DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.548#0018
SECTION II.----CLAIMS OF MENEPTAH I. 15
panegyrist styles him, among other graces, "the
light of the king," which surely pre-supposes the
existence of another king, and even suggests a
delicate allusion to the aged king's affliction of
blindness.*
Finally, when we come to examine with care
the family memorials of the great Kameses, it
will appear that Meneptah was so very far from
having any claim to the throne by birthright, that
he was not even a son of the only royal consort of
Barneses, acknowledged by the state, and who
ever appears with him on national monuments,—
"the Chief royal wife, Nofre-arita, beloved of Maut,
living for ever." The mother of Meneptah was a
contemporaneous queen of inferior rank, "the royal
wife, Hesi-nofre ;" and, moreover, he was only her
third son.t And further, the monuments in which
ten of his elder brothers, including the Chief queen's
two sons, and his own mother's two eldest sons,
appear with the king, shew, by their dates, that
they all certainly lived long enough to have
* See Mr. Heath's translation, chap. ii.
+ Champ. Mon. pi. 107, an important family group among
the tributes to the memory of Shai. The king, queen Hesi-nofre,
and her daughter Baieth-Anta, in the upper line ; in the lower,
two princes worshipping, styled " His elder brother, chief, royal
scribe, major-general of infantry, son of the king, &c, Bcmessu"
(second in the list of sons); and " His younger brother, royal
scribe of anniversaries, son of the king, &c, Meri-en-Ptati'
(thirteenth in list). This is the name of Meneptah when writ-
ten in full. Some pretend that the elliptical form, Mai-en-Ptah
should always be read full—Meri; but as this is doubtful, I
follow the most common way of reading the name.
panegyrist styles him, among other graces, "the
light of the king," which surely pre-supposes the
existence of another king, and even suggests a
delicate allusion to the aged king's affliction of
blindness.*
Finally, when we come to examine with care
the family memorials of the great Kameses, it
will appear that Meneptah was so very far from
having any claim to the throne by birthright, that
he was not even a son of the only royal consort of
Barneses, acknowledged by the state, and who
ever appears with him on national monuments,—
"the Chief royal wife, Nofre-arita, beloved of Maut,
living for ever." The mother of Meneptah was a
contemporaneous queen of inferior rank, "the royal
wife, Hesi-nofre ;" and, moreover, he was only her
third son.t And further, the monuments in which
ten of his elder brothers, including the Chief queen's
two sons, and his own mother's two eldest sons,
appear with the king, shew, by their dates, that
they all certainly lived long enough to have
* See Mr. Heath's translation, chap. ii.
+ Champ. Mon. pi. 107, an important family group among
the tributes to the memory of Shai. The king, queen Hesi-nofre,
and her daughter Baieth-Anta, in the upper line ; in the lower,
two princes worshipping, styled " His elder brother, chief, royal
scribe, major-general of infantry, son of the king, &c, Bcmessu"
(second in the list of sons); and " His younger brother, royal
scribe of anniversaries, son of the king, &c, Meri-en-Ptati'
(thirteenth in list). This is the name of Meneptah when writ-
ten in full. Some pretend that the elliptical form, Mai-en-Ptah
should always be read full—Meri; but as this is doubtful, I
follow the most common way of reading the name.