Tag: hieroglyphs

“For the Soul of the Scribe of the Treasury”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date October 5, 2022
3 Comments on “For the Soul of the Scribe of the Treasury”

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Previously, we looked at the phrase “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul of…” and today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the next part of the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖!

Some review from the other post: The “ka 𓂓” or the soul is the part of the person that interacted with others (family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦, friends 𓈘𓈇𓀀𓁐𓏦, even the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻) and also can be thought of as the offices you held in life. Usually the list of jobs/titles/offices would follow “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” on the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖! This is what we will be examining today!

Let’s take a look at the roles this individual had! Make sure to look for the words 𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁 “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul of…” if you want to see someone’s jobs!

The inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 reads:

𓈖𓂓𓈖 – For the Soul of

𓏞 – Scribe

𓉒 – Treasury

So all put together, the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 reads: “For the Soul of the Scribe of the Treasury.”

So according to the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, this individual was a Scribe 𓏞 in the treasury 𓉒! This was definitely a prestigious job, which is why the person was able to afford such a nice statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 with hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃 inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on it!

Scribe 𓏞 can also be written as 𓏞𓀀, and the determinative symbol is missing on this inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖. Treasury is usually always written with the composite symbol/ideogram of 𓉒.

Tags brooklyn museum, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs

Reading Hieroglyphs

“For the Soul of…”

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a phrase that could be part of the standard Offering Formula (𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 “An Offering the King Gives”). While not as common as some other parts of the Offering Formula, the phrase “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” does appear enough that you will be able to recognize it!

“𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” indicates that the offering is not only being made for the deceased person, but the soul 𓂓 of the deceased person, which demonstrates the ancient Egyptian cultural practice of the distinct parts of a person’s identity. In order to exist, a person needed to have five 𓏾 essential elements: the body 𓎛𓂝𓄼, the shadow 𓆄𓏏𓅱𓋼, the Ba 𓅡𓏤, the Ka (soul/life force) 𓂓𓏤, and the name 𓂋𓈖.

More specifically, the “ka 𓂓” or the soul is the part of the person that interacted with others (family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦, friends 𓈘𓈇𓀀𓁐𓏦, even the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻) and can be thought of as the offices you held in life. Usually the list of jobs/titles/offices would follow “𓈖𓂓𓈖 For the Soul Of…” on the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖! These memories of a person and their interactions were important to maintaining their offering cult when they died.

So let’s take a closer look at the hieroglyphic symbols 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

The “ripple of water 𓈖” is a phonogram sign, and it functions as a uniliteral sign. The “𓈖” is associated with the sound of “n!” The 𓈖 has many grammatical functions on its own, and it can mean “to,” “of,” “for,” “we/us/our,” “in,” “because,” “through,” and some others! How do we know which word it is? Context clues!

The “two arms 𓂓” functions as a biliteral phonogram and an ideogram, both with the sound of “ka/k3.”

Click Here for the next post in this series!

Tags brooklyn museum, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs

Reading Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphic Grammar – Making Words Feminine

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date October 5, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at some grammar – how to make a word feminine! The inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 says the word “goddess 𓊹𓏏.” The word “god 𓊹” is an extremely popular word and is used throughout ancient Egyptian inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥!

The “cloth wound on a pole 𓊹” symbol is both an ideogram and a determinative for the word “god.” The symbol is thought to sound like “ntr” which probably sounds like “neter.”

Yesterday in my post I mentioned that the “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺” and can be used to make words feminine when placed at the end of the word!

A Note: just because the “𓏏” appears in a doesn’t mean that the word is automatically feminine – it must be at the end of the word! All nouns in Middle Egyptian were either masculine or feminine, and the masculine nouns had no special ending! The ending of “𓏏” is just an ending, and is not part of the root of the word.

Here’s some examples of some words that become feminine with the “𓏏”:

“𓌢𓈖 brother” and “𓌢𓈖𓏏 sister”

“𓊹 god” and “goddeHieroglyphic Grammar – Making Words Femininess 𓊹𓏏”

“𓋾𓈎𓀀 male ruler” and “𓋾𓈎𓏏𓁐” (here not only is 𓏏 added but the determinative changes too)

“𓎟 Lord” and “Lady 𓎟𓏏”

“𓌳𓁹𓄿𓄛 lion” and “𓌳𓁹𓄿𓏏𓄛 lioness”

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

“Welcome” and “Come” in Hieroglyphs

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date October 5, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 that has two 𓏻 meanings! The word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 is “𓇍𓇋𓂻” which can mean “come” or “welcome” depending on the context!

The “reed with legs 𓇍” symbol is a combination of the “reed 𓇋” and the “walking legs 𓂻” symbols. 𓇍 is a uniliteral phonogram symbol, and is usually associated with the sound “j.”

