cit., says this sketch probably served as a pattern
for a funerary stela for the mother of the dedicator. Yet certain
features (the attitude of the female figure seated on a throne) do not
exclude the possibility of connecting this stela with the group of
documents listed in our section A.
c 11 (Pl. XIX)
"Sipair, justified."
;.;. l ~·..
right
1' &
~ AO
cl= ~ Jt~;/~ ~
-'1. ~
h
.. I
p{) Q,._ ~
I.J
..,_I f1 ~
"Receive the offering, Sipair, praised one of Re,
pure, pure."
Below:
~ ~k~- r~ ~~QQ~
"Made by the workman of the West (of Thebes),
Nakhy."
right
Below:
flower in his left hand and a cloth in his right. In front of him a
man brings an offering on a portable altar. Above and between the
figures is a text in three lines.
Left:
-
=-
"The King's Son Sipair, justified."
Right:
c 12
Text:
right
left I z l
~-::___ ~- ~~ ,;. c:: .rl~ ~ ~~4 ~
"Made by the deputy in the place of the Truth, ?ay."
Now the complete name (not in Ranke PN) of this not very well-known
man is found on stela Leyden F 93/1.27: C::)i ~ n.!. ~ ~ ~1 f;Ilf-3-m3Ct-RC-
., -
shpr-d3mw.3 The stela is dedicated to Amenophis I and a 'good god'
Nebnufe (the above-mentioned prince?), by a workman P3-t3w-mdi-'Imn
who is known from a group of ostraca from the late 19th dynasty. 4
Although the relation between P3-!3w-md1-#Imn and J;Ilf-3-m3ct-Rc-sgpr-
d3mw is unclear, in view of the date of this stela it seems certain
that the last was named after King Amenmesse rather than after Ramesses
IV as presumed by Bruyere.5
A third document naming Prince Nebnufe is stela Cairo JE 41469 from
Deir el-Medfna6, dedicated by a workman Amenemope(?) to Nebnufe (name
2) Bruyere, Rapport 1934-1935, III, pp. 167, 204, 276 [2] and
figs. 64, 146.
3) B. Boeser, Beschrijving, VI, Pl. VII (No. 48); id., Catalogus,
p. 66 [No. 63]; PJI.1 I 2, 731; M. Gitton, L'epouse du dieu
Ahmes Nefertary, p. 47, no. 42 (wrongly dated to the early
19th dynasty).
4) cf. the list compiled by R. Krauss in SAK 5 (1977), p. 163;
for this workman see also K. Mysliwiec, MDAIK 37 (1981), pp.
380-381.
5) op.cit., p. 205.
6) B. Bruyere, Mert Seger (Cairo 1930), p. 210 and fig. 109;
G. Legrain in ASAE 9 (1909), pp. 57-59.
172
1. General
group. They differ substantially from the main group insofar as they
all show figures of either a god or gods or of members of the founding
family of the 18th dynasty. Although their meaning and purpose most
probably conform to those of the main group, their outward appearance
shows a different pattern.
With the exception of the above-mentioned sub-group, all stelae of our
group A are:
a. made of limestone; this type of stone was - at least at Deir el-
Medina during the Ramessid period - the most common material for
reliefs and stelae. 3
b. fairly small, generally less than 25 ems. in height; some are bigger
but never more than 40 ems., with the exception of one, no. 11,
which is 50 ems. (the identity of the dedicatee in this case must
however be taken into account) .
c. dedicated to one or two (in one case, three) persons, usually with-
out their relations being mentioned; no wives or children occur,
unless, as in a few cases, as offerers or dedicators.
d. representing the dedicatee(s) holding a lotus-flower4 in one hand
while the other hand holds a clothS, or an ankh-sign, or is placed
on the lap or is stretched out towards the offerings6 on an altar;
2. Typology
520, four categories come into consideration: p. 505 ff. -c. 'Steles
des tombes', b) 'Steles cintrees' (especially£ 1, b 4 and~ 4.c);
p. 514 ff. -E. 'Autres divinites representees sur les steles'; p. 515
ff. -F. 'Steles solaires' and p. 516 ff. - G. 'Steles a fronton
triangulaire'.
The scenes represented on the stelae - as mentioned above, the figure of
the dedicatee, usually placed in front of an offering-table or altar,
in some cases being adored by one or more persons - also conform to
the general themes as enumerated by Vandier. 11
Returning now to our division of the stelae of group A (a classifica-
tion made only for practical purposes, see Chapter II, A. Stelae), we
might observe that the types
a, b (except b (2)) and e (except e (2)) correspond to Vandier type c. £;12
14) Cf. also H.M. Stewart, Egyptian Stelae, Reliefs and Paintings
from the Petrie Collection (Warminster 1976), p. VIII.
15) Seep. 174, note 4.
178
3. Offering-formulae
Amongst the generally very brief texts on the stelae of our group A,
we find in each of 16 or 17 out of the 55 instances, beside the usual
designation and name of the dedicatee, one of six categories of
offering-formulae.16
Although they all belong to common and well-known types, a systematic
survey of the offering-formulae as they appear on our documents (in-
cluding group B)17 will reveal additional information about the
meaning and function of the stelae.
Since however such formulae have already been collected, classified
and analyzed in a clear manner by W. Barta in his Aufbau und Bedeutung
der altagyptischen Opferformel (Gluckstadt 1968), it seems efficient
to comply with his classifications. Alongside his system we can draw
up the following categories:
a. The most elementary form, not specifically accounted for by Barta:
e)~~~ -:=; J) ~tV
A 8 (our type
A 31 (our type a)
-
~A :0 [god NN + n
NN
k3 n] NN
"A boon which the king gives (to) Re-Harakhty for the ka of NN".
A 44 (our type h)
"A boon which the king gives (to) Re-Harakhty, the Great God,
Lord of Heaven".
b. The most common formula: 'Bitte' 2a and 2c cf. Opferformel, pp. 141
and 164 (for the 19th and 20th dynasties):
A 9 (our type c)
"A boon which the king gives (to) /Re/-Harakhty, Lord of Heaven,
King of the Gods, that he may give an invocation offering (con-
sisting) of bread, beer, oxen, fowl, incense, cool water/wine/, and
all pure, sweet and pleasant things, for the ka of NN".
The comparable formula on our Doe. B 8 reads: "A boon which the
king gives (to) Re, Atum, that they may give (an offering consisting
of .... ) beer, oxen, fowl, cool water, wine, milk, for the ka of
NN".
c. A common formula: 'Bitte' 7a, cf. Opferformel, pp. 142 and 164 (for
the 19th and 20th dynasties):
A 15 (our type b):}~~~=~ ~~c::: ~ J~c:::~ Ur NN
A 22 (our type a (2)) [.Qtp-d1-nsw Rc-ijr-3!Jt1 d1.f 3!J] c= ~ 1p 7;. L:::
* [ ... ] NN
"A boon which the king gives (to) Re-Harakhty, that he may give
spirituality in heaven and power on earth, for the ka of NN".
d. Another common formula: 'Bitte' 15a; cf. Opferformel, pp. 143 and
165 (for the 19th and 20th dynasties):
A
'
*~ C!:.
A 0
-<b
.&..Q.
?fJ
C"J
4
A I::::l
~ 6-o qo
'I "'- ~
A ta ,__
~A U1 NN
A
-
A 7 (our type a ( 1) )
~&~}\:.. 4-Jl
x-_ ~
I t I
"='
A.
i1j ~ N.N
. - A. ,..__
*i1~ i~ ~~"""-,...__
o .... 4-D ~t
NN
,._......
A 30 (our type e ?) (J:ltp-d1-nsw Rc-Hr-Jht'i d~-f !Jt) ....
. - ~ ":::::~'
ttl
... - t:il NN
NNlB
17) This group has been taken into consideration here as the documents,
like most of those of group A, originate from Deir el-Medina.
18) Followed by: "his sister, who makes his name live".
180
"A boon which the king gives (to) Re-Harakhty/Atum, Lord of the
Two Lands, Helipolitan/ Osiris, Foremost of the West/, that he may
give all good and pure things, for the ka of NN".
In the same formula on our Does. B 4 and B 7 the gods who are to
receive the 0tp-d1-nsw are: Re-Harakhty, Atum, Anubis and Osiris.
A 51 (our type e ) 2
Q A t lea- ~
~ d -=-'J
0
..,.
c:;:::, i! T
111 ;. "ff
~ ~ 1
[--·· ~ ~ : 11
If I) <= ,0 f'l
'I 0 .~;. 'i -
-4> -a tJ
'" _!.. NN
"Offering all good/and pure/ things /bread, beer, wine, milk/, for
the ka of/ for your ka". The same formula occurs on our Doe. C 1.
- statistically, cf. Opferformel, pp. 248 and 250, the brief texts on
181
4. Provenance
Of great importance both for the meaning and the function of the
stelae of our group A and the designation 3g i~r n Re, is the prove-
0
0
0
0-/ 0
0
0
·... -1
Fig. 1.
Find-spots of stelae (o) and other documents (~) at Deir el-Medina.
184
5. Epigraphy
23) His 'illicit diggers' worked mainly in the northern part of the
Village (and its cemetery), cf. Tosi-Roccati, Stele, p. 25.
24) In some cases, however, a connection with Deir el-Medina cannot
be completely excluded.
185
Gardiner
Sign-List
1t A 1 or A 52
i t i. i Does. A 13, 14, 32, 35
~ F 21 .,__Q Doe. A 8
See also the examples in
Tosi-Roccati from Turin
50041 and 10192
Jff:. ~ ~ 50
cz
.k M 12 'l} Does. A 32, 33, 35, 36, 38
-r4· Q 2 --D ~ .:::::d .c.Q Does. A 16, 17, 21, 32, 33, 36,
<T;1 ~
l T 23
1 Doe. A 50
25) This is true also for the documents of our group B, except of
course nr. 11 (a wall-scene in Tomb 335), see above p. 155.
26) See however the important observations by H.G. Fischer in Ancient
Egyptian Epigraphy and Palaeography (1976), pp. 44-45.
186
6. Dating
27) See p. 9.
28) See e.g. p. 181; also the observations by M. Gitton in BiOr XXIV
(1978)' pp. 92-93.
29) Cf. Tosi-Roccati, Stele, pp. 216-217.
30) For the dating of this workman see the Commentary on our Doe.
A 25.
187
1. The concept of 3b
Whereas the nature and the function of the 38 are usually described as
uncertain10, most authors do agree in deriving this word from a root
meaning 'shine', 'be radiant' .11
After summing up the more important earlier opinions concerning the
Jh,
... Englund states12 that accordingly the word has different meanings,
13) Op.cit., p. 206. The different usages are clearly distinct in the
Pyramiq Texts from the grammatical context and in the Coffin Texts
by the' 'determinative used in each case; in later texts however the
distinction becomes more and more vague; see also Englund, op.cit.,
pp. 23-27, 68, 143-144 and 177-179.
14) E. Otto, LA I, 49: "keine Teilkraft eines Wesens, sondern eine
eigene Wesensform"; a different view is held by the WB I 15, 17:
"Teil der menschlichen Pers6nlichkeit", and by F. Daumas, La
civilisation de l'Egypte (Paris 1965), p. 575.
15) E.g. H. Bonnet, Reallexikon, p. 4: "Wesen, die sich in einem uber
das Irdische hinausgehende, 'lichteren' Daseinszustand befinden";
E. Otto, ZAS 77 (1942), p. 91: "eine nicht-irdische, transcendente
Form des Toten"; C.J. Bleeker, Egyptian Festivals, p. 126: "the
deceased in his transcendent state, a sort of shining spirit".
This also becomes clear from the conclusions of Englund, op.cit.,
pp. 205ff., although her approach to the problem differs.
An opposite view is held by e.g. L.V. Zabkar in his A Study of the
BA Concept in Ancient Egyptian Texts (Chicago 1968), cf. also his
contribution in LA I, 588-590, where one of his main conclusions
is that certainly after the Old Kingdom as far as "the Ba concept
pertaining to man in his post mortem existence" goes "the Ba
indicates the fullness of being, not a part of it".
16) E.g. E. Otto, ZAS 77 (1942), p. 90.
193
The question of how the state of JB was attained, or how one became
3~, has been answered mainly according to four different, though
partially complementary, opinions.
20 21
H. Kees , H. Bonnet and E. Otto 22 123 in general share the view that
ritual acts 'made' the deceased into an 3b: after the proper embalming
and burial the deceased became an 3b, while the rites transformed him.
These rites were the sJew (ritual recitations, 'Verklarungen', 'glori-
fications', 'rites de transfiguration') derived from a verb s3~- to
spiritualize.24
Some authors who have translated Je by 'initiated', consequently
consider the sJew to be either the 'illumination', 'enlightening' or
the 'initiation rites' . 25
The opinion of J. Pirenne26 that the state of 3b was only reached
after the union of the k3 and the b3, does not seem to have been
accepted in any particular by other authors.
Contrary to what Englund maintains27, at least one scholar - E. Edel28_,
has brought forward the importance of 'knowing' or 'knowledge' in
order to be or to become 3b: in the words of Edel, i t is precisely by
the knowledge of spells and magical rites that the deceased attained
the ability to be or become 3b. In her conclusions Englund29 elaborates
Finally, E. Otto 30 refers to the intriguing spells from the New Kingdom
according to which becoming an 3£
was made dependent on moral
conditions such as earthly merits. 31
In conclusion i t can be said that generally being 3b is considered to
denote the blessed or beatified state of a deceased, while the 3b
designates the 'potent dead' ('Machtigen Toten•) 32 , a notion which
in the course of time evolved into the general meaning: spirit, demon 33 ,
and as such lived on in Coptic ~~. 34
Anticipating the results of our own research, i t seems useful to
indicate here that the state of 3b, requiring several essentials, could
only be reached after death. If certain conditions were fulfilled the
deceased, as an 3b, was allowed to lead a supernatural existence,
sojourning in Heaven (especially in the vicinity of Re) or in the
Realm of the Dead (as a follower of Osiris). As a group the 3bw, as
blessed dead, are already found in early texts, associated with a
similar category the ntrw. These texts, in some cases, refer to the
ability of the Jaw to create obstacles. Much the same can be observed
about the individual 3b who from an early stage claimed to be able to
take action. Certainly these concepts furthered the gradual evolution
of the term 39 into the more general notion of demon.
30) LA I, 51.
31) Englund, op.cit., p. 204, remarks that in the texts she studied
there are no indications of these ideas. See also below p. 263.
32) LA I, 51; Otto's views are, however, strongly determined by a
'dynamistic' conception.
33) Op.cit., 51; cf. J. Zandee, Death as an Enemy, pp. 197-198.
34) Cf. WE I 16, 10; W.E. Crum, Coptic Dictionary, 89 a; J. Cerny,
Coptic Etymological Dictionary, p. 50.
195
After this survey of the existing opinions and views relating to the
concept of 38- concentrating mainly upon 3b/the deceased- and before
we commence our overall study of the available sources bearing upon
the nature and the function of 3bf3b 1~r, a brief excursion into the
.
35 ) For 1~r in the place of or together with mJC hrw - in use till
the beginning of the 12th dynasty- see e.g. J. Spiegel, Die
Idee vom Totengericht, p. 44; H.J. Polotsky, Zu den Inschriften
derll. Dynastie (Leipzig 1929), pp. 63-64; J. Vandier, Mo'alla
(Cairo 1950), p. 13; ASAE 23 (1923), p. 14 note 1 and ASAE 37
(1937), p. 127. Cf. the remark by H. Grapow, ZAS 77 (1942), p. 72;
also H.G. Fischer, Ancient Egypt in the Metropolitan ~ournal
(New York 1977), p. 161 with note 31.
35a) A Concise Dictionary, p. 31.
35b) L.H. Lesko, A Dictionary of Late Egyptian I (Berkeley 1982),
p. 57.
35c) De traditioneele Egyptische Autobiografie II, p. 16.
196
In our A and B Documents, vide Chapter II, the word 1fr exhibits a
variety of different spellings which merit mention here.
As all of our documents date from the 9th or 20th dynasties, these
spellings can be attributed to the Ramessid period. While the normal
04
spelling ~~ or q~ ~ (four times
~
l.f~ ~ , A 1, A 41, A 43,
3.a.
In order to be able to observe a possible development of the concept of
3~ 1~r, i t seems only logical to proceed chronologically. Although the
Broadly speaking the concept of 3b belongs to the divine world and the
Hereafter. This becomes clear from the many passages in which we find
the quality of 3g attached to a variety of gods, among whom Re and
Osiris should be mentioned especially. Re and Osiris are both called
3g in two aspects: Re during the night in his mother Nut (PT 990a) and
in the morning when he is reborn (e.g. PT 152a-d); Osiris when he is
dead (in Nedit and Gehesty, PT 899a and 1487c) and when he is reborn
in the form of his son Horus (PT 633a and 1637a) . Englund remarks 46
that in the Pyramid Texts the term 39 is mainly linked with the ideas
of rebirth and resurrection.
