DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3388#0052
42
THE PALACE
Ci. The third and fourth letters vary considerably ;
the second letter seems to be a new form, and the
fifth letter is very strange. All this suggests that we
have Aramaic here from a different region to that of
the Aramaic papyri at present known.
The demotic inscriptions have been examined by
Mr. F. LI. Griffith, who finds them very illegible, as
are the Aramaic. A reads " The ... of year 3,
fourth month of verdure (Khoiah)"; C " the . . .
of year 3, first month of harvest (Pakhons)." G may
be somewhat similar. H shews "... copy ? . . .
800 . . . ." J2 reads "third month of verdure (Athyr),
day 4 (?)•"
J2>- The sealings are from three sources, Egyptian,
Persian, and Greek. They are nearly all given in
drawings pi. xxxvi, and mostly in photographs
pi. xxxv. The numbering of each sealing, and the
arrangement in lines, are the same in both plates ;
hence a few numbers are omitted on each plate, where
a sealing only appears on the other. 1 is from a scarab
of Sety I, upon the same block with 2, " Ptah protect
Heremheb." 1 may be an older scarab, but 2 is
certainly of the xxvith dynasty; it is curious to see
two early names thus together. 3 is a kneeling figure
(Hapi ?) with the name Men-kheper-ra, probably
Nekau I, the latest king with that name. 4 is
" Uah-ab-ra-senb" (" the health of Apries "). 5 is
" Uah-ab-ra " (Apries). On the same block was 6,
" Pedu-neit-nebt-Senu " (Esneh), and a phrase con-
cerning Tahuti. 7 reads " The servant of Bast, Hez-
er-suten-apt (" the crown at the royal palace ") son
of Tahuti ar maat (" Tahuti doing justice," written
enigmatically, with the lion for ma) son of Pedu . . ."
8 reads "... prophet of Hapi, Tahuti, and Khnumu,
Pen-Amen." 9 is "Neit protect Uza-ran-her-desher."
io reads "Zed-bast-auf." 11 is "Ptah protect Pedu . . ."
12 is "Neit protect Hor-kkebt" (" Horus in Khebt").
13 is " Ra-mes son of Pedu h . . ." 14 is " Pedu-
neit." 15 is a roughly cut group of signs. 16 is
" maat-kheper." 17 is "Servant of Horus." 18, (?).
19 is Tahuti seated with a strange figure, possibly an
ape. 20 is a king and Ptah (?). 21 is the most inter-
esting of all the Egyptian seals; the name is Aahmes,
and the vies is figured as a fox's skin with two foxes
as supporters. The meaning of the sign has been told
to the Greek engraver, and he has transmuted it into
regular Mykenaean style.
We now reach the Persian seals. 22 is the
fragmentary inscription from a cylinder with a group
of dragons, which has not yet been connected
together or translated. 23 is a small fragment of
cuneiform inscription, apparently the same as 22.
24 is a palm tree with an ibex rampant. 25, 26, 27
are parts of groups of the king subduing dragons.
28 shews a palm tree between two bird-headed
gryphons rampant (see Hayes Ward, Seal Cylinders
697). 29, 30, 31 are again the king subduing
dragons. 32 shews two dragons only.
The Greek seals are of interest from their early
date, as very few gems are known so early. 33
seems to be Athena and an owl (?) on a water
plant. 34 is a gryphon looking back. 35 is a stag
and a branch. 36 is very indistinct, but may be
Europa on the bull with a tree behind. 37 is
indistinct, and the subject may be possibly at right
angles to the position here, a figure standing (?).
Having only one impression, all the accidents are
confused with the design. 38 is probably one of
the Dioscuri with a crescent and star. 39 is a very
remarkable seal, at present without parallel. It was
a cylinder impressed four times over, on each of
three different sealings, yielding twelve fragmentary
impressions, from which the drawing is built up.
The clay was over the tails of string which secured
a package. The subject is that of two men holding
a kid between them ; the kid was a sacred animal
in parts of Asia Minor. They are stretching out
their hands over it, just as the eight nations of the
Samnites are shewn on their coins stretching out
their hands over the pig, in swearing the oath against
Rome. The meaning seems to be that the men
are repeating an oath of alliance over the kid.
Behind one man is the conventionalised spread
eagle of the Hittites, in a late form. Behind the
other is a king on his throne, holding a whip, and
a long-stemmed cylix. The separation of the bowl
and the stem is probably accidental, as there is but
one impression which shews the cup. Behind the
king is a bow in its case, which is characteristic of
the Euxine region, and eastward to Media. This
seal is that of an alliance of the last remains of the
Hittites with a king in Pontos, or some region near
that; the design is apparently unique in its character
and subject. It was doubtless affixed to the packets
of some export which was a state monopoly, such as
the Sandaraca or Realgar, red sulphide of arsenic,
from the state mine described by Strabo (XII, iii, 40)
at Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia. This mineral is
found imported into Egypt.
74. PI. xxxvii. In connexion with the palace
seals we may describe others on pi. xxxvii; the
numbers on this plate continue from the previous,
*8^*j","i.
