Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Doorjamb from a Temple of Rameses II

This large piece at the MET is referred to as a β€œDoorjamb from a Temple of Rameses II.” Basically, that means these blocks came from a gateway at a temple that was built in honor of one of Rameses II’sΒ π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ–Β royal jubilees.Β 

The offering scene that is on the doorjamb is Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– making an offering to the god π“ŠΉ Ptah-Tatanen π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“―, who was the patron god π“ŠΉ of the jubilee. Ptah-Tatanen π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“― is a combination of the deities π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± (the creator god π“ŠΉ) and Tatanen 𓁯, a lesser known deity who was the personification of the primordial mound that rose during the Egyptian creation myth. Tatanen 𓁯 is often compared to Geb π“…­π“ƒ€π“€­ (the god π“ŠΉ of the Earth π“‡Ύπ“‡Ύ), however Tatanen 𓁯 is often associated with things that come from the interior of the Earth π“‡Ύπ“‡Ύ such as minerals, rocks π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™π“¦, and plants π“†Ύπ“†°π“†°π“†°! 

So Geb π“…­π“ƒ€π“€­ is the Earth’s π“‡Ύπ“‡Ύ surface (The Upper Earth), while Tatanen 𓁯 is the Earth’s π“‡Ύπ“‡Ύ interior (The Lower Earth)! As a geologist, I love how the ancient Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ were able to make this distinction between the spheres of the Earth π“‡Ύπ“‡Ύ in their mythology! They also recognized the atmosphere (another sphere of the Earth π“‡Ύπ“‡Ύ) as the god π“ŠΉ Shu π“†„π“…±π“€­! It’s all so impressive to me! 

Ptah-Tatanen π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“― in hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ is broken down like this: 

π“Šͺπ“π“Ž› – Ptah (spelled out with phonogram symbols)

𓁯 – Tatanen (the determinative/ideogram)

Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± determinative was basically replaced with the determinative for Tatanen 𓁯 to make the god’s π“ŠΉ name π“‚‹π“ˆ–! 

Can you spot Ptah-Tatanen π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“― in the inscription on the doorjamb???

(Also Rameses III’s π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“ˆ˜π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ– cartouches appear on this too on the bottom of the doorjamb – he clearly usurped this piece for his own use and didn’t change all of the cartouches!)