Reading through all the passages from the Pyramid Texts which bear
upon this subject47, we can observe four categories of beings/entities
called 39. To begin with the obvious, of course there are several gods,
either specified or anonymous, and then there is the king who in fact
becomes a god. But beside them there are two other categories which
have to be mentioned. In the first place we find beings in the
In our opinion i t is not unlikely that for the ancient Egyptians this
distinction was less of a problem than i t is to us. Depending on the
context both explanations are in fact equally possible and most
probably would have seemed so to the Egyptian mind.
In view of the character and the purpose of the PT, it is only natural
to observe that the designation 3~ is also found attributed to the
deceased king.53 The king identifies himself with the gods in order to
attain the state of 38 which they possess. Generally he can only
acquire this state of 3~ by identification or imitation (i.e. by the
king taking part in the myth of Osiris or that of Re) , or through the
gift or by the command of the gods.54 A single passage refers to the
fact that funeral rites also played a role in the process for
obtaining the blessed state: "May you (the ointment) make it agreeable
for him through you, may you make him 3-9 (s31J.! sw) through you"
(PT 52c) . The king as 3~ starts a new life 55 which is situated in the
heaven (pt) 56 , the horizon (3b~) or the netherworld (dw3t). He has to
be awakened, as is clearly shown by PT 1353a (beginning of Utterance
553 - a resurrection text) : "Geb raises you, he awakens this your 3-Q
for you". The text continues with a detailed description of the new
situation of the king as 3-G: "Raise yourself, 0 3-G-king NN, sit down
and eat, may your ka sit down and eat bread and drink beer with you
without cessation for ever and ever" (PT 1357) i "Raise yourself, 0
3~-king NN, your water is yours, your flood is yours" (PT 1360a).
Being 3~ the king possesses freedom of movement and action, he will not
encounter any obstacles or opposition (PT 622-625). At the same time he
has obtained power: ". . . that you may inherit the leadership of the
lord of the gods and give orders to the westerners, because you are a
3.Q,great and mighty, and those who have suffered death are united for
you wherever you wish to be" (PT 1911) 57 . In several instances this
power is expressed by s.Qm -
a divine quality and the most important
designation for the divinity next to ntr. 58
In one of the passages quoted above - PT 813 - we find the deceased
king qualified by yet another term which is of interest to us in this
chapter. While the expression 3.Q i~r, as already observed, does not
cf. J. Sainte Fare Garnot, L'appel aux vivants dans les textes
funeraires egyptiens (Cairo 1938), pp. 72-73 and 98.
55) Once he is called a living 3h, PT 318b-c. This state is connected
with resurrection and eternity, cf. PT 1929b and 2233d: "3!;-being
belongs to you, the dilapidation does not belong to you".
56) In PT 474a we read: "the 3~ is bound for the sky, the corpse is
bound for the earth", a formula which later became a standard
expression. For the 3~w in the sky cf. also above note 9, p. 190.
57) Cf. R.O. Faulkner, Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, Supplement
p. 29.
58) Cf. E. Hornung, Der Eine und die Vielen (Darmstadt 1973),
p. 52.
202
am greater than he, I am more 3?J than the 3{3w, I am more 'ikr than the
..
~J:-rw
59 , I am more £d than the ddw". In the first place we find here a
significant parallelism between the qualities 3!J, 1~r and ga.60 But
more important is the connection between 3?J and 1~r. As the quality
1~r - skilful, able, vide supra - seems to be inherent in the deceased
king, it is not improbable that for this reason the expression 3~ 1kr
as such is not found in the PT- i.e. the king as an 3h is 1kr by
... -
nature and therefore does not have to be designated as such.
Otherwise, in the PT the word 3b is only rarely accompanied by an
adjective or epitheton. As mentioned above61, in one instance we find
3!] enD - a living 3{3 (PT 318c) and in one other also 3!J Cpr: "The king
is an equipped spirit who demands existence" (PT 1771a). 62 This last
example unfortunately is not very informative about the wherewithal
with which the king is equipped_63 In PT 152-166 (Utterances 217 and
218) several times we meet 3b 1am-sk - the king being a spirit who is
not acquainted with decay -, an expression stressing the indestructible
nature of an 3h,
... the use of which is limited to the PT only.64
59) The only example of this word from the Old Kingdom, according to
the WB I 137, 21, where also three examples from the Late Period
are given (Buch vom Atmen 5, 8; P. Rhind I 4, 6 and I 9, 8). The
last three examples are determined by the usual determinative for
'blessed dead'. See also Urk. I 173, 16: "an iJ:-r ( 4~tl) who is )
amongst ('imy n) the 3hw", cf. E. Edel, MDAIK 13 (1944), pp. 27-28;
~
not died the death; 3!]-being belongs to him in the horizon (3h.t),
stable-being (gd) belongs to him in Qdwt", (similarly in PT 1046b
and 1261b), cf. E. Edel, Altagyptische Grammatik § 996.
61) Cf. above note 55.
62) See also PT 1804a-b: "Take possession of their white crown, being
equipped (cpr) with the shape of Osiris you are more 3b thereby
than the 3bw by the command of Horus himself".
63) We will meet this designation 3{J cpr later on in the funeral texts
from private tombs, see below.
64) For the general implications see Englund, op.cit., pp. 57-60 (I B
4.5), with a commentary upon the often discussed relation between
the king and the stars, concluding: "je serais done encline a
penser que cette destinee stellaire constitue une variante a la
203
In Utterance 217 the king is said to join Re-Atum, traverse the sky
together with the sun-god and share the same destiny. In Utterance 218
the king is said to come to Osiris and assume authority in the
Beyond- taking over Osiris' role and functions.
73) Cf. WE IV 164, 2; H. Junker, Giza II (1934), pp. 62 ff., 187 and
fig. 33; this ceremony was later to be incorporated in the Ritual
of the Opening of the Mouth, cf. E. Otto, Das agyptische Mund-
offnungsritual II (1960), p. 153, scene 69A.
74) As the word 3b in this expression snmt 39 can be substituted by
the name of the deceased, this may be one more indication that 3h
refers to the deceased in his glorious state, and not to a part ~f
his being. It should be noted that, as a kind of honorific
title 39 is already to be found preceding personal names in the
texts on early cylinder seals, cf. above note 52.
75) Representations of this ritual are known from the end of the 5th
dynasty and they also appear regularly in tombs from later periods.
Cf. the study by H. Junker in Giza III (1938), pp. 103 ff. Recently
A. Badawy has also dealt with this ritual in his article 'The
Spiritualization of Kagemni' in ZAS 108 (1981), pp. 85-93; his
translation and interpretation (on page 87) of the text line 1w 3h
n Mmi £r 'Inpw, however, are to be rejected: this legend accompan;-
ing some ka-priests bringing offerings should certainly be read
(in spite of Edel's translation in his AG II, § 995) as "It is (or:
will be) useful for Memi with Anubis", cf. the text in F .W. von
Bissing, Die Mastaba des Gem-ni-kai II (1911), pp. 6-7 and Pl. XIV.
76) Cf. H. Junker, op.cit., p. 110, the scenes 15 and 16.
206
..
function of the notion of 3h/3h 1k.r.77 Concerning the first type, the
"
elaborate study by Edel has demonstrated that visitors to the tomb
were expected to be ritually pure and not to do any damage and these
conditions are then followed by promised rewards or punishments
respectively. The following translation of a representative example of
this type of Appeal (from the tomb of Ankhmahor at Saqqara, 6th dyn.) 78
will be divided in passages each separately marked by capital letters,
so as to present the most relevant variants in a convenient manner.
(A) "As to anything which you may do against this my tomb of the
necropolis, the like thereof shall be done against your property.
(B) For I am an able (l~r) and knowing (rQ) lector-priest; never did
any efficacious magic remain a secret from me.
(C) All people who may enter into this my tomb in their impurity, after
they have eaten the abomination that an 3h
.., 1kr abominates, and while
they have not purified themselves [or: are not clean] for me as they
would purify themselves [or: like they should be clean] for an Jh 1kr
.
been cast into him, so that the Jhw and those who are upon earth 7 9 may
see (it) and may fear for an Jg 1~r. I will be judged with him in that
82) For the meaning of Cpr c+~ Edel, op.cit., pp. 20 and 21 (E.), and
A. de Buck, JEA 35 (1949), p. 96 note 2.
83) In view of the fact that not all of the deceased who call them-
selves bry-pbt in these Appeals (cf. e.g. Ankhmahor - Urk. I 202,
2) , did exercise this function during life, one may wonder whether
the title in these instances carries a special meaning: being
3g/3b 1~r Cpr the deceased knows the secret of the magical spells
thereby is a bry-Qbt-magician, who can dispose of Qk3-magical
power which enables him to act at his desire.
For the importance of ~3 to the 3g, and the eo-occurrent term
3gw-magical power, cf. A. Klasens, A Magical Statue Base (Leyden
1952), p. 77 (M 59); J. Zandee in Nederlands Theologisch Tijd-
schrift VII (1953), pp. 201-202; Englund, op.cit., pp. 121-122;
J.F. Borghouts in LA III, 1139 (s.v. 'Magie'); see also below,
notes 159, 166 and 176.
84) E.g. Urk. I. 218, 6 and 263, 14-15. Cf. Edel, op.cit., pp. 22-29,
§§ 22-24 (for the line from the tomb of Ankhmahor, = Urk. I 202, 2,
see also Edel, AG II, § 872, 2b). On pp. 66-69 of the same study,
the author presents his 1.2construction of similar texts from the
tombs of Ti (5th dyn.) and Kagemni (6th dyn.), where we find the
following lines: "For I am an able 3h ... all 3h-making and noble
rites (gt) were performed (1r1) for ;e that ar; usually performed
for an i~r [see above, note 59] who is amongst the 3gw, through
the offices of the lector-priest; I am initiated in all 39-making
and noble rites; I know all rites by which an 3g who has gone to
the necropolis, becomes 3g; I know all rites by which he is
equipped before the great god; I know all rites by which he ascends
towards the great god and I know all rites by which he is well-
esteemed with the great god" and (from the last named tomb) "For
I am an able and equipped 3g, and I know every efficacious (mng)
secret of the god's words".
209
To what extent the deceased in his august position is able to exert his
powers, can be inferred from the passages (D) and (E). An illustrative
variant of the threats in passage (D) reads: "I will exterminate their
survivors; I will not allow their homesteads (Crrwt) being settled". 85
While other texts show the following variants to the help promised in
(E) : "I will never allow to occur anything which he hates" and "I will
intercede (sbi J:.r)B6 for them in the necropolis".B7
In the first text (from the tomb of Ti) the elaborated theme of
'knowing all rites' -TB Bt nb, which in the other texts usually is
restricted to one sentence only, is noteworthy. As the deceased
claims that all rites have been performed for him, transforming
him into an 3h....1kr, 'to know' in these cases would most probably
mean 'to have experienced': it is because of this 'experience'
he has attained his glorious state. In his § 24 (= pp. 26-30) Edel
presents further evidence for the meaning of 1r1 at ('die Riten
vollziehen') in connection with the state of 3-G: "The king ordered
to do for me all rites (-bt) 3E.t (Selim Hassan, Excavations at
Giza 1930/31, p. 231); "Beloved of the king and Anubis is the
lector-priest who will do for me the rites (Gt) because of which an
3{: may become 3!J, according to that secret writing of the art of the
lector-priest" (Urk. I 186, 14-15).
85) Urk. I 256, 7-8. Cf. Edel, op.cit., pp. 14-15, §§ 14-15.
In connection with the threats contained in these (and similar)
sentences, an interesting example can be quoted from one of the so
called Coptos decrees. In the decree of king Dmg-1b-t3wy (8th dyn.)
for the monuments of his vizier Idi, we read: "Those who will do
something harmful to your (several monuments enumerated) ... my
majesty will prevent that they join the 3nw in the necropolis ...
my majesty will furthermore not order that they be at the head of
the 3hw in the necropolis" (Urk. I 304, 17- 305, 17). Cf. H.
Goedi~ke, Konigliche Dokumente aus dem Alten Reich (Wiesbaden 1967),
pp. 214-215 (with note 13 onp. 217).
86) For the idiom sbi J:.r - 'eintreten flir jemand', 'fursprechen', cf.
WB III 430, 6; Gardiner-Sethe, op.cit., p. 20; D. Dunham, JEA 24
(1938), p. 5, note 14; J. Sainte Fare Garnot, op.cit., p. 47;
E. Edel, op.cit., p. 17. Probably we find also this expression in
CT I 176.o (near the end of Spell 40) in a mutilated context:
"( ... his 3hw) who speak on my behalf (mdw hr.1) and who intercede
on my behalf (sb'1 J:.r.i) ". ·
87) E.g. Urk. I 88, 4 and 122, 12. Cf. Edel, op.cit., pp. 16-17,
§§ 17-18. See also the variant quoted by Edel in ZAS 106 (1980),
pp. 113-114: "fur die werde ich eintreten an dem Ort wo sich die
3Ejw-Verklarten befinden und dessen Beistand (J:.3j) werde ich sein
210
89) Urk. I 205, 1-8; J. Sainte Fare Garnot, op.cit., pp. 34-36.
90) Cf. J. Sainte Fare Garnot, op.cit., p. 52.
91) Urk. I 217,15- 218,7; J. Sainte Fare Garnot, op.cit., pp. 46-48;
cf. D. Dunham, JEA 24 (1938), pp. 5-6, B. Gunn, JEA 24 (1938),
pp. 128-129 and E. Edel, op.cit., pp. 22-24.
The sentence: "you tell your children on the day when, etc." (cf.
E. Edel, AG I, § 672) could also be translated as: "you tell your
children the day I have passed away and the words for making the
offering-formula for me". As the children of the ka-servants were
expected to follow their fathers in maintaining the funerary cult
of the deceased, they should know his exact date of death in order
to bring special offerings on that day of the year.
212
provided they proceed according to his wishes: should this be the case
the deceased promises to be their advocate in the next world. Similar
promises - the more usual rewards on earth and the special help in the
Hereafter - find expression in the next two excerpts:
"0 you living who are (still) upon earth, and who shall pass by this
tomb. Do you desire that the king shall favour you and that you shall
be in honour with the great god? Then say: a thousand of bread, a
thousand of beer for the honoured NN. You shall not destroy anything
in this tomb, for I am an able {iJ:r) and equipped {cpr) 3!}'' . 9 2
"0 you living who are (still) upon earth, and who shall pass by this
tomb, going downstream or going upstream, and who shall say: a
thousand of bread, a thousand of beer for the owner of this tomb. I
will intercede for (sb1 ~r) them in the necropolis, for I am an able
(1}fr) and equipped (Cpr) 3e, a lector-priest who knows his spell
(rh... r.f)".93
Characteristically, in all the excerpts from both types of Appeals
quoted above, the deceased refers to his position as an 3h/3h 1kr,
... " .
dispensing superhuman powers, to enforce his statements, claims and
promises.
Three passages from autobiographical texts of the 6th dynasty show to
what extent the notion of 3h 1kr had become a customary expression by
92) Urk. I 218,7- 219,7; J. Sainte Fare Garnot, op.cit., pp. 50-51.
It is noteworthy to find here the threat against any trespassers,
usually met with in the A9peals to the Visitors; see above and
cf. Edel, op.cit., p. 3.
93) Urk. I .122,9 - 123,2; J. Sainte Fare Garnot, op.cit., pp. 63-64. A
passage in another variant (Urk. I 224, 1-8), op.cit., pp. 71-72,
reads: "Bring your gifts with your both hands (extended) , make
offerings with your mouth. Those who shall do according to what I
have said ... I will do according to what they may desire. For I
am an 31J more equipped (Cpr) than any other 3h".
See also H.G. Fischer, Ancient Egypt in the M;tropolitan Museum
Journal, p. 167 (False door Fitzwilliam Museum): "As for all people
who will say 'Bread to NN in this her tomb', I am an able 3h and
will not allow it to go ill with them (n rd1.1 dw n.sn, cf."Edel
AG II, § 995)", i.e. the 3.?; 11fr claimes to be able to help the
survivors upon earth.
213
..
the functioning of the 3h/3h .
... 1kr, is comprised of the so-called Letters
to the Dead. 97 Whereas, of course, i t cannot be our purpose here to
94) Cf. L. Habachi, The Obelisks of Egypt (New York 1977), p. 40, fig.
16. The second phrase in this passage can be compared with the
formula quoted in Edel, op.cit., p. 63; cf. also Barta, Opfer-
formel, p. 30 ('Bitte' 31).
