DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1350#0010
A SEASON IN EG YPT.
Mentuhotep Ra-neb-kher (year 41) Nos. 213 and
243 > 394, 443, 489-
S-ankh-ka-ra, Nos. 359, 466.
Amenemhat I., Nos. 67, 308.
Usertesen I. (y.i) 271; (y.41) 91; Nos. 113, 273.
Usertesen III. (y.6) 262; (y.12) 340.
Amenemhat III. (y.14) 151; (y.is) 84, 153; (y.24)
98; (y.2s) 154.
Amenemhat IV. (y.3) 444; No. 703.?
Neferhotep, Nos. 337, 479.
Sebekemsaf, Nos. 385, xxi. 2.
Kames, PI. xxi. 1.
Ti-aa-aa, PI. xxi. 1.
Amenhotep I., Nos. 476, 480.
Tahutmes I., Nos. 476, xxi. 1, cone 14.
Tahutmes II., No. 476.
Hatasu, Nos. 357, xxi. 3.
Tahutmes III., No. 357, cone 39.
Amenhotep II, cone 6.
Amenhotep III., Nos. 274, 334, 490,? cone 84.
Khunaten, PI. xxi. 7.
Seti I., Nos. 109, 130.
Ramessu II., Nos. 146, 275, 662, 664, 684.
Merenptah I., No. 70.
Seti II., Nos. 665, 666, 673, 691.
Siptah, No. 278.
Ramessu III., Nos. 650, 652, 659, 661, 663, 68i,
cone 107.
Sheshank III., cone 56.
Kashta, No. 263.
Amenardus, Nos. 263, xxi. 8.
Nekau, PI. xxi. 5.
Haa-ab-ra, No. 321.
Aahmes II., No. 302.
Amenrut, PI. xxi. 11.
The unknown cartouche Hotep, 430; and the
unknown ka name Uaj, 414. Only about half
a dozen of these have been published before, so
far as I am aware. ,
10. From the large number of relationships re-
corded in these family groups, we may ascertain
the force of a very well known feminine title Neb-t
per, or " mistress of the house." It has been
supposed to be a synonym for wife, as endowed
with her husband's property; but from inscriptions
No. 114, we see that Thi was both nebt per and hemt
—which is the regular title for wife: and in No.
159 we see the same condition of Nait: further,
as we always find the wife called hemt-f, " his wife,"
though we never find nebt per-f, "his -------?", it
seems clear that this can neither be a synonym
for a wife, nor yet a secondary wife or concubine.
It is certainly a title of some respect, as it is
continually used, and its meaning shows a position
of authority. If it signified an heiress, in default of
sons, it could not be so common as we find it
to have been; and moreover, we see in No. 145
that the nebt per Hennut was not an only child,
and another such case is in No. 289. Being then
neither heiress nor secondary wife, and yet an
additional title to some wives, we are reduced to
examine the one other position, that of widow.
Now deceased persons are usually — though not
always — entitled makheru, as having the " true
voice," or intonation in the other world, to recite
the defensive formulae for repelling evil spirits,
according to Professor Maspero's neat explanation
of the phrase. If then the nebt per were a widow,
her husband, whenever his name is given, should be
described as makheru. Is this so? There are six
cases in these inscriptions, where a husband of a
nebt per is named, Nos. 19, 82, 87 (Henutsenu) 114,
159 (Nait), and 244; and in five of these the
husband is deceased; the only case where he is
not stated to be so is No. 19, where he was probably
dead, as there are five grandchildren named; and
moreover, the makheru title is not applied to any
one in that inscription. This test therefore fully
bears out the conclusion. But one other test
remains: in any past generation there will be about
as many widows as widowers, t£., wives must have
half of them died widows; half, or rather more than
half, of the women should therefore appear as nebt
per, though, as that title is in many genealogies
rarely given, we cannot expect a full half. As it is,
there are (in inscriptions where nebt per is used), 80
mothers without the title, against 52 called nebt
per, which is as close a balance as we can expect.
The only explanation therefore of this title nebt
per that appears possible, is that it means widow, or
"mistress of the house" after her husband's death;
and this is fully confirmed by the two tests (1)
of the husband being called makheru, and (2) of
the equality of numbers to that of the wives.
Probably, where a son or daughter took possession
of the house and estates on his father's death, the
widow might not have this title; and this would
account, as well as the mere omission of it in the
lists, for the title occurring to four-tenths instead
of half of the mothers named.
11. An important point, which is very prominent
in all of these families, is that relationship was
reckoned on the mother's, and not on the father's
side. In every case of stating the descent of a
person, throughout the whole of these inscriptions
(and I might add the tombs and funeral stelae
in most cases), it is the mother who is stated;
the father rarely appears, unless he is separately
commemorated. The parental identification of a
man was by his mother's name. This might be
thought to be only a surer identification, as a man
often had children by different wives (e.g., four
Mentuhotep Ra-neb-kher (year 41) Nos. 213 and
243 > 394, 443, 489-
S-ankh-ka-ra, Nos. 359, 466.
