Month: September 2023

The Four Sons of Horus on a Sarcophagus

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 8, 2023

This beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 at the Brooklyn Museum shows the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Nephthys 𓎟𓏏𓉗𓏏𓆇 with the Four Sons of Horus! The Four Sons of Horus were an integral part of ancient Egyptian religion – usually in a funerary aspect so it makes sense that they would appear on a sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭!

The Four Sons of Horus usually appeared as the lids of canopic jars, which were the jars used to store the organs 𓇋𓂧𓂋𓄹𓏦 of a deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 person during the mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎 process. When they appears as amulets 𓊐𓊪𓅆𓏪 or on sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏥, the Four Sons of Horus served as protectors 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱.

The Four Sons of Horus are easy to recognize because they usually appear together in funerary art! Another way to recognize them is by reading their names 𓂋𓈖𓏦!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Something interesting about this sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 is the way the names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 of the Four Sons of Horus are spelled! The spellings of the names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 here are some interesting variants that aren’t seen too often! We will start reading from the left!

Hapi 𓐑𓊪𓇌(can also be spelled 𓎛𓐑𓊪𓇌𓀭) had the head of a baboon and he protected the lungs 𓊃𓌴𓄥𓅱𓄺.

Imseti 𓐝𓊃𓍿 (can also be spelled 𓇋𓅓𓊃𓍿𓀭/𓇋𓐝𓋴𓍘𓇋 ) had the head of a human and he protected the liver 𓅓𓊃𓏏𓄹𓏸𓏸𓏸.

Duamutef 𓇼𓂟𓅐𓏏𓈖𓆑(can also be spelled 𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑𓀭/𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑) had the head of a jackal and he protected the stomach 𓂋𓄣𓏻.

Qebehsenuef 𓏁𓈖𓈖𓈖𓌢𓏏𓏥𓆑(can also be spelled 𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑𓀭) had the head of a Falcon and he protected the intestines 𓈖𓊪𓅮𓄿𓏲𓏼.

Can you spot all of the names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 in the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖?

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, nephthys, sons of horus

Egyptian Artifacts

Lord of the Nine Bows

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 6, 2023

Did you know that Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 was referred to as the “Lord 𓎟 of the Nine Bows 𓐀𓏺𓏏” in certain religious texts? The most famous example of the use of this title for Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is from the Pyramid Texts! Let’s take a closer look at what this means!

The “nine bows 𓐀𓏺𓏏” was a phrase that was used to refer to the enemies of Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. Egyptologists and historians actually still don’t know the exact countries or territories were represented by the nine bows 𓐀𓏺𓏏, but they are agreed to be foreign lands.

Anubis, the Lord of the Nine Bows on a scarab/seal on display at the MET.

In statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪, pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏥 can be depicted standing on nine bows 𓐀𓏺𓏏, however on scarabs 𓐍𓊪𓂋𓂋𓆣𓏪 or seals such as this one pictured, the nine bows 𓐀𓏺𓏏 are represented by the images of nine captives with their hands tied behind their backs. A recumbent jackal (aka Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣) is seen presiding over the nine captives.

Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 is most commonly known as the god 𓊹 of mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎, however, in many early myths he had proven himself in battle hence why he was given the title “Lord 𓎟 of the Nine Bows 𓐀𓏺𓏏.”

Seals such as these were popular in the Theban necropolis during the 18th Dynasty. This is such a small piece, but one that contains so much meaning. I of course love it because I look for any representation of Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 that I can find!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok

Tags anubis, artifact, gods and goddesses, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

Scribes in Ancient Egypt

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 5, 2023

Happy first day of school to all of us in New York!! To celebrate, let’s learn about scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪!

A beautiful statue of a scribe on display at the Louvre in Paris, France

Scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 were very highly regarded in ancient Egyptian society. Due to the complexity of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪/hieratic, those who were able to master it were extremely valued. Scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 recorded magic spells, wills and other legal contracts, medical procedures, and tax records. Scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 also helped to preserve Egyptian culture throughout time. They were considered part of the royal court and did not have to serve in the military because their job as a scribe 𓏟𓀀 was so essential.

It took almost ten 𓎆 years for a person to complete scribal training and children started school as young as five 𓏾 years old. Though most scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 are shown to be men 𓊃𓀀𓏤, there is archaeological evidence that some girls also attended school and learned to read. Most boys inherited the job of scribe 𓏟𓀀 from their father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 as is the same with other occupations in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖.

Fun fact: it took me about six 𓏿 years to really master reading hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Even though I’ve been practicing/reading them for over 25 𓎆𓎆𓏾 years now, I’m still learning every single day – that’s the beauty of learning a language! The learning is never complete!