95) Cf. H.G. Fischer, JARCE IV (1965), p. 50 (with PL. XXIX). The
assertion "I am an 3.[} 11fr" is followed by "I am one beloved of his
father, praised by his mother, daily." It remains unclear, however,
whether the deceased means to say that he is beloved of his father
and praised by his mother, whilst being an 3b 11fr, i.e. in the
next world (cf. the spells in the Coffin Texts, for reuniting a
man with his family: M. Heerma van Voss in Pro Regno Pro Sanctuario
(Festschrift G. van der Leeuw, Nijkerk 1950), pp. 227-232).
96) Urk. I 79,15.
97) The first collection of these texts was published by A.H. Gardiner
and K. Sethe in their Egyptian Letters to the Dead, mainly from
the Old and Middle Kingdoms (London 1928). Additional texts are
conveniently enumerated by W.K. Simpson in JEA 52 (1966), p. 39,
note 2, to which the following references should be added: W.K.
Simpson, JEA 56 (1970), pp. 58-64, and E.F. Wente in Orientalia
Lovaniensia Periodica 6/7 (1975/1976) = Miscellanea J. Vergote,
pp. 595-600. W.K. Simpson in JEA 56 (1970), p. 58, note 1 gives
further bibliographical references and rightly points out the
existence of the letter to the dead in Gardiner-Cerny, Hieratic
Ostraca I, pl. 80.
Out of the total of 15 letters to the dead now known, two are
dated to the end of the Old Kingdom (or the very beginning of the
First Intermediate Period), seven to the First Intermediate Period,
214
two to the Middle Kingdom (11th and 12th dynasties) and four to
the New Kingdom (18th to 20th dynasties).
For a general survey of this genre see LA I, 864-870: 'Briefe an
Tote' (R. Grieshammer).
98) JEA 16 (1930), p. 147.
99) Cf. Gardiner-Sethe, op.cit., pp. 10-11; and the previous note.
100) Cf. Gardiner-Sethe, op.cit., p. 5 and Pls. IV, IVa; a revised
translation by B. Gunn, JEA 16 (1930), pp. 151-152; a new inter-
pretation by A. Roccati in Rivista degli studi orientali 42 (1967),
pp. 323-328.
For the idiom sb1 {lr - 'to intercede for the sake of someone', see
above note 86 and below note 109.
215
101) Cf. e.g. Urk I 224, 1-8 quoted above in note 93.
102) Cf. A.H. Gardiner, JEA 16 (1930), pp. 19-22 and Pl. X.
103) Louvre E 6134: A. Piankoff and J.J, Clere, JEA 20 (1934), pp. 157-
169 and Pls. XX, XXI.
104) For the parallelism between 1~r and mnb see above, note 81. The
phrase ntk i~r tp-t3 ntk mnb m brt-n!r can be compared with close-
ly related utterances in autobiographical texts from the 11th
dynasty, quoted below on page 236.
105) Since the determinatives of mwtjmwtt.i are differentiated by a
tick indicating the persons as hostile, it remains uncertain
whether the 'male and female dead' in this case are the deceased
relatives of the sender of the letter. See however Piankoff-Clere,
216
1s n.k), favour (?) your children. May you then take hold of this dead
man and/or this dead woman".107
Finally, in the letter to the dead published by E.F. Wente108, a widow-
er - who possibly suspects an unnamed dead person of being the cause
of his ailment -writes to his deceased wife: "Since I am your beloved
upon earth, fight on my behalf (c~3 ~r.i) and intercede on behalf of
my name (sb1 ~r rn.i). I did not garble [a spell] before you when I
perpetuated (sc~.i) your name upon earth. Remove the infirmity of my
body. Then become an 3E for me [before] my eyes that I may see you
op.cit., pp. 159(S[16]) and 162, note t(16); W.K. Simpson, JEA 56
(1970), p. 60, note h.
106) Cf. W.K. Simpson, JEA 56 (1970) 1 pp. 58-62 and Pls. XLVI, XLVIa.
107) 11. 2-3 of the letter from Nag' ed-Deir N 3500; cf. W.K. Simpson,
op.cit., pp. 59-60 and the Postscript on p. 62.
For the dead as cause of trouble, a frequent subject in these
letters, see also J. Zandee, Death as an Enemy, pp. 198-199.
108) In Orientalia Lovaniensia Periodica 6/7 (1975/1976), pp. 595-600.
We have cited here Wente's translation although he himself admit-
ted that some of his restorations are conjectural - yet the
general gist of the letter seems clear enough. Interestingly this
letter was written on the reverse side of a limestone stela, on
the front of which was a painted scene of a man making an offer-
ing. Any further details are lacking however, since the present
whereabouts of the stela is unknown.
217
109) 11. 2-5, cf. E.F. Wente, op.cit., pp. 595-598. The clauses of
Fr
line 2: Cf;l3 J:lr.1, sbi rn.i - "fight on my behalf and intercede
on behalf of my name" , can be compared with the words spoken by
the deceased, acting as a champion of Osiris, in CT IV 94c: "I
have smitten on your behalf (lywi. n .1. Fr. k), I have interceded on
behalf of your name (sbi.n.i. J:lr rn.k)". These lines from CT
Spell 314 reoccur in the later version, BD 1, cf. Budge, BD 19,
2-3. (text spoken by the deceased identifying himself with
Horus).
Noteworthy is the early example, in line 3, of the expression
scn9 rn- 'to perpetuate the name of somebody' (WE IV 47,1-7),
referring to the cult of the dead; cf. S. Schott, Der Denkstein
Sethos' I. fur die Kapelle Ramses' I. in Abydos (NAWG, 1964, no.
1) 1 PP • 67-69 •
The clause in 11.3-4: ih 3h.t (t for t , as usual in this text)
n.<i> [aft] J;lr.1, is most ;robably to-be translated: "Please
become an 3?J for me (before) my eyes", in view of what follows
(cf. Wente, op.cit., p. 598 note j).
110) For the subject of dreams in the letters to the dead, see also
W.K. Simpson, JEA 52 (1966), pp. 44-45.
111) The use of the, seemingly propitiatory, addressing the deceased
with 3h/3h 1kr is not restricted to the Letters to the Dead from
this p~ri~d,· as witnessed e.g. by the introduction of the famous
letter Leyden I 371 (19th dynasty), see below p. 268.
For the relationship between the Letters to the Dead and Spells
38-41 from the Coffin Texts, cf. R. Grieshammer in LA I,
867-868.
218
spouse, i.e. all are close relatives. From several examples we can in-
fer that it is clearly the status or quality of 3EI3B 1~r which en-
ables the deceased relative to intervene or act, either in this world
or in the Hereafter: basically the same idea which we have already
encountered in the foregoing paragraphs concerning the Appeals to the
Visitors and the Living.
A last, and isolated, example, from the period of the Old Kingdom, of
the ., ikr
expression 3h . occurs in the hieratic inscription on a jar
containing clay figurines bearing Execration Texts. The jar, one of
four similar (three of them are dated from the same year, possibly of
. th e G-lza necropo 1·lS. 112 Th e t ex t , un f or t una t e l y,
Pepl. II ) , was f oun d ln
is not too informative: "Year after the fifth time, II prt, day 5 -
3!J 1~r". According to J. Osing here 3!J l.f:cr almost certainly represents
a personal name, although he admits not knowing any other exemple of
this use. 113 Whatever the case may be, a personal name or not, it seems
impossible to offer an explanation for the occurence of the expression
3B 1kr in this context.
3 .b.
Turning our attention to the textual evidence from the Middle Kingdom
and the Second Intermediate Period, the first and foremost source is
of course provided by the Coffin Texts. Once more in our evaluation of
the texts concerning the notion of 3g/3b 1f:cr in this corpus, we shall
take into account the main conclusions of Englund. 114
possessing the state of Je, but it is he who gives Je122 and he does
occur in connection with this notion under his name He of the Dawn
(~£-tJ) and Morningstar (n!r-dwJy)_12J Furthermore we meet Re along-
side Atum in the passage in which this god is called more Jb than the
Jew12 4 , and he is often the goal of the journeys of the Jb/the
deceased125 .
b. The second category of beings called Jb is concerned with divinities
of a lower rank, such as the custodian of the celestial ferryboat 126
and ~etep the lord of the ?etep-fields127_
c. The third category consists of unspecified entities whom we meet either
as a group or as separate beings. As a group we encounter the Jew for
instance, alongside the n~rw, as hypostases of Atum in Spell 312.1 2 8
On another level in some cases both Re and Anubis are accompanied by a
group of seven Jaw. 129 As a group, Jew also occur either together with
are referred to since they, too, exist in the next world and might
take part in the judgement of the newly arrived dead.l35 The same
130) E.g. CT IV 112c: "n:frw and Jaw who are in the heaven and in the
desert (smyt) "i CT IV 391b: "those ntrw who are 3/}w".
131) The beings who pose questions to the newly arrived deceased are
denoted either as 3hw (e.g. CT III 92 l, B 1 L: in.sn 3hw r.i,
"so they say, the 3hw to me") or as ntrw (e.g. CT III 50c: 1n.sn
ntrw 1.pw r.1, "so they say, these n:f;;, to me"). In a later
version of similar interrogatory texts we read: !Jr.sn n:frw 3!Jw
r.'i, "so they say, the n:E.rw and the 3/}w to me", BD 82, Budge
179,15-180,1. For the 3Bw as beatified dead acting as examiners
or judges, cf. J. Zandee, Death as an Enemy, pp. 38-41.
In this connection we can also refer to the 1ryw s1pw- 'inspec-
tors' functioning as judges in CT IV 321e-322a: "Save me from
these inspectors (iryw s1pw), to whom the Lord of the Universe
has given 3lJ ('status' or 'magical power') in order to detain his
enemies"i cf. J. Zandee, cp.cit., p. 279.
132) E.g. the judges with names composed with 3!J in Spell 627, CT VI
244n-246 o.
...
133) In CT VII 476h one of the gate-keepers is called 3h cPTi see also
CT VII 499 c.
134) E.g. CT I 207e, II 152c, III Sa, IV 19d, VI 204 l, VI 300j (in
some cases we find the longer enumeration: "men, gods (n:f;rw),
powers (s/}mw), 3!Jw, dead (mtw)", for the mtw, who have a more
unfavourable connotation in these enumerations than the other
groups, see also J. Zandee, op.cit., pp. 198-199). This was to
become a standard formula in magical textsi in the Middle Kingdom
we already find in such a passage "men, gods (n!rw) or 3!Jw", see
e.g. P. Ramesseum XV recto 5, cf. A.H. Gardiner, The Ramesseum
Papyri (Oxford 1955), p. 15.
135) Cf. note 131 above. The beatified dead judges in the barque of Re,
cf. CT II 140b-c: "I judge (wgc .1 mdw) in the mend. t in the crew
of Re in these evenings. See, you have come, being 3!J, being cpr".
(For the place of the dead in the barque of Re cf. also Lebensmude
142-144: "Verily, he who is yonder will be one who stands in the
solar barque".)
222
holds true when we encounter the plural Jew as the kind of inspectors
mentioned above, or in phrases like: "I have set your (the deceased)
power (Jt) among the J!]w"lJ6; "I (the deceased) have surpassed the
J!]w"lJ7; "I (the deceased) go and come like one who is among the
J!]w"lJB; "I (the deceased) am an Jg, lord of Jew, and i t was an J!J who
made me" 1 J 9 .
d. The fourth category is the most important for our subject and
exclusively concerns Je/the deceased. Nearly all the relevant texts
either refer to mythical precedents such as events in the primeval
time 140 , or they concentrate on the funerary environmentl41 -i.e. the
tomb, the sarcophagus, the necropolis or realm of the dead, the West -
or on localities in the Hereafter which are either undefined or more
specified like the Heaven, the Neserser Island, the ?etep-fields
amongst others. 142
As for the funerary environment, i t is clearly the main intention and
purpose of the Spells in question that the deceased has either firstly
to become or continue to remain J!} in the necropolis/realm of the dead
or the West. 14 J The deceased hopes to have power there over his legs
or to reassemble his members, while expecting good clean food and not
to have to eat abominated food or to walk upside down. Yet, in some
136) CT I 77f-g.
137) CT II 50i.
138) CT III 211i.
139) CT IV 18e, in a Spell 'Becoming That'.
140) Cf. note 117 above p. 219.
141) Englund, op.cit., pp. 85-86 and 92-94.
In this connection it is interesting to note the emergence, in
the relevant texts, of another standard formula in later funerary
and other texts: "J;tp-nt_r offerings to the gods, prt-!Jrw offerings
to the T!Jw" , e . g. CT I 1 71b .
142) Englund, op.cit., pp. 94-101.
143) CT II 266a-d, in the rubric of Spell 154: "Knowing the Souls of
On, knowing what That knows of protective Spells (sgJw), being J~
in .Qrt-nt_r"; similarly in the final subtitle of this Spell 154,
CT II 288d; CT III 129g, in the rubric to Spell 203: "Spell for
-
being Jh in the West (r n Jh m Jimnt)".
~
223
texts, the underlying idea seems to be that one becomes 3b only after
leaving the necropolisl44, although generally this differentation is
not made. Wherever other undefined localities in the Hereafter are con-
cerned, the texts mainly describe peregrinations there on certain
roads. By knowing the localities the 3h/the deceased is able to go
"
there, passing gatesl45 or taking a ferry-boatl46. In several instances
the goal of the wanderings on these roads is explicitly mentioned as
arriving at the place where Re isl47 or that where Osirisl48 is.
The most frequently mentioned and more important defined localities in
the Hereafter where the 3b/the deceased sojourns or arrives (or intends
to arrive) during his perigrinations are: the Heaven (pt)l49; the
Neserser Island, a place where judgement is passed and the deceased is
144) CT II 47b-48a, in the rubric to Spell 83: "As for any man who
knows this spell, he will never die the death again, his enemies
will not have power over him, no magic (~3) will restrain him on
earth for ever. It means going forth by a man at his desire from
the necropolis (hrt-ntr). It means becoming an 3h 1kr with
- - loot •
Osiris".
145) CT VII 47a-d (cf. CT VII 262e-f): "I am one who is equipped with
39, one who opens gates. As for any man who knows this spell, he
will be like Re in the east of the heaven, like Osiris within the
netherworld (dw3t)".
146) CT IV 367e-g: "I will summon M3-J;.3.f, and he will wake A~en, he
will bring me the ferry-boat"; CT V 202d: "Have the ferry-boat
cross over for this 39", a phrase from Spell 405 for which see D.
Mueller in JEA 58 (1972), pp. 99-125 (esp. pp. 104-105).
147) CT VI 69a-b (var. B 9 C): "A path is opened for my b3, my 3h, my
sw.t, and i t will enter to Re within his shrine"; CT VI 78c~e:
"May he (a god) prepare a path for the 31J cpr who I am, I indeed have
prepared a path to the place where Re is, to the place where
Hathor is".
148) CT V 167 D: "The 39 cpr will go down safely to the lotus-tank in
front of Orion in the southern sky on every occasion at the
place where Osiris is, at the staircase" (one of the captions of
the boat-diagram belonging to Spell 399) .
149) E.g. CT IV 65f-h: "Being 3!) in the sky, 3b in the sky.
Greeting to you, you gods who are in the sky, you 3bw of the
horizon"; CT VI 67i-k: "0 you who are in charge of the gates of
the upper sky, open the ways for my b3, my 39 and my sw.t, so that
i t may support Ma'at for Re"; CT VI 71k-m: "0, o, my b3, my 31J,
224
reborn equipped with full 3h-status 150 i and the Hetep-fields, a kind
V •
of paradise under the supervision of the god ?etep with whom the
deceased identifies himself, and where he leads the happy life reserved
for the privileged151 .
152
We have observed above how in the earlier periods to become 39, or
to acquire this state, was 'carried out' either by identification with
or in imitation of the gods, through the gift of the gods or at their
command, or - according to the non-royal offering-formulae - by the
recitations of the lector-priest. In the CT most of these operations
are found again. Just as the king in the PT, the deceased in the CT
identifies himself with the gods in order to attain the status of
3?:.153 This can also be granted him, usually by a god.154 A new aspect
in the CT however is the fact that the gods, apart from just presenting
39 as a gift, in some cases intervene in favour of the deceased in
..
(n ntt 1nk :is cpr hh.f) " 176 . Usually the existence of an 3h in the next
powers", while the later version in BD 10, Budge 31, 12-13, gives:
"for I am one equipped with his millions of J::lk3w-magical powers").
177) E.g. CT I 276c, 279i, 296e, 297c, 313 (title, line 22); CT III
134b-g: "I will live on bread of black emmer and on beer of
white emmer, on the ?etep-fields".
178) For the 3lJ copulating in the realm of the dead see also Spell 576,
esp. the rubric, CT VI 191 1-p; cf. J. Zandee, ZAS 90 (1963),
pp. 153 ff.
179) CT V 365b-f; cf. also CT V 344b-345b and note 151 above.
