DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4191#0014
EL BERSHEH.
3. THE NOMARCH TEHUTIHETEP
AND HIS FAMILY.
As is so often the case with Egyptian tombs,
the inscriptions in that of Tehutihetep throw
but little light upon the owner's life and descent.
Regarding the earlier history of his family, a
good deal of information can be gleaned from
inscriptions in other tombs at El Bersheh,1 and
from the valuable collection of hieratic records
recently copied in the quarries of Het-nub and
published by Messrs. Blackden and Eraser;2
but, as Tehutihetep himself is not referred to in
any of them, it will be best to defer the con-
sideration of this part of the subject until the
inscriptions of the other tombs are published.
For the present therefore we shall confine
ourselves to those facts regarding Tehutihetep
and his parentage and family that are recorded
in the inscriptions of his own tomb.
On the jambs of the facade were four in-
scriptions, which were intended to give in a
very succinct form the main landmarks in
Tehutihetep's life ; unfortunately, they are
badly mutilated. The first tells that the
prince Tehutihetep had been "a child of the
king," under Amenemhat II. At Beni Hasan,
likewise, Khnemhetep had been " a child of the
king, of his bringing up,"3 and this shows what
the meaning of the phrase is here, namely, that
Tehutihetep had been educated in the palace
with the royal children of Amenemhat II. Next,
two of the inscriptions refer to Usertsen II.,
who reigned nineteen years. In one we find
that Tehutihetep held the high position of
" sole royal friend" under this king; on the
other only the royal name is recognisable, but
the inscription must have recorded some ad-
vancement. It is impossible to decide which of
these two inscriptions took the second or the
1 To be published in El Bersheh, Part II.
2 Collection of Hieratic, Graffiti from the Alabaster Quarry
of Hat-Nub (London, Luzac).
3 Compare Beni Hasan, Part I, pi. xxxii., and Part II.,
p. 10.
third place in point of time. Lastly, the fourth
inscription names Usertsen III.; but the indica-
tion of Tehutihetep's rank at this time is ao-ain
destroyed. We may fairly believe that it was
in the course of this long reign of over thirty
years that Tehutihetep died and was buried,
having seen the rule of three kings; but he
may have survived into the reign of Amenem-
hat III.*
This is all that we possess of the chronology
of Tehutihetep's life. His titles are very fully
recorded elsewhere in the tomb. Most of them
are to be found on pi. xvi. The civil ones
are:—
1. Er-pd, " -EVpa-prince."
2. Ha, "Ha-prince."
3. Sdhu bdti, " Treasurer of the King of Lower
Egypt."
4. Serner udti, " Confidential friend of the King."
5. Be/c/i seten, " Royal acquaintance."
6. her tep da en Tint, " Great Chief of the Hare
no'iiie.
7. d set neb, " Gate of every foreign country."
8. Sab-ad-mer Hep ............, "............ of Buto."
9. her tep clat kkentet, " Chief of high offices/''
10. her tep NeMeb, " Chief of the city ofNekheb."
11. dri Nek/ien, " He who belongs to the city of
Nekhen."
12. khu ne dm dhd, " Comptroller of what is in the
palace" (?).
The most remarkable of these are No. 6,
the title of the nomarch of the Hare nome,
and No. 7, which perhaps means that Tehuti-
hetep had the right to give passports over all
the frontiers of Egypt. Those numbered 1-5
and 8-11 were commonly held by the great
men of the period.
The religious titles were very numerous;
they are:—
1. mer henu neter, " Superintendent of the priests."
2. JJr dua em per Zehuti, " Great of five in the
temple of Tehuti." (With variant hut for pier on p. 16.)
4 The united reigns of Amenemhat II., Usertesen II., and
Usertesen III., would amount to about seventy-five years,
allowing for co-regency.
a'
ftteteCP168'
n'l* a*?4
tomes.
lt fakhem net*
U. Wq M n
*" if
(3, len, neter M
By far the m<
L numbered S
§e high priest"
Lf those numbe
J as held by the
of wisdom, the
a «[
tk titles are
keads of great
Of the eve:
lis personal (
thing. Thes
tie ordinary
nomarchs we
and fowling,
of their gard
of the sculp1
ig a
specif
and the gre;
colossus is
rivalled by i
As to ]
grandfathei
y/
3. THE NOMARCH TEHUTIHETEP
AND HIS FAMILY.
