DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3350#0031
XIXTH AND XXXTH DYNASTY INSCRIPTIONS
21
the form Tha-ast-en-amu. It seems probable that
the other name of Tha-ast-en-amu was Aahmes-si-
neit. If this is so, it is placed in a most unusual
manner, at the end of the opening phrase of his
speech, after the cartouche of the king Khnum-
ab-ra, whose name was also Aahmes-si-neit. It is
hardly possible, however, to consider that this
is meant for the king's name and not enclosed in
a cartouche. It is less improbable, therefore, to
consider that the name has been transferred from
the usual place, immediately following the first
name, to the place where the king's similar name
would have occurred if the second cartouche had
been written. Several of the neb signs should read
k; the handle of the basket has been omitted,
"(i) The hereditary prince, the royal treasurer, the
confidential friend, the one who is in the palace,
the king's reporter, the scribe of the royal archives
in the royal presence, Tha-ast-en-amu. He says,
I made for thee (read k for neb) the judgment (?)-
hall of (2) the king of Upper and Lower Egypt
Khnum-ab-ra. He was called Aahmes-si-neit. Thou
(k for neb) madest me chief judge [lit. " over the
listeners"] and possessor of the reward of merit
in thy time (k for neb). I carried out all orders,
and renewed thy works in (3) thy festival (? heb)
of . . . upon earth. I established thy name firmly
on every place in the great hall. I built this palace,
for the noblewoman Nebt-ankh, which the noble-
woman Semset gave. (4) It was furnished with
a lake, together with all beautiful gifts by the
god, . . . the years of the king of Upper and
Lower Egypt Kheper-ka-ra living for ever, in whose
time I worked these things for thee (k for neb)."
On PI. XVII the left-hand photograph gives the
inscription on the other side of this stele: "(1) The
confidential friend Tha-ast-en-amu. (2) Speech.
Mayest thou be nourished with (3) her life. May
thy limbs be made firm, (4) which have been
fashioned by the great goddess, (5) Semset of the
house of provisions."
The stele in the lower half of PI. XXV has an
unusual representation, in the middle, of a shrine
decorated with a dad-column upon which are perched
two hawks crowned with the disc of the sun. On
the dad-co\nmn is inscribed " Ptah, the great one of
might, the creator (?) of the gods [mes (?) en neteru (?)]."
On the right of the hawks : " Ptah, lord of truth,
greater than the gods, the great god, creator of every-
thing that exists, the king {ity) of the whole cycle
of the gods." On the left of the hawks: " Ptah, the
beautiful one of the beautiful ones \_nefer neferu (?)],
the lord of lords, ... of the gods, the great one. . . ."
The long inscription from right to left reads:" (1) Ador-
ation to Ptah, the lord of truth, the creator of all that
exists, and a kissing of the earth to his ka, by the
royal scribe, the superintendent of the house Amen-
hetep, (2) deceased. He says, I have come into thy
presence, O Ptah South-of-his-wall, the noble one of
the gods ; I have beheld thy beauties and my heart
is glad. (3) How joyful art thou in thy beautiful
plans. I wrought truth for thee in my heart, for I
knew that it is that with which thou art satisfied.
I approached not (4) fraud in my heart, I have not
associated myself with wrong-doing. Grant that my
name be in thy temple, and that it may flourish (5) in
men's mouths daily, and that my statue may be
established in it (the temple), in order that I may be
carried in procession with thy praised ones who are
in thy temple, and that I may inhale (6) the incense,
which comes forth in the presence and the oblations
upon thy altar-table, and that I may behold thy
Majesty on each occasion (7) of thy appearance at
the time of all thy festivals. Behold, I am praised
by the beautiful-one-of-face, the lord of truth (?).
(8) A happy old age to the ka of the royal scribe,
the superintendent of the house, the superintendent
of the granary Amenhetep. (9) This was made by
his son beneficent of heart, and true of heart, the
scribe Piay."
The inscription on the lower half of the stele reads :
"(1) Adoration to Ptah, by . . . (2) of the lord of the
two lands Piay. He says ... (3) mayest thou make
to prosper ... (4) coming to its place, an upright
heart ... (5) He says, I have come into thy presence,
O Ptah ... (6) with praise, for the purpose of
beseeching thee, that thou mayest cleanse . . .
(7) that the superintendent of the granary, Amenhetep,
deceased, may be to eternity amongst the praised
ones ... (8) healthy, his limbs protected, and that
there may be no evil ... (9) I continue to pray to
thy beautiful face which is ... (to) hearts, that thou
mayest grant success during a happy life to the scribe
Piay."
