DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4102#0038
ahMHI
THE OSIRIS TEMPLE.
29
and was certainly to be sunk in an unseen
foundation. Hence the upper block must have
been only a step, 9 inches high, on the floor.
The holes seem to have been for poles to be set
upright, in the line of the front of the step.
On the flat upper face arc three lines of
inscription (pi. lviii), Avhich from their style
seem to be of the XHIth Dynasty. Thus the
surface of the step was always clear and bare.
The middle line is rather more worn than the
side lines; but the space between the poles,
13 inches, is not enough for passing, and the
wear must be due to placing objects upon it.
The whole arrangement is unlike anything that
we knoAv in temples elsewhere.
The ends of the large front inscription run
round the sides of the block, bearing ankh zet
ta; this proves that the step was not built into
a line, but stood clear and apart, except at the
back edge. The names of the king in the later
inscriptions have all been carefully hammered
out; but avc can recover lla-sekhem, and in the
personal name three groups of different heights :
the Horus name in three groups with n, is
almost useless to us owing to so few examples
being known of this period. Of the possible
kings there are the Nos. 2,
15, 20, 74 and 88
of the Xlllth Dynasty in the Turin papyrus.
No. 2 is barred by the Horus name se-cmlcli-taui.
No. 88, Sebek-em-saf, will not fit the sizes of the
three groups in the personal name. Nos. 15
and 20, Sebekhotep I and II, would fit well if
written out s.b.k. I crocodile on shrine I hotep
t.p.; but No. 74 whose name is unknown might
fit equally well. The gods here honoured are
Up-uat of the south, Up-uat of the north, and
Osiris Khentamenti. This block and its base
are taken for the Cairo Museum.
In the halls at the back of the square temple
Avere several blocks of black syenite, from a
large gateAvay of Ramessu II. On one of them
is an inscription of Sebekhotep III, see pi. lix.
It is shalloAV in the cutting, and almost effaced
in parts by the crumbling of the stone, due to
salt. Behind the king was his lea emblem, a
head on a pole, Avith the ka name behind it, and
the description suten lea anhh, " living lea of the
king " above it.
The fragment of a cartouche at the base of
pi. lix is there completed as Ba'selehem'nefer-
hotep; an unknoA\rn name, but of the same type
as Ba'selchem'nefer'hhau, Up-uat-em-saf. It
might hoAvever be a combined cartouche of
Ra'lelwseshes'Nefer'hotep, Avith a badly formed
seshes, like selehem.
The altar of offerings, outlined in small size
at the left foot of the plate, AAras found in the
cemetery G, lying still in place before a part of
the front of a mastaba of about the Vllth
Dynasty. The inscription is shoAvn more fully
above. The block Avith deeply cut inscription,
next to it, Avas found near it, in the same
cemetery. The tAvo-column inscription of a
uartu of the prince's table, and the seven
columns of another such official, Sebekhotep and
his Avife Nefert-uben, Avere found last year in
the Xllfch Dynasty cemetery, D.
In pi. Ix, No. 1 is a piece of a limestone stele
from cemetery D, tomb 7b, found last year.
No. 2 is inscribed on the front of a kneeling
statue of soft limestone found in the temenos
behind the temple enclosure, near the statue of
Ptah-em-ua. No. 3 is a part of a stele of lime-
stone from cemetery Gr, Avhich bears the in-
congruous names of Ameny and Sit-pepy.
No. 4 is a piece of limestone stele from the
temenos, of the Xlllth Dynasty. No. 5 is a
fragment of a sandstone figure of a scribe Ab.
Beside these a large stele of limestone Avas
found behind the temple, giving long family
lists connected with the queen Auhet-abu; but
as the copying of it occupied so long a time, it
must be left over to appear next year.
26. Of the XVIIIth Dynasty the first
important Avork Avas a large hall, about 30 feet
wide and 40 feet long, the roof of Avhich Avas
borne by six pillars; three chambers adjoined
this hall; and another and larger hall to the
THE OSIRIS TEMPLE.
