DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4391#0019
THE NEW KINGDOM.
IS
Of inscriptions of this age not much was recovered.
A fragment of red granite bears the name of Tahut-
mes II (XIII, i), probably from the throne of a
statue. Of his son there are the great red granite
pillars in the Coptic church (XXVI), the red granite
jambs of a door (XIII, 5, 6), which were later in-
scribed by Osorhon (7). And three slabs of sculpture
here figured (XIII, 2, 3, 4) probably belonged to
this king. A relief of a king's head is most likely
also of Tahutmes III (Manchester). Beside these
we also found, of probably the same age, a lion's head
of fine work in limestone (Univ. Coll.), which may
have come from some early gargoyle of a temple ;
being in limestone, it looks as if it might be of
Usertesen's time, and the workmanship would not be
unsuited to that. A head of a life-size figure, which
was found near the central Ptolemaic steps, repre-
sents some official of the time of Amenhotep III.
(Manchester.)
25. Of the XlXth dynasty, the earliest evidence is
the base of a small sandstone sphinx of Sety I ; but
the most important object was the great triad of
life-size seated figures of Ramessu II between Isis
and Hathor (PL. XVII). It is carved in dark brown-
red granite of large grain. It lay on its back upon
the northern flight of steps (Isis ? steps), leading to
the Ptolemaic temple. It had therefore been shifted
in the rebuilding, and used as a decoration for the
later temple. What position it occupied is not clear ;
but as the base was toward the south, it had probably
stood on a pedestal between the pillars on the south
of the steps. About a foot of earth was beneath it,
so it had not been dragged down until the temple
was in disuetude; probably the Theodosian decree
had caused its fall. The face of Hathor had been
knocked off, but nearly all of it was found lying at
hand, and has been restored to its place. This group
is the only large triad in the Ghizeh Museum, which
entailed its being kept there. The photograph here
was kindly taken by Brugsch Bey.
26. A portion of a stele of black quartzose stone
was found close to the triad (Pl. XVIII, 1). It has
been engraved over an older inscription, a portion of
which was found, having been broken off in re-dressing
the block. This shews that the block was probably
of the Middle Kingdom, and must have been, when
complete, a very fine work ; the hieroglyphs were less
than half the size of the present ones, and the in-
scription must therefore have been very long. The
unprincipled Ramessu had the whole of it erased
and re-engraved with the present cutting, coarse in
work and inflated in style. Mr. Griffith translates it
as follows :—
"(1) Ramessu mery-Amen, like the sun (2) . . .
[the nobles of] every nation bringing their tribute of
(3) . . . of much gold of much silver of every sort of
mineral (4) . . . very many prisoners of Kesh-kesh
(one of the Hittite allies), very many prisoners (5)
. . . the writings of the king (User-maat-ra, sotep-en-
ra) son of the sun (Ramessu mery-Amen) (6) . . .
many flocks of goats,'many flocks of she-goats, before
his second daughter (7) . . . [bringing tribute] for
(Ramessu) who gives life to Egypt for the second
time. It was not the army that caused them to bring
them, it was not ... (8) ... [it was the gods] of the
land of Egypt, the gods of every country that caused
the great princes of every country to bring (9) [them]
themselves to the king (User-maat-ra, sotep-en-ra)
son of the sun (Ramessu mery-Amen) giving life,
(10) . . .to convey their gold, to convey their silver,
to convey their vases of malachite (11) . . . [to the]
son of the sun Ramessu mery-Amen) giving life ; to
bring their herds of horses, to bring their herds of
(12) [oxen, to bring their herds] of goats to bring
their herds of sheep. It was the sons of the great
princes of the land of the Khita (13) . . . that bore
them themselves as far as the frontier of the lands of
the king (User-maat-ra, sotep-en-ra) son of the sun
(Ramessu mery-Amen) giving life, (14) ... it was
not a prince who went to fetch them, it was not an
army of infantry that went to fetch them, it was not
horsemen that went to fetch them, it was not (15)
. . . [that went] to fetch them. It was Ptah father
of the gods that placed all lands and all countries
under the feet of this good god for ever and ever."
This inscription, from the style of it, appears to
have been a hymn of praise to be recited. The idea
of it, that all nations were compelled by the gods to
bring tribute to Egypt, does not appear elsewhere.
The next large work of this reign is the stele with
Ramessu and the sacred bark of Isis borne upon the
priests' shoulders (Pl. XIX, 1). Ramessu stands
offering incense to "the elder Isis, mother of the
god," " making incense offering to his mother Isis
by her son Ramessu." The tablet appears to have
been erected by the foreman of the building of
the Ramesseum, Neb-nekht-tuf, who records his
affairs below in eighteen columns of inscription as
follows :—
" (1) The overseer of works in the temple of
User-maat-ra, [Neb-nekht-tuf born of ... ] (2)-
sekhet makheru, says, Adoration to thee Isis . . .
