DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10361#0031
BENI HASAN.
17
The
Oryx
Nome.
northern one Ta-meh, " the North land," or
Lower Egypt. These two states were sub-
divided into what the Egyptians called ffiff
hesept, " provinces," the vo/jloi, or " nomes,"
of the Greek geographers. In Lower Egypt
there were twenty-two of these subdivisions;
in Upper Egypt twenty. The Necropolis of
Beni Hasan was situated within the south-
ern principality, in the XVIth subdivision,
which was called by the Egyptians
Maliez,1 " the Oryx nome." Several of its
governors were buried in the tombs described
in the present memoir, and their inscrip-
tions throw considerable light upon its
geography.
MAP
Of THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ^
o. BENI HASAN \
l-iocfloo it
"Hi
Fig. 4. The Neighbourhood of Beni Hasan.
An early mention of the Oryx nome is
found at Zauyet-el-Maiyitin, in the tomb
of a certain "royal acquaintance" named
*\ /www r\
® I Khunes, who was its governor
1 The Egyptian name of the Oryx is \ Mahez,
but the reading of the nome sign is not so certain. It
is probable, however, that it should likewise be read
Mahez, and that this name is identical with | ©
Meht, which appears in the Ptolemaic nome lists as the
sacred capital of the XVIth province. The change
from Mahez to Meht would not be difficult to explain.
at the time of the Vlth Dynasty.2 The
Great Inscription of Khnemhotep II. records 3
how the kings of the Xllth Dynasty re-
organized the nomes in this part of Egypt,
restoring their ancient boundaries and defin-
ing the territory of their cities. The same
text names the boundaries. On the north
was the Jackal or Cynopolite nome, on the
south the Hare or Hermopolite nome. " He
(the king) set up the landmarks," runs
the inscription, " the southern one as his
boundary to the Hare nome, the northern
one as his boundary to the Jackal nome."4
Further, " he divided the great river-valley
down its middle, its waters, its fields, its
wood, its sands, as far as the western
desert." 6 The land on the eastern half of
the valley was generally included in the Oryx
nome,6 but it appears from this passage and
from the context that in the time of Amen-
emhat I. it constituted a separate district,
called
Tut-Heru, "the Eock of
"T111 r
Tit II
Horus," perhaps with Menat-Khufu as
capital. The king divided for Khnemhotep,
we are told, " the great river-valley down
its middle, and apportioned its eastern half
to the nome of Dut-Heru, reaching to the
Eastern Desert." 7 Some idea of the popula-
tion of the province in the time of Usertsen
• I. may be deduced from the fact that Amen-
emhat levied a troop of six hundred men,
" consisting of every valiant man of the
2 Vide Lepsius' Denkmdler, Abth. ii., Bl. 107.
3 Vide Beni Hasan, Part I., PI. xxv., lines 36-45 ct
seq., and p. 59.
1 L.c., lines 48-50.
5 L.c, lines 51-53.
6 This is implied by the title of several of the princes,
"Great Chief of the Oryx
nome to its entirety," which occurs in many of the earlier
tombs at Beni Hasan.
1 Vide Beni Hasan, Part I., PI. xxv., lines 33-36, and
p. 59.
P
17
The
Oryx
Nome.
northern one Ta-meh, " the North land," or
Lower Egypt. These two states were sub-
divided into what the Egyptians called ffiff
hesept, " provinces," the vo/jloi, or " nomes,"
of the Greek geographers. In Lower Egypt
there were twenty-two of these subdivisions;
in Upper Egypt twenty. The Necropolis of
Beni Hasan was situated within the south-
ern principality, in the XVIth subdivision,
which was called by the Egyptians
Maliez,1 " the Oryx nome." Several of its
governors were buried in the tombs described
in the present memoir, and their inscrip-
tions throw considerable light upon its
geography.
MAP
Of THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ^
o. BENI HASAN \
l-iocfloo it
"Hi
Fig. 4. The Neighbourhood of Beni Hasan.
An early mention of the Oryx nome is
found at Zauyet-el-Maiyitin, in the tomb
of a certain "royal acquaintance" named
*\ /www r\
® I Khunes, who was its governor
1 The Egyptian name of the Oryx is \ Mahez,
but the reading of the nome sign is not so certain. It
is probable, however, that it should likewise be read
Mahez, and that this name is identical with | ©
Meht, which appears in the Ptolemaic nome lists as the
sacred capital of the XVIth province. The change
from Mahez to Meht would not be difficult to explain.
at the time of the Vlth Dynasty.2 The
Great Inscription of Khnemhotep II. records 3
how the kings of the Xllth Dynasty re-
organized the nomes in this part of Egypt,
restoring their ancient boundaries and defin-
ing the territory of their cities. The same
text names the boundaries. On the north
was the Jackal or Cynopolite nome, on the
south the Hare or Hermopolite nome. " He
(the king) set up the landmarks," runs
the inscription, " the southern one as his
boundary to the Hare nome, the northern
one as his boundary to the Jackal nome."4
Further, " he divided the great river-valley
down its middle, its waters, its fields, its
wood, its sands, as far as the western
desert." 6 The land on the eastern half of
the valley was generally included in the Oryx
nome,6 but it appears from this passage and
from the context that in the time of Amen-
emhat I. it constituted a separate district,
called
Tut-Heru, "the Eock of
"T111 r
Tit II
Horus," perhaps with Menat-Khufu as
capital. The king divided for Khnemhotep,
we are told, " the great river-valley down
its middle, and apportioned its eastern half
to the nome of Dut-Heru, reaching to the
Eastern Desert." 7 Some idea of the popula-
tion of the province in the time of Usertsen
• I. may be deduced from the fact that Amen-
emhat levied a troop of six hundred men,
" consisting of every valiant man of the
2 Vide Lepsius' Denkmdler, Abth. ii., Bl. 107.
3 Vide Beni Hasan, Part I., PI. xxv., lines 36-45 ct
seq., and p. 59.
1 L.c., lines 48-50.
5 L.c, lines 51-53.
6 This is implied by the title of several of the princes,
"Great Chief of the Oryx
nome to its entirety," which occurs in many of the earlier
tombs at Beni Hasan.
1 Vide Beni Hasan, Part I., PI. xxv., lines 33-36, and
p. 59.
P