Month: September 2022

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Shabti Spell

We are going to be taking a (virtual) trip to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳! As many of you know, I love ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures, so let’s take a closer look at this one! 

The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the 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. Many people (if they could afford it) were buried with at least 365 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏾 ushabti 𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures – one for each day of the year! Some were buried with even more! 

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

𓋴𓌉𓆓𓇶 – The Illuminated One

𓁹𓊨𓀭 – The Osiris

(Look at the first line of text on the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 and start reading from the right!)

However, my favorite part of this ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figure is that the word “𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 shabti” appears very clearly on the piece! It is part of the spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 that says: “O these shabtis, if you are counted, to do all the works to be done there in the realm of the dead.” 

Can you find “𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾” on the piece in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏? 

There are a bunch of different ways to write “ushabti” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Just like in other languages, we can use the words “shabti” and “ushabti” to denote the same figures!

𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾

𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 (shortened version)

𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Majestic Hatshepsut!

What a majestic view! 

This large red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is not in the “Hatshepsut Gallery” (as I like to call it) at the MET – in fact, she is right next to the Temple of Dendur! Dendur is located in Nubia, and is just south 𓇔𓅱𓏏 of Aswan 𓋴𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏲𓊖. 

I find the location of the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 an interesting placement in the museum because the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 and the sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 are from two 𓏻very different time periods in Egyptian history. The temple of Dendur was built by Augustus 𓉐𓉻𓀀 and building was completed by 10 B.C.E.,  while Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 ruled 𓋾 during the New Kingdom. This sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 was sculpted during the joint reign 𓋾 of Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 and Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 c.1479–1458 B.C.E.

The Sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 was one of six 𓏿 large sphinxes 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦 that would have lined her temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Deir el-Bahri. It is made of red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶, which was mined at Aswan 𓋴𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏲𓊖 and then transported ~500 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 miles up the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. Red Granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 is a super dense rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 so this was not an easy task! 

This is a large and absolutely beautiful 𓄤 piece in real life. Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is depicted wearing the nemes 𓈖𓅓𓋴 head cloth and the false beard – typical fashion for a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! The sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 was a very popular way for a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 to be represented, and this practice occurred for thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of years. While the most famous sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 is the great sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 of Khafre 𓇳𓈍𓆑 at Giza, there are so many other wonderful sphinxes too 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏦! 

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Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphic Offering Vessel

This is a “Hieroglyphic Offering Vessel” that is dated to c. 3,000 B.C.E.! For some context, the unification of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 took place c. 3,100 B.C.E., and this period was known as the Early Dynastic Period. 

In Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, especially during this time period, the distinction between art and writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 was almost interchangeable – so much so that sometimes it is hard to tell if images 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 are hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, drawings or even both! 

This Offering Vessel is a combination of two 𓏻 hieroglyphic symbols 𓊹𓌃𓏪: the ankh 𓋹 and the ka 𓂓. So, let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

The “Ankh,” is a triliteral phonogram that has the sound “ˁnḫ” which would sound like “ankh.” Although it can be an ideogram for “sandal strap” and “mirror,” the “sandal strap 𓋹” is much more commonly seen as the word for “Life.” 

The “two arms 𓂓” symbol is a biliteral phonogram that represents the sound “k3,” which would be pronounced like “ka.” This is the symbol for the word “soul.” The ka 𓂓 was the soul or life force of a person. 

So how do life 𓋹, soul 𓂓 and this Offering Vessel all connect to each other? Together 𓈖𓊗, the life 𓋹 and soul 𓂓 form an essential relationship between the living 𓋹𓈖𓐍 and the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Even if the person is dead, the ka 𓂓 still requires nourishment in the form of food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 and drink. This Offering Vessel allows the ka 𓂓 to receive water 𓈗, so it can continue to live on. 

Essentially, the vessel allows for the ka 𓂓 to continue to receive offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 so it can continue to be sustained! It’s always amazing to me how Egyptian funerary beliefs didn’t really change over time, they just continued to evolve, for example, into False Doors and Offering Tables 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃𓏪! 

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Egyptian Artifacts

Hathor – the Beautiful Cow!

Is this a beautiful woman 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐 or a cow 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒?! The answer is both because this image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 from The Book of the Dead of Imhotep (at the MET) is of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡 in her cow 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒 form!

Hathor 𓉡 is one of the most prominent goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏 of the Egyptian pantheon, and her roles evolved over time. Along with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥, she is regarded as the “divine mother” of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, but is also the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of love, joy 𓄫𓏏𓄣, music 𓉔𓇌𓆸 (she was often depicted on sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪), and dance – basically the fun things in life 𓋹! Hathor is also mentioned as the the wife 𓂑𓏏𓁐 of Horus 𓅃𓀭, and the daughter 𓅭𓏏of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛, though through times some of these relations have changed/evolved. 

