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Reading Hieroglyphs

Pylon Shaped Stela of Rameses II

Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

TodayΒ π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³Β we are going to be looking at a β€œPylon Shaped Stela of Rameses II” (c.Β 1279–1213 B.C.E.) at the MET. This piece is made of limestoneΒ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰Β and describes Rameses IIΒ π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ–!Β 

Here is the left two columns:

π“©π“›π“ˆ˜π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ – Rameses II (Birth Name)

𓉑 – Hathor

π“ŽŸπ“ – Lady 

𓆭𓏏 – Sycamore 

𓇔𓏏 – Southern 

π“ŒΊ – Beloved 

Put all together, this inscription reads: β€œRameses II, Beloved of Hathor, Lady of the Southern Sycamore.” 

Here are the right two columns: 

π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– – Rameses II (Throne Name)

𓉑 – Hathor

π“ŽŸπ“ – Lady 

π“‹€π“π“π“ˆŠ – West

π“ŒΊ – Beloved 

Put all together, this inscription reads: β€œRameses II, Beloved of Hathor, Lady of the West.” 

Hathor π“‰‘ has the title β€œLady of the West π“ŽŸπ“π“‹€π“π“π“ˆŠβ€ because of her roles was to provide peace and solace to the souls π“‚“π“‚“π“‚“ of the deceased π“…“𓏏𓏱 as they entered the afterlife π“‡Όπ“„Ώπ“π“‰. Many people obviously associate Hathor π“‰‘ with love, joy π“„«π“π“„£, music π“‰”π“‡Œπ“†Έ etc, but she was also a prominent funerary goddess π“ŠΉπ“! 

Hathor π“‰‘ has the title β€œLady of the Southern Sycamore π“ŽŸπ“π“†­π“π“‡”𓏏” or just β€œLady of the Sycamore π“ŽŸπ“π“ˆ–𓉔𓏏𓆭” because the sycamore tree π“ˆ–𓉔𓏏𓆭 was one of the native trees in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, and it grew at the edge of the desert π“…Ÿπ“‚‹π“π“ˆŠ! This would put it near necropolises, tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦ etc, so it was associated with the dead π“…“𓏏𓏱! Hathor π“‰‘ was considered one of the tree goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“, along with Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ and Nut π“Œπ“π“‡―π“€­.