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BIRTH OF HATSHEPSU.

17

of a lamp by Api. A flame was supposed to be
an emblem of life ; therefore, when life began, at the
birth, or on anniversaries like the Sed festival, when
the duration of the king's life was celebrated, or in
the other world when life was supposed to be restored
to the deceased, we find the ceremony of lighting a
lamp. At Luxor, in the scene of the birth of
Amenophis III., there are a few words left of this
text, which must have been very like Chap. 137 of
the Book of the Dead. At the time of the XVIIIth
Dynasty this chapter was written in two different
versions. The vignette1 which accompanies one of
them shows a female hippopotamus, called " Api the
goddess of protection," lighting a lamp with the
symbol of fire which she holds in one of her
paws.

In front of the couch a goddess is seated. She is
called (i I J!L | Meskhent; she is another form of
Heqet or Nekhebt. Meskhent appeared at the
cradle of the child at the instant it was born. She
is the head-nurse of the young queen, and therefore
she says to her: " I am protecting thee behind thee
like Ra." The long text which is above her head is
a mere repetition of the commonplace promises which
occur in nearly every scene. These promises of
health, strength and prosperity are made to the
queen and to her lea as well.

PI. LII.—Tenth and Eleventh Scenes. Amon
has not yet seen his daughter, and probably is
impatient to make her acquaintance. The introduction
of the child to her father is the object of two scenes.
It is Hathor herself who shows Hatshepsu to Amon.
The goddess is seated on a chair and holds the
little boy on her hand. What remains of the text
shows that Amon came expressly—

At the sight of the child the god addresses her in
the following words :

V'

r maa sat-f

to see his daughter

mert-f
who loves him

am n

llamaha aiikht
Ramaka living'

fliPMIMP

m khet niesu-s
after her birth

ask db-f nezem r hat urt
for his heart pleased very much

" to see his daughter who loves him, the queen
Ramaka, for his heart was exceedingly pleased."

1 Naville, Todt., i., pi. 151.





,^

n

dtt k/iu pert Merit
form sacred issue first

(o£u]

sat tit khet(a) Bamako,

daughter of my body Ramaka

" daughter of my loins, sacred form, my first issue

. .......... as king thou takest possession of the two

lands on the throne of Horus like Ra."

Amon is well pleased with the sight of his
daughter. He takes her from the hand of Hathor;
the text says that he loves her exceedingly; he kisses
her and embraces her; he salutes her with the formula
which we have had before repeatedly: " Come to me,
come to me in peace, daughter of my loins, beloved
Ramaka, thou art the king who takes possession of the
diadem on the throne of Horus of the living, eternally."
On the right is the goddess Selk. Probably in front of
her stood another figure, now destroyed and covered
by the inscription of Rameses II. Selk is said to be
the lady of a place called Yf „ t\ © Qetenem, the
site of which is unknown. I should think from Selk
being mentioned on the next plate that she was one
of the goddesses who superintend the suckling of
the child.

PI. LIII.—Twelfth and Thirteenth Scenes. The
queen-mother is kneeling on a high couch, underneath
which is a row of A te-t amulets. A female figure
places on her head the head-dress known by the
Latin name " modius." Before her two cow-headed
Hathors are suckling Hatshepsu and her lea. Below
them are also two Hathors l'epresented as cows.
These figures are not original; they have been
restored on a reduced scale. On the walls there are
traces of the original horns, showing the size of those
which have been defaced. The artist who painted
the new figures did it quite carelessly; he forgot the
two most important ones, the two boys under the
cows being suckled by the sacred animals.

In the text, which is very much destroyed, among
the usual repetitions we find the command :

n

UU
U

menu. holds hna, kem-s nehu

to suckle her majesty and her ka all

" to suckle her majesty and all her lea."

A human being might have as many as fourteen lea.
In this scene we see the execution of the order

E
 
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