STORE-CITY OF PITHOM AND
THE ROUTE OF THE EXODUS
15
contained the name of Arsinoe; the other was
unknown. Next day, when the great tablet
was discovered, I saw that Arsinoe had adopted
two ovals, one of which is a kind of coronation
name, Num ab Shu mer neteru. The tablet,
which unfortunately is very hard to read, is a
very interesting document not only as regards
the history of Pithom, but also as regards that
of Ptolemy Philadelphos. We learn from it
that Pithom and the neighbouring city of
Arsinoe, which the king founded in honour of
his sister, were the starting points of com-
mercial expeditions to the Red Sea; and that
from thence one of Ptolemy's generals went to
the land of the Troglodytes and founded the
city of Ptolemais ©rjpwv, for the special purpose
of facilitating the chase of elephants. And it
was to Heroopolis that the ships brought those
animals, which played such an important part
in the warfare of the successors of Alexander.
For a general of that time it was as important
to have an elephant force, as in our days it is
essential to have a strong body of artillery.
We learn also that close to Pithom there was a
city called Piherehet, or Pikeheret, which must
have been an important place, judging from the
amount of taxes which the king attributes as
revenue to its temple.
THE MONUMENTS DISCOVEEED.
We will now study more closely the principal
monuments discovered during the excavations.
Plate III. a.—The large monuments of Ra-
meses, now at Ismailiah, have been known for
several years. Besides the name of the royal
founder, which we learn from them, we see also
that Turn Harmachis was the divinity of the
place. To him was dedicated the naos in reel
sandstone, in the base of which a sphinx is sculp-
tured. The naos is not perfect. The fore-part
has been broken ; but I found part of it, bearing
the upper portion of the name of Barneses and
the words e j, the lord of Thuhu, of Suc-
coth. It is possible that underneath there was
the sign c-^a which has been broken away. This
small fragment shows that the name of Succoth
was already in use in the time of Rameses II.,
and that it was considered as a border land.
Plate III. b.—I found only a small fragment
of this tablet, which, judging from the stone of
which it was made, and the style of the en-
graving, was certainly very fine. Two goddesses,
representing Upper and Lower Egypt, promise a
long and prosperous reign to a king who makes
an offering to them. This king is Sheshonk I.
(Shishak), whose name is still legible. The
Bubastite kings, and particularly Shishak, must
have used the storehouses of Pithom for pro-
visioning their armies going to Syria.
Frontispiece and Plate IV.—One of the most
elegant monuments found at Pithom belongs to
the twenty-second dynasty. It is the statue
of Anlch renp nefer ^- ^] J now at the British
Museum, and of which we here print the in-
scriptions. This statue is of red granite, and
represents a squatting man with his hands
crossed on his knees. Before him is a small
naos containing a figure of Osiris. On the knees
are engraved the two ovals of Osorkon II. (F),
of whom he was an officer, and between the
hands is the monogram of Ankh renp nefer (E).
At each side, sculptured on the legs, are repre-
sentations of gods who promise their protection
to the deceased. The inscriptions concerning
them are engraved on the sides of the naos (C
and D). Even on both sides of the head Osiris
and Sokaris are engraved.
Ankh renp nefer was ^J,1 first
lieutenant of the Icing. This title is very like
1 Here, as well as in the Ptolemaic inscription, Plate VII. a.
1. 2, the sign C~3 has the form ITJ. It is a variant, which
is found also in the Eosetta stone, passim T <^> instead of
qcr^l <-;::> 1 ^
1 <=> and i i i instead of i i i .
I a ro ® n ©
THE ROUTE OF THE EXODUS
15
contained the name of Arsinoe; the other was
unknown. Next day, when the great tablet
was discovered, I saw that Arsinoe had adopted
two ovals, one of which is a kind of coronation
name, Num ab Shu mer neteru. The tablet,
which unfortunately is very hard to read, is a
very interesting document not only as regards
the history of Pithom, but also as regards that
of Ptolemy Philadelphos. We learn from it
that Pithom and the neighbouring city of
Arsinoe, which the king founded in honour of
his sister, were the starting points of com-
mercial expeditions to the Red Sea; and that
from thence one of Ptolemy's generals went to
the land of the Troglodytes and founded the
city of Ptolemais ©rjpwv, for the special purpose
of facilitating the chase of elephants. And it
was to Heroopolis that the ships brought those
animals, which played such an important part
in the warfare of the successors of Alexander.
For a general of that time it was as important
to have an elephant force, as in our days it is
essential to have a strong body of artillery.
We learn also that close to Pithom there was a
city called Piherehet, or Pikeheret, which must
have been an important place, judging from the
amount of taxes which the king attributes as
revenue to its temple.
THE MONUMENTS DISCOVEEED.
We will now study more closely the principal
monuments discovered during the excavations.
Plate III. a.—The large monuments of Ra-
meses, now at Ismailiah, have been known for
several years. Besides the name of the royal
founder, which we learn from them, we see also
that Turn Harmachis was the divinity of the
place. To him was dedicated the naos in reel
sandstone, in the base of which a sphinx is sculp-
tured. The naos is not perfect. The fore-part
has been broken ; but I found part of it, bearing
the upper portion of the name of Barneses and
the words e j, the lord of Thuhu, of Suc-
coth. It is possible that underneath there was
the sign c-^a which has been broken away. This
small fragment shows that the name of Succoth
was already in use in the time of Rameses II.,
and that it was considered as a border land.
Plate III. b.—I found only a small fragment
of this tablet, which, judging from the stone of
which it was made, and the style of the en-
graving, was certainly very fine. Two goddesses,
representing Upper and Lower Egypt, promise a
long and prosperous reign to a king who makes
an offering to them. This king is Sheshonk I.
(Shishak), whose name is still legible. The
Bubastite kings, and particularly Shishak, must
have used the storehouses of Pithom for pro-
visioning their armies going to Syria.
Frontispiece and Plate IV.—One of the most
elegant monuments found at Pithom belongs to
the twenty-second dynasty. It is the statue
of Anlch renp nefer ^- ^] J now at the British
Museum, and of which we here print the in-
scriptions. This statue is of red granite, and
represents a squatting man with his hands
crossed on his knees. Before him is a small
naos containing a figure of Osiris. On the knees
are engraved the two ovals of Osorkon II. (F),
of whom he was an officer, and between the
hands is the monogram of Ankh renp nefer (E).
At each side, sculptured on the legs, are repre-
sentations of gods who promise their protection
to the deceased. The inscriptions concerning
them are engraved on the sides of the naos (C
and D). Even on both sides of the head Osiris
and Sokaris are engraved.
Ankh renp nefer was ^J,1 first
lieutenant of the Icing. This title is very like
1 Here, as well as in the Ptolemaic inscription, Plate VII. a.
1. 2, the sign C~3 has the form ITJ. It is a variant, which
is found also in the Eosetta stone, passim T <^> instead of
qcr^l <-;::> 1 ^
1 <=> and i i i instead of i i i .
I a ro ® n ©