DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33567#0228
122
7?^^ f?/*
greatest care; those at the summit and iarthest Irom the eye of the spectator just as carefully as
those lowest on the shaft (" Descr. de 1' Egypte ").
Our wonder at the elaborate decoration and perfect execution of these gigantic monuments is
increased when we learn from their inscriptions that they were detached from the Assouan quarries,
removed to Karnak, sculptured, polished, and erected in the short space of seven months. The
engraven record shows that " the queen, the pure gold of monarchs, had dedicated to her lather,
Amen of Thebes, two obelisks of syenite taken from the quarries of the south. Their upper parts
were ornamented with pure gold taken Irom the chiefs of all nations. Her Majesty gave two gilded
obelisks to her father, Amen, that her name should remain permanent, always and forever in this
temple. Each was made of a single piece of syenite (Machet stone), without joint or rivet. Her
Majesty began the work in the fifteenth year of her reign, the first day of the month Mechir, of
the sixteenth year, and finished it on the last day of the month Mesore, making seven months from
its commencement in the quarry" (Birch, "Egypt," p. 85)/
The low, square pedestal of the standing obelisk is figured in Plate 24 of Lepsius, "Denkmaler";
its sides are covered with hieroglyphs.
SMALL OBELISKS, OR STELAE, OF THOTHMES III, KARNAK/
Far within the great temple of Karnak, and in front of its ancient granite sanctuary, are two
small shafts of syenite, called by Bonomi and Cooper decorative obelisks, but by Jollois and Rawlinson
called stelae. Rawlinson compares them to the "Jachin and Boaz" of the Temple of Solomon. Strictly
speaking, they are rather stelae than obelisks ; they appear never to have had pyramidions ; in their
decorations they differ greatly from other monoliths. Jollois conjectures that statues were once placed
upon them.
On their north and south sides are sculptured three lotus-flowers (the emblem of immortality,
Heeren) in very high relief; the sculptures still show the traces of the brilliant colors with which they
were formerly painted. Above the flowers is the royal cartouch. The east and west sides bear
three bass-reliefs, representing the king received by the deity. Above these reliefs are a few hiero-
glyphs. According to Cooper, these inscriptions show the name of Thothmes III, though the shafts
may have been erected by his sister Hatasou.
HELIOPOLIS OBELISK.
At the former site of the temple of Heliopolis stands the most ancient of all the great obelisks
now existing, and the most ancient of all known obelisks (see Plate xli), if we except the small ones
found by Lepsius at Memphis, and by Mariette and Villiers Stuart at Drah Abou'l Neggah. In front
of the temple, as restored by Amenhat I, xii dynasty, and his son, Usortesen I/ and on either side
of the great propylon, a pair of obelisks (the "Jachin and Boaz" of the Egyptian sanctuary, Rawlin-
son's " Egypt," ii, 148), was erected by Usortesen/ Of this pair, the present obelisk of Heliopolis alone
*The following remarks upon this obelisk are by Mariette ("Monuments," p. iyo) : "The precision with which it is put
on its base is remarkable ; it is in the very axis of the temple, and this precision, considering its vast weight, shows the use
of mechanical appliances the most exact and powerful. The inscriptions show that the summit of the obelisk was covered
with 'pm*e gold.' Unless this means an apex overlaid with a casing of gilded copper (like the obelisk now at Heliopolis),
this possibly refers to the sphere (of gold ?) which is represented on certain bass-reliefs at Sakkarah. The obelisk itself was,
no doubt, gilded from top to bottom : in examining closely, one may see that the hieroglyphs were carefully polished, and
that the plain surface of the monument was left comparatively rugged, from which it may be inferred that the plain surface,
having a coating of white stucco (the like of which may be seen in so many Egyptian monuments), alone received this costly
embellishment of gilding, the hieroglyphics themselves retaining the original color and actual surface of the granite."
" " Descr. de 1' Egypte Antiq.," vol. iii, pi. go, Nos. y, 8. Lenormant, " Musee," pi. xvii, No. 10. Rawlinson, " Egypt," vol. i,
p. 229. Ebers, "Caire Philae," pp. 193, 2y2.
^ Eh/Azzy -pW/Ayy.- UsorLsen, y Usortesen, AUw/Amw " Egypt" ; Usz'rtasen, /A/ Sesortasen, ("Anc.
Hist.") ; Asertisen, Osirtasen, Af%7v%y.
* Usortesen I, B. C. 2gyi-2g, Lepsius; 2433-2400, Brugsch. The xii dynasty, B. C. 2380, Lepsius; 2466, Brugsch; 2y8i,
Bunsen ; 3064, Mariette ; 2080, Wilkinson.
