DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9510#0008
vi
PREFACE.
In such an enquiry as this the evidence is necessarily of
many different qualities. For example, an inscription on a
tomb enumerates the dignities that were conferred on the
deceased's maternal grandfather by king Se-hetep-ab-Ra
Amen-em-ha and afterwards by king Cheper-ka-Ra Usert-
esen, on the deceased himself by king Nub-kau-Ra Amen-
em-ha, and on his eldest son by king Cha-cheper-Ra Usert-
esen a. That gives the order in which these monarchs reigned,
but falls short of showing that they followed one another in
direct succcession. Obviously, several monarchs might have
reigned between the Cheper-ka-Ra who honoured the de-
ceased's maternal grandfather and the Nub-kau-Ra who
honoured the deceased himself. On another tomb the in-
scription states that the deceased served under king Neb-
pehtet-Ra Ahmes, then under king Ser-ka-Ra Amen-hetep,
then under king Aa-cheper-ka-Ra Thothmes, then under
king Aa-cheper-en-Ra Thothmes, and then under king Men-
cheper-Ra Thothmes b. Here the evidence is more complete,
showing that these five monarchs followed one another in
direct succession; but it does not give the length of any of
the reigns. On another tomb, however, the inscription states
that the deceased served under king Men-cheper-Ra Thothmes
and then under king Aa-cheperu-Ra Amen-hetep; and in-
cidentally remarks that Men-cheper-Ra died on day 30 of
month 7 in year 54 of his reign, and was succeeded by
Aa-cheperu-Ra the next dayc. There the evidence is perfect,
fixing the succession and the length of reign as well.
Sometimes the length of reign is fixed, though the succes-
sion is uncertain. In an inscription on a temple king
Heq-mat-Ra Rameses implores the gods to grant him such a
reign of 67 years as they had granted to king User-mat-Ra
Rameses d. That shows how long the great king reigned, but
fails to show who followed him upon the throne. Or again
» Tomb of Chnum-hetep at Beni Hassan. Lepsius, Denkmaekr aus Aegypten,
part 2, plates 124, 125.
b Tomb of Ahmes Pen-Neclieb at El-Kab. Lepsius, ibid., part 3, plate 43.
c Tomb of Amen-em-heb at Abd el-Qurnah. Zeitschrift fuer Acgyptisclic
Sprache imd Altcrthumshtndc for 1873, page 7.
d Temple of Osiris at Abydos. Mariette, Abydos, vol. 2, plates 34, 35.
PREFACE.
In such an enquiry as this the evidence is necessarily of
many different qualities. For example, an inscription on a
tomb enumerates the dignities that were conferred on the
deceased's maternal grandfather by king Se-hetep-ab-Ra
Amen-em-ha and afterwards by king Cheper-ka-Ra Usert-
esen, on the deceased himself by king Nub-kau-Ra Amen-
em-ha, and on his eldest son by king Cha-cheper-Ra Usert-
esen a. That gives the order in which these monarchs reigned,
but falls short of showing that they followed one another in
direct succcession. Obviously, several monarchs might have
reigned between the Cheper-ka-Ra who honoured the de-
ceased's maternal grandfather and the Nub-kau-Ra who
honoured the deceased himself. On another tomb the in-
scription states that the deceased served under king Neb-
pehtet-Ra Ahmes, then under king Ser-ka-Ra Amen-hetep,
then under king Aa-cheper-ka-Ra Thothmes, then under
king Aa-cheper-en-Ra Thothmes, and then under king Men-
cheper-Ra Thothmes b. Here the evidence is more complete,
showing that these five monarchs followed one another in
direct succession; but it does not give the length of any of
the reigns. On another tomb, however, the inscription states
that the deceased served under king Men-cheper-Ra Thothmes
and then under king Aa-cheperu-Ra Amen-hetep; and in-
cidentally remarks that Men-cheper-Ra died on day 30 of
month 7 in year 54 of his reign, and was succeeded by
Aa-cheperu-Ra the next dayc. There the evidence is perfect,
fixing the succession and the length of reign as well.
Sometimes the length of reign is fixed, though the succes-
sion is uncertain. In an inscription on a temple king
Heq-mat-Ra Rameses implores the gods to grant him such a
reign of 67 years as they had granted to king User-mat-Ra
Rameses d. That shows how long the great king reigned, but
fails to show who followed him upon the throne. Or again
» Tomb of Chnum-hetep at Beni Hassan. Lepsius, Denkmaekr aus Aegypten,
part 2, plates 124, 125.
b Tomb of Ahmes Pen-Neclieb at El-Kab. Lepsius, ibid., part 3, plate 43.
c Tomb of Amen-em-heb at Abd el-Qurnah. Zeitschrift fuer Acgyptisclic
Sprache imd Altcrthumshtndc for 1873, page 7.
d Temple of Osiris at Abydos. Mariette, Abydos, vol. 2, plates 34, 35.