The Four Sons of Horus were an integral part of ancient Egyptian religion – usually in a funerary aspect.
During the process of mummification ๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐ (which took about 70 ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ days), the embalmers removed the internal organs ๐๐ง๐๐น๐ฆ and placed them in Canopic Jars. Each of the four ๐ฝ jars was for one of the major internal organs ๐๐ง๐๐น๐ฆ and each jar had a different head which represented one of the four Sons of Horus.
Qebehsenuef ๐๐ข๐ข๐ข๐๐ญ (falcon head) held/protected the intestines ๐๐ช๐ ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ผ.
Hapi ๐๐๐ช๐๐ญ (baboon head) held/protected the lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ
Duamutef ๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐ญ (jackal head) held/protected the stomach ๐๐ฃ๐ป
Imseti ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ญ (human head) held/protected the liver ๐ ๐๐๐น๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
My Nonno always made a point to make sure we saw Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช in every museum that we went to. It was part of the fun of going to the museum!! After seeing โThe Mummyโ for the first time when I was about ten ๐ years old, I had already known about Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช for years from a historical perspective!!
Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช, meaning โHe who comes in peace,โ was a non-royal man ๐๐๐ค who became deified (reached godly status). This is a very rare occurrence, as it was thought by the Egyptians ๐๐๐๐๐ช that the Pharaoh ๐๐ป was the only god ๐น on the Earth ๐พ๐พ. Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช was not deified in his lifetime – it was about 2,000 ๐ผ๐ผ years after his death ๐ ๐๐ฑ that he began to be worshipped ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ข as a god ๐น.
Not much is known about Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช from his lifetime – much information about Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช is from Demotic texts or stelae ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ๐ช that were written thousands of years after his death ๐ ๐๐ฑ.
Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช is famous for being an incredible architect and is credited with designing Djoserโs ๐ฆ Step Pyramid (aka the first ever pyramid ๐๐ ๐๐ด) at Memphis ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ด๐ (modern day Saqqara). He was also a physician!
Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช is always depicted as a man ๐๐๐ค seated in a chair, usually with a piece of papyrus ๐ ๐๐๐ in his lap. Much like the god ๐น Ptah ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ(who he is said to be the son ๐ ญ of), he wears a cap on his head. Once you are able to remember what Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช statues ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช look like, you will be able to recognize them in any museum that you go to!
These blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ tiles decorated the lower levels of Djoserโs ๐ฆ Step Pyramid ๐๐ ๐๐ด Complex. There were over 30,000 tiles used!!! The tiles were meant to represent various types of reeds that covered the walls of Djoserโs ๐ฆ palace.
I have always been obsessed with anything having to do with the Step Pyramid ๐๐ ๐๐ด solely because of Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช. My Nonno always spoke more about Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ช than Djoser ๐ฆ! My Nonno always pointed these tiles out to me in the museum. While to most people, the tiles look somewhat insignificant compared to beautifully ๐ค carved reliefs and statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช, my Nonno always said that these types of tiles were important because they were really only found in the Step Pyramid ๐๐ ๐๐ด and one of Djoserโs ๐ฆ other buildings at Saqqara. The tiles were pretty much a โuniquely Imhotep ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ชโ thing according to Nonno!
To celebrate the 100 ๐ฒ year anniversary of the discovery of Pharaoh Tutankhamunโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ (11/4/1922), here is a closer look at the head of a statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ of Tutankhamun ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐!
While to most this statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ head may seem anti-climatic after seeing the Temple of Dendur, I have always loved it because it is a portrait of Pharaoh Tutankhamun ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐. As a kid, seeing King Tut in the MET was just SO COOL. I still think itโs cool – even though Iโm an adult, I still canโt shake the child-like fascination I have with Tutankhamun ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐
This limestone ๐๐๐๐ statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ was made during Tutankhamunโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ reign (18th Dynasty), and it shows that Tutankhamun ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ brought back the old religion and traditional styles of Egyptian art and sculpture.
The hand ๐ง๐๐บ that can be seen on the back of Tutankhamunโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ head is the hand ๐ง๐๐บ of the god ๐น Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ. Since Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ (king of the gods ๐น๐น๐น) is touching Tutankhamunโs crown, it can be interpreted that Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ approved of Tutankhamunโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ reign.
