DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4143#0008
THE EBONY SHRINE.
the king's successful campaign in the Soudan, when,
according to his own account, in the first year of his
reign he crushed a rebellion of the negroes who had
been subject to his predecessors. As a token of
gratitude he may have presented the god with this
beautiful gift, the value of which was considerable.
However, neither its precious material nor its exquisite
workmanship could protect it against the blind hatred
of Khuenaten towards the god Amon and his priests;
for here, as everywhere else in the temple, the figure
of Amon has been wantonly cut away.
The panel formed the left side of the Shrine, and
the leaf of the door was also that on the left.
The shrine opened in front ; it was covered with
sculptures inside and out, except the door, which
was sculptured on the inside only, while the outside
was strengthened by cross-bars, and still bears the
bronze rings into which the bolt shot. The out-
ward ornamentation of the panel consists of dedi-
catory inscriptions and representations of amulets;
while inside four scenes of offerings cover the greater
part of the surface. The amulets figured are of two
kinds, arranged alternately in pairs : the || tet and
the m te-t. These often occur together, and seem to
have had the same significance of stability and duration.
They were placed on mummies or in the coffins, and are
among the commonest funerary objects found. Both
were considered as having magic influence. Probably
their being represented on the monument was supposed
to ensure its preservation and its everlasting duration.
The lower register on both sides is carved with the
so-called false door, a motif which appears also along
the base of the retaining wall of the Middle Platform.
Plates XXV., XXVI.—Photographs op the Shrine.
(See above.)
Plate XXVII.—Outer Pace op Panel. Three out
of the four vertical columns of inscription on the
panel are practically identical, and the variation in the
fourth would seem to have been but slight (pi. xxviii.).
They contain the formula of dedication to Amon.
i i s
neter nefer neb to-ui
god good lord of tlie two lands
(M0
neb dr khet tet nefer
ord pious taking good
4
hez
the white crown
to-ui
of the two lands
m GEE3E3
suten nt Aa keeper n Ra
King Aakheper en Ea
sa Ra n khet-f Tehutimes dr-nf m mennn-f
son of Ra of his hody Thothmes he made his buildiugs
Amon Ra
Amon Ra
n tef
to his father
m hebni
precious of ebony
drt-nf
was made for him
6) ^ m
neter hez
liolv shrine
f]
n tepu setw dr-nf dnk/i-t
of mountaineers made him living
1 TJ 3i
tat-t
established
Ra md zetlo
like Ra eternally
" The good god, lord of the two lands, the pious lord,
who takes possession of the crown of the two lands,
the king Aakheper en Ra, the son of Ra, of his loins,
Thothmes, he made his buildings to his father Amon
Ra. He made a sacred shrine of great value of ebony
of the mountaineers (of Nubia); (the god) made him
living and well established for ever."
In each of the horizontal lines it is stated that
Thothmes is a worshipper of Amon Ra, who dwells
in Serui (Deir el Bahari), the inscriptions differing
only in the epithets. In the top line the king is said
to be " the living god, the good one who rises as the
eldest son of ........."; 1. 2, "the living god the good
one (who conquered all lands) by his victories" ;
1. 3, " the living god, the good one, the lord of joy" ;
and in 1. 4 he is called " the very brave (like Mentu),
his living image on earth." In each line Thothmes II.
alone is mentioned : 11.1, 3, 4, by his coronation name,
and 11. 2, 5, by his second name, incorrectly written in
both cases.
Plate XXVIII.—Inner Pace op Panel. Above the
dado, which on the inner as well as the outer face of
the panel consists of a row of " false doors" sur-
mounted by one of amulets, we find four scenes of
offerings, the first of the series being that on the left
of the lower row, and the last that just above the first,
in the upper row. We begin with Thothmes II. before
Amon, consecrating to the god a table of offerings,
now entirely erased. The legend reads: y /J j 8 ^\
suab uthu, " consecrate a table of offerings." Thothmes
holds in his hand the long staff or lance and the mace,
which were the insignia of the reigning king. It was
the king's successful campaign in the Soudan, when,
according to his own account, in the first year of his
reign he crushed a rebellion of the negroes who had
been subject to his predecessors. As a token of
gratitude he may have presented the god with this
beautiful gift, the value of which was considerable.