As is so often the case with Egyptian tombs,
the inscriptions in that of Tehutihetep throw
but little light upon the owner's life and descent.
Regarding the earlier history of his family, a
good deal of information can be gleaned from
inscriptions in other tombs at El Bersheh,1 and
from the valuable collection of hieratic records
recently copied in the quarries of Het-nub and
published by Messrs. Blackden and Eraser;2
but, as Tehutihetep himself is not referred to in
any of them, it will be best to defer the con-
sideration of this part of the subject until the
inscriptions of the other tombs are published.
For the present therefore we shall confine
ourselves to those facts regarding Tehutihetep
and his parentage and family that are recorded
in the inscriptions of his own tomb.
On the jambs of the facade were four in-
scriptions, which were intended to give in a
very succinct form the main landmarks in
Tehutihetep's life ; unfortunately, they are
badly mutilated. The first tells that the
prince Tehutihetep had been "a child of the
king," under Amenemhat II. At Beni Hasan,
likewise, Khnemhetep had been " a child of the
king, of his bringing up,"3 and this shows what
the meaning of the phrase is here, namely, that
Tehutihetep had been educated in the palace
with the royal children of Amenemhat II. Next,
two of the inscriptions refer to Usertsen II.,
who reigned nineteen years. In one we find
that Tehutihetep held the high position of
" sole royal friend" under this king; on the
other only the royal name is recognisable, but
the inscription must have recorded some ad-
vancement. It is impossible to decide which of
these two inscriptions took the second or the
1 To be published in El Bersheh, Part II.
2 Collection of Hieratic, Graffiti from the Alabaster Quarry
of Hat-Nub (London, Luzac).
3 Compare Beni Hasan, Part I, pi. xxxii., and Part II.,
p. 10.
third place in point of time. Lastly, the fourth
inscription names Usertsen III.; but the indica-
tion of Tehutihetep's rank at this time is ao-ain
destroyed. We may fairly believe that it was
in the course of this long reign of over thirty
years that Tehutihetep died and was buried,
having seen the rule of three kings; but he
may have survived into the reign of Amenem-
hat III.*
This is all that we possess of the chronology
of Tehutihetep's life. His titles are very fully
recorded elsewhere in the tomb. Most of them
are to be found on pi. xvi. The civil ones
are:—
1. Er-pd, " -EVpa-prince."
2. Ha, "Ha-prince."
3. Sdhu bdti, " Treasurer of the King of Lower
Egypt."
4. Serner udti, " Confidential friend of the King."
5. Be/c/i seten, " Royal acquaintance."
6. her tep da en Tint, " Great Chief of the Hare
no'iiie.
7. d set neb, " Gate of every foreign country."
8. Sab-ad-mer Hep ............, "............ of Buto."
9. her tep clat kkentet, " Chief of high offices/''
10. her tep NeMeb, " Chief of the city ofNekheb."
11. dri Nek/ien, " He who belongs to the city of
Nekhen."
12. khu ne dm dhd, " Comptroller of what is in the
palace" (?).
The most remarkable of these are No. 6,
the title of the nomarch of the Hare nome,
and No. 7, which perhaps means that Tehuti-
hetep had the right to give passports over all
the frontiers of Egypt. Those numbered 1-5
and 8-11 were commonly held by the great
men of the period.
The religious titles were very numerous;
they are:—
1. mer henu neter, " Superintendent of the priests."
2. JJr dua em per Zehuti, " Great of five in the
temple of Tehuti." (With variant hut for pier on p. 16.)
4 The united reigns of Amenemhat II., Usertesen II., and
Usertesen III., would amount to about seventy-five years,
allowing for co-regency.
a'
ftteteCP168'
n'l* a*?4
tomes.
lt fakhem net*
U. Wq M n
*" if
(3, len, neter M
By far the m<
L numbered S
§e high priest"
Lf those numbe
J as held by the
of wisdom, the
a «[
tk titles are
keads of great
Of the eve:
lis personal (
thing. Thes
tie ordinary
nomarchs we
and fowling,
of their gard
of the sculp1
ig a
specif
and the gre;
colossus is
rivalled by i
As to ]
grandfathei
y/