DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4191#0015
THE NOMARCH TEHUTIHETEP AND HIS FAMILY.
3. Merp nesti, " Regulator of the two thrones/'
4. her \se\-sheta ne reu peru, " Set over the mysteries
of the temples."
5. her \_se\sheta ne neter em est zesert, "Set over
the mysteries of the god in sacred places."
6. her se-sheta ne medic neter, "Set over the mysteries
of the divine formulae.1'
7. her se-sheta ne Met neter, "Set over the mysteries
of the divine secrets."
8. Merp hetep neter," Manager of the divine offerings."
9. Mer heb her tep, " Chief lector."
10. sem Merp shenzet nebt, " Sem-masiev of all the
tunics."
11. SeMem neteru, "Who influences the gods."
12. Merp hut net Net, "Regulator of the temples of
Net." "
13. hen neter Maat, " Priest of Maat."
By far the most interesting of these are the
two numbered 2 and 3, which are the titles of
the high priest of Thoth at Hermopolis.1 Some
of those numbered 4-7 are not uncommon ; but
as held by the high priest of Thoth, the god
of wisdom, the scribe and recorder of the gods,
they have a special significance. The rest of
the titles are such as were often borne by the
heads of great families.
Of the events of Tehutihetep's life, or of
his personal character, we know scarcely any-
thing. The scenes in the tomb are mostly of
the ordinary type of the period. All the
nomarchs were devoted to hunting, fishing,
and fowling, and took delight in the excellence
of their gardens and farm-yards. The quality
of the sculpture and the loving detail in the
gardening and other scenes indicate, perhaps,
some special characteristics of Tehutihetep,
and the great scene of the conveyance of the
colossus is probably a record of an act un-
rivalled by any of his contemporaries.
As to Tehutihetep's family, his paternal
grandfather
I Nehera is named once,2
1 Compare Brugsch's Diet, Geogr., 1361.
2 Vide pi. xxxiv., and cf. p. 39.
and the inscriptions on the inner wall of the
shrine, in recording that Tehutihetep succeeded
to the princedom held by his paternal grand-
father, imply that ho was Great Chief of the
Hare nome. We shall have more to say
about Nehera in the second part of this
memoir.
The names of {_| I flfl Kay,3 Tehutihetep's
father, and <n^° m [_J4 Sat-kheper-ka, his
mother, are several times found in the inscrip-
tions, but only the chief titles of the former
are recorded. He was "/ta-prince of the city
of the pyramid called kha of Usertsen,"5 and a
' Vide pis. vi., x., xvi., &c.
4 Vide pis. v., vi., &c. The
name is also written
^ ^ U Pls- vi-> viii-> &c-
D As there were three Usertsens in this dynasty, and as the
names of their respective pyramids, with one exception, are
either uncertain or unknown, it is necessary to consider to
which of them this pyramid kha belonged. It has hitherto
been attributed to Usertsen II., apparently on the sole
ground that, while it occurred in the tomb of Tehutihetep,
his was the latest cartouche known from thence. But our
clearance of the facade revealed the name of his successor,
Usertsen III. ; so that the argument as it stood can no
longer be sustained. Yet it is not very likely that the
pyramid was that of Usertsen III., since the father of
Tehutihetep, if he yet lived, probably reached a patriarchal
age early in the reign of that king.
The only other evidence with regard to the names of the
pyramids referred to comes from Prof. Flinders Petrie's
discoveries at Kahun. It will be recollected that the town
of Kahun was built in connection with the pyramid of
Usertsen II., commonly known as the Illahun pyramid, and
that on its site were found numerous papyri and seals from
other documents now destroyed. Several of the seals name
princes of the city of the pyramid called Hetep-Usertsen
(vide Prof. Petrie's Kahun, Hawara, and Gurob, pi. x.,
ISTos. 21-24). The same locality is also frequently named
in the papyri, and it cannot be questioned that this was the
name of the pyramid city of Usertsen II. Can, then, the
pyramid of Usertsen II. have bad two names, lietep and
lilia 1 In one or two papyri from Kahun the lietep of
Usertsen and the kha of Usertsen are mentioned together ;
it is thus just possible that they are the names of two
localities connected with the same pyramid.
Lastly, we know nothing about the name of the pyramid
of Usertsen I.