The name 𓂋𓈖 “Hathor 𓉡“ in Middle Egyptian translates to “House of Horus” which links Hathor 𓉡 to the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 (because the sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 is where Horus 𓅃𓀭 dwells). Absorbing the roles of pre-dynastic deities, Hathor was associated with both the night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛 sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 and the Milky Way Galaxy 𓄟𓋴𓈎𓏏𓈊. 

Another function that Hathor 𓉡 possessed that  not many are aware of was that she was also a prominent funerary goddess 𓊹𓏏! One of her roles was to provide peace and solace to the souls 𓂓𓂓𓂓 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 as they entered the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. She was referred to as “Mistress of the West,” and could be found welcoming the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 with fresh water 𓈗. She also earned the title “Lady of the Sycamore,” and was also seen as a tree 𓆭𓅓𓆭 goddess 𓊹𓏏. 

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Egyptian Artifacts

Faience Cosmetic Box

This is a blue-green 𓇅𓆓𓏛 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 cosmetic box at the MET that is in the shape of a column. While the exact date of the box is unknown, this type of column style was popular during the Ptolemaic Period (c. 664-300 B.C.E.), hence why archaeologists think it is from that time period. The reason why the date of the cosmetic box is undetermined is because finding boxes like this is very rare! 

These type of cosmetic boxes (where two 𓏻 pieces are attached by a peg that allows it to swing open and closed) are more commonly found in the shape of spoons or boxes and are usually dated to the New Kingdom. The stains on the inside of this box indicate that it may have contained ointment 𓌸𓎛𓏏𓎯𓃋 at one point! 

While many noble people𓃝𓏤𓀻𓀻𓀻/aristocrats would have had cosmetic boxes, this one is believed to have been used in a temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 ritual due to the fact that it looks like a column from a temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐! 

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Reading Hieroglyphs

“Life, Stability, and Strength” in Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a popular inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥! This inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 is on an ostracon, which is basically either a broken piece of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 (in this case), pottery 𓏠𓈖𓇋𓏋, a rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙, etc. that was used for drawing/writing practice 𓋴𓅓𓄧𓏜. You can definitely tell that this was practice 𓋴𓅓𓄧𓏜 because you can still see the red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 grid lines on the limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉! The grid lines were really important because it allowed the artist to draw out the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 evenly, so everything was the same size!

I have definitely spoken about this phrase before, but let’s take a closer look! 

𓋹 – Life 

𓊽 – Stability 

𓌀 – Strength 

The “sandal strap 𓋹” more commonly known as the “Ankh,” is a triliteral phonogram that has the sound “ˁnḫ” which would sound like “ankh.” Should it can be an ideogram for “sandal strap” and “mirror,” the “sandal strap 𓋹” is much more commonly seen as the word for “Life.” 

The “reed column 𓊽” more commonly known as the “Djed Pillar” is a biliteral phonogram that has the sound “ḏd” which sounds like “Djed.” It also functions as an ideogram for “Stability,” like in the inscription above. The Djed Pillar 𓊽 is thought to represent the spine of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭. 

The “animal headed staff 𓌀” is a triliteral phonogram that represents the sounds “w3s,” which would probably be pronounced like “was.” The symbol functions as an ideogram for the word “staff,” but most of the time, you will see it represent the word “Strength.” 

This common phrase “𓋹𓊽𓌀” is seen everywhere, and a lot of the times appears as “𓏙𓋹𓊽𓌀 – Given Life, Stability and Strength” or “𓏙𓋹𓊽𓌀𓆖 – Given Life, Stability and Strength for Eternity.” This phrase was so popular because it held a lot of meaning in ancient Egyptian culture/religion! This phrase is almost like a blessing, ensuring that the person being spoken about in the inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 is all of these qualities! This phrase can be used with both the living 𓋹𓈖𓐍 and the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱!

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Reading Hieroglyphs

“May He Be Foremost…” in Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at an inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 from a Middle Kingdom relief from the reign 𓋾 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Montuhotep II 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 (c. 2010-2000 B.C.E.). 

The inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 reads: 𓃺𓈖𓆑𓏅. Let’s break this down! 

𓃺𓈖 – Be (could also mean “Exist”) (sounds like “wn”)

𓆑 – He (sounds like “f”)

𓏅 – Foremost (could also be “In Front Of”)  (sounds like ḫnt)

So the translation of 𓃺𓈖𓆑𓏅 would be “May He Be Foremost…” or “May He Be In Front Of.” The name 𓂋𓈖 of a deity 𓊹 or other religious figure (such as soul 𓂓) would usually follow, but that part of the relief is cut off! 