IS
Of inscriptions of this age not much was recovered.
A fragment of red granite bears the name of Tahut-
mes II (XIII, i), probably from the throne of a
statue. Of his son there are the great red granite
pillars in the Coptic church (XXVI), the red granite
jambs of a door (XIII, 5, 6), which were later in-
scribed by Osorhon (7). And three slabs of sculpture
here figured (XIII, 2, 3, 4) probably belonged to
this king. A relief of a king's head is most likely
also of Tahutmes III (Manchester). Beside these
we also found, of probably the same age, a lion's head
of fine work in limestone (Univ. Coll.), which may
have come from some early gargoyle of a temple ;
being in limestone, it looks as if it might be of
Usertesen's time, and the workmanship would not be
unsuited to that. A head of a life-size figure, which
was found near the central Ptolemaic steps, repre-
sents some official of the time of Amenhotep III.
(Manchester.)
25. Of the XlXth dynasty, the earliest evidence is
the base of a small sandstone sphinx of Sety I ; but
the most important object was the great triad of
life-size seated figures of Ramessu II between Isis
and Hathor (PL. XVII). It is carved in dark brown-
red granite of large grain. It lay on its back upon
the northern flight of steps (Isis ? steps), leading to
the Ptolemaic temple. It had therefore been shifted
in the rebuilding, and used as a decoration for the
later temple. What position it occupied is not clear ;
but as the base was toward the south, it had probably
stood on a pedestal between the pillars on the south
of the steps. About a foot of earth was beneath it,
so it had not been dragged down until the temple
was in disuetude; probably the Theodosian decree
had caused its fall. The face of Hathor had been
knocked off, but nearly all of it was found lying at
hand, and has been restored to its place. This group
is the only large triad in the Ghizeh Museum, which
entailed its being kept there. The photograph here
was kindly taken by Brugsch Bey.
26. A portion of a stele of black quartzose stone
was found close to the triad (Pl. XVIII, 1). It has
been engraved over an older inscription, a portion of
which was found, having been broken off in re-dressing
the block. This shews that the block was probably
of the Middle Kingdom, and must have been, when
complete, a very fine work ; the hieroglyphs were less
than half the size of the present ones, and the in-
scription must therefore have been very long. The
unprincipled Ramessu had the whole of it erased
and re-engraved with the present cutting, coarse in
work and inflated in style. Mr. Griffith translates it
as follows :—
"(1) Ramessu mery-Amen, like the sun (2) . . .
[the nobles of] every nation bringing their tribute of
(3) . . . of much gold of much silver of every sort of
mineral (4) . . . very many prisoners of Kesh-kesh
(one of the Hittite allies), very many prisoners (5)
. . . the writings of the king (User-maat-ra, sotep-en-
ra) son of the sun (Ramessu mery-Amen) (6) . . .
many flocks of goats,'many flocks of she-goats, before
his second daughter (7) . . . [bringing tribute] for
(Ramessu) who gives life to Egypt for the second
time. It was not the army that caused them to bring
them, it was not ... (8) ... [it was the gods] of the
land of Egypt, the gods of every country that caused
the great princes of every country to bring (9) [them]
themselves to the king (User-maat-ra, sotep-en-ra)
son of the sun (Ramessu mery-Amen) giving life,
(10) . . .to convey their gold, to convey their silver,
to convey their vases of malachite (11) . . . [to the]
son of the sun Ramessu mery-Amen) giving life ; to
bring their herds of horses, to bring their herds of
(12) [oxen, to bring their herds] of goats to bring
their herds of sheep. It was the sons of the great
princes of the land of the Khita (13) . . . that bore
them themselves as far as the frontier of the lands of
the king (User-maat-ra, sotep-en-ra) son of the sun
(Ramessu mery-Amen) giving life, (14) ... it was
not a prince who went to fetch them, it was not an
army of infantry that went to fetch them, it was not
horsemen that went to fetch them, it was not (15)
. . . [that went] to fetch them. It was Ptah father
of the gods that placed all lands and all countries
under the feet of this good god for ever and ever."
This inscription, from the style of it, appears to
have been a hymn of praise to be recited. The idea
of it, that all nations were compelled by the gods to
bring tribute to Egypt, does not appear elsewhere.
The next large work of this reign is the stele with
Ramessu and the sacred bark of Isis borne upon the
priests' shoulders (Pl. XIX, 1). Ramessu stands
offering incense to "the elder Isis, mother of the
god," " making incense offering to his mother Isis
by her son Ramessu." The tablet appears to have
been erected by the foreman of the building of
the Ramesseum, Neb-nekht-tuf, who records his
affairs below in eighteen columns of inscription as
follows :—
" (1) The overseer of works in the temple of
User-maat-ra, [Neb-nekht-tuf born of ... ] (2)-
sekhet makheru, says, Adoration to thee Isis . . .