DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3390#0042
INSCRIPTION OF AMENHOTEP
33
pi. lxxviii. Unfortunately the head has remained
exposed after the body was covered with rubbish,
and it has thus been weathered away. This has been
raised, and will be sent shortly to a museum.
(4) The quartzite sandstone seated figure of a
scribe, (see base of pi. lxxviii), is unfortunately head-
less. Perhaps one of the various quartzite heads
now in museums will be found to fit it. It is of
a scribe Amenhotep, who lived under Amenhotep III.
Except on the lap the inscriptions around it are in
perfect condition; and are here given, from paper
squeezes, on pis. lxxix, lxxx. They have been
carefully revised by Dr. Alan Gardiner, who has
kindly contributed a discussion of them in the next
chapter. This figure is now in the Ashmolean
Museum, Oxford.
(5) An alabaster head of a colossus, 45 inches
from the top of wig to base of beard, is apparently of
Ramessu II. It was too much injured to be removed.
(6) A limestone head, about half life size, shown
on pi. lxxviii, is of very good work, but much bruised.
Ny Carlsberg Museum.
At the base of pi. lxxviii is part of a trial-piece of
a golden vulture, the hieroglyph a, found in some
digging in the city.
CHAPTER IX
THE INSCRIPTION OF AMENHOTEP
By ALAN H. GARDINER, D. Litt.
46. The statue of the Royal Scribe Amenhotep
(pi. lxxviii) is chiefly remarkable for the wealth of
inscriptions that cover it on all sides (pis. lxxix, lxxx).
In itself, it does not differ in any essential particular
from other statues of scribes of the Eighteenth Dynasty.
The high dignitary portrayed is represented in the
usual attitude, seated cross-legged, his papyrus ex-
tended on his lap ready for use. The head is missing,
and with it have disappeared a few words from
each of the vertical columns of hieroglyphs that
occupied the right-hand side (11. 19-20) and back
(11. 21-26) of the plinth. The inscriptions, which
form a continuous text, are otherwise complete, ex-
cept where the quartzite sandstone in which the
statue is carved has weathered, or has been bruised,
so as to render the signs illegible. The text begins
on the unrolled papyrus in the lap (11. 1-7), thence con-
tinues on to the top (11. 8-10) and front (11. 11-14)
surfaces of the base, thence along the side of the base
under the right arm (11. 15-18) to the back (11. 19-20,
5
21-26), from here on to the left thigh (11. 23-24), and
finally to the upper (1. 44) and vertical (11. 45-49)
surfaces of the left side of the base.
Translation
(1) (This statue was) given as a favour [from the
King] (and placed) in the House of Nib-mu-re1
(named) " United-with-Ptah" which his Majesty
newly made for (2) his father [Ptah South-of-his-
Wall in his] cultivated land2 west of Het-ke-Ptah *;
on behalf of the hereditary prince and toparch,
treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt, loved of the
Lord of the Two Lands, (3) great [in his rank and
exalted in his office], a magistrate at the head of the
King's notables, the eyes of the King of Upper
Egypt and the ears (4) [of] the King of Lower
Egypt, . . . [well-acquainted] with the way to the
Palace, the mouth that gives satisfaction in the Royal
dwellingplace, excellent of (5) speech (?) . . . the
veritable scribe of [the King] beloved of him,
Amenhotep.
He says:
I speak to your worships, (6) ye who are yet to
come into being, [men] of the future [who shall live]
upon earth. I served the Good God, the [joyful (?)] *
prince, (7) the King of Upper and Lower Egypt
Nib-mu-re, when I was young and without kindred (?).
When I was grown old and ... (8) ... I entered
into the Palace when he was in private, so as to
behold Horus in this his house; and the nobles
walked behind (?). (9) He gave me marks of favour
on account of my excellent demeanour, and promoted
me [to be] Chief Steward, and my stick was on the
heads of the people. I became wealthy (10) in serfs,
cattle and possessions of all kinds without a limit,
and [there was nought] to be desired, by (n) the
favours of the Lord of the Two Lands Horus Kha-
m-maet. I performed Right [for . . . ] Re, for I
knew that (12) he lives thereon ; my abhorrence was
[false]-speaking.
He promoted me (13) to direct the constructions in
his House of Millions of Years, which he newly made
in his cultivated land west of Het-ke-Ptah (14) in the
district (?) of Enkh-toue °—it was his father Ptah who
1 Amenophis III; note the unusual manner of writing the pre-
nomen with a single sign, here and several times below.
' Lit. "ground liable to be inundated."
* A common designation of Memphis.
* I can suggest nothing but cw yib—though there is no trace of the
downward curve to the right of the upper sign.