180) E.g. in Spell 203, CT III 134b-c and 137j-k: "What will you live
on in this land to which you have come that you may be 3h"
(ii.n.k r.f 3B.k; in CT III 137k var. T 3 Be reads: ii.n~k r.f n
31Jw.k- " ..• because (?) of your 3Bw-power"), followed by assert-
ions that the deceased will eat normal offering-food and nothing
which he dislikes. In Spell 224, CT III 211d-i: "I walk on my
feet and I will not walk upside down for you. I walk like Horus,
my strides are like those of Atum, my tomb is like my being 39
(?,according toT 1 Be; T 3 Be probably reads "I come like an
3lj " or "I come according as (I) am 3B"), I go and come like one
who is among the 3!}w" .
For the ideas behind these Spells see J. Zandee, Death, pp. 73-78,
and D. Mueller, JEA 58 (1972), pp. 119-121.
181) E.g. in Spell 184, CT III 82d-83a: "3h is given to me instead of
copulation (m snw nk), joy (3wt-ib) instead of desire (1wt-ib),
contentment (~tp-ib) instead of appetite (wnm t)". Interestingly,
in the later dialogue between Atum and Osiris in BD 175, i t is
Atum who answers Osiris' complaints about the undesirable
situation in the realm of the dead: "You live there in content-
ment (htp-ib)" and "I have given 3h instead of (m-1sw) water,
air and passion (n~mmyt), contentm~nt (J;ltp-ib) instead of bread
and beer", cf. Budge 458, 11-13. See E. Otto, CdE 37/74 (1962),
pp. 249-256.
229
...
more 3h, more b3 than the southern and northern gods".185
According to other texts we get the impression that the deceased can
pass the judgement simply because he is 3£l, e.g.: "As for anyone who
knows the ssg3t, he is 38 thereby more than Osiris. He has passed
every tribunal in which Thot is".186
The two rather contradictory views - becoming 3B after the judgement,
and passing the judgement just because one is 3B- clearly existedside
by side.
As we have seen above, in the PT the term 3b is only rarely accom-
panied by an adjective or epithet, while in the other textual material
from the OK and the FIP we have found this to be more common, especial-
ly with the adjectives cpr and i~r.
'going out by day', i.e. leaving the next world 'alive' i or, in a
similar context: leaving the netherworld (dw3t).l89
~n-1b - glad-hearted, is found only in the Spells concerning the
meeting of the deceased with the two female companions of Re, the
Mrwty, who try to seduce him. In addressing them, the deceasedstresses
his power and ability to act. 190
spss - august, occurs only once in an obscure context: 11
The gods who
are in the Netherworld <and> the august 3bw will ennoble you
(scl}. ~w)" _191
m3c - true, occurs once in the rubric to Spell 66: 11
Givinq water
and bread to a true 3h .192 11
"'
m3wty - renewed, occurs once in Spell 36 concerning the deceased coming
to Osiris: "In what manner shall he come, this renewed 3-{:? - so says
the Beautiful West. He shall enter into his dignity (scl}.) of a divine
3hfl _193
"'
A common aspect of these epithets is the fact that they all refer to
the higher status of the deceased as 39, ensuring him capabilities of
200
or has been equipped with 38 (cpr 38) . Similarly the stative form
of both corresponding verbs can be used: being 39, being Cpr (3b.kw1,
cpr .kwi) . 201
which is pleasing to the heart of Re" 206; " . • • the two Mrwty . . . who
take away the Jbw (power) of the 1.~rw" (var. S 14 cb reads: "who take
away the Jbw (power) of the J9, who take away the 1~rw (capability) of
the 1J:.r)207; "N. has come into this land, being J9 through J:?kJw (magic),
being 1J:.r through ~Jw"208. Finally the link between the two exists in
the two examples of 39 Cpr 1J:.r quoted above.209
The great variety of ideas expressed in the CT do not represent just
..
one clearly constructed notion of Jh/the deceased. Yet, from all these
often diverse views - rather complementary than contradictory - emerges
the general picture of the deceased who intends to reach the blessed
state. Towards this goal, knowledge is an essential condition. It is
the possession of this knowledge which makes the deceased into an J9
or Jh Cpr, although other conditions such as the performing of proper
rites contribute to that blessed state as well. The few instances of
Jh 1kr in the CT Spells confirm what we have concluded from the docu-
" .
mentation on earlier periods: the expression is mainly used in cases
where the supernatural power of/or the ability to act on the part of
the Jh is emphasized. 210
"
In accordance with the data for the earlier periods, the Jb can act
favourably, but he may also be regarded as a malevolent dead threaten-
ing his potential opponents in the Hereafter. However not only the
J~w/the deceased can operate against enemies or act as judges. Other,
more demon-like entities called Jew may take similar actions in the
Hereafter, but in many cases it is not possible to differentiate
sharply between these two categories. 2 11
205) CT V 222a-224e.
206) CT I 76d-e (var. BH 5 C); mdww- speaker, cf. WE III 180, 1.
207) CT V 302a. For the 1frW as a designation of the blessed dead, and
the parallelism between Jb and iJ:.r, see above page 202 and note
59. For Jaw-power see note 83 above.
208) CT VII 8m.
209) See note 202.
210) Cf. above p. 217 and note 111.
211) Nevertheless we should realize that the Jaw-spirits as malevolent
234
Busiris and the suite which is in Abydos make you 3!J (s31J "!:_w)";
offering .... in the western desert among the 3!Jw and the venerat-
ed", cf. G. Andreu, BIFAO 81 (1981), p. 3-4 (note d.).
214) Op.cit., pp. 59-60, 77 and 83.
215) Op.cit., pp. 48, 61 and 77; cf. page 203 with note 67.
235
.
3h .
58 ".may he recognize himself among the 3-Gw (r{; .f sw mm 31Jw)";
example from the 11th dynasty.216
A phrase in the text on an 11th dynasty false door presents, according
to H.G. Fischer217, a variant not discussed by Barta. The translation
given, reads: "That invocation offerings go forth to him on the W3g-
feast, on the feast of Thoth and on every good feast of a spirit, the
Revered Sn-k3y". It is however possible to translate the end of this
" -
clause: " ... for the 3h, the im3hw NN". The expression 'on every good
feast' is common in the shorter enumeration of feasts in these
formulae 218 , while, on the other hand, we do not know as such a 'feast
of a spirit' . 2 19 Nevertheless, whatever the correct interpretation, the
occurrence of the term 3-G in this phrase remains unique.
The texts of the offering-formulae listed above in general represent
the well-known ideas: being 31J is connected with the heaven or the
necropolis, and recitations (the s31Jw in formula 26) consitute a nec-
essary requirement for keeping the 3!J in good condition. New ideas are
found in the phrases: "may there be given to him being 3h on earth" and
"may they (the gods) make for you being 3!J on earth", both referring
to the desired capability of the deceased to function as 38 not only
in heaven or in the realm of the dead, but also on earth.
Other sources from the MK and SIP provide us with additional views
concerning the notion of 31J/3!J 1kr. 2 2° In some of the Naga-ed Der
3.c.
The evidence from the two preceding periods concerning the main ideas
on the concept of 38/38 1~r has shown a certain development. On the
one hand i t has been observed that, while the royal subject in the PT
seems more or less entitled to attain the status of Jg, being in the
company of his brothers the gods and presiding over the other 3bw, for
the private individual in the CT to reach the blessed state is a far
more complex matter: to achieve this end funerary rites2 2 4, proper
knowledge and the rightful passing of a judgement in the Hereafter are
necessary conditions. On the other hand we have seen how the deceased
as an 3b by virtue of his blessed state is able (1~r) to deal with
potential enemies and to reward those who support him, both on earth
and in the next world. His position as an 3h/3h
v ..,
1.kr
•
has made the de-
ceased into the ideal being to be turned to by the living in times of
need, as witnessed by the Letters of the Dead. In the private texts
moreover we have observed a tendency to connect a righteous existence
on earth with a future blessed state as an 3h/3h ikr in the Hereafter,
V V •
although i t would be too much to say that the last-named condition was
made dependent on the first.
The expansion or broadening of the views concerning the 3h/3h
V
ikr did
\o •
We come now to the documents of the period of the New Kingdom and its
224) Although not entirely lacking in the PT, see above page 201,
quoting PT 52c. Their importance is first stressed in the private
texts from the Old Kingdom, see above p. 204 ff.
238
is based upon the royal Litany of Re, i t is also stated that the
sungod in this form appears as "the Lord of the 3hw,
., the western
gods" (Budge 4 70, 14-15) .
230) BD 60, Budge 131, 14. For the earlier versions of this passage
and the Spell as a whole- CT IV 398b-400a: " ... this august
( spss) god, whose name they do not know" ; CT V 11b: "because they
know the god, the 3h 1kr cpr" - cf. Zandee, JEOL 24 (1975-1976),
pp. 13 and 19. .. ·
231) BD 1B, Budge 24, 9: "to whom 3[1 has been given in Rosetau"; BD85,
Budge 184, 11, cf. note 228 above.
232) BD 173, Budge 451, 14 - 452, 3: "The greeting of Horus to his
father Osiris, when he enters to see his father Osiris, going out
from the great embalming hall in order that Re sees him as
Wennefer, the lord of Ta-djeser. Thereupon one embraced the other
from them, in order that he may be 3h thereby in the realm of the
dead (n-mrwt 3h.f l.m m hrt-ntr)". '#
V - -
233) In view of the famous passage in BD 17 (Budge 60, 3-4) concerning
the embrace of these two gods, resulting in a united 'He with the
double b3', for which see M. Heerma van Voss, De oudste versievan
Dodenboek 17a (Leiden 1963), pp. 78-80.
234) BD 17, Budge 66, 7-8: " ... the iryw-s1pw, to whom the Lord of the
Universe has given 3[1", cf. note 228 above; BD 17, Budge 58, 3-4:
"these seven 3!Jw who are in the suite of the Lord of Sepa" (== CT
IV 258a, cf. above note 129; BD 169, Budge 435, 14-15: "You (the
deceased) are the fourth of these four gods, these 3!Jw ... " (== CT
I 2e-4a), possibly the sons of Horus are meant, cf. PT 1092b-c:
"these four 3[1w who are with me are ?apy, Duamutef, Imsety and
Keb~senuf, two on one side and two on the other"; they are also
addressed as "these (four) 3[1w" by the officiant in a libation-
scene on a 19th dynasty stela, Kitchen, KRI III 2,14.
240
More numerous and informative for our main subject are the passages
statements and descriptions - in which we encounter the 3a/the de-
ceased, the one for whose future well-being the collection of spells
in the BD is intended in the first place. 236 The majority of the rele-
vant texts in the BD connect the status of 3B, or being 3{1, with the
237
funerary environment or certain localities in the Hereafter. In
connection with the funerary environment, e.g. the sarcophagus 238 , the
realm of the dead 239 or the West 240 , the texts emphasize more clearly
235) BD 9, Budge 31, 5-6: "0, any god, any 3{1, make a path for me"
(final clause in a spell to open up the realm of the dead) ; BD
96/97, Budge 201, 3-4: "I (the deceased) have appeased (sl}tp.n.1)
these four 3~w who are in the suite of the lord of the offerings
(nb {lt)" (in a spell to cause a man to be 3!J in the realm of the
dead); BD 109, Budge 222, 3-5: (concerning the barley and emmer
in the Iaru-field of Re) "It are 3{1w - each one of them is nine
cubits in height - who reap i t beside the eastern b3w" (= CT
II 371a). For the 3hw created by Atum, BD 78, Budge 167, 2-3
and 8-9, see above ~otes 227 and 117; cf. also BD 38A, Budge 103,
3-4: "I (the deceased identifying himself with Atum) give orders
to the 3~w, those of hidden places, the 3bw of Ruti" (= different
from the earlier version CT spell 143, CT II 176t-u). In BD 145A,
Naville I 158, 37, a gate-keeper is called 3h.
236) Englund, op.cit., p. 151 (III B 1.4), incorr~ctly translates a
passage in the title of BD 17 -Budge 51, 4 - as: "3{1 belongs to
the one who recites it (the spell) on earth". Without doubt, 1.w
3h... n 1rr s tp-t3 here has to be translated by: "it is useful for
the one who does it" (in accordance with the translations by e.g.
Allen, Barguet or Hornung).
237) Cf. Englund, op.cit., pp. 154-156.
Her statements about the importance of the primeval environment
for the 3b are based upon two text passages where, in fact,
reference is made to only mythical precedents concerning Atum:
BD 3, Budge 27, 3-5: "0 Atum, who came forth as great one of the
hnhnw (either the bark or the waters), who is 3.Q as Ruti" (cf. CT
II 175k-l and 261e-262a); BD 78, Budge 167, 2-3 and 8-9, for
which see above notes 227 and 117.
238) BD 133, title, Naville II 343, 1: "Spell for making able (sl.~r) an
3!J in the sarcophagus".
239) E.g. BD 137A, in the rubric, Budge 308, 9-10 and 14-16: "This
torch makes flourishing (srwd) the 3h like Osiris Khontamenti
Because ntrw, 3hw and mtw se; him in... the shape (Irw) of
- ...
Khontamenti, he has power (shm.f) like this god"; BD 177, title,
Budge 461, 8: "Spell to rais; the 3h, to keep alive (scnh) the b3
V "
241
above notes 151 and 179). In this spell the deceased, afther
having identified himself with ?etep the lord of the ?etep-fields,
declares (Budge 227, 12-13): "I give abundance (bcJ:l) to the k3w
of the 3.flw", a reference to the fact that i t is the k3 of the
3h/the
... deceased which has to be provided with offerings .
244) Cf. above page 223 with notes 147 and 148.
245) The theme of the wanderings of the deceased in the next world,
which plays such a prominent role in the CT, is still present in
the BD spells but less frequently in connection with the state of
..
3h .
246) BD 15, Budge 45, 10-11; BD 133, rubric, Budge 291, 11-12.
247) E.g. BD 133, rubric, Budge 291, 7-8. In this spell, as in some
others, a magical procedure is used to reach the intended goal:
placing a painted image (twt) of the 3g in a barque (the solar
barque of Re) to ensure the deceased a place in the solar barque.
Cf. BD 134, rubric, Budge 294, 9-10: "This means adoring Re when
his barque sails, and the one (the 3.fl) who does i t for him will
be together with Re"; BD 136A (main text is the later version of
CT Spell 1030), rubric, Budge 300, 2-3: "It means his (the 3!1)
sailing in the barque of Re" .
248) BD 100, title, Budge 210, 6-7.
249) BD 144, rubric, Budge 333, 1-2: "This means keeping alive (scnh)
this 38 and making that he is powerful (sbm.fJ amongst these gods
..
(nJ;rw, here the keepers of the seven gates of the netherworld)".
250) BD 152, Budge 389, 2-10: "Then Osiris says to the gods who are in
his suite: 'Go quickly, that you see the building of this house
of this 3h .., cpr; he has come today, renewed (m3w), amongst you ...
243
Generally speaking the documents from the earlier periods have shown
that to be or become JB, or to acquire this state, is the result of
either the benignant intervention of the gods, the identification with
a god, special knowledge, or the r~citation of particular formulae by
qualified priests. In the BD spells these elements 25l recur, if only
with a different accent. The benevolent divine intervention in favour
of the deceased becomes apparent in several passages. 2 5 2 Basically i t
This god (nj;r), he has come today, renewed, amongst you"; cf. BD
183 (a hymn to Osiris), Budge 486, 6-7: " ... prt-lJrw offerings to
the J.[;w who are in your suite"; see also note 242 above.
251) Cf. Englund, op.cit., pp. 156-158 (III B 3).
252) E.g. BD 172, Budge 449, 5: "Re makes you 3lJ in his pure place
(s3lJ t;;w Re m wcb.f)"; ibid., Budge 451, 1-5: "Offerings are por-
tioned out for you in the presence of Re. The beginning belongs
to you, the end belongs to you, as Horus and Thot have orderedfor
you. They have called NN, to see this, that he may be Jg there-
with ... "
A curious example is found in BD 149, Budge 370, 11-12, where the
deceased, identifying himself with Seth as helper in the solar
barque, opposes the threatening snake on the fourth hill and de-
clares: "My two eyes have been given to me, that I may be Jh
therewith (JJ]..i 1m) ", followed by "What is it? It means he ls an
3JJ. (1sst pw, JJ]. pw)". Now the related passage in BD 108, Budge
220, 3-4, reads: "There was given to me my Jaw-magical power
against you. What is it? It means he is an 3lJ", while the earlier
version in CT II 383b-c gives: "There has been given (something)
to me against you. What is this? It is 3lJ"· Judging from the
writing, spelled out with a determinative bookroll, in this last
instance 3.0 could as well mean '3lJ-being' or 'magical power', or
even 'something useful'. In the BD versions however the determi-
native clearly refers to a person. (For the episode as a whole, in
the CT-version, see J.F. Borghouts, JEA 59 (1973), pp. 114-115).