This gold ๐๐๐๐ statuette ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ of the god ๐น Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ is so beautiful ๐ค to see in person! In the picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ the statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ looks large but it is only about 7 inches (~18cm) tall! This statue is dated to the 22nd Dynasty (c. 945โ712 B.C.E.). While the artistic features of the statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ definitely reflect this Third Intermediate Period, there are some callbacks to the 18th Dynasty artistic styles (the facial features in particular).ย
This solid gold ๐๐๐๐ statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ is a very rare example of the statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช that filled the sanctuaries of the temples ๐๐๐. There is a trace of a loop on Amunโs ๐๐ ๐๐ญ crown, which means that this statuette ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ could have been worn by a priest ๐น๐ or by another statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ. Or, the statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ could have been mounted on top of a scepter or standard. The exact use is speculation right now! The color of gold ๐๐๐๐ was often associated with the sun ๐๐ ฑ๐ถ, and the skin of the gods ๐น๐น๐น were thought to be made of gold ๐๐๐๐.
Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ is depicted with his flat topped crown, with the characteristic feathers ๐๐๐ having been lost in antiquity. He is wearing the false beard, and is carrying the Ankh ๐น, a symbol of life ๐น๐๐, in his hand. In the other hand he carries a scimitar ๐๐บ, which in temple reliefs, Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ is usually seen presenting to the pharaoh ๐๐ป. This gift of a scimitar ๐๐บ is usually meant to ensure military victories!
The god ๐น Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ gained popularity during the Middle Kingdom, however, it was during the New Kingdom (18th Dynasty in particular) that Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ became the most important/most prominent god ๐น in the Egyptian pantheon. Amun ๐๐ ๐๐ญ had many different roles and was worshipped ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ข as a creator god, solar god, fertility god, warrior god, and king of the gods. Amunโs ๐๐ ๐๐ญ is also considered the โuniversal godโ meaning that his power permeated the cosmos and all that the cosmos contained!
Priests ๐น๐๐ช and the Priesthood ๐น๐๐๐๐ญ๐ผ๐ were important roles in Egyptian society because religion was so central to life ๐น๐๐ and death ๐ ๐๐ฑ in ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐. However, priests ๐น๐๐ช did not preach to the public – their main role was to care for the gods ๐น๐น๐น in the temples. The priesthood ๐น๐๐๐๐ญ๐ผ๐ was established during the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 B.C.E.) and became more developed during the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 B.C.E.). The Sem Priests ๐ด๐ ceased to exist in the New Kingdom forward.
Throughout inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ, we are used to seeing the word for priest/high priest as โ๐น๐โ which literally translates to โGodโs Servant.โ However, in the Old and Middle Kingdoms, there were special priests ๐น๐๐ช who were referred to as โSemโ ๐ด๐ priests.
The Sem Priests ๐ด๐ were the priests who were responsible for the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony ๐๐๐๐บ. The Sem Priests ๐ด๐ performed this while dressed in leopard ๐๐๐๐ฎ skin robes, and this ceremony is what allowed the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ to be able to speak, see, hear, eat and drink in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐. The Sem Priests ๐ด๐ were also responsible for mummification ๐ด๐ง๐๐ ฑ๐; so they embalmed the corpse and recited all of the spells ๐๐๐๐ฆ while wrapping the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ.
The word we see here in the inscription, ๐ด๐ ๐ก, is a title that the Sem Priests ๐ด๐ had, and can even be a variant way to write just Sem Priest ๐ด๐ .
Sem Priest ๐ด๐ can also be written with a determinative, and can be spelled as: ๐ด๐ ๐, ๐ด๐ ๐, ๐ด๐ ๐ผ.
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to look at a word that sometimes pops up in inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ! These hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช are from a Middle Kingdom relief which is dated to the reign ๐พ๐๐ of the pharaoh ๐๐ป Montuhotep II ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ ฑ๐ต๐๐ช (c. 2010-2000 B.C.E.).ย
This simple word (or phrase in English) โ๐๐๐กโ could mean either โbelongs to me,โ โmine,โ or โon my part.โ
The โripple of water ๐โ is a uniliteral phonogram sign, which means it has the sound of a single consonant. The โ๐โ is associated with the sound of โn!โ The ๐ has many grammatical functions on its own, and it can mean โto,โ โof,โ โfor,โ โwe/us/our,โ โin,โ โbecause,โ โthrough,โ and some others! How do we know which word it is? Context clues!
