Benson, Margaret; Gourlay, Janet: The temple of Mut in Asher: an account of the excavation of the temple and of the religious representations and objects found therein, as illustrating the history of Egypt and the main religious ideas of the Egyptians (London, 1899)

58

THE TEMPLE OF MUT.

[part ii.

they worked quickly, for they too were excited and
the sun was near setting. By this time we were
filled with fear that the head might be broken ; with
hope that since the statue was so large it might have
escaped.

There was a sudden rumour that the head was
appearing, but it proved to be merely the Hathor
face on the altar the figure was holding, so we
worked on, and certainly the statue did not end at
the shoulders.

About this time the pick of the man working
below had exposed the side of a white limestone
statue, also a large one, lying under that which we
were eno-a^ed on. This we had to cover for the
time being with a thick layer of earth, for fear it
should be hurt.

Finally we shouted to all the men who were near
to lend a hand ; and as the sun set we turned over a
statue more than five feet high, in hard polished
sandstone, excellently worked, inscribed all over and
almost perfect (plan no. 16, pi. XII., p. 299).

The men, full of genuine sympathetic excitement,
increased no doubt by the prospect of backsheesh,
cheered the statue as it stood. With the backsheesh
this time at any rate they were not dissatisfied.
Three other men claimed to have seen the piece
also and to have told the reis, who had omitted to
inform us. They voted very fairly that half the
backsheesh should go to the boy who had told us,
the other half be divided among the three men.