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Reading Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphs from the Abydos King List!

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

These beautiful π“„€ hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ are from the Abydos King List at the British Museum. There are two 𓏻 surviving King Lists from temples π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰π“ͺ at Abydos, the cult center of Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­. One temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ is from Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠, and the other from his son π“…­ Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“œπ“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“Šƒ, who were both pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯ during the 19th Dynasty. Seti I’s 𓇳𓁦𓏠 list is still in the temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ at Abydos, while Rameses II’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“œπ“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“Šƒ was excavated and brought to the British Museum.Β 

While the two 𓏻 lists were very similar, Rameses II’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“œπ“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“Šƒ had more rows to accommodate the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ so it appears to be shorter. There are three 𓏼 rows of cartouches on the remaining limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ relief – the upper two 𓏻 rows contain the cartouches of earlier pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯, while the bottom row shows Rameses II’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“œπ“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“Šƒ throne name and birth name alternating – this is the part we will be reading today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! We are going to start from the right!

π“…“π“‚žπ“‚ž – By Permission Of

𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra

π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“œπ“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“Šƒ – Rameses II, Beloved of Amun (birth name)

π“…“π“‚žπ“‚ž – By Permission Of

π“†₯ – King of Upper and Lower Egypt

π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– Rameses II (β€œUsermaatre” throne name)

π“…“π“‚žπ“‚ž – By Permission Of

𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra

π“©π“ˆ˜π“œπ“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“ – Rameses II (birth name variant)

β€œBy Permission Of π“…“π“‚žπ“‚žβ€ is meant to signify that Rameses II π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– commissioned the creation of this King List! It’s also cool how different variants of the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– were used throughout the relief!

The point of the King Lists was not to preserve history for future generations, rather the main objective was to glorify the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ, and as we know, pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯ were considered gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ on Earth. These lists allowed Seti I 𓇳𓁦𓏠 and Rameses II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ˆ˜π“œπ“Ίπ“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“Šƒ to assert their legitimacy amongst the old pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯ of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–.