However, neither its precious material nor its exquisite
workmanship could protect it against the blind hatred
of Khuenaten towards the god Amon and his priests;
for here, as everywhere else in the temple, the figure
of Amon has been wantonly cut away.
The panel formed the left side of the Shrine, and
the leaf of the door was also that on the left.
The shrine opened in front ; it was covered with
sculptures inside and out, except the door, which
was sculptured on the inside only, while the outside
was strengthened by cross-bars, and still bears the
bronze rings into which the bolt shot. The out-
ward ornamentation of the panel consists of dedi-
catory inscriptions and representations of amulets;
while inside four scenes of offerings cover the greater
part of the surface. The amulets figured are of two
kinds, arranged alternately in pairs : the || tet and
the m te-t. These often occur together, and seem to
have had the same significance of stability and duration.
They were placed on mummies or in the coffins, and are
among the commonest funerary objects found. Both
were considered as having magic influence. Probably
their being represented on the monument was supposed
to ensure its preservation and its everlasting duration.
The lower register on both sides is carved with the
so-called false door, a motif which appears also along
the base of the retaining wall of the Middle Platform.
Plates XXV., XXVI.—Photographs op the Shrine.
(See above.)
Plate XXVII.—Outer Pace op Panel. Three out
of the four vertical columns of inscription on the
panel are practically identical, and the variation in the
fourth would seem to have been but slight (pi. xxviii.).
They contain the formula of dedication to Amon.
i i s
neter nefer neb to-ui
god good lord of tlie two lands
(M0
neb dr khet tet nefer
ord pious taking good
4
hez
the white crown
to-ui
of the two lands
m GEE3E3
suten nt Aa keeper n Ra
King Aakheper en Ea
sa Ra n khet-f Tehutimes dr-nf m mennn-f
son of Ra of his hody Thothmes he made his buildiugs
Amon Ra
Amon Ra
n tef
to his father
m hebni
precious of ebony
drt-nf
was made for him
6) ^ m
neter hez
liolv shrine
f]
n tepu setw dr-nf dnk/i-t
of mountaineers made him living
1 TJ 3i
tat-t
established
Ra md zetlo
like Ra eternally
" The good god, lord of the two lands, the pious lord,
who takes possession of the crown of the two lands,
the king Aakheper en Ra, the son of Ra, of his loins,
Thothmes, he made his buildings to his father Amon
Ra. He made a sacred shrine of great value of ebony
of the mountaineers (of Nubia); (the god) made him
living and well established for ever."
In each of the horizontal lines it is stated that
Thothmes is a worshipper of Amon Ra, who dwells
in Serui (Deir el Bahari), the inscriptions differing
only in the epithets. In the top line the king is said
to be " the living god, the good one who rises as the
eldest son of ........."; 1. 2, "the living god the good
one (who conquered all lands) by his victories" ;
1. 3, " the living god, the good one, the lord of joy" ;
and in 1. 4 he is called " the very brave (like Mentu),
his living image on earth." In each line Thothmes II.
alone is mentioned : 11.1, 3, 4, by his coronation name,
and 11. 2, 5, by his second name, incorrectly written in
both cases.
Plate XXVIII.—Inner Pace op Panel. Above the
dado, which on the inner as well as the outer face of
the panel consists of a row of " false doors" sur-
mounted by one of amulets, we find four scenes of
offerings, the first of the series being that on the left
of the lower row, and the last that just above the first,
in the upper row. We begin with Thothmes II. before
Amon, consecrating to the god a table of offerings,
now entirely erased. The legend reads: y /J j 8 ^\
suab uthu, " consecrate a table of offerings." Thothmes
holds in his hand the long staff or lance and the mace,
which were the insignia of the reigning king. It was