THE PALACE
Ci. The third and fourth letters vary considerably ;
the second letter seems to be a new form, and the
fifth letter is very strange. All this suggests that we
have Aramaic here from a different region to that of
the Aramaic papyri at present known.
The demotic inscriptions have been examined by
Mr. F. LI. Griffith, who finds them very illegible, as
are the Aramaic. A reads " The ... of year 3,
fourth month of verdure (Khoiah)"; C " the . . .
of year 3, first month of harvest (Pakhons)." G may
be somewhat similar. H shews "... copy ? . . .
800 . . . ." J2 reads "third month of verdure (Athyr),
day 4 (?)•"
J2>- The sealings are from three sources, Egyptian,
Persian, and Greek. They are nearly all given in
drawings pi. xxxvi, and mostly in photographs
pi. xxxv. The numbering of each sealing, and the
arrangement in lines, are the same in both plates ;
hence a few numbers are omitted on each plate, where
a sealing only appears on the other. 1 is from a scarab
of Sety I, upon the same block with 2, " Ptah protect
Heremheb." 1 may be an older scarab, but 2 is
certainly of the xxvith dynasty; it is curious to see
two early names thus together. 3 is a kneeling figure
(Hapi ?) with the name Men-kheper-ra, probably
Nekau I, the latest king with that name. 4 is
" Uah-ab-ra-senb" (" the health of Apries "). 5 is
" Uah-ab-ra " (Apries). On the same block was 6,
" Pedu-neit-nebt-Senu " (Esneh), and a phrase con-
cerning Tahuti. 7 reads " The servant of Bast, Hez-
er-suten-apt (" the crown at the royal palace ") son
of Tahuti ar maat (" Tahuti doing justice," written
enigmatically, with the lion for ma) son of Pedu . . ."
8 reads "... prophet of Hapi, Tahuti, and Khnumu,
Pen-Amen." 9 is "Neit protect Uza-ran-her-desher."
io reads "Zed-bast-auf." 11 is "Ptah protect Pedu . . ."
12 is "Neit protect Hor-kkebt" (" Horus in Khebt").
13 is " Ra-mes son of Pedu h . . ." 14 is " Pedu-
neit." 15 is a roughly cut group of signs. 16 is
" maat-kheper." 17 is "Servant of Horus." 18, (?).
19 is Tahuti seated with a strange figure, possibly an
ape. 20 is a king and Ptah (?). 21 is the most inter-
esting of all the Egyptian seals; the name is Aahmes,
and the vies is figured as a fox's skin with two foxes
as supporters. The meaning of the sign has been told
to the Greek engraver, and he has transmuted it into
regular Mykenaean style.
We now reach the Persian seals. 22 is the
fragmentary inscription from a cylinder with a group
of dragons, which has not yet been connected
together or translated. 23 is a small fragment of
cuneiform inscription, apparently the same as 22.
24 is a palm tree with an ibex rampant. 25, 26, 27
are parts of groups of the king subduing dragons.
28 shews a palm tree between two bird-headed
gryphons rampant (see Hayes Ward, Seal Cylinders
697). 29, 30, 31 are again the king subduing
dragons. 32 shews two dragons only.
The Greek seals are of interest from their early
date, as very few gems are known so early. 33
seems to be Athena and an owl (?) on a water
plant. 34 is a gryphon looking back. 35 is a stag
and a branch. 36 is very indistinct, but may be
Europa on the bull with a tree behind. 37 is
indistinct, and the subject may be possibly at right
angles to the position here, a figure standing (?).
Having only one impression, all the accidents are
confused with the design. 38 is probably one of
the Dioscuri with a crescent and star. 39 is a very
remarkable seal, at present without parallel. It was
a cylinder impressed four times over, on each of
three different sealings, yielding twelve fragmentary
impressions, from which the drawing is built up.
The clay was over the tails of string which secured
a package. The subject is that of two men holding
a kid between them ; the kid was a sacred animal
in parts of Asia Minor. They are stretching out
their hands over it, just as the eight nations of the
Samnites are shewn on their coins stretching out
their hands over the pig, in swearing the oath against
Rome. The meaning seems to be that the men
are repeating an oath of alliance over the kid.
Behind one man is the conventionalised spread
eagle of the Hittites, in a late form. Behind the
other is a king on his throne, holding a whip, and
a long-stemmed cylix. The separation of the bowl
and the stem is probably accidental, as there is but
one impression which shews the cup. Behind the
king is a bow in its case, which is characteristic of
the Euxine region, and eastward to Media. This
seal is that of an alliance of the last remains of the
Hittites with a king in Pontos, or some region near
that; the design is apparently unique in its character
and subject. It was doubtless affixed to the packets
of some export which was a state monopoly, such as
the Sandaraca or Realgar, red sulphide of arsenic,
from the state mine described by Strabo (XII, iii, 40)
at Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia. This mineral is
found imported into Egypt.
74. PI. xxxvii. In connexion with the palace
seals we may describe others on pi. xxxvii; the
numbers on this plate continue from the previous,
*8^*j","i.