Amenemhat I., Nos. 67, 308.
Usertesen I. (y.i) 271; (y.41) 91; Nos. 113, 273.
Usertesen III. (y.6) 262; (y.12) 340.
Amenemhat III. (y.14) 151; (y.is) 84, 153; (y.24)
98; (y.2s) 154.
Amenemhat IV. (y.3) 444; No. 703.?
Neferhotep, Nos. 337, 479.
Sebekemsaf, Nos. 385, xxi. 2.
Kames, PI. xxi. 1.
Ti-aa-aa, PI. xxi. 1.
Amenhotep I., Nos. 476, 480.
Tahutmes I., Nos. 476, xxi. 1, cone 14.
Tahutmes II., No. 476.
Hatasu, Nos. 357, xxi. 3.
Tahutmes III., No. 357, cone 39.
Amenhotep II, cone 6.
Amenhotep III., Nos. 274, 334, 490,? cone 84.
Khunaten, PI. xxi. 7.
Seti I., Nos. 109, 130.
Ramessu II., Nos. 146, 275, 662, 664, 684.
Merenptah I., No. 70.
Seti II., Nos. 665, 666, 673, 691.
Siptah, No. 278.
Ramessu III., Nos. 650, 652, 659, 661, 663, 68i,
cone 107.
Sheshank III., cone 56.
Kashta, No. 263.
Amenardus, Nos. 263, xxi. 8.
Nekau, PI. xxi. 5.
Haa-ab-ra, No. 321.
Aahmes II., No. 302.
Amenrut, PI. xxi. 11.
The unknown cartouche Hotep, 430; and the
unknown ka name Uaj, 414. Only about half
a dozen of these have been published before, so
far as I am aware. ,
10. From the large number of relationships re-
corded in these family groups, we may ascertain
the force of a very well known feminine title Neb-t
per, or " mistress of the house." It has been
supposed to be a synonym for wife, as endowed
with her husband's property; but from inscriptions
No. 114, we see that Thi was both nebt per and hemt
—which is the regular title for wife: and in No.
159 we see the same condition of Nait: further,
as we always find the wife called hemt-f, " his wife,"
though we never find nebt per-f, "his -------?", it
seems clear that this can neither be a synonym
for a wife, nor yet a secondary wife or concubine.
It is certainly a title of some respect, as it is
continually used, and its meaning shows a position
of authority. If it signified an heiress, in default of
sons, it could not be so common as we find it
to have been; and moreover, we see in No. 145
that the nebt per Hennut was not an only child,
and another such case is in No. 289. Being then
neither heiress nor secondary wife, and yet an
additional title to some wives, we are reduced to
examine the one other position, that of widow.
Now deceased persons are usually — though not
always — entitled makheru, as having the " true
voice," or intonation in the other world, to recite
the defensive formulae for repelling evil spirits,
according to Professor Maspero's neat explanation
of the phrase. If then the nebt per were a widow,
her husband, whenever his name is given, should be
described as makheru. Is this so? There are six
cases in these inscriptions, where a husband of a
nebt per is named, Nos. 19, 82, 87 (Henutsenu) 114,
159 (Nait), and 244; and in five of these the
husband is deceased; the only case where he is
not stated to be so is No. 19, where he was probably
dead, as there are five grandchildren named; and
moreover, the makheru title is not applied to any
one in that inscription. This test therefore fully
bears out the conclusion. But one other test
remains: in any past generation there will be about
as many widows as widowers, t£., wives must have
half of them died widows; half, or rather more than
half, of the women should therefore appear as nebt
per, though, as that title is in many genealogies
rarely given, we cannot expect a full half. As it is,
there are (in inscriptions where nebt per is used), 80
mothers without the title, against 52 called nebt
per, which is as close a balance as we can expect.
The only explanation therefore of this title nebt
per that appears possible, is that it means widow, or
"mistress of the house" after her husband's death;
and this is fully confirmed by the two tests (1)
of the husband being called makheru, and (2) of
the equality of numbers to that of the wives.
Probably, where a son or daughter took possession
of the house and estates on his father's death, the
widow might not have this title; and this would
account, as well as the mere omission of it in the
lists, for the title occurring to four-tenths instead
of half of the mothers named.
11. An important point, which is very prominent
in all of these families, is that relationship was
reckoned on the mother's, and not on the father's
side. In every case of stating the descent of a
person, throughout the whole of these inscriptions
(and I might add the tombs and funeral stelae
in most cases), it is the mother who is stated;
the father rarely appears, unless he is separately
commemorated. The parental identification of a
man was by his mother's name. This might be
thought to be only a surer identification, as a man
often had children by different wives (e.g., four