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Egyptian Artifacts

Stela of Sobekhotep

This is the stelaΒ π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰ΈΒ of a man named Sobekhotep π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“ŠͺΒ who was a scribe that worked at a wine cellar! This stelaΒ π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰ΈΒ is dated to the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom) and the reign of Amenhotep IIIΒ π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Š΅π“‹Ύπ“‹†Β (c. 1390-1352 B.C.E.).Β This stela is at the British museum.

The stela π“Ž—𓅱𓆓𓉸 is divided into three 𓏼 different sections. On the top, Sobekhotep π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ and his wife π“‚‘𓏏𓁐 are worshipping Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ (right) and Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 (left). Sobekhotep π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ and his wife π“‚‘𓏏𓁐 have their arms raised, which is how it is interpreted that they are worshipping π“‡Όπ“„Ώπ“€’ those gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ. Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ and Anubis π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣 are the two 𓏻 gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ that are generally worshipped π“‡Όπ“„Ώπ“€’ on funerary stelae π“Ž—𓅱𓆓𓉸π“ͺ because they are the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ most associated with death π“…“𓏏𓏱 and the afterlife π“‡Όπ“„Ώπ“π“‰. 

In the middle section, Sobekhotep π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ, his wife π“‚‘𓏏𓁐 and one daughter 𓅭𓏏 are receiving offerings π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ𓏏𓏔𓏦 presented by four 𓏽 of their sons π“…­π“¦. More sons π“…­π“¦ and daughters π“…­π“π“¦ appear in the scene on the bottom of the stela π“Ž—𓅱𓆓𓉸. The family π“…•π“‰”𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 was an extremely important part of ancient Egyptian π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ life π“‹Ή and culture, as was religion, which is why funerary stelae π“Ž—𓅱𓆓𓉸π“ͺ usually represented both. 

As a side note, I really love Sobekhotep’s π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ name π“‚‹π“ˆ–! 

𓆋 – Sobek

π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ – Hotep (peace, satisfied, etc)

So the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– Sobekhotep π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ can be translated to β€œSobek is satisfied.” Can you find Sobekhotep’s π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ name π“‚‹π“ˆ– on the stela π“Ž—𓅱𓆓𓉸? (Hint: the name usually appears next to the person)!!