The โBasket with a Handle ๐กโ symbol is also a uniliteral phonogram that has the sound of โk.โ A lot of people get this one confused with just the โbasket ๐โ symbol which is a biliteral phonogram that has the sound โnb.โ These are very different symbols with different meanings so try not to confuse the two!
Another way to write โ๐๐๐กโ in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช is โ๐๐๐ก๐๐,โ which is a more uncommon variant.
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to look at the โKing with a White Crown and Flail ๐ดโ symbol! This symbol can act as both a determinative and an ideogram! It can be used as a determinative in the word for โKing ๐๐ดโ and also as a determinative for โOsiris ๐น๐๐ด.โ
The โKing with a White Crown and Flail ๐ดโ symbol is also one the many symbols that can be used as an ideogram to solely represent the word for โKing ๐ดโ in both titles and phrases.
The โKing with a White Crown and Flail ๐ดโ symbol is a variant of the symbol โKing With a White Crown ๐ฒโ and the two symbols can usually be used interchangeably with each other in inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ!
Here are some ways we can use โ๐ดโ in inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ!
๐๐๐ด – King of Upper Egypt/King
๐ค๐๐ด/๐ค๐๐ด๐ฅ – King of Lower Egypt/King
๐ด – King
๐น๐๐ด – Osiris/The Osiris King
๐น๐จ๐๐ด – Osiris
So if you see the โKing with a White Crown and Flail ๐ดโ symbol in an inscription, you are probably looking at a word that has to do with either a King or Osiris!
This very simple limestone ๐๐๐๐ sarcophagus ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ from the reign of Montuhotep II ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ ฑ๐ต๐๐ช (Dynasty 11, c. 2051โ2030 B.C.E.) and belonged to a priestess ๐น๐ of Hathor ๐ก named Henhenet ๐๐๐๐๐. This is one of my favorite pieces to see at the MET specifically because of the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช that the sarcophagus has inscribed on it!
This sarcophagus ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ shows the standard offering formula, the name ๐๐of the deity ๐น, and the titles associated with that deity ๐น. This standard way of writing the offering formula is extremely common, and if you know it, you will be able to recognize it anywhere!
๐๐ถ๐ ฑ๐๐- He Who is in the Mummy Wrappings (can also be written as ๐๐ถ๐ ฑ๐๐๐)
๐๐พ๐ฆ – Lord of the Sacred Land
Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ held many important titles, all of which signify how important he was to not only embalming, but to all aspects of a personโs death ๐ ๐๐ฑ. The title โUpon His Hill/Mountain ๐ถ๐บ๐๐โ references the cliff that usually surrounded necropolises, which Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ would preside over. The title โHe who is in the mummy wrappings ๐๐ถ๐ ฑ๐๐๐โ signifies Anubisโ ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ role in the mummification process, which is what he is most known for. โLord of the Sacred Land ๐๐พ๐ฆโ refers to the necropolis or cemeteries that Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ would guard.
While this sarcophagus ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ contains a lot of Anubisโ ๐๐๐ช๐ฃ titles, one that does not appear on this sarcophagus ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ is โLord of the Necropolis ๐๐พ๐ฆ๐.โ
Also, Anubisโ name ๐๐ is shortened here and is missing a symbol: it is written as ๐๐๐ช๐ฃ instead of ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ! I see this a lot with Anubisโ ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ name ๐๐, and it is done to save space!
Here is the second ๐๐ป part of the inscription ๐๐๐ฅ!
๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ฌ – Burial (I donโt have the composite hieroglyph on the sarcophagus so I used the two symbols here)
๐ค๐๐๐- Good
๐ – In Her
๐๐ซ๐๐ – Tomb
๐ด๐๐ผ – Necropolis
๐ – A Voice Offering
๐๐ – Before
๐ฃ – Anubis
๐ – In Front At
๐น๐ฑ – Godโs Booth (Shrine for Anubis)
So all ๐ together ๐๐, the second ๐๐ป part of the inscription ๐๐๐ฅ reads: โA good burial in her tomb of the necropolis with a voice offering before Anubis, in front at the godโs boothโฆโ
The first ๐ part of the inscription ๐๐๐ฅ (from yesterdayโs post) contains a lot about Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ, and this second part of the inscription ๐๐๐ฅ continues with that theme! Here we can see Anubisโ ๐ฃ title โIn Front at the Godโs Booth ๐ ๐น๐ฑโ in which โGodโs Booth ๐น๐ฑโ refers to a shrine specifically dedicated to Anubis ๐ฃ himself! This second ๐๐ป part of the inscription ๐๐๐ฅ also only uses the determinative symbol of โ๐ฃโ to spell out Anubisโ ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ name ๐๐!
Here is the third part of the inscription ๐๐๐ฅ:
The title โSole Ornament of the King ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐โ carried a lot of prestige, but no real responsibility or authority! The word โsoleโ in this case does not mean โuniqueโ as we would define it in English, but rather signified a high social rank. Henhenetโs ๐๐๐๐๐ true role was as a High Priestess ๐น๐ of Hathor ๐ก, which is why she was able to be buried in a sarcophagus ๐๐น๐๐๐ญ!
I also love how Henhenetโs ๐๐๐๐๐ name ๐๐ is spelled because it is very phonetic –ย ๐ = h, ๐ = n, and ๐ = t so when we add in the โsoft eโ to make it pronounceable to us modern people, we get Henhenet ๐๐๐๐๐! Thereโs also no determinative here, and her name could have also possibly been written as ๐๐๐๐๐๐!ย
This piece is a large offering table ๐๐๐ ก๐ฟ๐ that was dedicated to the god ๐น Seth ๐๐๐ก๐ฃ by the 19th Dynasty pharaoh ๐๐ป Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ .
There is a lot going on with this piece! On the reliefs, Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ can be seen worshipping thegod Seth ๐๐๐ก๐ฃ, whose likeness has been erased. During the Ramesside time period, many pharaohs had โSethโ as part of their name ๐๐ because Sethโs ๐๐๐ก๐ฃ status was elevated at the time due to him being both a powerful aggressor and being associated with foreign lands. Once Seth ๐๐๐ก๐ฃ fell out of favor, his name ๐๐/images ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ were no longer used. Seth’s image is even removed, except for when he is mentioned in Seti I’s ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ name ๐๐! The image of the goddess ๐น๐Nephthys ๐๐๐๐๐๐ has not been erased, because even though she is the consort of Seth ๐๐๐ก๐ฃ, she was considered a favorable figure in Egyptian mythology.
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช!
In the picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ above, we see Seti Iโs Horus Name: ๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ด๐น๐๐๐๐ โThe Strong bull who appeared in Thebes and sustains the Two Lands.โ
In the picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ above, we see Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ making an offering ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ to the goddess ๐น๐Nephthys ๐๐๐๐๐๐ (her name ๐๐ is written above her), who is the consort of Seth ๐๐๐ก๐ฃ. We can also see Seti Iโs ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ titles and cartouches:
๐ฅ – King of Upper and Lower Egypt
๐๐ฟ๐ฟ – Lord of the Two Lands
(๐ณ๐ฆ๐ ) – Menmaatra (throne name)
(๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ธ๐) – Seti, Beloved of Ptah (birth name)
๐ – Given
๐ – Eternity
In the next picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ (above) we see the cartouches again, and Seti worshipping Seth. The hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช translate to:
๐ – Given
๐น – Life
๐ – His
๐ฝ – Stability
๐ – Strength
So all together, the inscription reads: “๐๐น๐๐ฝ๐ Given Life, His Stability and Strength.”
The last picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ (above) is another variant of the Horus name!
I always find pieces such as these so fascinating, because upon first look, it looks like just a large slab of rock ๐๐๐๐. But in reality, there is so much to analyze and unpack when it comes to the images ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ and the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช, and how they relate to the time period, and even the time periods that came long after this piece was made. While it was made during the 19th Dynasty (reign of Seti I ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ธ๐), it was definitely altered afterwards.