Similar easily confusing situations occur in BD 148, Budge 364,
6-9 and 365, 1-2. E. Hornung, Das Totenbuch der Agypter (Zurich-
Munchen 1979), pp. 299, 8-10 and 300, 19-20, translates the first
passage (an address to the seven cows and one bull) : "Moget ihr
Brot und Bier, Nahrung und Verklartheit dem Osiris NN geven, dem
trefflichen Verklarten, der im Totenreich ist" and the second (an
address to the four oars of heaven): "Moget ihr Brot und Bier,
Nahrung und Verklartheit dem Osiris NN geben". In these cases one
has to translate d1..J;;n t l;}.nJ:.t l}.tp-gfJw Je_ n 3lJ NN ••• : "May you
give bread and beer and sustenance-offerings which is useful for
the Jh NN ... ".
"
244
is Re who gives 3h and Osiris who receives this state. 253 And the de-
"
ceased, by identifying himself with Re or Osiris, can be either the
donor or the receiver of 3B. 254
and in some instances reciting the spell and placing the object can
make the 3h into an 3h
~ V
mnhY in the West or an 3h
V
1kr in the realm of
the dead. 258
253) Cf. above p. 238 and notes 228, 231 and 232.
254) BD 85, Budge 184, 11: "I (the deceased identifying himself with
Re as the Lord of the Light, nb ssp) am the one who gives 3!J to
Osiris", cf. note 228 above; BD 144, Budge 329, 9-10: "Osiris NN
is one who born in Rosetau, 3b has been given to him by the
Lord of the Horizon (nb 3[)"t)" (= CT VII 289a-b, where one group of
variants reads the last phrase: "3?) has been given to me by my
lord Re-Harakhty").
255) E.g. BD 135, Budge 295, 8-10: "As for anyone who knows this spell,
I shall be an 3?) 1~r in the realm of the dead, he shall not die
again in the realm of the dead, he shall eat beside Osiris"; BD
176, Budge 461, 4-5: "As for anyone who knows this spell, he shall
be an 3B 1]f.r, he cannot die again in the realm of the dead".
256) E.g. BD 100, rubric, Budge 211, 6-9: "To be recited over this
image (ssm) ••. (it) is given to the 3b on his breast"; BD 101,
rubric, Budge 213, 8-10: "To be recited over the piece (ssd) of
king's linen ... (it) ~3 given to the 3?) I~r on his neck on the
day of the funeral"; BD 155, rubric, Budge 402, 11-13: "To be re-
cited over a golden gd-amulet ... given to the 39 on his neck on
the day of the funeral"; similarly BD 156, rubric, Budge 403,7-9.
257) Cf. already CT IV 58g; see also note 169 above. Similarly we read
in BD 137A, rubric, Budge 309, 9-11: "If you use this book tirr.k
md3t tn), this 3h is reconstituted (1°b), made able (s1kr) and
p.;;_rified (twr), ~nd his mouth is opened with the metal Cbi3)".
258) E.g. BD 136A, rubric, Budge 300, 3-8: "As for any 3[} for whom this
will be done, he will be amongst the living, he cannot perish, he
will be a sacred god (n!r gsr) ; nothing evil can harm him, he will
be an 3~ mn!J. in the West, he cannot die again, he will eat and
drink before Osiris"; BD 155, rubric, Budge 402, 14-16: "He will
245
be an 3hV
1kr
•
who is in the realm of the dead on the day of the
New Year like those who are in the suite of Osiris".
259) Cf. Englund, op.cit., pp. 162-164 (III B 4).
260) E.g. BD 136A, rubric, Budge 300, 3-4, quoted above in note 258;
BD 144, rubric, Budge 332, 14- 333, 1: "To be recited over this
image which is painted, painted with Nubian ochre. The second
college of the barque of Re - an offering is to be made to them
consisting of food, fowl and incense. This means keeping alive the
3.Q", see further note 249 above.
261) E.g. BD 30A, Budge 95, 11-12, see above note 240.
262) E.g. BD 144, rubric, Budge 333,2-3 (see also above note 249): "It
means he will not be kept away, he will not be hindered at the
gates of the netherworld"; BD 190, Budge 497, 11-16: "As for any
Jb for whom this book will be used, his b3 has come forth together
with the living, he will come forth by day, he will be powerful
amongst the n!rw, without being kept away; these n!rw will sur-
round (him) , they will recognize him, he will be like one of them".
263) E.g. BD 1, Budge, 21, 13-16: "He has gone, he has spoken with you,
that he may be 38 with you. One has not found his fault (wn)
there. The balance is empty from his fault {sp)" (this is the last
paragraph of the spell which did not yet appear in the earlier
version CT Spell 314); BD 89, Budge 189, 12-13: "My b3 takes for
me my 38 (the glorified body) , that I may be vindicated with him
in any place where he is".
Elsewhere the deceased claims to be 38 and 1p ('counted', 'recog-
nized' in the sense of justified), cf. e.g. BD 69, Budge 154,
5-6: "I have come, being 3{:, ip and nt,r" (for the earlier version
see CT III 268b-272b) ; BD 72, Budge 159, 15 - 160, 2: "I have
penetrated towards you, being 3h in my 1rw-shape, being powerful
(sgm.kw1) with my 9k3w, being 1p in my Jew (Je-status or magical
power?)".
264) E.g. BD 133A, rubric, Budge 291, 11-13: "It means making able
(s1~r) the 3-9 in the opinion of Re, giving that he is powerful
with the ennead. Then the gods will see him as one of them";
246
All this will ensure him a beatified existence, which the 3B intends
to lead amongst the gods who will even recognize him as one of them.264
His way of life, as described in two spells which are later versionsof
texts in the CT 265 , is a kind of duplicate of life on earth: the de-
ceased works, eats, makes love, and so forth.266 Yet, to stress the
fact that he has become a godlike being (n~r) himself, the 38 will
possess divine power (s9mJ .267
In conclusion i t can be said that the deceased attains the status of 3!),
not in the least because of the powerful help of the BD spells, expecting
an eternal existence in the company of the great gods, being their
obediant servant and efficient helper at the same time. 268 His new
status enables him to take an active part in the divine world which in
turn strenghtens his position as someone endowed with so to say super-
BD 137A, rubric, see above note 239; BD 147, rubric, see above
note 242.
265) BD 77 and BD 110; for the earlier versions and commentary see
above note 243.
266) Cf. Englund, op.cit., p. 164 (III B 4.3). To stay alive the de-
ceased also needs food and some spells are intended to ensure him
of these provisions, e.g. BD 148, rubric, Budge 366, where i t is
prescribed that the spell should be read over gods, n!rw (i.e.
their painted images) , to whom offerings should be brought and
for whom prt-erw-offerings should be prepared, because (Budge 366,
7-8): "This is useful with Re. It means feeding (s{lf3) the b3 in
the realm of the dead" (variant in Naville I 167, 1 reads "feeding
the 39"), and again in the last line of the rubric (Budge 366,
15) : "It means feeding the 3~".
267) E.g. BD 137A, rubric, Budge 308, 14-16: "because ntrw, 3hw and mtw
see him in the irw-shape of Khontamenti, he has po;er (shm.f)
like this god". "
In a similar sense the deceased, identifying himself with Osiris,
claims to be "an 39, a lord of the 3-Gw", BD 144, Budge 329, 16.
268) Cf. e.g. in BD 130, which is titled "Another spell for making
able (s1}fr) the 3lJ ... ", the following description of the deceased
(Budge 284, 2-9) : "NN descends into your barque, Re, he occupies
your throne, he receives your dignity (sC9); NN leads the ways of
Re in the morning to ward off that evil one (nbd) coming with
fire against your barque in that great district. NN knows him and
he cannot attack your barque while NN is in it" (emended after
the earlier version CT Spell 1099, CT VII 413d-415d).
247
It has been observed above 270 that in the CT Spells the notion 3h is
"
frequently provided with one or two out of a wide range of adjectives.
In the texts of the BD we mainly find three adjectives or epitheta
being used in connection with the word 3h: mnh, cpr and ikr. 271
w ..
275) Cf. Englund, op.cit., pp, 169-170 (III B 4.6.2). Note the factthat
probably Osiris is called 3!J Cpr in BD 60, Budge 131, 14, for
which see above note 230; and again in BD 124, Budge 245, 10-12:
"I (the deceased) report to him (Osiris) the words of the gods:
'Come, 3{] cpr, that you may present (scr.k) m3Ct to the one who
loves it'". Comparable to the relatively rare occurrence of the
expression 3{] cpr in the BD Spells is the near total absence of
this term in the private texts of the New Kingdom, funerary of
other. An interesting exception is found in ceiling inscription
in a tomb from the mid-18th dynasty at Thebes (no. 97): n k3 n 3h
1lf.r cpr irt.f - "for the k3 of the 3!J i]f.r equipped with all that"
he requires, cf. A.H. Gardiner, ZAS 47 (1910), p. 90.
276) BD 152, Budge 389, 2-6, see above note 250. This passage indicates
that the 3{] Cpr is provided with a l}.wt - funerary chapel, cf. also
the title of this BD 152, Budge, 388, 8: "Spell for building a
l}.wt which is in the earth (imy.ty t3)".
277) BD 124, final clause, Budge 245, 12-13, taking into consideration
the version of Ani: ink 3h cpr r 3hw nbw. Yet the redaction of Nu
:i;
(=Budge 245, 12-13): 1nk ... 3h Cpr Cpr.n.i. 3hw nbw, could be
derived from a version readlng: "I am an 3!J cp';, I have acquired
all 3.Qw (magical power)"; cf. CT I 86c - cpr.n.f 3-Gw nbw - discus-
sed above note 166.
278) BD 91 (based on CT Spell 496; for this phrase cf. CT VI 78c-e and
note 147 above) , Naville II 206 (Ca); a variant in Naville II 206
(Ca bis) replaces 3!J cpr by b3 cpr, while the Papyrus of Nu (Budge
194, 5) in this place reads 3b i~r. Without going into detail, i t
might be observed that frequently the notions of 3!J and b3 are to
be found in parallel passages, having many aspects in common. And
while in general the two fundamentally distinct concepts arestill
clearly differentiated, in some cases they seem to be inter-
changeable or at least so closely interwoven that the ancient
Egyptians themselves were either easily confused or led into
scribal errors. Cf. also Englund, op.cit., pp. 123 and 165;
249
..
(n hsf Osiris NN hr.... Rc)" and "will not enter into the pool of the
criminals (n cl;: Osiris NN m s n !Jbntyw); he "has opened the horizon of
Re", he "adores Re and he (Re) listens to his words and punishes his
enemies for him (hw1.f. nf. sgbw r eftyw.f)"; furthermore we are
informed that "the name of Re is in the body of Osiris NN, and his
dignity is in his mouth (scJ:..f m r.f)", "he saves Re from Apopis,
daily" and he "descends into your barque, Re, he occupies your throne
and receives your dignity. Osiris NN leads the ways of Re in the
morning, to ward off that evil one".285
These passages illustrate how the deceased in his position as
an 38 1kr acts as an able assistant of the sungod whose divine and be-
nevolent grace he is therefore entitled to receive. This not only re-
sults in a beatified existence in the close proximity of Re, but also
enables the deceased to a direct contact with the great god who will
listen to him and, if necessary, will act in his favour: a clear
.., 1kr
reference to the importance of someone being an 3h . n Re - the one
who by virtue of his privileged and august position has the power to
act in the divine world. Fundamentally this idea had already become
apparent in texts from the earlier periods 286 , but the spells of the
BD show a closer relation between the function of the 38 1~r and the
sungod.
Closely connected with this view is the fact that the deceased as an
39 1~r is encountered in several spells as one of the crew of the solar
285) Quotations respectively Budge 279, 4; 279, 12; 279, 15-16; 280,
14-15; 281, 1-3; 281, 7-8; 282, 3; 284, 2-6.
286) Cf. above pp. 218 and 233.
287) BD 133, rubric, Budge 291, 6-9. The earlier version of this spell,
CT 1029, is entitled: "Spell for navigating in the great barque
of Re" (CT VII 257c). Cf. too above note 135 for the deceased
acting as a judge in the solar barque.
252
. .
the 3h 1kr in the BD spells we further learn that he has power over
the offerings 291 , sojourns in the realm of the dead 292 , possesses a b3
Cn!J293; he is to receive the sacred robe (wCbw)294 and has knowledge
at his disposa1 295 . Yet, even in his blessed state he remains dependent
The other great religious compositions of the New Kingdom belong tothe
category of what has become known as the 'Unterweltsbucher'. The
central theme of all these 'books' being the god Re, his nocturnal
journey through the Netherworld and his union with Osiris, i t is only
natural to find the common deceased playing a less important role than
for example in the BD spells. Nevertheless, the sometimes verydetailed
descriptions of the abode and the existence of the beatified deceased
as 39w or n!rw in these texts do provide us with some illustrative
298) See above pp. 198-200, 219-221 and 238 (Englund's four categories
op.cit., p. 183 (IV B 1), differ from our classification).
299) E.g. "They (those who carry the twisted rope) say to Re: ... the
hours belong to the great god in order that you may be 39, oh Re,
within (or: by) the splendour of light", Book of Gates, 6th hour,
upp. reg. (scene 36), E. Hornung, Das Buch von den Pforten des
Jenseits I (Geneva 1979), pp. 218-219.
300) E.g. In an address by the sun-god: "Hay it be well with your
Jg(-being), Osiris. May it be well with your 3bw you who are in
the suite of Osiris", Amduat, 3rd hour, final text, cf. E.Hornung,
Das Amduat I (Wiesbaden 1963), p. 60. Our translation of the in-
troductory 3b n differs from that given by Hornung, Das Amduat II,
p. 74: "Wahrlich verklart sei dein ll.ch, Osiris, und verklart
seien eure Achs, Verklarte im Gefolge des Osiris".
The state of 3b of Osiris is also due to the 'work' of his son
Horus: "That what Horus did on behalf of his father Osiris:
spiritualizing him (s3b.f) ... ", cf. Book of Gates, 4th hour, low.
reg. (scene 21), E. Hornung, Buch von den Pforten I, p. 125.
301) "I (Re) call upon you (Sokar) , that you may be 3b", ll.mduat, 5th
hour, middle reg., cf. Hornung, Das Amduat I, p. 86.
302) E.g. Re says to the 'southern gods': "You have come into being,
oh gods (n!rw), you are 3£w, oh gods, on behalf of my coming into
being in the realm of the dead (styt), on behalf of my Jb-being
in the place of which the condition is hidden", Book of Gates,
10th hour, upp.reg. (scene 61), cf. Hornung, Buch von den Pforten
I , pp. 3 3 3-3 3 4.
303) E.g. a group of twelve figures who carry the twisted rope are
adressed: "May there be a coming forth for your hours in order
that you may be 3-!J by them", Book of Gates, 6th hour, upp.reg.
(scene 36), cf. Hornung, Buch von den Pforten I, p. 216.
304) Cf. Englund, op.cit., pp. 187-188 (IV B 1.3). They are already
mentioned in the title of the Amduat: "Record of the hidden place,
the stations (C~CW) of the bJw, ntrw, SWt and Jaw and what
255
by your clothes. May you be light by the splendour of Re. The realm of
the dead opens for you, Jbw. They are on their biers, sleeping on their
beds. Their food offerings consist of bread, their beer consists of
gsrt-beer, their libations consist of water. Offerings are brought to
them on earth as to an able spirit who disposes of a shade". 311
Likewise in other instances it becomes clear that the blessed dead, who
in these 'books' are almost always situated in the netherworld, thank
their very - beatified - existence to the sun-god: "They (the towers of
the sun-boat) say to Re: Pass on, great god, lord of the hours, who
provides for the earth, upon whose being (1rw) the gods live and the
3{}w when they see his forms (tJprw) ,J]2; "They (the rejoicing ones who
are in the netherworld) make jubilation for Re in the West, they exalt
Harakhty. Those who acknowledged (rbyw) Re when they were on
earth, who brought their offerings to him on their places, their
Horus, with solar aspects) rt. 11,5: "The gods are jubilant be-
hind me, the 3-Qw are on their bellies (3bw l)r Q.t.sn)".
The 3bw are also depicted as a group of nine blessed dead standing
on the stairs in front of Osiris in his judgement-hall, Book of
Gates, scene 33 between the 5th and 6th hour, cf. Hornung, Das
Buch von den Pforten I, p. 197: ". . . the 3{}w who are in the West";
and p. 200: "The enemies are under him (i.e. Osiris). The nj;rw
and the 3hw are in front of him". See also M. Heerma van Voss in
Travels in" the World of the Old Testament ('Festschrift' M.A.
Beek) (Assen 1974), p. 84.
311) Translation following mainly that by J. Zandee in Liber Amicorum,
Studies in honour of C.J. Bleeker (Leiden 1969), pp. 308-309.