The “reed 𓇋” is a very popular symbol that I’m sure you all recognize! 𓇋 is also a uniliteral phonogram symbol, and is also associated with the sound “j.” This symbol can also act as an ideogram for the word “reed 𓇋𓏺.” When the symbol is doubled “𓇌” it is associated with the sound “y.” Now, most will translate the “reed 𓇋” as having the sound of “i,” but that sound association only became popularized during Greek times!

The “walking legs 𓂻” symbol is a determinative in words that have to do with motion. It can also function as a biliteral phonogram and was associated with the sound “jw.” 𓂻 could also function as an ideogram for the word “step 𓂻𓏺.”

So all together, 𓇍𓇋𓂻 would have possibly been pronounced like “ı͗ı͗” or “jj”!! In this word, “𓇍𓇋” are the phonograms and “𓂻” is the determinative! The determinatives at the end of words 𓌃𓂧𓏏𓀁 were not pronounced and instead acted like punctuation! The determinative “summarized” the meaning of the word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 and let you know that the word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 was finished!

So if you are new here, Welcome 𓇍𓇋𓂻 to @ancientegyptblog 𓃣😀!!!

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

Alternate Hieroglyphic Spelling of “Duamutef”

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date October 5, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at an alternate spelling for the name 𓂋𓈖 of the god 𓊹 Duamutef 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑! Usually, Duamutef is written as “𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑,” however, “𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑” is an alternate spelling for his name 𓂋𓈖! While it is only a one symbol difference, that could confuse people who are just learning which is why I wanted to talk about it! Most of the deities in the Egyptian pantheon had multiple ways that their names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 written in inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥! Another less common way to write Duamutef’s name is “𓂧𓍯𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑,” but I have rarely seen that spelling used!

Let’s take a look at Duamutef’s 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑 name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! All of the symbols in Duamutef’s 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑 name 𓂋𓈖 are phonogram symbols, which means that they represent sounds!

The “star 𓇼” functions as a triliteral phonogram for the sound “dw3” (almost like “dua”). Triliteral means that the symbol represents three consonants! In other words, it can also function as a determinative or ideogram.

The “forearm with bread 𓂟“ symbol could either function as a uniliteral or biliteral phonogram depending ok the word! 𓂟 represented the sounds “m” or “mj.” The “forearm with bread 𓂟” could also be a determinative in the word for “give 𓂋𓂟.”

The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺” and can be used to make words feminine!

The “horned viper 𓆑” functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound “f.” In other words, it can function as a determinative.

So Duamutef’s 𓇼𓂟𓏏𓆑 name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 is something like “duamwttf” – which is very similar to “Duamutef!” Most of the major deities have Greek names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 that we use to identify them, instead of their actual Egyptian name 𓂋𓈖. For example, “Anubis” is a Greek name – “Inpu” is what the ancient Egyptians would have called Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣!

Tags Duamutef, gods and goddesses, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

Pylon Shaped Stela of Rameses II

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date October 5, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a “Pylon Shaped Stela of Rameses II” (c. 1279–1213 B.C.E.) at the MET. This piece is made of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 and describes Rameses II 𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖!

Here is the left two columns:

𓁩𓁛𓈘𓄟𓋴𓇓 – Rameses II (Birth Name)

𓉡 – Hathor

𓎟𓏏 – Lady

𓆭𓏏 – Sycamore

𓇔𓏏 – Southern

𓌺 – Beloved

Put all together, this inscription reads: “Rameses II, Beloved of Hathor, Lady of the Southern Sycamore.”

Here are the right two columns:

𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖 – Rameses II (Throne Name)

𓉡 – Hathor

𓎟𓏏 – Lady

𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 – West

𓌺 – Beloved

Put all together, this inscription reads: “Rameses II, Beloved of Hathor, Lady of the West.”

Hathor 𓉡 has the title “Lady of the West 𓎟𓏏𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊” because of her roles was to provide peace and solace to the souls 𓂓𓂓𓂓 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 as they entered the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. Many people obviously associate Hathor 𓉡 with love, joy 𓄫𓏏𓄣, music 𓉔𓇌𓆸 etc, but she was also a prominent funerary goddess 𓊹𓏏!

Hathor 𓉡 has the title “Lady of the Southern Sycamore 𓎟𓏏𓆭𓏏𓇔𓏏” or just “Lady of the Sycamore 𓎟𓏏𓈖𓉔𓏏𓆭” because the sycamore tree 𓈖𓉔𓏏𓆭 was one of the native trees in Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, and it grew at the edge of the desert 𓅟𓂋𓏏𓈊! This would put it near necropolises, tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 etc, so it was associated with the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱! Hathor 𓉡 was considered one of the tree goddesses 𓊹𓊹𓊹𓏏, along with Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥 and Nut 𓏌𓏏𓇯𓀭.

Tags gods and goddesses, hathor, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, rameses ii, the met

Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

The Sistrum of Pharaoh Teti

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date October 5, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 which has the various names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Teti 𓊪𓇌 on it!