By itself, the word “𓃺𓈖𓆑” can actually mean “to be glad” or “to be happy” – the last symbol at the end changes the meaning of the phrase! 

The word “foremost 𓏅” can also be written as “𓄂𓏏” – “𓄂𓏏” can also be translated as “best.” 

Just like any language, in Middle Egyptian there can be two different ways to write/say the same word or one single word can have multiple meanings!

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Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Relief of Two Baboons

This is a sunken limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 relief from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c. 400–200 B.C.E.). There’s a lot going on here in such a small space! Let’s take a look! 

Two 𓏻 baboons are offering Wedjat Eyes 𓂀𓂀 to the god 𓊹 Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛, who is depicted as the scarab 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣. Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 represents the “newborn sun” (sun at dawn). On the relief, Khepri 𓆣𓂋𓇋𓁛 is holding the star “𓇽,” which is the sign for the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 (Underworld/Afterlife), and beneath him is a sun disc 𓇳𓏺 with sun rays 𓆄𓅱𓇶 extending downward. 

The baboons in this relief are most likely associated with the god 𓊹 Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭, who was often depicted as a baboon. The reason why they seem to be associated with Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 is because of the Wedjat Eyes 𓂀𓂀 they are holding and also by the shen rings 𓍶𓍶 they are wearing on their heads. The shen rings 𓍶𓍶 are thought to represent the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹, and since Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 is god 𓊹 of the moon 𓇋𓂝𓎛𓇹, he is commonly associated with this symbol!

The wedjat 𓂀 or the “Eye of Horus” is representative of the eye 𓁹𓏏𓏤 that Horus 𓅃𓀭 lost when battling Seth 𓊃𓏏𓄡𓁣. Thoth 𓅤𓀭 restored Horus’ 𓅃𓀭 eye, however, the single Eye of Horus became a symbol of rebirth or healing 𓋴𓈖𓃀𓏜.

The Shen ring 𓍶 symbol is a circle of rope that is tied at the end. The tied rope symbolizes completeness, infinity/eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛, and is also a symbol of protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜.

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Egyptian Artifacts

Sekhmet and Ptah – the Unlikely Pair!

This piece at the MET is from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c. 664–30 B.C.E.) is tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 so of course I love it!!

This small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 piece of metal depicts the deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐. Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 are super interesting mythological figures in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 because they were some of the oldest deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that were worshipped for thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of years! 

Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was known as the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of war, the destructive aspects of the sun 𓇳𓏺 (such as the desert 𓅟𓂋𓏏𓈊 heat), could bring on plagues, and was associated with kingship. In the Book of the Dead, Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 is referred to as “The Master Architect,” and “Framer of Everything in the Universe” due to his role in “speaking” the world 𓇾𓇾 into creation! 

If Sekhmet’s 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 power was uncontrolled, she could pose major problems for Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. For example, when Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was sent by her father Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 to punish the human race for rebelling against him, she lost control and had to be stopped by Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 before she eradicated all of humanity! Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 tricked her into thinking that pomegranate juice was blood and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 drank so much she fell asleep! In one version of the myth, when she wakes up, the first thing she sees is Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and instantly falls in love with him! 

The love affair between Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 us very interesting in a mythological sense because Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 represents creation while Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 can represent total destruction! Their son 𓅭, Nefertem 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯, is the god 𓊹 of healing. The union of creation and destruction created healing and thus re-established “Ma’at” (truth 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄/justice 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄𓏜) in the world 𓇾𓇾! 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The Amarna Letters

The “Amarna Letters” is the modern designation for a group of over 300 𓏲𓏲𓏲 clay tablets that were found at Tell el-Amarna, Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 in the 1880s. Amarna as it is commonly called, is the modern name for “Akhetaten 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖.” “Akhetaten 𓈌𓏏𓉐𓇋𓏏𓈖𓊖” was the capital of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 during the reign 𓋾 of Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖. 

The “Amarna Letters” are written on clay tablets in cuneiform script, which was a type of Mesopotamian script! Cuneiform could be used to write many languages, but the language on the “Amarna Letters’” tablets is Akkadian. This is significant because it shows the reach that cuneiform/Akkadian had throughout the ancient world! Akkadian was probably the lingua franca (common language/trade language) of the time! 

Most of the letters are written from rulers outside of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, and they document diplomatic relations between these territories and Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. This particular Amarna Letter that is pictured is from Abi-milku of Tyre to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖 . Abi-milku was asking Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 for protection in return for his loyalty to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Akhenaten 𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓅜𓐍𓈖!