E.F. Wente, JNES 41 (1~32), pp. 170-172, translates the last
phrase by: "The one who offers to them upon earth is an excellent
Akh, who possesses a shade", on account of a different interpre-
tation of the grammatical construction. (Similar phrases are to be
found in the texts of BD 168 published in first translation by
A. Piankoff, The Wandering of the Soul (Princeton 1974), pp. 41-
114 (The Quererts) esp. in the offering-texts pp. 88 ff.) In spite
of his reasoning, ibid., pp. 174 ff., I find it difficult to
accept Wente's views concerning mysticism in pharaonic Egypt,
especially since there seems to be hardly any evidence for it in
all the textual material I studied in this chapter.
312) Book of Gates, 6th hour, middle reg. (scene 37), cf. Hornung,
Buch von den Pforten I, pp. 221-222.
257
(state of) 31Jw is on the holy place ·of the West .... Re says to them:
"Your offerings belong to you, {ltptyw ('peaceful ones' or
'offerers')"31 3 .
Being 39 brings for the deceased the well-known advantages of the
beatified state: having power over one's legs, being able to breathe, to
go freely in and out of the netherworld, receiving justification before
the tribunal, protection against dangers, and being provided with
offerings.314 Having received justification before the tribunal, the
dead as the just also appear to judge on the sinners.315
A means for acquiring the state of 3h which we have already become
acquainted with, plays an important role in the texts of the Amduat:
knowledge. In all cases this is a condition to bring the state of 39
to the deceased: "He who knows them (certain beings of the netherworld)
is an 3h Cpr whom they protect"316; "He who knows these (the commands
V
of Re) is a b3 3b, who disposes of his feet, who does not enter into
the place of destruction. He goes out as a shape (1rw) by day, he
breathes air at his hour" 3 17; "He who knows her (the image) will par-
ticipate in the state of 3!} cpr in heaven and on earth"31 8 ; "He who
knows the secret images is an 3!J cpr"319.
Contrary to the earlier text groups, in these 'books' we find only few
examples of the term 3g with an adjective or epithet. Three examples of
the expression 39 cpr have already been quoted above. 320 And one of
313) Book of Gates, 5th hour, upp. reg. (scene 23), cf. Hornung, op.
cit., pp. 147-150.
314) Cf. several texts quoted above and Englund, op.cit., pp. 192-193
(IV B 4.1 and 4.2).
315) Cf. J. Zandee, Death as an Enemy, pp. 266-268; also above p. 221
with note 135.
316) Amduat, 2nd hour, low. reg., cf. Hornung, Das Amduat I, p. 34.
317) Amduat, 11th hour, introduction, cf. Hornung, ibid., p. 180.
318) Amduat, 3rd hour, final text, cf. Hornung, ibid., p. 61.
319) Amduat, final text of the shorter version, cf. Hornung, Das
Amduat III (Wiesbaden 1967), p. 25.
320) Cf. also Englund, op.cit., p. 195. A fourth example, from the
Litany of the Sun (E. Hornung, Das Buch der Anbetung des Re im
Westen I (Geneva 1975), p. 183) concerns the king identified with
258
325) 'Being 3!J' as a gift from Re fits in with the traditional views,
cf. above notes 253 and 254. In the first cited example this
notion could well be implied in the preposition er which can also
mean 'by', cf. Gardiner, EG 3 , § 39 end.
326) Barta, op.cit., pp. 91, 113, 144; cf. above pp. 203 and 234.
327) For the relationship between 3!J, mn!J and 1~r see above notes
59 and 81.
328) This text, quoted by Barta, op.cit., p. 144 note 5, is now also
to be found in K.A. Kitchen, KRI III, 12, 4. The idea of 'making
3!J' or 'glorifying' the b3 is already to be found in Coffin Texts
Spell 413- CT V 240d: "You are 3tf, my b3 and my shade", var.
"You have been made Je, my b3 and my shade", cf. B. George, Zu den
altagyptischen Vorstellungen vom Schatten als Seele (Bonn 1970),
pp. 107-109; E. Otto, ZAS 77 (1942), p. 82 (with some further
references). As the status of a fully equipped 3!J implies the
possession of a b3 and other elements, it is conceivable that the
b3 could also be called 'glorified', although this concept remains
exceptional, cf. too the later version of Coffin Texts Spell 413,
BD 188, Budge 491, 10; and above p. 257, note 318. See also
J. Assmann, JEA 65 (1979), p. 61 with note 58.
329) Barta, op.cit., p. 165.
330) Op.cit., p. 124, The longed-for position of the 3!Jw/the deceased
in the solar barque also becomes apparent from several BD Spells,
see above p. 252. For the adjective sps, referring to the
beatified status of the deceased, cf. above p. 204 and note 71.
260
331) Op.cit., pp. 151, 315-316. The view that the bJ belongs to the
heaven only seems to contradict the usual wish (cf. the many ver-
sions of formula 7 above) for 'being 3h in heaven' since the b3
as free moving element of the J{}/the deceased is, by its very
nature, able to visit any place desired. Cf. further the
commentary by Barta, op.cit., p. 316. The view that the b3 belongs
to the heaven is also found e.g. in Amduat, 3rd hour, final text:
b3.k n pt ws1r !13t.k n tJ ynty-.;Igrt, "your bJ belongs to the
heaven Osiris, your corpse belongs to the earth pre-eminent one of
the realm of the dead", E. Hornung, Das Amduat I (1963), p. 60, 1.
The Jaw/the deceased as (mummified) beings 'in the earth', i.e.
the place of the corpses, are also met in the BD and the 'Unter-
weltsbucher', cf. above pp. 244 and 254 with notes 256 and 303.
All this evidence points to various conceptions as to where the
Jaw are really situated. It remains to be seen whether these
conceptions are wholly contradictory or rather complementary.
332) Op.cit., p. 168. For the Jaw 1~rw in the realm of the dead, see
above p. 240, note 239; and e.g. in an address: ~I n!rw nbw [..]
smyt, Jaw 1~rw [nty m] nrt-n!r - "0, all gods [of the] necropolis,
J!}w 1~rw [who are in] the realm of the dead", K.A. Kitchen, KRI
I 351, 11.
333) Op.cit., p. 100. For the mummy being or becoming Jg, cf. similar
views in some BD Spells, supra p. 244 with note 256. Noteworthy in
this connection are the statements in a Late Period calendar of
feasts of the deified Imhotep. After it is said that on the 4th
Payni: "The b3 of Imhotep goes to the heaven (gb.t)", we are in-
formed that on the 17th Mesore there is a feast called: "Hearing
of Imhotep by his father Ptah on his bier. His putrefaction
(l}wJJ.t) becomes 3!], his b3 becomes his companion", while on the
13th Mesore follows the "uniting of the bJ with the corpse"; cf.
H. Gauthier, BIFAO 14 (1918), pp. 33 ff., E. Otto, ZAS 77 (1942),
261
173 a - d1. sn WS!n rd J:r w3t nJ:l} m-di [ var. : mm] k3w 3!JW SpSW - "may
they grant free access on the road of eternity with [or:
among] the k3w of the venerable 3!Jw"; examples from the
second half of the 18th,dynasty.334
232 a - sdm. tn n .f sprwt rC nb m5.. 3!Jw nw s3!Jw. :J;n - "may you hear for him
('the) petitions daily like (those of) the 3!Jw which you have
made 3!]"; example from the second half of the 18th
dynasty.335
247 b - d:t. sn !Jd1. t r !Jdw m b3 Cn!J !Jntyt r 3b£w m 3-!J - "may they
grant sailing downstream to Busiris as b3 cn!J, sailing up-
stream to Abydos as 38"; examples from the second half of the
18th and 20th dynasties.336
253 a - 3!J.f m brt-ni;r - "his 3!J may be in the realm of the dead"
(or: "he may be 3!J ... "); ntr1 3g.1 - "that my 3!J be divine";
examples from the second half of the 18th and 19th dynasties
dynasties.337
284 c d1.sn :1r1..tw n.f Cntyw sn!;r mi 3!Jw nbw- "may they grant that
myrrh and incense be burnt for him like for all 3-Gw"; example
from the 19th dynasty.338
Three types of formulae strictly speaking only appear in the periods
after the New Kingdom:
84 a - d1. f wnn .1 mm 3-Gw. s m-b3J: Gbb - "may he grant that I will be
among her (i.e. the wsat-hall) 3bw before Geb"; example from
the 25th dynasty.339
96 a - df..sn cJ::..k n ps<j_t m1 3lJw cn{;w fldw - "may they grant that you
shall enter into the ennead like the living 3{;w of Busiris";
example from the 21th/24th dynasties.340
253 a - d1.f 3-G 3{;.1 - "may he grant that my 3bbe 3-G"; example from
the 21th/24th dynasties.341
338) Op.cit., p. 158. Burning myrrh and incense forms part of the
rituals intended for the sustenance of the deceased in his state
of 3g, cf. above p. 205 and notes 73 and 75.
339) Op.cit., p. 189.
340) Op.cit., p. 177. For the deceased in his state of 3-G having free
access to the gods, see above p. 245 and note 264. It should be
noted that Busiris is more frequently connected with the state of
b3 cnb, cf. above 'Bitte' 247b.
341) Op.cit., p. 181. The idea that the deceased in his state of 3!J
still has to be made 3b by the god(s) is also expressed in formula
232a: " ... the 3-Gw which you have made 3lJ", vide supra.
In spite of these examples, it is doubtful whether Englund, op.
cit., p. 185 (IV B 1.1.2; following Hornung), is right to translate
an address by Re in the final text of the 3rd hour of the Amduat:
~ - - ~ - -
1st Jh n 3h.k wsf.r 3h n 3hw.tn (3hw) 1myw-ht wsir, by "May your
~
3!J be 38, Osiris, may your Jew be 38, (3gw) who are in the suite
of Osiris"; cf. E. Hornung, Das Amduat I (1963), p. 60, 3, II
(1963), p. 74 end. As in many instances, 3lJ n is better trans-
lated by: "It is useful for" (cf. also above note 300).
263
342) Cf. in this connection scene 69A of the Ritual of the Opening of
the Mouth- "feeding the 3b", E. Otto, Das Agyptische Mundoffnungs-
ritual I (Wiesbaden 1960), p. 153; and the title of a funerary
liturgy in N. de Garis Davies, The Tomb of Rekh-mi-Rec at Thebes
II (New York 1943), Pl. 96: r n 1nt 3Q r dit ssp.f ~tpt-n!r.f
"Spell for summoning the 3h in order that he may receive his
~tpt-ntr-offering". In scene 71 of the ritual of the Opening of
the Mouth, the I]ry-~bt priest declares: (ff-gg) "His (i.e. the
deceased) mouth is opened .... His name endures unto eternity,
while he is an 3!J 1l;:r in the Netherworld (dw3t) ", E. Otto,
ibid., p. 159.
For the function and the recitation of the s3hw ... cf. also J.-C .
Goyon, BIFAO 65 (1967), pp. 87-156.
343) "Agyptische Jenseitswunsche in Spruchen ungewohnlicher Fassung
aus dem Neuen Reich", in ZAS 77 (1941-1942), pp. 57-78. The
grammatical construction of the opening phrases - a conditional
clause followed by an apodosis mainly of future sense - was
elucidated by A. Gardiner in his review of Grapow's article in
JEA 32 (1946), pp. 104-105. Some of the texts were already
mentioned briefly by J. Spiegel, Die Idee vom Totengericht, pp.
75-76.
344) Grapow, op.cit., pp. 63 and 66 (1r wnn 3bw hr 39).
264
rises on the morning of the New Year" ( 'Spruch' 1), or "my b3 shall
follow Hathor, change into a swallow of the god's land, to gather (~df)
under the myrrh-trees, change into a b3 Cnh to see the sun-disk at its
"
dawning" ('Spruch' 2). The motifs in these apodoses are of course very
well known from the funerary literature of this period.345
The second type346 - Grapow's 'Spruche' 3-11 - in each case begins with
the statement: "If it be (a true generalization) that one becomes 3!}
through ... ", continued by a certain action or quality such as "doing
what is right (f.rf. m3C) 11
1 "praising god (l}SJ.. n:i;r) 11
1 "being excellent
(mn{;J upon earth", "keeping silent and calm", "straightforwardness and
restraint" or "able character (bi3t iJ:.rt347)". The conditional clauses
as protases are followed by a variety of benefits the dead man promises
himself. These wishes, in the apodoses, are mostly of an ordinary kind
well-known from many other sources. 348 Phrases like "I will be the
first of the praised ones in the train of Osiris" or "I shall receive
oblations (3wt-c) in the presence of the sole lord (nb we)" are
evidently completely traditional. 3 49 Others are less common: "I shall be
steersman (i.ry-lynw) in the barque of millions" and "My b3 will be
keeper of the balance in the presence of the Great God, Lord of the
West".350 Here the deceased promises himself functions that are else-
where exerted by Horus or Anubis. Twice we read: "My b3 shall become
In view of the close relationship between the sun-god Re and the 31Jw/
the deceased, which has become apparent from the BD Spells and the
corpus of funerary wishes treated above, it is more or less to be
expected that we should find the 31Jw figuring in several of the New
Kingdom sun-hymns. Since it cannot possibly be our aim to treat this
genre in its entirety here, we will limit ourselves mainly to quoting
some of the relevant passages from the extensive collection published
by J. Assmann 356 . These usually show familiar motifs, such as we read
in a royal sun-hymn 357 : "He (the king) gives .Qtpwt-offering-s to the
divine together with the 31Jw; the b3w Iill11Jw will speak to you", cf.
e.g. Urk. IV, 114, 2-4.
352) In 1 Spruch 1 3, op.cit., pp. 64-67: sgm n.f n!rw sprwt.f.
353) Cf. above p. 261 ( 1 Bitte 1 232a) and note 335.
354) Respectively in 1 Spruche 1 1 and 2, quoted in full above; in
I Spruch I 7 1p. tw .1 m msktt r mCngt m smsw n RC - 11 I will be
counted, from the night-barque to the day-barque, in the suite of
.. ... .
presence of (hft) 3hw 1krw of the realm of the dead who sit in front
of Wenennefer, who provide for (irryw mbrw) the Two Lands"360; "the
activity of 3bw and deceased does not attain you, you are very far
from them"36l; "When you go down in the evening (£3w) the 3bw and the
existence, since the JI3w can also be found among the enemies of
the sun-god; cf. too J. Zandee, Death as an Enemy, p. 297.
362) G. Nagel, BIFAO 29 (1930), p. 68, line 8 of the text. For the
'stations' cf. above note 304.
363) J. Cerny, Egyptian Stelae in the Bankes Collection (Oxford 1958),
nr. 5, lines 4-5 (from Deir el-Medina) (=Kitchen, KRI III 721,
9-10). In another hymn to the setting sun, Re-Harakhty is address-
ed as: "Re who is within his disk, lord of rays, maker of light,
who keeps alive (scnlJ) men, J[]w, ordinary men and sun-folk ... ",
cf. N. de Garis Davies, The Tomb of Neferhotep at Thebes (New
York 1932), Pl. XXXVII, line 2 of the text. A similar idea is
found in an epithet of Amun-Re: "who keeps alive (sCne) men, gods
(n:trw) and J[}w", K.A. Kitchen, KRI III 743, 14-15.
364) K.A. Kitchen, KRI III 6, 9-10: di.k wn.1 m-m tpyw-c Jbw 1~rw.
(Theban Tomb 106 of the vizier Paser) . See below p. 288 with note 41.
The fragmentary text of yet another sun-hymn conveys the known
concept of the Jb 1~r having a place in the solar barque: 1w.k
... m Jh 1kr m 1st n nb nhh - "You will be . . . as Jh
\,# • • • w
1kr
•
amongst the crew of the lord of eternity" (KRI III 178, 11-12).
365) ai.f sms n~r r sty.t m-m 31Jw 1~rw; in a 19th dynasty hymn on a
pyramidion from Memphis, cf. K. Mysliwiec, SAK 6 (1978), pp.
148-150 (see also pp. 146-147 for Osiris as nb 3hw). In view of
the presence of the Jbw 1~rw, the Sty.t here sho;ld be the (part
of the) netherworld, cf. WB IV 559, 20, where the deceased hopes
to dwell in the suite of the god.
366) K.A. Kitchen, KRI III 492, 2-3.
367) It seems appropiate to quote here the wishes for the welfare of
268
will bring accusation against you (p3.1 sm1 tw) ... I will lodge a
complaint against you (iw.i s!Jn J.:nc<.!;>) with words of my mouth, in the
presence of the Divine Ennead of the West, and one shall decide between
you and me (mtw.tw wpL!; lJ.nC<.1>) '~; (rt. 13-14) "And behold, you do
not allow my heart to take comfort. I will be judged (wpi) with you
and one shall discern wrong from right (mtw.tw ptr c23 r m3Ct)"; (vs.
37-38) "You do not know good from bad. It shall be decided between you
and me (i.w. tw r wp1 .!:_ J:nC<.i>) ".