21
the form Tha-ast-en-amu. It seems probable that
the other name of Tha-ast-en-amu was Aahmes-si-
neit. If this is so, it is placed in a most unusual
manner, at the end of the opening phrase of his
speech, after the cartouche of the king Khnum-
ab-ra, whose name was also Aahmes-si-neit. It is
hardly possible, however, to consider that this
is meant for the king's name and not enclosed in
a cartouche. It is less improbable, therefore, to
consider that the name has been transferred from
the usual place, immediately following the first
name, to the place where the king's similar name
would have occurred if the second cartouche had
been written. Several of the neb signs should read
k; the handle of the basket has been omitted,
"(i) The hereditary prince, the royal treasurer, the
confidential friend, the one who is in the palace,
the king's reporter, the scribe of the royal archives
in the royal presence, Tha-ast-en-amu. He says,
I made for thee (read k for neb) the judgment (?)-
hall of (2) the king of Upper and Lower Egypt
Khnum-ab-ra. He was called Aahmes-si-neit. Thou
(k for neb) madest me chief judge [lit. " over the
listeners"] and possessor of the reward of merit
in thy time (k for neb). I carried out all orders,
and renewed thy works in (3) thy festival (? heb)
of . . . upon earth. I established thy name firmly
on every place in the great hall. I built this palace,
for the noblewoman Nebt-ankh, which the noble-
woman Semset gave. (4) It was furnished with
a lake, together with all beautiful gifts by the
god, . . . the years of the king of Upper and
Lower Egypt Kheper-ka-ra living for ever, in whose
time I worked these things for thee (k for neb)."
On PI. XVII the left-hand photograph gives the
inscription on the other side of this stele: "(1) The
confidential friend Tha-ast-en-amu. (2) Speech.
Mayest thou be nourished with (3) her life. May
thy limbs be made firm, (4) which have been
fashioned by the great goddess, (5) Semset of the
house of provisions."
The stele in the lower half of PI. XXV has an
unusual representation, in the middle, of a shrine
decorated with a dad-column upon which are perched
two hawks crowned with the disc of the sun. On
the dad-co\nmn is inscribed " Ptah, the great one of
might, the creator (?) of the gods [mes (?) en neteru (?)]."
On the right of the hawks : " Ptah, lord of truth,
greater than the gods, the great god, creator of every-
thing that exists, the king {ity) of the whole cycle
of the gods." On the left of the hawks: " Ptah, the
beautiful one of the beautiful ones \_nefer neferu (?)],
the lord of lords, ... of the gods, the great one. . . ."
The long inscription from right to left reads:" (1) Ador-
ation to Ptah, the lord of truth, the creator of all that
exists, and a kissing of the earth to his ka, by the
royal scribe, the superintendent of the house Amen-
hetep, (2) deceased. He says, I have come into thy
presence, O Ptah South-of-his-wall, the noble one of
the gods ; I have beheld thy beauties and my heart
is glad. (3) How joyful art thou in thy beautiful
plans. I wrought truth for thee in my heart, for I
knew that it is that with which thou art satisfied.
I approached not (4) fraud in my heart, I have not
associated myself with wrong-doing. Grant that my
name be in thy temple, and that it may flourish (5) in
men's mouths daily, and that my statue may be
established in it (the temple), in order that I may be
carried in procession with thy praised ones who are
in thy temple, and that I may inhale (6) the incense,
which comes forth in the presence and the oblations
upon thy altar-table, and that I may behold thy
Majesty on each occasion (7) of thy appearance at
the time of all thy festivals. Behold, I am praised
by the beautiful-one-of-face, the lord of truth (?).
(8) A happy old age to the ka of the royal scribe,
the superintendent of the house, the superintendent
of the granary Amenhetep. (9) This was made by
his son beneficent of heart, and true of heart, the
scribe Piay."
The inscription on the lower half of the stele reads :
"(1) Adoration to Ptah, by . . . (2) of the lord of the
two lands Piay. He says ... (3) mayest thou make
to prosper ... (4) coming to its place, an upright
heart ... (5) He says, I have come into thy presence,
O Ptah ... (6) with praise, for the purpose of
beseeching thee, that thou mayest cleanse . . .
(7) that the superintendent of the granary, Amenhetep,
deceased, may be to eternity amongst the praised
ones ... (8) healthy, his limbs protected, and that
there may be no evil ... (9) I continue to pray to
thy beautiful face which is ... (to) hearts, that thou
mayest grant success during a happy life to the scribe
Piay."