There were also many different types of scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, and their roles were usually designated by titles written on funerary objects 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 such as stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏦!

𓏞 – Scribe

𓏟𓀀 – Scribe

𓇓𓏞 – King’s Scribe / Royal Scribe / King’s Secretary

𓏞𓐎𓏛 – Scribe of Accounts

𓏞𓊹𓉗𓏏𓉐 – Scribe of the Temple

𓏞𓎘𓎛𓏲𓏋𓏫 – Scribe of the Offering Table

𓏞𓉒 – Scribe of the Treasury

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok

Tags artifact, louvre, scribe

Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of the Scribe and Architect Kha

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 4, 2023

I was inspired by a video that @egyptologylessons posted on TikTok to write about this piece! This beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is called “The Sculpted Statue of the Scribe and Architect Kha 𓈍𓂡𓀼” and it is currently on display at the @museoegizio in Torino, Italy. My Nonno took this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 during one of his trips to the Museo Egizio!

A display at the Museo Egizio showing the Statue of the Scribe and Architect Kha

Kha 𓈍𓂡𓀼 was a scribe 𓏟𓀀 and the royal architect under the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Thutmosis IV 𓇳𓏠𓆣𓏼 (18th Dynasty) and he lived in Deir el-Medina. Kha’s titles included “Head of the Great Place 𓄿𓏏𓊨𓏏𓉐𓉻𓏏𓏛,” “Overseer of the Works 𓅓𓂋𓂓𓏏𓀋 in the Great House 𓉐𓉻” and “Royal Scribe 𓇓𓏞.”

Fun Fact!!! Did you know that the “Great Place 𓄿𓏏𓊨𓏏𓉐𓉻𓏏𓏛” is how the ancient Egyptians referred to the Valley of the Kings?

Kha’s 𓈍𓂡𓀼 high rank as an official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 allowed for him to have an elaborate burial for himself – most Egyptians would not have been able to afford something like this!

What strikes me most about Kha’s 𓈍𓂡𓀼 tomb 𓇋𓇩𓊃𓉐 is how these wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 objects (the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 and the chair 𓎛𓊨𓏏𓆱) are so well preserved! Wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 is organic and can decay very quickly even Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! The flower 𓁷𓂋𓂋𓏏𓆰 collar 𓃀𓏲𓃀𓏲 around the neck of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is even still there – that’s so remarkable!

I also love how the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures are included in this display! The ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures are made out of steatite 𓅮𓈎𓏏𓈒𓊌 which is a very durable type of stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok

Tags artifact, museo egizio

Reading Hieroglyphs

Bronze Blade With Hatshepsut’s Name

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 1, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on this Bronze Blade with Hatshepsut’s name!

Bronze Blade with Hatshepsut’s name in the hieroglyphic inscription at the Petrie Museum

While it doesn’t look like much, this piece is actually a bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦 blade 𓅓𓂧𓈖𓐍𓋴 that was once attached to a handle. This was one of my favorite objects that I saw at the Petrie Museum because it has Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 throne name on it!

I also think this piece is unpublished, so it was a total surprise for me to see that it even existed! Since her name 𓂋𓈖appears on the blade 𓅓𓂧𓈖𓐍𓋴, it means that it was most certainly made during Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 time as pharaoh 𓉐𓉻.

Let’s take a closer look at the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓄤𓊹 – Great God

(𓇳𓁦𓂓) – Maatkare (Hatshepsut’s Throne Name which translates to “Truth 𓁦 is the Soul 𓂓 of Re 𓇳.”)

𓇋𓏠𓈖 – Amun

𓏃 – Foremost

𓂦𓂦𓉐- Holiest of Holies (the name given to Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahri. It can also be written as 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐).

𓌺𓇌 – Beloved

Put together, the inscription reads: 𓄤𓊹(𓇳𓁦𓂓)𓇋𓏠𓈖𓏃𓂦𓂦𓉐𓌺𓇌 “The Great God Maatkare, Beloved of Amun, Foremost of the Holiest of Holies.”

Interestingly, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is referred to as “The Great God 𓄤𓊹” instead of the “Great Goddess 𓄤𓊹𓏏” as she usually is in inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥. Certain inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 towards the later part of her reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 did sometimes omit the feminine ending of the word, so this might mean the blade 𓅓𓂧𓈖𓐍𓋴 is from the late part of her rule 𓋾𓈎𓏏. Or this could just be a spacing issue – the blade 𓅓𓂧𓈖𓐍𓋴 is small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 so maybe not all of the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 could fit!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.

@ancientegyptblog

Tags artifact, hatshepsut, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, petrie museum

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