The identification of the £7ia-pyramid is therefore a
matter of extreme uncertainty.
3. Merp nesti, " Regulator of the two thrones/'
4. her \se\-sheta ne reu peru, " Set over the mysteries
of the temples."
5. her \_se\sheta ne neter em est zesert, "Set over
the mysteries of the god in sacred places."
6. her se-sheta ne medic neter, "Set over the mysteries
of the divine formulae.1'
7. her se-sheta ne Met neter, "Set over the mysteries
of the divine secrets."
8. Merp hetep neter," Manager of the divine offerings."
9. Mer heb her tep, " Chief lector."
10. sem Merp shenzet nebt, " Sem-masiev of all the
tunics."
11. SeMem neteru, "Who influences the gods."
12. Merp hut net Net, "Regulator of the temples of
Net." "
13. hen neter Maat, " Priest of Maat."
By far the most interesting of these are the
two numbered 2 and 3, which are the titles of
the high priest of Thoth at Hermopolis.1 Some
of those numbered 4-7 are not uncommon ; but
as held by the high priest of Thoth, the god
of wisdom, the scribe and recorder of the gods,
they have a special significance. The rest of
the titles are such as were often borne by the
heads of great families.
Of the events of Tehutihetep's life, or of
his personal character, we know scarcely any-
thing. The scenes in the tomb are mostly of
the ordinary type of the period. All the
nomarchs were devoted to hunting, fishing,
and fowling, and took delight in the excellence
of their gardens and farm-yards. The quality
of the sculpture and the loving detail in the
gardening and other scenes indicate, perhaps,
some special characteristics of Tehutihetep,
and the great scene of the conveyance of the
colossus is probably a record of an act un-
rivalled by any of his contemporaries.
As to Tehutihetep's family, his paternal
grandfather
I Nehera is named once,2
1 Compare Brugsch's Diet, Geogr., 1361.
2 Vide pi. xxxiv., and cf. p. 39.
and the inscriptions on the inner wall of the
shrine, in recording that Tehutihetep succeeded
to the princedom held by his paternal grand-
father, imply that ho was Great Chief of the
Hare nome. We shall have more to say
about Nehera in the second part of this
memoir.
The names of {_| I flfl Kay,3 Tehutihetep's
father, and <n^° m [_J4 Sat-kheper-ka, his
mother, are several times found in the inscrip-
tions, but only the chief titles of the former
are recorded. He was "/ta-prince of the city
of the pyramid called kha of Usertsen,"5 and a
' Vide pis. vi., x., xvi., &c.
4 Vide pis. v., vi., &c. The
name is also written
^ ^ U Pls- vi-> viii-> &c-
D As there were three Usertsens in this dynasty, and as the
names of their respective pyramids, with one exception, are
either uncertain or unknown, it is necessary to consider to
which of them this pyramid kha belonged. It has hitherto
been attributed to Usertsen II., apparently on the sole
ground that, while it occurred in the tomb of Tehutihetep,
his was the latest cartouche known from thence. But our
clearance of the facade revealed the name of his successor,
Usertsen III. ; so that the argument as it stood can no
longer be sustained. Yet it is not very likely that the
pyramid was that of Usertsen III., since the father of
Tehutihetep, if he yet lived, probably reached a patriarchal
age early in the reign of that king.
The only other evidence with regard to the names of the
pyramids referred to comes from Prof. Flinders Petrie's
discoveries at Kahun. It will be recollected that the town
of Kahun was built in connection with the pyramid of
Usertsen II., commonly known as the Illahun pyramid, and
that on its site were found numerous papyri and seals from
other documents now destroyed. Several of the seals name
princes of the city of the pyramid called Hetep-Usertsen
(vide Prof. Petrie's Kahun, Hawara, and Gurob, pi. x.,
ISTos. 21-24). The same locality is also frequently named
in the papyri, and it cannot be questioned that this was the
name of the pyramid city of Usertsen II. Can, then, the
pyramid of Usertsen II. have bad two names, lietep and
lilia 1 In one or two papyri from Kahun the lietep of
Usertsen and the kha of Usertsen are mentioned together ;
it is thus just possible that they are the names of two
localities connected with the same pyramid.
Lastly, we know nothing about the name of the pyramid
of Usertsen I.
The identification of the £7ia-pyramid is therefore a
matter of extreme uncertainty.