DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6638#0022
12 SAFT EL
shrine in which they reside. On pi. iii. 1. 4,
Nectanebo is making an offering to four animals
o <—>
over which is written : " Thou art valiant and
brave, thy hand is grown to smite those who give
trouble (?) to Egypt." Here probably followed
a date, which has disappeared.
PI. iv, 1. 5. These gods who stand on their
abodes, another secret place was found for them
in the holy space of the house of the sycamore.
They are engraved according to the will of
Icing Nectanebo. His majesty wished to pay
special honour to his fathers, sanctifying their
images; each god is at his place, their images
are on this shrine.
1. 6 begins with the king worshipping four
gods: Another place was found inside of the
temple cjiosen for them; they are engraved, Sfc.
And further: Engraved from another leather
roll of the temple which is a book in sacred
writing [hieroglyphics'], they are engraved accord-
ing to the book by the will of king Nectanebo; his
majesty directed these holy ceremonies to be done,
he made them in the house of his father Sopt, the
lord of the East; when he raised the gods in
their abode when they chose their abode in his
lifetime. The throne of his majesty is established
among the living as firm as the sky every day.
In the dedicatory inscription we have already
found mention made of the other leather roll,
the sacred book containing the canon according
to which all the ceremonies were instituted.
On the right side (pi. v. and vi.) we find the
/WWW a
sycamore which is called J p Q nebs, and from
which the temple derived one of its names.
1. 2. ... to his fathers the lords of the abode
of the sycamore. The sycamore is green, its
boughs put forth their green leaves, the land is
green in all its extent, the residence of this god,
is green every day; it puts forth its blossoms
and all the good things ; the land of Kes is green
in order that it may be radiant in his lifetime.
In this line the sycamore is represented
with the god Horus, who is considered as its
inhabitant; as in line 4 Shu and Tefnut, and
HENNEII.
in 1. 3 Hathor, are thus represented. The
picture of the house of the sycamore is in 1. 3 ;
we there see the tree inhabited by Sopt and
Harmachis; behind them are three different
forms of Khonset ; before the tree are two
serpents called the doorkeepers of the hall; and
in front of the hall is another vestibule occupied
by two serpents, the doorkeepers of the vestibule
on the way to the house of the sycamore.
The inscription above reads thus : When the
king Kheperkara, the image of Ra, the issue of the
hawk of the East, the Sopt Shu of the temples,
the great builder1 {came to) this nome in order
to make offerings to his fathers, the lords of the
abode of the sycamore, perfecting Egypt in its
appearance, renewing the abode of the sycamore,
making it wholly afresh, all the land was in joy
about it, everybody was delighted, for it was made
according to the books of Ra ; when Ra joins the
Rekhiu,2 they cause the house of the sycamore to
prosper.
In 1. 4 we again see numerous forms of
Sopt. The inscription appeals to the gods :
" Come and see all that has been done to you
by your son who loves you, king Nectanebo
who lives eternally; all the gods and goddesses
. . . when Ra joins them, the Rskhiu smell the
excellent things which he has done in the abode
of Bakliu; he caused your table to abound in
all good offerings ; he renewed Mennu3 wdthout
interruption; the field is excellent enriching
your altars ; give him as reward to be lord of
the two parts of Egypt which are bowing to his
will like Ra eternally."
1. 5. " His majesty directed all these sacred
1 D Y\ litt. the great of the buildings, the
-> /www O /<
great builder. 1. 6: ^sj^ D the able builder. It is
thus that we must understand the inscription on the belt
buckle of one of the colossal statues of Rameses II. at Tanis
(Flinders Petrie, Tanis, i. pi. v. 35 c) : Rameses the great
builder.
2 Genii of the horizon, the nature of whom is not yet
well known.
3 Proper name not identified, very likely another name
of Sopt.
shrine in which they reside. On pi. iii. 1. 4,
Nectanebo is making an offering to four animals
o <—>
over which is written : " Thou art valiant and
brave, thy hand is grown to smite those who give
trouble (?) to Egypt." Here probably followed
a date, which has disappeared.
PI. iv, 1. 5. These gods who stand on their
abodes, another secret place was found for them
in the holy space of the house of the sycamore.
They are engraved according to the will of
Icing Nectanebo. His majesty wished to pay
special honour to his fathers, sanctifying their
images; each god is at his place, their images
are on this shrine.
1. 6 begins with the king worshipping four
gods: Another place was found inside of the
temple cjiosen for them; they are engraved, Sfc.
And further: Engraved from another leather
roll of the temple which is a book in sacred
writing [hieroglyphics'], they are engraved accord-
ing to the book by the will of king Nectanebo; his
majesty directed these holy ceremonies to be done,
he made them in the house of his father Sopt, the
lord of the East; when he raised the gods in
their abode when they chose their abode in his
lifetime. The throne of his majesty is established
among the living as firm as the sky every day.
In the dedicatory inscription we have already
found mention made of the other leather roll,
the sacred book containing the canon according
to which all the ceremonies were instituted.
On the right side (pi. v. and vi.) we find the
/WWW a
sycamore which is called J p Q nebs, and from
which the temple derived one of its names.
1. 2. ... to his fathers the lords of the abode
of the sycamore. The sycamore is green, its
boughs put forth their green leaves, the land is
green in all its extent, the residence of this god,
is green every day; it puts forth its blossoms
and all the good things ; the land of Kes is green
in order that it may be radiant in his lifetime.
In this line the sycamore is represented
with the god Horus, who is considered as its
inhabitant; as in line 4 Shu and Tefnut, and
HENNEII.
in 1. 3 Hathor, are thus represented. The
picture of the house of the sycamore is in 1. 3 ;
we there see the tree inhabited by Sopt and
Harmachis; behind them are three different
forms of Khonset ; before the tree are two
serpents called the doorkeepers of the hall; and
in front of the hall is another vestibule occupied
by two serpents, the doorkeepers of the vestibule
on the way to the house of the sycamore.
The inscription above reads thus : When the
king Kheperkara, the image of Ra, the issue of the
hawk of the East, the Sopt Shu of the temples,
the great builder1 {came to) this nome in order
to make offerings to his fathers, the lords of the
abode of the sycamore, perfecting Egypt in its
appearance, renewing the abode of the sycamore,
making it wholly afresh, all the land was in joy
about it, everybody was delighted, for it was made
according to the books of Ra ; when Ra joins the
Rekhiu,2 they cause the house of the sycamore to
prosper.
In 1. 4 we again see numerous forms of
Sopt. The inscription appeals to the gods :
" Come and see all that has been done to you
by your son who loves you, king Nectanebo
who lives eternally; all the gods and goddesses
. . . when Ra joins them, the Rskhiu smell the
excellent things which he has done in the abode
of Bakliu; he caused your table to abound in
all good offerings ; he renewed Mennu3 wdthout
interruption; the field is excellent enriching
your altars ; give him as reward to be lord of
the two parts of Egypt which are bowing to his
will like Ra eternally."
1. 5. " His majesty directed all these sacred
1 D Y\ litt. the great of the buildings, the
-> /www O /<
great builder. 1. 6: ^sj^ D the able builder. It is
thus that we must understand the inscription on the belt
buckle of one of the colossal statues of Rameses II. at Tanis
(Flinders Petrie, Tanis, i. pi. v. 35 c) : Rameses the great
builder.
2 Genii of the horizon, the nature of whom is not yet
well known.
3 Proper name not identified, very likely another name
of Sopt.