* Another name for the region of Memphis.
33
pi. lxxviii. Unfortunately the head has remained
exposed after the body was covered with rubbish,
and it has thus been weathered away. This has been
raised, and will be sent shortly to a museum.
(4) The quartzite sandstone seated figure of a
scribe, (see base of pi. lxxviii), is unfortunately head-
less. Perhaps one of the various quartzite heads
now in museums will be found to fit it. It is of
a scribe Amenhotep, who lived under Amenhotep III.
Except on the lap the inscriptions around it are in
perfect condition; and are here given, from paper
squeezes, on pis. lxxix, lxxx. They have been
carefully revised by Dr. Alan Gardiner, who has
kindly contributed a discussion of them in the next
chapter. This figure is now in the Ashmolean
Museum, Oxford.
(5) An alabaster head of a colossus, 45 inches
from the top of wig to base of beard, is apparently of
Ramessu II. It was too much injured to be removed.
(6) A limestone head, about half life size, shown
on pi. lxxviii, is of very good work, but much bruised.
Ny Carlsberg Museum.
At the base of pi. lxxviii is part of a trial-piece of
a golden vulture, the hieroglyph a, found in some
digging in the city.
CHAPTER IX
THE INSCRIPTION OF AMENHOTEP
By ALAN H. GARDINER, D. Litt.
46. The statue of the Royal Scribe Amenhotep
(pi. lxxviii) is chiefly remarkable for the wealth of
inscriptions that cover it on all sides (pis. lxxix, lxxx).
In itself, it does not differ in any essential particular
from other statues of scribes of the Eighteenth Dynasty.
The high dignitary portrayed is represented in the
usual attitude, seated cross-legged, his papyrus ex-
tended on his lap ready for use. The head is missing,
and with it have disappeared a few words from
each of the vertical columns of hieroglyphs that
occupied the right-hand side (11. 19-20) and back
(11. 21-26) of the plinth. The inscriptions, which
form a continuous text, are otherwise complete, ex-
cept where the quartzite sandstone in which the
statue is carved has weathered, or has been bruised,
so as to render the signs illegible. The text begins
on the unrolled papyrus in the lap (11. 1-7), thence con-
tinues on to the top (11. 8-10) and front (11. 11-14)
surfaces of the base, thence along the side of the base
under the right arm (11. 15-18) to the back (11. 19-20,
5
21-26), from here on to the left thigh (11. 23-24), and
finally to the upper (1. 44) and vertical (11. 45-49)
surfaces of the left side of the base.
Translation
(1) (This statue was) given as a favour [from the
King] (and placed) in the House of Nib-mu-re1
(named) " United-with-Ptah" which his Majesty
newly made for (2) his father [Ptah South-of-his-
Wall in his] cultivated land2 west of Het-ke-Ptah *;
on behalf of the hereditary prince and toparch,
treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt, loved of the
Lord of the Two Lands, (3) great [in his rank and
exalted in his office], a magistrate at the head of the
King's notables, the eyes of the King of Upper
Egypt and the ears (4) [of] the King of Lower
Egypt, . . . [well-acquainted] with the way to the
Palace, the mouth that gives satisfaction in the Royal
dwellingplace, excellent of (5) speech (?) . . . the
veritable scribe of [the King] beloved of him,
Amenhotep.
He says:
I speak to your worships, (6) ye who are yet to
come into being, [men] of the future [who shall live]
upon earth. I served the Good God, the [joyful (?)] *
prince, (7) the King of Upper and Lower Egypt
Nib-mu-re, when I was young and without kindred (?).
When I was grown old and ... (8) ... I entered
into the Palace when he was in private, so as to
behold Horus in this his house; and the nobles
walked behind (?). (9) He gave me marks of favour
on account of my excellent demeanour, and promoted
me [to be] Chief Steward, and my stick was on the
heads of the people. I became wealthy (10) in serfs,
cattle and possessions of all kinds without a limit,
and [there was nought] to be desired, by (n) the
favours of the Lord of the Two Lands Horus Kha-
m-maet. I performed Right [for . . . ] Re, for I
knew that (12) he lives thereon ; my abhorrence was
[false]-speaking.
He promoted me (13) to direct the constructions in
his House of Millions of Years, which he newly made
in his cultivated land west of Het-ke-Ptah (14) in the
district (?) of Enkh-toue °—it was his father Ptah who
1 Amenophis III; note the unusual manner of writing the pre-
nomen with a single sign, here and several times below.
' Lit. "ground liable to be inundated."
* A common designation of Memphis.
* I can suggest nothing but cw yib—though there is no trace of the
downward curve to the right of the upper sign.
* Another name for the region of Memphis.