DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4669#0336
BEIT-EL-WALLEE 303
There are two pictures on the right and left of the
entrance to the inner chamber, which represent the
youthful Rameses being suckled by the goddesses: on
the one side by Anek Tor Anouka , " his divine mother,
Lad)- of Elephantine ; " on the other by Hathor, with
a similar inscription. The features of b<>th are SO
much alike that they probably represent those of
his own mother, or Tia, the granddaughter of
Amenophis IV., or Khu-en-Aten.* In the East "it
is no uncommon thing to suckle the first-born son
for years ; even now to this present day you can find
women suckling children to five, six, and seven
years." t It is a common belief that the longer "a
child is kept at the breast the stronger he grows." J
There can be no doubt that no food is so good for
a child as "his mother's milk ;" all artificial substi-
tutes are only justifiable when a mother is unable to
nourish her child herself. This Oriental custom of
the late weaning of children explains many passages
in Scripture. The weaning of Samuel was a case in
point ; " Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
hast thou ordained strength." i; " Whom will he
teach knowledge? and whom will he make to under-
stand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk,
and drawn from the breasts." In the inscription of
Abydos we have a description of the child life oi
Rameses. " I was a little boy when I attained to the
Government. Then he (Seti 1., his father; gave me
over to the country. ... I was solemnly inducted as
eldest son into the dignity of heir to the throne. . . .
Then my father showed me publicly to the people
* " Egypt under the Pharaohs," vol. ii. p. 23.
1 " The Bible .iikI Modem Discovery," p. 259.
; Geikie, " Holy Land and the Bible," p. 755.
§ l'sa. viii. ha. xxvii. g.
There are two pictures on the right and left of the
entrance to the inner chamber, which represent the
youthful Rameses being suckled by the goddesses: on
the one side by Anek Tor Anouka , " his divine mother,
Lad)- of Elephantine ; " on the other by Hathor, with
a similar inscription. The features of b<>th are SO
much alike that they probably represent those of
his own mother, or Tia, the granddaughter of
Amenophis IV., or Khu-en-Aten.* In the East "it
is no uncommon thing to suckle the first-born son
for years ; even now to this present day you can find
women suckling children to five, six, and seven
years." t It is a common belief that the longer "a
child is kept at the breast the stronger he grows." J
There can be no doubt that no food is so good for
a child as "his mother's milk ;" all artificial substi-
tutes are only justifiable when a mother is unable to
nourish her child herself. This Oriental custom of
the late weaning of children explains many passages
in Scripture. The weaning of Samuel was a case in
point ; " Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
hast thou ordained strength." i; " Whom will he
teach knowledge? and whom will he make to under-
stand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk,
and drawn from the breasts." In the inscription of
Abydos we have a description of the child life oi
Rameses. " I was a little boy when I attained to the
Government. Then he (Seti 1., his father; gave me
over to the country. ... I was solemnly inducted as
eldest son into the dignity of heir to the throne. . . .
Then my father showed me publicly to the people
* " Egypt under the Pharaohs," vol. ii. p. 23.
1 " The Bible .iikI Modem Discovery," p. 259.
; Geikie, " Holy Land and the Bible," p. 755.
§ l'sa. viii. ha. xxvii. g.