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Reading Hieroglyphs

False Door of Metjetji

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to be looking at a section of a False Door from the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of an official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 named Metjetji 𓅓𓍿𓍿𓇋. Metjetji 𓅓𓍿𓍿𓇋 lived during the Fifth or Sixth Dynasties (Old Kingdom) during the reign 𓈎𓏏𓋾 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Unas 𓃹𓈖𓇋𓋴 or slightly later. 

False Door of Metjetji
The False Door of Metjetji which contains a list of offerings for his use in the afterlife.

On the False Door, we see Metjetji 𓅓𓍿𓍿𓇋 on the left sitting in front of an offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃. The offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅡𓄿𓋃 seems to have a lot of jars on it! The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 that we see are a part of the offering formula! 

Fun fact: usually the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of the person is facing the same way as the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!  Since the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 (and also Metjetji 𓅓𓍿𓍿𓇋) are pointing to the right, we will start reading the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 from the right! Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are always read from top to bottom, so we will read that way as well!  

This is a list of all of the things that Metjetji 𓅓𓍿𓍿𓇋 needs in order to sustain him in the afterlife! 

𓇓𓏏𓀻 – King’s Nobleman/King’s Gentleman

𓅓𓍿𓍿𓇋 – Metjetji

𓆼𓏐- A thousand bread

𓆼𓃾 – A thousand ox 

𓆼𓅿 – A thousand fowl 

𓆼𓍲 – A thousand alabaster (I think this is a mistake – it should be “𓍱” and not “𓍲”)

𓆼𓋲 – A thousand linen 

𓆼𓏖 – A thousand round loafs of bread

𓆼𓏊 – A thousand beer

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

@ancientegyptblog