Brugsch, Heinrich: Egypt under the pharaohs: a history derived entirely from the monuments (London, 1891)

328 THE WEALTH OF RHAMPSINITUS OH. xiv.

of Eamses III.'s reign with more definite facts sup-
plied by the Eamesseum, which was turned from a
treasure-house into a complete temple of victory. To-
day pictures and words alone replace the treasures
which were once stored there and dedicated by
Ehampsinitus to Amen-Ea. Gold in grains up to the
weight of 1,000 lbs. from the mines of Amamu, in the
land of Cush, of Edfu, of Ombos, and of Coptos ; bars
of silver; whole pyramids of blue and green stones,
besides the much-prized bluestone of Tafrer and the
real greenstone of Eoshatha; copper ore; lead;
precious sorts of incense from Punt and from the
Holy Land ; moreover gold and silver statues, images
of animals, vases, chests, and other ornaments, down
to the seal-rings with the name of the king upon them ;
—all these and many other things did the Pharaoh
dedicate to the god in this address :—

I dedicate this to thee as a memorial for thy temple, consist-
ing of clear raw copper, and raw gold, and [of all works of art],
which have come forth from the workshops of the sculptor. The
productions of the land of Ruthen shall be brought to thee as
gifts, to fill the treasury of thy temple with the best things of all
lands.

Again:—

Thou hast received gold and silver like sand on the [sea] shore.
What thou hast created in the river and in the mountain, that I
dedicate to thee by heaps upon the earth. Let it be an adornment
for thy Majesty for ever. I offer to thee blue and green precious
stones, and all kinds of jewels in chests of bright copper. I have
made for thee numberless talismans out of all kinds of valuable
precious stones.

Eamses ILL must have enjoyed enormous wealth,
which he lavished on the temples of Amen, Ptah, and
Ea of Heliopolis.

When he came to the throne things looked bad for

Egypt.