Since the writer seemed to expect to benefit from writing this letter,
while he was still alive upon earth, it appears to have been thought
possible to bring a court-case against an 39 before the gods of the
West even before the death of the plaintiff. In any case this letter
gives a clear example of the influence of the 3bw/the deceased into
earthly matters.371
The idea that the 3h/3h
.., ..., 1k.r could be active on earth, whether bene-
ficently or maleficently, also represents the fundamental thought
behind some other texts from this period. In the 'Instruction of Any'
a brief chapter is specially devoted to the 3!J.372 Here we encounter
the 3!J as a kind of ghost roaming on the earth, for whom one should be
beware.373 The chapter runs:
371) Dating from the end of the 20th dynasty is a presumably similar
sort of le-tter on an ostracon (Cerny-Gardiner, Hieratic Ostraca,
Pl. LXXX) written by Butehamon, the scribe of the necropolis, to
his deceased wife Akhtai.
372) P. Bulaq IV 8,20- 9,3 (= P. Guimet a,4- b,1). This chapter was
misunderstood by E. Suys, La Sagesse d'Ani (Rome 1935), pp. 86
ff.; a better translation was given by A. Volten, Studien zum
Weisheitsbuch des Anii (Copenhagen 1937), p. 55. Most recently it
was the main object of an admirable study by G. Posener in MDAIK
37 (1981), pp. 393-401. He not only gives the correct translation,
but also adds a rich commentary full of information on the
'afarit' in ancient Egypt. Cf. also J.F. Borghouts, 'The annoy-
ances of a revenant', in CdE forthcoming.
373) We have already come across the 3bw as ghosts in the magical
literature, see above p. 221 with note 134·
270
"Appease (sl}tp374y the 3!J-, do what he likes and abstain from what he
detests. May you be spared from his many evil deeds; his is (= from
him comes) all misfortune. Is there an animal taken away from the
field? It is he who has done such a thing (litt.: the like). Is there
any damage on the threshing-floor in the fields? 'It is the Jb', they
say again. Storm in the house? Hearts in discord? All this he has
caused."
In spite of the little difficulties that still remain, it is clear
from this text that the living upon earth should fear or, at least,
beware of the activities of ghosts or spirits. This is also demonstra-
tedbythe two Late-Egyptian stories which share a central theme namely
the relations, or rather contacts, between the 3bw and the living.
In the first we are told how the ghost Nebusemekh, who throughout in
the story is designated as 3h
.., spsy, is invoked by the high-priest of
Amun Khonsemhab.375 Clearly this ghost is the cause of some undefined
trouble in the necropolis. The high-priest asks for the name of this
ghost and the names of his parents. He then tries to appease him by
promising to (re)install their funerary cult and having a new tomb
built for Nebusemekh.376 All this is done with the intention of
granting the ghost his place and preventing him from haunting the
living. The funerary cult therefore is a necessary element in the
process of keeping the Jbin good condition. 377
From the second story, much more ~ragmentary alas, we can only tenta-
tively reconstruct the course of events. 378 This much seems clear:
one of the main protagonists, a king, apparently invoked a 'spirit• 379
to whom an offering is brought by a commoner (ngs). The ghost then
appears in front of the king and states his name. 380 The few main
elements of this story that are known seem comparable with those of the
first 'ghost' story: bringing offerings is important for the appease-
ment and the eternal rest of the 'ghost' whose name has to be revealed
before anything can be done.380a
Whereas in these folktales the living upon earth have direct contact
with, and even talk to 'ghosts', a more personal connection between
the living and 'spirits' of deceased relatives becomes apparent in
in BD Spell 193 (known from the 21st dynasty) : "As for a coffin
(~rsw) of nbs-wood - it is the divine wood, wherein Osiris
lives ... He who is in it, is an 3!J ..• ",cf. M. Heerma van Voss,
De Spreuk om de kisten te kennen (Leyden 1971), p. 70 (5.).
Later in the story Khonsemhab promises to appoint people who will
have to bring offerings to the Jb: Gardiner, op.cit., p. 93, 1-6.
Doubt as to whether the maintenance of the funerary cult was
always guaranteed, is expressed in the pessimistic Antef-song:
"The noble ones (sc.{lw) and the spirits (3!Jw) are also buried in
their pyramids ... Their places do not exist anymore. What has
become of them?", P. Harris 500, VI 4-5, cf. M. Lichtheim, JNES 4
(1945)' pp. 192-193.
377) Cf. already above p. 205 with note 73.
378) G. Posener, RdE 12 (1960), pp. 75-82.
379) The word 38 in this text is determined by the sps-sign, comparable
to the writing 3b spsy in the first story.
380) Certainly unique, and clearly a typical element of folklore, is
the description of the appearance of the spirit, in frgts. B x + 7:
sw-
C!J.1. J:lr st_s "[while] mounting along the Elevations of Shu",
i.e. he kept himself hovering in the air; and A x + 7: nn sw m pt nn
sw m t3 v'13w rdwy .fy r s3!:_w - "he was not in the sky, he was not on
earth, his feet were far off the ground".
380a)Compare the importance of 'knowing the name' in magical texts, cf.
J.F. Borghouts, OMRO 51 (1971), p. 134 (note 312).
272
several of the entries in the Calendars of Lucky and Unlucky days. 381
The following, which have a direct bearing upon our> subject, can be
cited:
"II 3{]t, day 14. Favourable (3 times) ... Offer to your local gods and
appease (sl}tp) the 3!Jw".382
"II 3!Jt, day 17. Favourable (3 times) ... Give bread and beer; [burn
in]cense to Re. A prt-erw-offering to the 3{]w. It is important so
that your words may be heard by your local gods".J83
"IV 3!Jt, day 30. Favourable (3 times) ... Offer to the gods and to the
assistants of the ennead. Make a prt-{]rw-offering to the 3{2w and give
food in accordance with their list".J84
"I prt, day 9. Favourable (3 times) ... Establish the p3wr:-offerings
and repeat (w£b) the offerings ({2t). It will be pleasing in the opinion
of the gods and the 3{2w".385
"II prt, day 4. Favourable (3 times). Direct your heart to your local
gods; appease (sl}tp) your 3bw, exalt (sCJ) your crew during the day on
this day". 386
"II prt, day 7. Favourable (3 times). Make prt-erw-offerings to the
3bw in your house; make CJbt-offerings to the gods. They will be
accepted on this day".387
"II prt, day 28. Favourable (3 times). Wenennefer is pleased, the 3!Jw
381) Quoted after A.M. Bakir, The Cairo Calendar (No. 86637) (Cairo 1966).
382) Bakir, op.cit., p. 20 (Rt. X, 4-5). For the meaning of shtp see
above note 374.
383) Op.cit., p. 20 (Rt. X, 8-10). See also above p. 261, note 335.
384) Op.cit., pp. 29-30 (Rt. XIX 12- XX 3).
385) Op.cit., p. 31 (Rt. XXI 3-5). For the pJwt-offerings in this
connection cf. also Stela BM 278, ll. 3-4: wnm.i m p3wt ( ••• )
r-gs 3{2w CJyw- "I have eaten from the pJwt-offerings ... beside
the 3{2w CJyw"; cf. M.L. Bierbrier, Hieroglyphic Texts from
Egyptian Stelae etc. 10 (London 1982), Pl. 86; and BD 125, Negative
Negative Confession: "I have not damaged (l}q) the pJwt-offerings of
the gods (n!rw), I have not taken away (nOm) the bnf-offerings
from (r) the 3!Jw'', cf. E.A. Wallis Budge, The Papyrus of Ani
(London 1895), p. 203 (Pl. XXXII 39-40).
386) Op.cit., p. 33 (Rt. XXIII 8-9).
387) Op.cit., p. 33 (Rt. XXIII 11).
273
natural and logical process to observe during the same period the evo-
lution of the term 3{] finally into the Coptic ~~ - 'demon•.397
All these developments, however, take place after the period proper
from which date our main documents as listed in Chaper II. Therefore
we have chosen not to deal exhaustively with these later developments
here, as they do not appear to have any direct bearing upon our prin-
cipal subject.
398) Cf. the description of this position in BD 130, above pp. 250-251
with note 285.
399) For the epithet mry RC being applied to Osiris cf. J. Zandee, An
ancient egyptian crossword puzzle (Leiden 1966), p. 15. In a
similar way Seth, as the helper of the sun-god in his solar
barque, can be called mrl. n RC- "chosen of Re", cf. H. te Velde,
Seth, God of Confusion (Leiden 1977 2 ) , p. 107.
400) On a coffin from the 21st dynasty, published by G. Lefebvre,
Histoire des Grands Pretres d'Amon de Karnak jusqu' a la XXIe
Dynastie (Paris 1929), pp. 203-204; this text however is rather
276
5. Conclusions
human beings, whereas the terms 3b 1~r, 3b Cpr, 38 mn2 and 38 sps
with very few exceptions are only used to denote the 'blessed
dead' .405
c. By various means - ranging from the proper funeral and performing
of rites to the possession of special knowledge, the leading of a
life of good conduct and, above all, the benignant divine assent -
a deceased can become an 3b or obtain the status of 38.
d. The special status of the deceased in this position can be expressed
by several adjectives attached to the word 38: an 38 cpr is an
'equipped spirit', the deceased provided with the necessary funeral
care and knowledge; an 3h sps in a more general sense is a
'venerable or august spirit'.
e. The 3bw (1~rw) are thought to lead their existence in the next
world, either in the netherworld, the realm of the dead or - most
important of all - in heaven sojourning in the vicinity of Re. The
latter view is notably to be observed in textual material from the
New Kingdom. 406
f. From his august position the deceased is able to function, not only
in the hereafter but also in the world of men. The ability to act,
whether favourably or malignantly, is expressed by the adjective
1~r: the 3h
....1kr is an 'able spirit' insofar as he has the power to
help his supporters and to act against his antagonists.
g. When in need of any sort, people turn to their deceased relatives,
who in their capacity or through their quality as an 3h ikr are
expected to be their advocate and powerful help on a supernatural
level.
h. The deceased as 3bw (1~rw) have to be sustained in their lofty
405) For Cpr see above p. 208 note 82; for mne
p. 207 note 81; and
for the SpecifiC adjeCtiVe SpS pp. 230 (note 191) 1 259 (nOte
330), 271 (note 379) and 275 (note 396).
406) For the place where the 38 is situated see also above pp. 235
and 260 (note 331).
278
position by special cultic practices, which also can take the form
of a house-cult beside the more general funerary cults.407
i. The deceased as 3gw (1~rw) have to be kept satisfied or appeased,
for fear that they might become a kind of 'haunting spirits'.
407) Cf. also the remarks by H.G. Fischer on the cult of a 'deified'
person in relation to the funerary cult of the same person, JARCE
IV (1965), p. 52; and above note 402.
279
V THE MEANING AND FUNCTION OF
THE 3h 1kr n Rc-STELAE
V •
At the end of our introductory first chapter we set out the principal
aims and main questions which formed thestarting-point of our study.
Therefore it seems appropriate in this final chapter to try to see
whether or not our researches and the discussions arising from them
as set out in the ensuing chapters have indeed given answers at least
to some of these questions.
. n RC-stelae
the question about who were the people to whom the 3h 1kr
~
did not belong to e.ny single 'family' or group within the community
which was especially distinguished for any particular reason, al-
though it must be admitted that our knowledge about family-structure
and terms of relationship in Deir el-Medina is still too inadequate
to make unequivocal statements with absolute certainty. 10
It is remarkable that in several instances more than one stela is
dedicated to one and the same person, which clearly shows that these
persons enjoyed a special devotion or reverence within a wider
section of the community.1 1 Furthermore, the evidence collected
permits us to conclude that, in spite of many uncertainties, the
dedicatees were close relatives of the dedicators or adorers when-
ever these happen to be named on the stelae, in any case they were not
members of generations of the remote past. It is not too much to say
that they most probably were part of the living memory.12
- who held a privileged position in the company of the gods and had
a close connection with Re, a connection which was given special
emphasis during the New Kingdom and which culminated so to say in
the designation 3h 1kr n Rc.l9 His place in the solar barque as
one of the crew of the sun-god, a position through which he could
also act as a judge on those deceased newly-arrived, was particular-
ly remarked uponi
- whose prayers and intercessions were heard by the gods and there-
fore someone who potentially could act as a 'mediator' between
the living upon earth and the gods 2 0i
- to whom the living upon earth could express their wishes when in
need or distress, but to whom they also had to show regularly
their devotion by presenting offerings. 21
In addition to these fundamental notions concerning the beatified
..
state of the deceased as an 3h/3h . it should be noted that
.., ikr,
especially New Kingdom non-religious sources give vent to popular
the 3[lw in your house", quoted above p. 272; and the bringing of
incense-offerings to the 3bw as mentioned in the Offering-formulae
(above p. 262 with note 338) which is also represented on some of
the stelae of our group A, e.g. A 21, 25, 40, 49, 50 and 55.
26) Cf. above notes 16, 17 and 19. For the role of mediator exercised
by what is often denoted as 'deified' - though we would prefer in
most cases to speak about 'hero-ized' - human beings, see also the
remarks by H.G. Fischer in JARCE IV (1965), p. 52 (" ... any
deceased individual might receive an appeal from a surviving kins-
man ... that recognizes the ability of the "potent spirit" to
provide effective help."), and the important article by
J. Quaegebeur, 'Les "saints" egyptiens prechretiens' in Orientalia
Lovaniensia Periodica 8 (1977), pp. 129-143 (e.g. p. 131: " ... la
veneration publique des personnes, pour la plupart decedees .. .
emane de la population elle-meme et voit dans le "saint" une sorte
de mediateur qui peut faire se realiser leurs suppliques.").
27) For contacts with the realm of the dead in general see also
P. Leiden I 348, rt. 12,3, J.F. Borghouts, OMRO 51 (1971), p. 123
(note 273, referring e.g. to well-known parallels from the Ancient
287
the 3!Jw iJ::.rw", i.e. the 3{;w l.If.rw are 'forefathers' or 'ancestors'.
42) Elements known from ancestor cults elsewhere, cf. e.g. 'Ancestor-
worship' in Hastings Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics (London
1908-1926), pp. 425-467; F. Bomer, Ahnenkult und Ahnenglaube im
alten Rom (Leipzig 1943); S.G.F. Brandon, Man and his Destiny in the
Great Religions (Manchester 1962); C.J. Bleeker, Egyptian Festivals
(Leiden 1967), pp. 124-140; G.D. Hornblower, 'Ancestor Cult in
Ancient Egypt', Ancient Egypt 1930, pp. 20-22 and 43-44.
43) B. Bruyere, Rapport 1934-1935, pp. 168-174 (quoting earlier litera-
ture on the subject); J. Vandier d'Abbadie, 'apropos des bustes
laraires', RdE 5 (1946), pp. 133-135.
44) J.L. Keith-Bennett, 'Anthropoid Busts: II Not from Deir el Medineh
alone', Bulletin of the Egyptological Seminar 3 (1981), pp. 43-72;
ibid.r Anthropoid Busts from Deir el-Medineh (a descriptive cata-
logue, forthcoming and to be published by the IFAO, Cairo); ibid.,
'Some unconventional Egyptian sculptures and their roles in popular
religion', paper read at the Third International Congress of Egypto-
logy, Toronto, September 5-11, 1982; F. Friedman, 'On the meaning of
Deir el Medina busts and related figures', paper read at the Third
InternationalCongressof Egyptology, Toronto, September 5-11, 1982
(a revised version of this paper will be published; Dr. Friedman
kindly sent me the draft of that article which I received just before
my final manuscript went to press).
