DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4147#0011
DEIK EL BAHARI.
of the mast, and not to its foot, or to the stern. But
in this case how could the artist indicate that these
ropes existed, and that the boats were joined together?
The ropes would not have been seen, and in order to
show that they were there he drew them high above
the boats. This convention is not more strange than
painting outside of a vase its contents, or the decora-
tion of the inside.
Let us now suppose that the boats are moving; let
them go forward ; first comes the leading boat with its
soldiers, and all the others in turn after the leader.
The line will draw itself out quite naturally, and the
formation will be that shown in fig. 2. The boats are
one behind the other; from the mast of each a rope is
fastened to the bows of the next, so that each tug has
its stern free (fig. 1).
This seems to me the interpretation of the sculpture,
and of the convention to which the artist was obliged
to resort for want of space. If he had shown the line
as it was on the river, the boats following each other,
it is probable that we should not see this extraordinary
fastening of the ropes.
The oarsmen are represented on one side only, but
we may suppose that there was the same number on
both sides; it would make thirty or thirty-two for each
boat, and a total of about 300 for each group. Adding
to this number the rei'ses, the officers, the steersmen,
and the soldiers, we may say that the crew which
towed the obelisks from Elephantine to Thebes was, all
told, about a thousand men.
In the lee of the barge is a canoe smaller than the
tugs, which probably was the means of communication
between the barge and the land, or the boats of the
line. Besides, the obelisks are accompanied by three
boats on which religious ceremonies are performed.
In one of them we see that incense and a pointed loaf
are offered to Amon. A fragmentary inscription
mentions the cables at the prow and the stern of the
ship, and also the departure from Elephantine. It is
interesting to see that the queen and her nephew are
supposed to accompany the obelisks on their journey.
The names of both are preserved, Thothmes III. being
always in the second rank. But as we saw before
(pll. LXXXVIII. and LXXXIX.), they are not there
in person. On the throne, which is in a pavilion, we do
not see the queen, but her emblem, her ka, in the usual
form of a large fan. There probably was a second
throne on one of the other boats.
Not much remains of the inscription which was over
the barge, and which probably contained a narrative of
the whole enterprise. Everywhere the name of Amon
had been erased, as well as the cartouche of the queen.
The name of the god alone has been restored. The
text begins as usual with the eulogy of the queen.
After her titles have been given, she is said to be:
" the holy offspring of her father Amon Ra, the lord of
. . . who does not keep away from the father of all the
gods . . . her rays shine like the god of the horizons,
being Rait she is brilliant like the solar disk, she
vivifies the hearts of mankind. The height of her
name reaches the sky, and her will goes round the
great sea."
The following words speak of the tributes brought
to her. The gap which follows probably contained the
order given by the queen to build the boat.
"... trees in all the land
to build a very great boat, enlarging , . .
... to load two obelisks at Elephantine
. . . the inhabitants of Aphroditopolis. All the
land is assembled in one place on all sides,
enlisting young men.
When the boat started going down, there was
praise and rejoicing."
The lines following described the journey. " When
they arrived in peace the king himself took the fore
cable, King Ramaka . . ."
The concluding lines were the usual promises of
increased years and Sed periods, with happiness and
prosperity.
The names of three officers who are seen gesticulating
on the stem of the barge are given. They are: the
head of the domains of the queen, Tetaenra; the head
of the granary, Min-Mes ; and the prince of This, Sa-
tep-ah. These names seem to be inscribed over others
which have been erased.
Above the representation of the transport was a
procession of gods. Horus alone remains. The god
promises eternal life and health to the queen. Here
also we find fragments of inscriptions of Rameses II.
saying that he restored the monuments, a restoration
which we know to have been very incomplete, and
very carelessly done.
of the mast, and not to its foot, or to the stern. But
in this case how could the artist indicate that these
ropes existed, and that the boats were joined together?
The ropes would not have been seen, and in order to
show that they were there he drew them high above
the boats. This convention is not more strange than
painting outside of a vase its contents, or the decora-
tion of the inside.
Let us now suppose that the boats are moving; let
them go forward ; first comes the leading boat with its
soldiers, and all the others in turn after the leader.
The line will draw itself out quite naturally, and the
formation will be that shown in fig. 2. The boats are
one behind the other; from the mast of each a rope is
fastened to the bows of the next, so that each tug has
its stern free (fig. 1).
This seems to me the interpretation of the sculpture,
and of the convention to which the artist was obliged
to resort for want of space. If he had shown the line
as it was on the river, the boats following each other,
it is probable that we should not see this extraordinary
fastening of the ropes.
The oarsmen are represented on one side only, but
we may suppose that there was the same number on
both sides; it would make thirty or thirty-two for each
boat, and a total of about 300 for each group. Adding
to this number the rei'ses, the officers, the steersmen,
and the soldiers, we may say that the crew which
towed the obelisks from Elephantine to Thebes was, all
told, about a thousand men.
In the lee of the barge is a canoe smaller than the
tugs, which probably was the means of communication
between the barge and the land, or the boats of the
line. Besides, the obelisks are accompanied by three
boats on which religious ceremonies are performed.
In one of them we see that incense and a pointed loaf
are offered to Amon. A fragmentary inscription
mentions the cables at the prow and the stern of the
ship, and also the departure from Elephantine. It is
interesting to see that the queen and her nephew are
supposed to accompany the obelisks on their journey.
The names of both are preserved, Thothmes III. being
always in the second rank. But as we saw before
(pll. LXXXVIII. and LXXXIX.), they are not there
in person. On the throne, which is in a pavilion, we do
not see the queen, but her emblem, her ka, in the usual
form of a large fan. There probably was a second
throne on one of the other boats.
Not much remains of the inscription which was over
the barge, and which probably contained a narrative of
the whole enterprise. Everywhere the name of Amon
had been erased, as well as the cartouche of the queen.
The name of the god alone has been restored. The
text begins as usual with the eulogy of the queen.
After her titles have been given, she is said to be:
" the holy offspring of her father Amon Ra, the lord of
. . . who does not keep away from the father of all the
gods . . . her rays shine like the god of the horizons,
being Rait she is brilliant like the solar disk, she
vivifies the hearts of mankind. The height of her
name reaches the sky, and her will goes round the
great sea."
The following words speak of the tributes brought
to her. The gap which follows probably contained the
order given by the queen to build the boat.
"... trees in all the land
to build a very great boat, enlarging , . .
... to load two obelisks at Elephantine
. . . the inhabitants of Aphroditopolis. All the
land is assembled in one place on all sides,
enlisting young men.
When the boat started going down, there was
praise and rejoicing."
The lines following described the journey. " When
they arrived in peace the king himself took the fore
cable, King Ramaka . . ."
The concluding lines were the usual promises of
increased years and Sed periods, with happiness and
prosperity.
The names of three officers who are seen gesticulating
on the stem of the barge are given. They are: the
head of the domains of the queen, Tetaenra; the head
of the granary, Min-Mes ; and the prince of This, Sa-
tep-ah. These names seem to be inscribed over others
which have been erased.
Above the representation of the transport was a
procession of gods. Horus alone remains. The god
promises eternal life and health to the queen. Here
also we find fragments of inscriptions of Rameses II.
saying that he restored the monuments, a restoration
which we know to have been very incomplete, and
very carelessly done.