7?^^ f?/*
greatest care; those at the summit and iarthest Irom the eye of the spectator just as carefully as
those lowest on the shaft (" Descr. de 1' Egypte ").
Our wonder at the elaborate decoration and perfect execution of these gigantic monuments is
increased when we learn from their inscriptions that they were detached from the Assouan quarries,
removed to Karnak, sculptured, polished, and erected in the short space of seven months. The
engraven record shows that " the queen, the pure gold of monarchs, had dedicated to her lather,
Amen of Thebes, two obelisks of syenite taken from the quarries of the south. Their upper parts
were ornamented with pure gold taken Irom the chiefs of all nations. Her Majesty gave two gilded
obelisks to her father, Amen, that her name should remain permanent, always and forever in this
temple. Each was made of a single piece of syenite (Machet stone), without joint or rivet. Her
Majesty began the work in the fifteenth year of her reign, the first day of the month Mechir, of
the sixteenth year, and finished it on the last day of the month Mesore, making seven months from
its commencement in the quarry" (Birch, "Egypt," p. 85)/
The low, square pedestal of the standing obelisk is figured in Plate 24 of Lepsius, "Denkmaler";
its sides are covered with hieroglyphs.
SMALL OBELISKS, OR STELAE, OF THOTHMES III, KARNAK/
Far within the great temple of Karnak, and in front of its ancient granite sanctuary, are two
small shafts of syenite, called by Bonomi and Cooper decorative obelisks, but by Jollois and Rawlinson
called stelae. Rawlinson compares them to the "Jachin and Boaz" of the Temple of Solomon. Strictly
speaking, they are rather stelae than obelisks ; they appear never to have had pyramidions ; in their
decorations they differ greatly from other monoliths. Jollois conjectures that statues were once placed
upon them.
On their north and south sides are sculptured three lotus-flowers (the emblem of immortality,
Heeren) in very high relief; the sculptures still show the traces of the brilliant colors with which they
were formerly painted. Above the flowers is the royal cartouch. The east and west sides bear
three bass-reliefs, representing the king received by the deity. Above these reliefs are a few hiero-
glyphs. According to Cooper, these inscriptions show the name of Thothmes III, though the shafts
may have been erected by his sister Hatasou.
HELIOPOLIS OBELISK.
At the former site of the temple of Heliopolis stands the most ancient of all the great obelisks
now existing, and the most ancient of all known obelisks (see Plate xli), if we except the small ones
found by Lepsius at Memphis, and by Mariette and Villiers Stuart at Drah Abou'l Neggah. In front
of the temple, as restored by Amenhat I, xii dynasty, and his son, Usortesen I/ and on either side
of the great propylon, a pair of obelisks (the "Jachin and Boaz" of the Egyptian sanctuary, Rawlin-
son's " Egypt," ii, 148), was erected by Usortesen/ Of this pair, the present obelisk of Heliopolis alone
*The following remarks upon this obelisk are by Mariette ("Monuments," p. iyo) : "The precision with which it is put
on its base is remarkable ; it is in the very axis of the temple, and this precision, considering its vast weight, shows the use
of mechanical appliances the most exact and powerful. The inscriptions show that the summit of the obelisk was covered
with 'pm*e gold.' Unless this means an apex overlaid with a casing of gilded copper (like the obelisk now at Heliopolis),
this possibly refers to the sphere (of gold ?) which is represented on certain bass-reliefs at Sakkarah. The obelisk itself was,
no doubt, gilded from top to bottom : in examining closely, one may see that the hieroglyphs were carefully polished, and
that the plain surface of the monument was left comparatively rugged, from which it may be inferred that the plain surface,
having a coating of white stucco (the like of which may be seen in so many Egyptian monuments), alone received this costly
embellishment of gilding, the hieroglyphics themselves retaining the original color and actual surface of the granite."
" " Descr. de 1' Egypte Antiq.," vol. iii, pi. go, Nos. y, 8. Lenormant, " Musee," pi. xvii, No. 10. Rawlinson, " Egypt," vol. i,
p. 229. Ebers, "Caire Philae," pp. 193, 2y2.
^ Eh/Azzy -pW/Ayy.- UsorLsen, y Usortesen, AUw/Amw " Egypt" ; Usz'rtasen, /A/ Sesortasen, ("Anc.
Hist.") ; Asertisen, Osirtasen, Af%7v%y.
* Usortesen I, B. C. 2gyi-2g, Lepsius; 2433-2400, Brugsch. The xii dynasty, B. C. 2380, Lepsius; 2466, Brugsch; 2y8i,
Bunsen ; 3064, Mariette ; 2080, Wilkinson.