Author: ancientegyptblog7

Ushabti or Shabti?

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 18, 2022

Seeing ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures in museums will always bring me back to seeing them with my Nonno as a kid. Just like with the Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪, he was always so excited to show my sister 𓌢𓈖𓏏𓁐 and I the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures and tell us all about them. I wish I could hear Nonno tell his ushabti stories again. I miss listening to him speak about ancient Egypt and ancient history more than anyone can even realize. He was always so passionate when he spoke about these things, and I think I get that from him because other people tell me that I am the same way.

Many people debate if the word is “shabti” or “ushabti,” when in reality, both pronunciations would be correct because it appears both ways in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 too! “𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 usbty” is where “ushabti” comes from and “𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” is where “shabti” comes from! My Nonno always said “Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾” so that is what I tend to use as well!

Here are some other variations for “ushabti” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that aren’t used as much as the ones I have listed above. These variants are basically shortened versions of 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 or just use a different determinative!

𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮

𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾

𓆷𓄿𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀭

𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀭

𓆷𓄿𓍯𓄿𓃀𓏲𓍘𓇋𓆱 (the 𓆱 symbol as a determinative is interesting – probably because wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 ushabtis were popular in the 19th Dynasty).

The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 ushabti 𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is a version of the “Shabti Spell” from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. This spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 gives the ushabti 𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖.

The “Shabti Spell” usually starts off with the following phrase:

𓋴𓌉𓆓𓇶 – The Illuminated One

𓁹𓊨𓀭 – The Osiris

Then the “Shabti Spell” will usually list the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 job/titles:

𓏟 – Scribe

𓉒 – Treasury

So this specific ushabti’s spell starts off with “The Illuminated One, The Osiris, The Scribe of the Treasury…”

Tags artifact, hieroglyphs, nonno, the met, ushabti

Reading Hieroglyphs

Colorful Hieroglyph Relief

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 17, 2022

A lot of the time, the pieces that catch my eye in the museums are the unassuming limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 fragments that contain colorful hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. Once upon a time, most Egyptian reliefs were as colorful as this piece, however with the passage of time, most of the colors faded. It’s so cool to almost catch a glimpse of what the colors were like thousands 𓏲𓏲𓏲 of years ago!

Let’s read some (very fragmented) hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 – or at least examine the symbols that we can! We are going to start from the left, since the symbols are pointing to the left!

𓁟 – the “ibis headed god” symbol is both an ideogram and determinative for “Thoth” and is associated with the sound “ḏḥwtj.”

𓎟 – the “basket 𓎟” symbol is a biliteral phonogram that has the sound “nb” (pronounced like “neb”). Can be used to represent the words Lord, All, Every, and many others!

𓊹𓉼 – This word means “Great God.” “𓊹” is the triliteral symbol for God and has the sound “ntr” which would be pronounced like “neter.” “𓉼” is the symbol for “Great,” which is a biliteral phonogram and has the sound of “ˁ3” which would be pronounced like “ah.”

𓂧𓏏𓏥 – the first symbol 𓂧 looks like the uniliteral phonogram “d,” the second symbol 𓏏 is the uniliteral phonogram “t” and then the third symbol 𓏦 is the “three strokes” symbol which can be used to make a word plural, but can also mean they, them, their, of, three, and much more. This word might mean “hands,” or “handful,” but I don’t have a full inscription so I don’t know!

𓎛𓏭𓅱 – this word means “would that” or “please” and can also be written as “𓎛𓅱𓏭.” It is associated with the sound “hwy.”

𓀭𓀭 – the “seated god” symbol acts as a determinative for the words God or King, and can even be used as the pronoun “I” when the God or King is speaking!

𓏃 – the “water jars in a rack 𓏃” symbol is most commonly used as a triliteral phonogram, and is associated with the sound ḫnt. This symbol usually is used for the prepositional phrase “In Front Of” but can also be used to mean “First.”

This relief is from an 18th-19th Dynasty tomb wall. The 18th-19th Dynasty was part of the New Kingdom Period of ancient Egypt, and is my favorite time period to study!

Tags brooklyn museum, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs

Reading Hieroglyphs

Stela with a Dedication to Anubis

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 16, 2022

This sandstone 𓂋𓅱𓂧𓏏𓌗𓈙 piece, located in one of the tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 offshoot galleries at the MET is a stela 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸 from the New Kingdom (c. 1400–1390 B.C.E.) with two 𓏻 people, Siamun and Taruy, worshipping Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣! Usually on stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪, people are shown worshipping Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, so seeing Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 on one makes me very happy!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! I’m going to start on the right, with the cartouche!

(𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼) – Thutmosis IV

Now, above Anubis:

𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱 – Anubis

𓎟 – Lord

𓇾𓏤𓈅𓂦 – Sacred Land

Above the Two People:

𓂋𓏏𓂞𓀢 – Giving Praise

𓇋𓈖 – To

𓇋𓈖𓊪𓏲 – Anubis

𓇋𓈖 – by the

𓃂 – Wab Priest

(These hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are etched out, but probably read “Siamun”)

𓌢𓈖𓏏 – Sister

𓈘𓏏 – Beloved

𓆑 – His

𓏏𓄿𓂋𓏤𓏭𓅱 – Taruy

So all 𓎟 together 𓈖𓊗, the inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 reads:

“𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓎟𓇾𓏤𓈅𓂦” – Anubis, Lord of the Sacred Land

“𓂋𓏏𓂞𓀢𓇋𓈖𓇋𓈖𓊪𓏲𓇋𓈖𓃂…𓌢𓈖𓏏𓈘𓏏𓆑𓏏𓄿𓂋𓏤𓏭𓅱” – Giving praise to Anubis, by the Wab Priest (Siamun) to his beloved sister Taruy.

Tags anubis, gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

“Beloved of Maat”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 16, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

This inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 is very simple because it contains the shortened variant of both of the words!

𓌺 – Beloved (𓌻𓂋𓇌)

𓁧 – Ma’at (𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧)

I haven’t spoken about Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 in a while, so let’s learn a bit more about her! So why would a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 want to be the “Beloved of Maat 𓌺𓁧?”

Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧, the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of truth 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄, justice 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄𓏜, harmony and was an extremely important goddess 𓊹𓏏 in the Egyptian pantheon.

Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 was not only a goddess 𓊹𓏏 but also a concept in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 – to live 𓋹 by Ma’at 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 was to always act truthfully and with good intentions, as opposed to chaotically – which is how the ancient Egyptians viewed other societies at the time. The goddess Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 was the personification of these concepts and of cosmic order.

Being a “Beloved of Maat 𓌺𓁧” was the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 taking the place of Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 in the creation myth. When Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 emerged from the primeval mound, he set his daughter 𓅭𓏏 Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 in the place of chaos and to keep cosmic order. One of the roles of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was to do the same.

Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 is always portrayed as having a feather 𓆄𓏺 on her head, whether in reliefs or even in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! You can always tell that an image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is of Maat 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 by looking for the feather 𓆄𓏺!

Maat’s 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 most important role was in the judgement of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The god 𓊹 Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢 would weigh the heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 of the deceased against Maat’s 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 feather 𓆄 to see if they lived a true 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄 and just life 𓋹. If the deceased’s heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 was balanced with the feather 𓆄, they were declared “true of voice 𓐙𓊤,” and could meet Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭.

Also, notice the similarities between all of these words that have to do with Maat – the determinatives are different, which changed the meaning of the word, but they would have been pronounced the same!

𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄 – Truth

𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄𓏜 – Justice

𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁧 – Maat

Tags gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, maat

Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Relief of Anubis

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 14, 2022

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 I am going to be re-sharing one of my absolute favorite reliefs of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣! This relief of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is from a larger limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 piece that was made for Amenemhat I’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓅓𓄂𓏏 “Heb Sed” festival, better known as the 30 𓎆𓎆𓎆 Year Jubilee!

There are so many amazing facts about Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢; I could probably write a book about him! Aptly named, “Lord of the Necropolis 𓎟𓇾𓂦𓈊,” he was guardian of tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 and cemeteries. Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓁢 was the god 𓊹 of mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎, and the title “He who is in the mummy wrappings 𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖“ signifies Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 role in the mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 process, which is what he is most known for.

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 also could act as a guide to souls 𓂓𓂓𓂓 in the Underworld 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐(referenced in the Pyramid Texts of Unas 𓃹𓈖𓇋𓋴). One of his most famous roles is in the Weighing of the Heart, in which the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 person’s heart 𓇋𓃀𓄣 would be weighed against Maat’s 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓁦 feather 𓆄𓏺 by Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣. Basically, Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 played a big role in all aspects of a person’s death 𓅓𓏏𓏱, and death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 was a huge part of the Egyptian religion.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 (the ones above Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 head)! This is part of a much larger inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥!

𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎- He Who is in the Mummy Wrappings – (the first symbol is cut off in my picture, 𓇋𓏶𓅱𓏏𓐎𓊖, but it actually can be written both ways)

𓎟𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Two Lands (we have seen this one many times before – part of the titles of the pharaoh)!

Tags anubis, artifact, gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Video

The Sarcophagus of Senemut

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 13, 2022

This large quartzite oval (that has been reconstructed from over 1200 pieces) is the Sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 of Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼!

There are many interesting things about this sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭! For one, it is actually painted 𓏞𓏜 red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 so it looks more like red quartzite, which is more valuable! Another, is that it is extremely similar to Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 second sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 in terms of composition/rock type, so they must have been quarried at the same time!

The inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the sarcophagus are from various chapters of the Book of the Dead, and many deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 such as Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭, Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, Nephthys 𓉠𓏏𓆇, and Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 all make appearances along with the usual dedications that the deceased would make to these deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹. Unfortunately due to the state the sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 was found in, many of the inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 are now fragmented, but Egyptologists can put together the pieces!

Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼, although not of noble birth, became an extremely important figure during the reign of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 Senemut 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 was Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 closest advisor, the tutor for her daughter Neferure 𓇳𓄤𓄤𓄤, and the architect responsible for building her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐. Some of Senemut’s 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 many titles appear on the sarcophagus as well, such as Steward of Amun, Chief Steward of the King, Overseer of the Treasury, Granary, Fields, Cattle of Amun, a Controller of Works, and so many more!

Tags artifact, hatshepsut, senemut, the met, video

Reading Hieroglyphs

“Given Life”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 12, 2022

“Given Life 𓏙𓋹”

Such a simple and easy phrase, however, this phrase was extremely powerful in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! If you look at inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥, it is literally everywhere! A lot of inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 either started or ended with “Given Life 𓏙𓋹.” Usually, inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 were meant to preserve the name 𓂋𓈖 of the deceased, so their soul 𓂓𓏺 could continue to live on.

My Nonno 𓈖𓍯𓈖𓈖𓍯𓀀 loved ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 and shared his passion with me; he is the reason I’m able to read hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 and is the reasons I have a lifelong passion for the history of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. My Nonno 𓈖𓍯𓈖𓈖𓍯𓀀 gave life 𓏙𓋹 to my passion, and now I am giving life 𓏙𓋹 to his name 𓂋𓈖 and memory.

As Christmas approaches, dealing with the grief of not having Nonno here for a third Christmas has been extremely difficult. Grief can be an overpowering emotion. This morning I had no inspiration to write because while usually going through my pictures and writing helps me handle my grief on a daily basis, this morning that felt impossible until I came across this picture I took.

The simple phrase “Given Life 𓏙𓋹,” that I’ve read thousands of times over the years gave me comfort. It is wild how a phrase uttered and written by people thousands of years ago, can bring comfort to me today. The power of words, language, and ideas never cease to astound me.

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, nonno

Video

Canopic Jars (Video)

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 11, 2022

The Four Sons of Horus were an integral part of ancient Egyptian religion – usually in a funerary aspect.

During the process of mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 (which took about 70 𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆 days), the embalmers removed the internal organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 and placed them in Canopic Jars. Each of the four 𓏽 jars was for one of the major internal organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 and each jar had a different head which represented one of the four Sons of Horus.

Qebehsenuef 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑𓀭 (falcon head) held/protected the intestines 𓈖𓊪𓅮𓄿𓏲𓏼.

Hapi 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓇌𓀭 (baboon head) held/protected the lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺

Duamutef 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑𓀭 (jackal head) held/protected the stomach 𓂋𓄣𓏻

Imseti 𓇋𓅓𓊃𓍿𓀭 (human head) held/protected the liver 𓅓𓊃𓏏𓄹𓏸𓏸𓏸

Tags artifact, gods and goddesses, sons of horus, the met, video

Video

Statue of Imhotep (Video)

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 11, 2022

My Nonno always made a point to make sure we saw Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 in every museum that we went to. It was part of the fun of going to the museum!! After seeing “The Mummy” for the first time when I was about ten 𓎆 years old, I had already known about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 for years from a historical perspective!!

Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪, meaning “He who comes in peace,” was a non-royal man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 who became deified (reached godly status). This is a very rare occurrence, as it was thought by the Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 that the Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 was the only god 𓊹 on the Earth 𓇾𓇾. Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was not deified in his lifetime – it was about 2,000 𓆼𓆼 years after his death 𓅓𓏏𓏱 that he began to be worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 as a god 𓊹.

Not much is known about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 from his lifetime – much information about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 is from Demotic texts or stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪 that were written thousands of years after his death 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 is famous for being an incredible architect and is credited with designing Djoser’s 𓂦 Step Pyramid (aka the first ever pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴) at Memphis 𓏠𓈖𓄤𓆑𓂋𓉴𓊖 (modern day Saqqara). He was also a physician!

Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 is always depicted as a man 𓊃𓀀𓏤 seated in a chair, usually with a piece of papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 in his lap. Much like the god 𓊹 Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱(who he is said to be the son 𓅭 of), he wears a cap on his head. Once you are able to remember what Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 look like, you will be able to recognize them in any museum that you go to!

Tags artifact, imhotep, the met, video

Video

Blue Faience Tiles from Djoser’s Step Pyramid (Video)

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 11, 2022

These blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 tiles decorated the lower levels of Djoser’s 𓂦 Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 Complex. There were over 30,000 tiles used!!! The tiles were meant to represent various types of reeds that covered the walls of Djoser’s 𓂦 palace.

I have always been obsessed with anything having to do with the Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 solely because of Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪. My Nonno always spoke more about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 than Djoser 𓂦! My Nonno always pointed these tiles out to me in the museum. While to most people, the tiles look somewhat insignificant compared to beautifully 𓄤 carved reliefs and statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪, my Nonno always said that these types of tiles were important because they were really only found in the Step Pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 and one of Djoser’s 𓂦 other buildings at Saqqara. The tiles were pretty much a “uniquely Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪” thing according to Nonno!

Tags artifact, djoser, imhotep, the met, video

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