29
and was certainly to be sunk in an unseen
foundation. Hence the upper block must have
been only a step, 9 inches high, on the floor.
The holes seem to have been for poles to be set
upright, in the line of the front of the step.
On the flat upper face arc three lines of
inscription (pi. lviii), Avhich from their style
seem to be of the XHIth Dynasty. Thus the
surface of the step was always clear and bare.
The middle line is rather more worn than the
side lines; but the space between the poles,
13 inches, is not enough for passing, and the
wear must be due to placing objects upon it.
The whole arrangement is unlike anything that
we knoAv in temples elsewhere.
The ends of the large front inscription run
round the sides of the block, bearing ankh zet
ta; this proves that the step was not built into
a line, but stood clear and apart, except at the
back edge. The names of the king in the later
inscriptions have all been carefully hammered
out; but avc can recover lla-sekhem, and in the
personal name three groups of different heights :
the Horus name in three groups with n, is
almost useless to us owing to so few examples
being known of this period. Of the possible
kings there are the Nos. 2,
15, 20, 74 and 88
of the Xlllth Dynasty in the Turin papyrus.
No. 2 is barred by the Horus name se-cmlcli-taui.
No. 88, Sebek-em-saf, will not fit the sizes of the
three groups in the personal name. Nos. 15
and 20, Sebekhotep I and II, would fit well if
written out s.b.k. I crocodile on shrine I hotep
t.p.; but No. 74 whose name is unknown might
fit equally well. The gods here honoured are
Up-uat of the south, Up-uat of the north, and
Osiris Khentamenti. This block and its base
are taken for the Cairo Museum.
In the halls at the back of the square temple
Avere several blocks of black syenite, from a
large gateAvay of Ramessu II. On one of them
is an inscription of Sebekhotep III, see pi. lix.
It is shalloAV in the cutting, and almost effaced
in parts by the crumbling of the stone, due to
salt. Behind the king was his lea emblem, a
head on a pole, Avith the ka name behind it, and
the description suten lea anhh, " living lea of the
king " above it.
The fragment of a cartouche at the base of
pi. lix is there completed as Ba'selehem'nefer-
hotep; an unknoA\rn name, but of the same type
as Ba'selchem'nefer'hhau, Up-uat-em-saf. It
might hoAvever be a combined cartouche of
Ra'lelwseshes'Nefer'hotep, Avith a badly formed
seshes, like selehem.
The altar of offerings, outlined in small size
at the left foot of the plate, AAras found in the
cemetery G, lying still in place before a part of
the front of a mastaba of about the Vllth
Dynasty. The inscription is shoAvn more fully
above. The block Avith deeply cut inscription,
next to it, Avas found near it, in the same
cemetery. The tAvo-column inscription of a
uartu of the prince's table, and the seven
columns of another such official, Sebekhotep and
his Avife Nefert-uben, Avere found last year in
the Xllfch Dynasty cemetery, D.
In pi. Ix, No. 1 is a piece of a limestone stele
from cemetery D, tomb 7b, found last year.
No. 2 is inscribed on the front of a kneeling
statue of soft limestone found in the temenos
behind the temple enclosure, near the statue of
Ptah-em-ua. No. 3 is a part of a stele of lime-
stone from cemetery Gr, Avhich bears the in-
congruous names of Ameny and Sit-pepy.
No. 4 is a piece of limestone stele from the
temenos, of the Xlllth Dynasty. No. 5 is a
fragment of a sandstone figure of a scribe Ab.
Beside these a large stele of limestone Avas
found behind the temple, giving long family
lists connected with the queen Auhet-abu; but
as the copying of it occupied so long a time, it
must be left over to appear next year.
26. Of the XVIIIth Dynasty the first
important Avork Avas a large hall, about 30 feet
wide and 40 feet long, the roof of Avhich Avas
borne by six pillars; three chambers adjoined
this hall; and another and larger hall to the