45) It should be noted that in our opinion not all the busts as collected
by J.L. Keith-Bennett necessarely performed the same function. It
290
* E.SS.38 ••..•••...•..•••.........•.•..••...••......•..•••..••• 78
Cannes, Musee archeologique
* 7 . . . . ••••••. •••. . . ••. . •. •. . . ••. •••••••••. ••••. ••. •. •. . . . . . . •. . 7
Chicago, Oriental Institute Museum
* 14287 .•..•.••.•..•...•.•...•.•...•....•...•..•.•...•.......•• 75
Cincinnati, Art Museum
* 1947.55 ..•••••••••••..••..••....•.•.•.•.•••.•••.•••.•.•...•• 142
Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
*** No. AEIN 137 ....•••••.•••....•.•••....••..••...•..••••...... 165
Copenhagen, Thorvaldsen Museum
* No. 348 • . . . . • • • . . • • • • . . . . • . • • • . . . . • . . . . . • . . . • . . • . . • . . • • . . . . . . 71
Hannover, Kestner Museum
* 2936 ...••.•••.•..•••••••.••••.••....••...••.••••..••..•.•..•• 11
2945 (statue) ..•........••.•.....•...•••..•...••..•.....••.. 114
Leningrad, Ermitage
3937 ••••.•.•...•....•..••..•••..••.••.•.•.•.•....•....•...... 83
Leiden, National Museum of Antiquities
F 93/1.27 ••.•••••.•••..•.•••••••••.•.•.••••..•.•...•.....••• 171
Linkoping, Museum
* * * no • 2 7 • . • • • . • . . • . • • . • . . • • • . . • • • . . • • . . • . . . . . • • • • . • • . . • • . . . . • . 16 5
London, British Museum
BM 28 (libation-basin) . ~ .•••.••.••..•.•..•.............•.•.. 90
BM 150 . • • • • . • . • • . . • • • • . . . . . • . . • . . . . . • . • . . . . . • . . . • • . • . . • . • . . . • 35
Bl\1 150+1754 ••.•......•.....••....•........•...•.....•....•..• 73
BM 186 .•..••..••••.••.••.•.•..............•.................• 35
BM 191 . . • • . . • . • . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . . . • . • . . . . • . . . . . . . . . 13
B.H 21 7 • • . . . . • • • . . • • . . . . . • . . . . . • . . . • . . . . • • . • • . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . . 7 7
BM 270 ...•••..•••....••.••••...•••••.•.•..•.••........•••... 290
BM 2 7 6 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 5
BM 341 ••••.•.••....•.•..•••...•••..•........••..••.....•...•• 92
* BM 344 . . . . • . . • . . . . . • . . . . . . • • . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 88
BM 3 4 9 ( 2 7 7) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 0 3
BM 3 55 . • . . . . . . . . • . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • • . . . • • . • . . • . . . . . . • . . • . • . . 57
* BH 3 59 • . • • • • . . • . . . • . • . • . . . • . • . . • . . . . • • . . . • • . . . . • . . . • • . . . • . • . . 96
***BM 360 .•.•...••••....•....••.•••.....•.........•..••.....•.. 168
BM 3 6 9 . . . . . . . . . . • . . • • • . • . . • . . . • • . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 1 3 , 111
* BM 3 7 2 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 98
BM373 .........•..•..•..•....•...•.......•...•.•.....••...... 35
BM 547 .•....••....•....•.....••.•.........•...•..•••...••... 144
BM 796 ...••.•••.....••.••.••..•.•••..•••..•••.•••.•..•...••.. 61
* BM 7 9 7 • • . • . • • • • • . . . • • • . . . • • . . . • • • . . . • • . . • • . • . . • • . . . • • . . . • • • . . 3 4
BM 1248 .•...•...•.••.•.....••.••••.......•.•........•........ 73
BH 8497 . • . • . . . . . • . • . . . • • • • • • . . . • . . . . • • • • . . . • . . • • • • . . • . . . • • . • . 92
BM 52944 (pyramidion) .....•...•.••....•.•..•••..•.••.•.••.... 33
305
* 1615 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . • . . 104
* 1634 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
22029 (offering-table) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
22030 (libation-basin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
50008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92, 147
50009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64, 108, 149
50010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133, 168
* 50013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
* 50014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
* 50015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
* 50016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
* 50017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
* 50018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
* 50019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
* 50020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
* 50021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
* 50022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
* 50023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
* 50024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
50031 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7 2
50041 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
50042 35
50048 • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • 3 5
50052 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
50076 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
50217 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Warsaw, National Museum
* MN 143341 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Wurzburg, Martin von Wagner Museum
* H 3198 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Zagreb, Archeological Museum
16 (582) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
307
0. AG
63, rt. 13 83
0. Berlin
9897, 4 119
0. BM
5634 (= H.O. 83-84) 73 8508 92
5634, rt. 11 90 8510 128
rt. 17 32 50728, vs. 4 73
rt. 21 152 50744, 10 119
vs. 19 156
o. Carnarvon
371 86
o. Cairo
25136 21 25745 40
25137 158 25779, rt. 10 90
25510, 6 127 25779, rt. 9 and 11 90
25516, vs. 11, 13 and 27 90 25780, 2 35
25521, rt. 13 90 25782, rt. 15 90
25522, rt. I, 9 90 25782, rt. 18 90
25522, rt. II, 3 44 25783, rt. 2 33
25522, vs. I, 16 44 25783, rt. 8 35
25561, vs. I, 3 44 25784, 3 35
25573, I, 6 13 25793, 4 91
25573, II, 3 92 25796, II, 20 13
25578, II, 1 44 25796, II, 28 44
25662, rt. 10 91 25804, I, 5 62
25662, vs. 2 41 25804, II, 6 62
25677, rt. 3 and 3a 51
"
o. Cerny
13, vs. 4 118 19, rt. 1 (== H.O. 54,4) 35
0. Or.Inst.Chicago
17007, 8 152 17007, rt. 23 30
17007, 16 and 21 16
0. De!·1
114, rt. 6 17 142, rt. 18-19 114
115 114 149, 3 77
116, rt. 1 92 188+373, 4 92
118 133 233, rt. 3i vs. 1 and 5 35
126, 6 90 235 45
134, I, 3 118 253, vs. 2 114, 119
308
0. De M (ctd)
256, rt. 3 38 611, III, 1 90
282, 2 118 640, 3 42
333, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9 30 643, 5 118
370, 2 73 661, 4 42
580, rt. 3 51 670, 1 123
606, rt. 2 and 5; vs. 2 62
0. Deir el Medineh
1172, x+22 45 1412, rt. 2 49
0. Faulkner
1, rt. 3 121
0. Gard.
4, rt. 3-4 (= H.O. 27,3) 19 144,1 123
57, vs. II, 9 (= H.O. 51,1) 44 247, vs. 3 62
133 24
H.O.
51, 1 - II, 8 91 66, 1 - rt. 4 and 8 123
62, 1 - vs. 5 123
0. IFAO
574 114 1322, 11 118
1068, vs. 6 73 1322, 14 121
1086, 4 35 1329, I, 7 127
1282, 2 118 1347, rt. 13 62
1322, 6 83
0. Leipzig
34, 1 123
0. ~1MA
14.6.217, vs. 7, 9 and 10
(= H.O. 64, 1) 90
0. Milne
2, 9 73
0. Nelson
14, rt. 3 (= O.Or.Inst.
Chicago 17005) 133
0. Petrie
8 , rt . 2 ( = H • o . 1 0 , 3 ) 114 32, II, 3 (= H.O. 31, 2) 44
23, vs. 7 (= H.O. 45, 2) 49 67, 1-2 (= H.O. 20, 1) 61
0. Prague
H 10, rt. 8 83
0. Strassbourg
1256 (= H 84), rt. 3 114
309
0. Turin
144 57039, 7 127
9745, 8
57028, 9 127
P. Leiden
I 350, III, 22 49
P. Sallier
IV I VS. 9, 1 62
P. Turin
1880 (Strike Papyrus) 2, 19 42
P. Turin
1881, rt. IX, 2 83
310
QUOTI>.TIONS
Book of Gates, quoted after Hornung, Das Buch von den Pforten
4th hour, low.reg. (scene 21) , I 125 254
5th hour, upp.reg. (scene 23) , I 147-150 257
scene 33 I 197 256
6th hour, upp.reg. (scene 36) , I 216, 218-219 254
6th hour, middle reg. (scene 37), I 221-222 256
8th hour, low.reg. (scene 53), I 288-292 255
10th hour, upp.reg. (scene 61), I 333-334 254
Coffin Texts CT I
2e-4a 239 192f-194e 229
76d-e 233 207e 221
77£-g 222 276c 228
81c-e 219 279i 2281 230
83i 226 296a-b 225
86c 2261 248 296e 228
86/87b 230 297c 228
86b-90c 226 298a-299e 225
112b-d 2261 230 298i-299a 219
135a-137a 230 306a-c 219
141e 224 307c 219
142c-e 230 312e 219
148b 232 313 228
171b 222
312
Coffin Texts CT II
46a-48a 225, 232 141d 232
47b-48a 223 142b 232
50i 222 152c 221
66a-d 229, 230 175k-n 224
69c 225 261e-262a 224, 238
94f 230 266a-d 222
95f 230 288d 222
140b-c 221 360b-c 225
140c 232 383b-c 243
Coffin Texts CT IV
18e 222 119d-e 227
19d 221 119d-f 231
30g 225 119f 224
55b 241 256b-258a 220, 239
58g 244 268-272 220
62r 220, 238 321e-322a 221, 238
65f-h 223 335a-b-336e 229
75a-f 219, 238 365f 220
75a-h 220 367e-h 220, 223
84o-85i 227 367f-j 231
85a 231 391b 221
94c 217 398b-400a 239
112c 221 401g 232
Coffin Texts CT V
11b 232, 239 293c 219, 220
154a-b 231 302a 233
165d 234 303b 224
167 D 223 304c-305a 220, 232
202d 223 304c 231
222a-224c 233 306b 220
240a-e 224 308d-f 227, 230
242a-c 227, 230, 232 311a-c 230
261a-c 224, 226 312c 231
313
Coffin Texts CT VI
67i-k 223 190a 230
69a-b 223 191 1-p 228
78c-e 223, 248 204 1 221
82e 229 205f . 232
1321-n 227, 231 244n-246o 221
159d 230 276f 230
183j-184d 227 300j 221
184d 231 335e-f 227
187a 230 380j 225
Pyramid Texts
52c 201 813a-f 199, 201-202, 231
152a-d 198 833a-b 199
152-166 202 859d 200
251b-c 204 880c 199
318b-c 201 899a 198
350b 202 978a-c 199
459b 191 990a 198
463a 191 1046b 202
474a 201 1092b-c 239
622c-624a 199 1261b 202
622-625 201 1353a 201
633a 198 1357 201
673 199 1360a 201
795b-c 200 1487c 198
314
PERSONAL NAMES
* indicates persons certainly or possibly not from Deir el-Medina
Baki
chief workman .....•...•.....•........• 19, 28, 29, 30, 54, 67
son of Amenemone . . . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 3 0
* Bakwerel . . . . • • . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • • • . • . • . • . . . . . 7 6
316
Bukentef
father of Amennakht (Nekh) 31
husband of Iy . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
father of Nakhy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 33
son or nephew of Nakhy . . . . • • . . . . • • • . . . . . . . . . • . . . • • • . • • . . . . 33
Butehamon, scribe of the necropolis ..........•.••......... 40, 269
?apy'o
son of Ta~enut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82-84, 89, 147
- police-man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . • . • . 83
- water-carrier . . . . • . . . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . • . . . • . • • . . . . . • . . . • • . . . . 83
?armose, father of Pashedu . . . . . . . . • . . . • . . • . . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . . . • . . 91
?arnufe, son of Pennakht . . . • . . • . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . • • . • • • . • • . • • . 59
?arshire, scribe (of the necropolis) ...••..•......••..•....... 118
I_Iay, deputy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 0-1 71
I_Iay, chief workman . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . • • . . . . . . • . . . . . • • • . . . • . . • . . . . 44
~enutkhenu, mother of Taweretherti ..••.••.....•.........•..•.• 118
?enutme~yt, mother of Tjauenany .....................•.•....•.• 123
Hk3-m3Ct-Rc-shpr-d3mw
• V -
...........•.........•...•...•.......•... 171
Hori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . 86
father of Iuy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . . . . 14 7
'grandfather' of PennUb • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . 92
?uy
son of Sebay (Duay) . . . . . . . • . . . . • • . . . • . • . • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 0
brother-in-law of ~en . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . . 147
- father of Pa~erypedjet ....••.....••...................... 152
EGYPTIAN WORDS
3hw V
magical power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208, 226, 233, 248
ip to count . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229, 245
_, ~
!J.rp sceptre . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . 19
s3hw
.., glorifications/spiritualizations ............... 225, 235
s1kr to make able, perfect ........... 244, 246, 250, 251, 253
scnh rn to perpetuate the name of someone .............. 216, 217
"
dignity; noble man ................... 227, 230, 246, 271
to intercede on behalf of someone ......•....... 209, 210
211, 212, 214, 217
snmt 3h
..., to feed the 3h 'W
205
sl}tp to appease .••.......•.......•.•...•.. 240, 270, 272, 273
...
shr~.-3h
.., 'spirit-seeker' . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
ssrJ3t p~otecting spell (?) ................................ 229
sg3w protective spells 222
sdm sprwt to hear petitions . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261, 265
Jbn to mingle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . . . 268
322
..
;dt; s3h (w) to recite glorifications .........••...•..•.•........ 205
gsw loaves of bread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
c
t;pyw- forefathers, ancestors . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267, 268, 297
dr (bundle of flax stems) • . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . • . • . . . . • . . . . . . • 25
PLATES
Plate I
A 1
Plate II
A 2 A 3
ea 1/4 ea 2/5
ea 1/6
A 4
Plate Ill
A 5
ea 1/2
ea 1/2
ea 1/2 ea 2/5
A 7 A 8
Plate IV
A 10
ea 1/2
ea 1/2
A 11 A 12
Plate V
A 14
ea 3/5
A 15 A 16
A17 Plate VI
A 19
ea 1/2 ea 1/2
ea 1/3 ea 1/4
A 20 A 21
A 22 Plate VII
A 23
ea 1/2
ea 1/2
ea 1/2 ea 1/3
A 25
A 26
Plate VIII
A 27 A 28
ea 1/3
ea 1/2 ea 1/2
A 29 A 30
Plate IX
A 31 A 32
L --
ea 1/2
ea 1/2
ea 1/2
ea 1/2
A 34
Plate X
ea 1/2
ea 1/2
ea 1/3
ea 1/2
A 37 A 38
Plate XI
A 41
//_/_. ------;f-~W__:--
: (\ ~I • "----" ~ ~
! ~/~f::~~>} ~
'
' '
'
'
~
-
'
'I I'
.
I I
'
I 'o
' ··-- - L J ' - - -
'
'
---------------------
ea 1/4 ea 1/3
A 42 A 44
A 45 Plate XII
A 46
ea 1/2
ea 1/3 A 49 ea 1/3
A 48
A 50 Plate XIII
A 51
..
,.
" I'
'
'I
•'
I'
...;
,,'•
.
''
''
~ \
\
''
:'
.
. : ''
'
'
' I
I
--------e-·a- 1/2
ea 1/2
J
I
' '
/ Ill
'
/':
! '
ea 1/2
A 52
Plate XIV
A 20
Plate XV
A 26
A 28
Plate XVI
A 54
A 42
A 18
A 44
Plate XVIL
A 55
B 10
Plate XVIII
B 11
Plate XIX
c 6
,/
c llb
344
ADDITIONS
A 56
Name: Nubkhesbed - Nwb-hsbd.
Date: 20th dynasty (according to Mariette).
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,21 x 0,18 m.
Technique: no information available.
Colours: no information available.
Conservation: lower part damaged, no further details available.
Type: according to the description resembling our type h.
Provenance: Abydos, "Necropole du centre - zone du nord-ouest".
Present location: Cairo, Egyptian Museum (?).
Description: "St{He dont le bas est mutile. Osiris de 1 'Occident est
debout. Une femme joue du sistre devant lui. Elle est
~ "'.J ~""' (sic! see text below) ; elle s 'appelle ~ ~ .J ;:: ~
~· 'JJo~
&>.
Text: r
3 .rt::. 1m't -~- ~ j ~ Jj \!{
1) Cf. the situation sketched in note 1 on p. 125 above.
2) To whom I express my most sincere thanks for his letters
d.d. 9-5-1983 and 13-6-1983.
345
A 57
Name: P3-dg3-r-d(n)1wt
Date: 26th-31rd dynasty (according to Mariette).
Material: limestone.
Dimensions: 0,35 x 0,28 m.
Technique: no information available.
Colours: no information available.
Conservation: no information available.
Type: according to the description resembling our type h.
Provenance: Abydos, "Necropole du Nord".
Present location: Cairo, Egyptian Museum JE 19783.1
Description: "Un homme et une femme sont devant Harmachis debout,
marchant. Il est nomme ~ ~ ~ -.7~ ;'!, cfJ . Legende de
1 'homme: ::' ~ 0 11 A. ~ '::lA~ <r <::::> 1 1
~ c.:J)-;. .l.J .c::::. 0 1 ~ '?;.( -<l~~ ~
Legende de la femme: ~
t="::l •
"-u n et
~-' "'f ~
~ a -"1-. .... :to-~
..:t~ ~ 0 .-.
nl
tJl
La femme a, comme sur les steles des chanteuses de la
XXe dynastie, la longue robe flottante et les deux fleurs
sur le sommet de la tete. Rien dans le cintre."
Bibliography: A. Mariette, Catalogue des monuments d'Abydos, p. 478,
p. 201- line 22- read: " •.. and Re will not permit that I put myself
on the ground, for he knows that I ... "
p. 205 - line 1 - read: "Visitors and c. the ... "
p. 207 - line 2- read: " ... always what his lord •.. "
p. 215 - line 14- read: " ... create an obstacle (?, 1ri gr) ... "
p. 217 - note 109, line 15- read: h • • • 1h 3h.t "
- oJ
Urkunden I
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