DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6641#0044
30 TUKH E:
" The gift of a vase of tlichcn and gold, to the
great Isis, the diviiie mother, in favour of the
good chief of the (?) Pauarma, by his son Horemsa,
the son of Penhna, year 30 (?)."
The inscription presents several difficulties.
It begins thus, -Hff,l4^: the &fl °f a
vase of iheheh and gold. Thehen and gold are
substances which are often put together, and of
which amulets were made, for instance the
1 dad. .But, what is thehen ? It has been
translated in several ways. Lepsius2 con-
siders it as being a precious stone, topaz, or
an imitation of it in glass. Brugsch, after having
first translated it by bronze, or a hind of bronze,
interprets it now as glass. Whatever material it
was, it is certain that its colour was yellow. It
is therefore hardly possible to consider it as
referring to the substance of which this vase is
made, blue porcelain, so hard and thick that it has
come down to us quite intact, without even the
ridge of the neck having been the least damaged.
It is not very likely that it was this vase which
was offered to the goddess Isis, called the divine
mother as at Behbeit; or it would have been found
near or in the temple, and not amid brick con-
structions, which may have been either houses or
storechambers. I should think that when this
offering was made, the large vase was made also,
and kept in the house of the donor as a record of
the magnificent gift he had brought to the
goddess. Or perhaps, according to the vertical
inscription ^ ^ r-a-^ T jj <s>-, it was a present
offered to Osiris, while the more valuable vase
described in the horizontal lines, was for Isis.
1 Naville, " Les quatre steles orientees do Musee de
Marseille," p. 20.
" "Die Metalle," p. 125.
KARMUS.
Another difficulty lies in the genealogy of the
persons named. It is said that the donation is
made in favour of Pauarma hj his son Horemsa,
the same who is said to be the son of Penhna.
How can this be ? The only solution I can pro-
pose to this embarrassing question is to suggest
that in the first case the word " son " must not be
taken in its literal sense, but as a kind of title like
J^x", the son ivho loves him, a well-known
sacerdotal rank of one of the funerary priests.
The real interest of this inscription lies in the
name Pauarma. Here again we have to refer
to inscription of Piankhi.3 When the Ethiopian
sovereign hears of the rebellion of Tafnekht, he
orders the two commanders of his troops in
Egypt, to march against him. One of them is
□ -^Tj H^"]^ the same name, with some slight
graphic variants, as we have on the vase. After
the successful termination of the war, it is the same
man, □ ^ ^, the general Pauarma, who
receives the submission of the vanquished princes.
It seems to me very likely that the Pauarma of
the inscription and the Pauarma of the vase are
one and the same. In both cases he bears a
military title. Here he has the determinative of
foreigners; but it is not possible to decipher the
name of the people of whom he is said to be the
chief, and who might be mercenaries. I do not
know to which reign belongs the date 30 or more,
which is at the end of the inscription.
No other valuable antiquities were found at
Tukh el Karmus, except a pair of bronze tongs
now at the British Museum, which come from a
high building behind the temple, probably con-
nected with the sanctuary.
3 L. S and 140.
" The gift of a vase of tlichcn and gold, to the
great Isis, the diviiie mother, in favour of the
good chief of the (?) Pauarma, by his son Horemsa,
the son of Penhna, year 30 (?)."
The inscription presents several difficulties.
It begins thus, -Hff,l4^: the &fl °f a
vase of iheheh and gold. Thehen and gold are
substances which are often put together, and of
which amulets were made, for instance the
1 dad. .But, what is thehen ? It has been
translated in several ways. Lepsius2 con-
siders it as being a precious stone, topaz, or
an imitation of it in glass. Brugsch, after having
first translated it by bronze, or a hind of bronze,
interprets it now as glass. Whatever material it
was, it is certain that its colour was yellow. It
is therefore hardly possible to consider it as
referring to the substance of which this vase is
made, blue porcelain, so hard and thick that it has
come down to us quite intact, without even the
ridge of the neck having been the least damaged.
It is not very likely that it was this vase which
was offered to the goddess Isis, called the divine
mother as at Behbeit; or it would have been found
near or in the temple, and not amid brick con-
structions, which may have been either houses or
storechambers. I should think that when this
offering was made, the large vase was made also,
and kept in the house of the donor as a record of
the magnificent gift he had brought to the
goddess. Or perhaps, according to the vertical
inscription ^ ^ r-a-^ T jj <s>-, it was a present
offered to Osiris, while the more valuable vase
described in the horizontal lines, was for Isis.
1 Naville, " Les quatre steles orientees do Musee de
Marseille," p. 20.
" "Die Metalle," p. 125.
KARMUS.
Another difficulty lies in the genealogy of the
persons named. It is said that the donation is
made in favour of Pauarma hj his son Horemsa,
the same who is said to be the son of Penhna.
How can this be ? The only solution I can pro-
pose to this embarrassing question is to suggest
that in the first case the word " son " must not be
taken in its literal sense, but as a kind of title like
J^x", the son ivho loves him, a well-known
sacerdotal rank of one of the funerary priests.
The real interest of this inscription lies in the
name Pauarma. Here again we have to refer
to inscription of Piankhi.3 When the Ethiopian
sovereign hears of the rebellion of Tafnekht, he
orders the two commanders of his troops in
Egypt, to march against him. One of them is
□ -^Tj H^"]^ the same name, with some slight
graphic variants, as we have on the vase. After
the successful termination of the war, it is the same
man, □ ^ ^, the general Pauarma, who
receives the submission of the vanquished princes.
It seems to me very likely that the Pauarma of
the inscription and the Pauarma of the vase are
one and the same. In both cases he bears a
military title. Here he has the determinative of
foreigners; but it is not possible to decipher the
name of the people of whom he is said to be the
chief, and who might be mercenaries. I do not
know to which reign belongs the date 30 or more,
which is at the end of the inscription.
No other valuable antiquities were found at
Tukh el Karmus, except a pair of bronze tongs
now at the British Museum, which come from a
high building behind the temple, probably con-
nected with the sanctuary.
3 L. S and 140.