DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4102#0056
THE INSCRIPTIONS.
47
Min-mes Un-nefer = Ast
High Priest of Isis and Min. High Priest of Amen.
Maa-rema
High Priest of Isis and Min.
Pa-Keny
Superintendent of
the Granaries.
= Ut;'u
1a
Meri or Yu-yu = Ma-aa-nuy = Hera
High Priest of
Osiris.
Thiy = Un-nefer
also named
Nefertari. of Osiris.
A
Pa-ra-hetep
Grand Vizir.
High Priest
of Anhur.
Min-mes = Gemat-kha
High Priest
of Anhur.
A
5. Upon this plate there still remain two
inscriptions to be discussed. They are cut
upon natural limestone rocks lying in the
desert, between the village of El Arabah and
the site of the Royal Tombs. The longer reads
Neter hen IV ne Amen-Ra seten neteru mer res
nut ma Jcedes Menthu-em-hdt mad Jcheru. 'The
4th Priest of Amen-Ra, King of the Gods,
Superintendent of Thebes in its entirety, Mentu-
emhat, true-voiced.' The other reads Neter hen
IV ne Amen-Ed, seten neteru mer [res nut]
Menthu-em-hdt ' The 4th Priest of Amen-Ra,
King of the Gods, Superintendent [of Thebes]
Mentuemhat.' It would seem that Mentuemhat
came to Abydos to inspect the royal tombs,
and had his name roughly inscribed upon one
of the rocks near by: the inscription being
re-written more neatly, and at greater length,
with the addition of mad Jcheru also, after his
death. Mentuemhat, it will be remembered,
was the great vizir at the time of the
Assyrian invasions of Egypt. Besides the
above titles he held the offices of Ha-Prince
of Thebes, Great Prince ^^ of the Temple,
Instructor of the Priests, Superintendent of
the Priests of Mentu, Eea-Prince of the
Desert
jmnm. \ c^ \\\
, Superintendent of the Frontier
etc. etc. He was the son of Nes-
Ptah, governor of Thebes, but was probably
of Cypriote origin, as a wonderfully carved
portrait-head—found by Miss Benson and Miss
Gourlay in the Temple of Mut—inscribed with
his titles, seems to show (see Newberry in Temple
of Mut, p. 352). Of him Miss Gourlay writes
" He probably helped Taharqa [in whose reign
he lived] to repel the first Assyrian invasion;
nevertheless, after the conquest of Upper Egypt
and the sack of Thebes by Assurbanipal, he
still retained his position as governor of the
Thebaid. . . . When the withdrawal of the
Assyrian invaders left him free to exercise
his governorship, he devoted himself to the
restoration of the broken and pillaged temples,
and of the worship and festivals of the
gods .... These pious labours . . . were
wholly swept away in the second invasion of
Assurbanipal and the consequent ruin of the
city. No record has yet been found to show
whether after that catastrophe he still retained
his governorship and painfully attempted a
second restoration of the desecrated shrines, or
whether his career then came to an end with
that of the dynasty he served." Our inscription,
however, which seems to show that he was
powerful to the end of his life, suggests that
he did attempt a second restoration; and
indeed the strength portrayed in his face is
47
Min-mes Un-nefer = Ast
High Priest of Isis and Min. High Priest of Amen.
Maa-rema
High Priest of Isis and Min.
Pa-Keny
Superintendent of
the Granaries.
= Ut;'u
1a
Meri or Yu-yu = Ma-aa-nuy = Hera
High Priest of
Osiris.
Thiy = Un-nefer
also named
Nefertari. of Osiris.
A
Pa-ra-hetep
Grand Vizir.
High Priest
of Anhur.
Min-mes = Gemat-kha
High Priest
of Anhur.
A
5. Upon this plate there still remain two
inscriptions to be discussed. They are cut
upon natural limestone rocks lying in the
desert, between the village of El Arabah and
the site of the Royal Tombs. The longer reads
Neter hen IV ne Amen-Ra seten neteru mer res
nut ma Jcedes Menthu-em-hdt mad Jcheru. 'The
4th Priest of Amen-Ra, King of the Gods,
Superintendent of Thebes in its entirety, Mentu-
emhat, true-voiced.' The other reads Neter hen
IV ne Amen-Ed, seten neteru mer [res nut]
Menthu-em-hdt ' The 4th Priest of Amen-Ra,
King of the Gods, Superintendent [of Thebes]
Mentuemhat.' It would seem that Mentuemhat
came to Abydos to inspect the royal tombs,
and had his name roughly inscribed upon one
of the rocks near by: the inscription being
re-written more neatly, and at greater length,
with the addition of mad Jcheru also, after his
death. Mentuemhat, it will be remembered,
was the great vizir at the time of the
Assyrian invasions of Egypt. Besides the
above titles he held the offices of Ha-Prince
of Thebes, Great Prince ^^ of the Temple,
Instructor of the Priests, Superintendent of
the Priests of Mentu, Eea-Prince of the
Desert
jmnm. \ c^ \\\
, Superintendent of the Frontier
etc. etc. He was the son of Nes-
Ptah, governor of Thebes, but was probably
of Cypriote origin, as a wonderfully carved
portrait-head—found by Miss Benson and Miss
Gourlay in the Temple of Mut—inscribed with
his titles, seems to show (see Newberry in Temple
of Mut, p. 352). Of him Miss Gourlay writes
" He probably helped Taharqa [in whose reign
he lived] to repel the first Assyrian invasion;
nevertheless, after the conquest of Upper Egypt
and the sack of Thebes by Assurbanipal, he
still retained his position as governor of the
Thebaid. . . . When the withdrawal of the
Assyrian invaders left him free to exercise
his governorship, he devoted himself to the
restoration of the broken and pillaged temples,
and of the worship and festivals of the
gods .... These pious labours . . . were
wholly swept away in the second invasion of
Assurbanipal and the consequent ruin of the
city. No record has yet been found to show
whether after that catastrophe he still retained
his governorship and painfully attempted a
second restoration of the desecrated shrines, or
whether his career then came to an end with
that of the dynasty he served." Our inscription,
however, which seems to show that he was
powerful to the end of his life, suggests that
he did attempt a second restoration; and
indeed the strength portrayed in his face is