While most sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 contain an image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡 on the handle, this is actually one of the earliest sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 ever found (c. 2323–2291 B.C.E.) and is dated to the 6th Dynasty (Old Kingdom) so it is a little bit different than the sistrums 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣𓏪 we are used to seeing! The top part of the sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 which contains the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 is supposed to be a shrine 𓐍𓊃𓅓𓂜𓉐.

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on the sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 are a list of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Teti’s 𓊪𓇌 various names 𓂋𓈖𓏥! Something interesting is that Teti’s 𓊪𓇌 names (except the birth name) are only mentioned on this sistrum 𓊃𓈙𓈙𓏏𓏣 – I don’t think the names 𓂋𓈖𓏥 have been inscribed anywhere else! Usually just Teti 𓊪𓇌 is seen! Also, Teti 𓊪𓇌 doesn’t seem to have a throne name 𓂋𓈖!! Let’s take a closer look!

Let’s start from the right-most column:

𓆥 – King of Upper and Lower Egypt

(𓅭𓇳𓊪𓇌) – Son of Ra, Teti (in the Old Kingdom, the titles were sometimes placed in the cartouche) (Birth Name)

Left-most column:

𓅒𓋴𓊵𓏏𓊪 – Sehotep Nebty (The One Who Has Satisfied the Two Lands) (Nebty Name)

𓄥𓅉 – Bik Nebu Sema (The Uniter) (Golden Horus Name)

Middle column:

𓋴𓊵𓏏𓊪𓈙𓈙 – Sehotep Tawy (The One Who Pacifies the Two Lands) (Horus Name)

The bottom row:

𓏙 – Given

𓋹 – Life

𓌀 – Strength

𓆖 – Eternity

Tags artifact, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, teti, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

The Names of Pharaoh Merenptah (Usurped Statue Part II)

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date October 5, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be taking a closer look at one of the statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 that Merenptah 𓇳𓃒𓈖𓈘𓊹𓊹𓊹 usurped from Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆! There are definitely some familiar hieroglyphic 𓊹𓌃𓏪 phrases here that some of you will recognize!! This statue is at the 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 MET!

The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 here show three 𓏼 names 𓂋𓈖𓏦: the Horus Name, the Throne Name and the Given Name! Since the symbols are pointing to the left, let’s start reading from the left!

𓂡𓃒𓎛𓂝𓀠𓅓𓏏𓆄 – “The Strong Bull Who Rejoiced in Truth” (Horus Name)

𓎟𓇿𓇿 – Lord of the Two Lands

𓁞𓁩𓈘𓈖𓃒 – “The Soul of Ra, Beloved of Amun” (Ba en Ra, mery Amun) (Throne Name)

𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances

𓁰𓁧𓈘𓈖𓊵𓁷𓏺 – “Beloved of Ptah, Maat is Satisfied” (Mer en Ptah hotep her Maat) (Birth Name)

Now let’s look at the bottom line of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

𓌺𓁞𓁩𓈘𓈖𓃒 – Ba en Ra, mery Amun (Throne Name)

𓅭𓇳 – Son of Ra

𓎟𓈍𓏥 – Lord of Appearances

𓌺𓁰𓁧𓈘𓈖𓊵𓁷𓏺 – Merenptah (Birth Name)

𓇋𓏠𓈖𓇳𓏺 – Amun-Ra

𓌹 – Beloved

𓋍 – this symbol on the side of the statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is thought to be representative of the unification of Upper 𓇓 and Lower 𓆤 Egypt.

Something else that is interesting is that there are name 𓂋𓈖 variants on the same statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾! Name 𓂋𓈖 variants were just different ways to write the same name 𓂋𓈖 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Tags amenhotep iii, artifact, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, merenptah, the met

Reading Hieroglyphs

The Horus Name of Rameses II

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date October 5, 2022

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at the Horus Name for the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Rameses II! So far, I have really only spoken about the Throne Name (𓇳𓄊𓁧𓇳𓍉𓈖) and the Birth Name (𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓), so let’s take a closer look at the Horus Name!

The Horus Name is the oldest way that a pharaoh’s 𓉐𓉻 name 𓂋𓈖 was written/identified and is one of five 𓏾 ways to write the name 𓂋𓈖 of a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. The Horus Name consists of three elements: the palace facade 𓊁, Horus the Falcon 𓅃 standing on top of the palace 𓊁, and the name 𓂋𓈖 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 within the palace 𓊁. The palace 𓊁 hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 is pronounced like “serekh” and some Egyptologists are now referring to the Horus Name as the Serekh Name. This was basically the early version of the cartouche!

Rameses II 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓈘𓇳𓏺𓄟𓋴𓇓 had a lot of different variations of his Horus Name, so let’s take a look at the two 𓏻 that are pictured!

𓂡𓃒𓁛𓌺 – “Strong Bull, Beloved of Ra”

𓂡𓃒𓁧𓌺 – “Strong Bull, Beloved of Maat”

“Strong Bull 𓂡𓃒“ was a very popular way to start off the Horus Name because bulls 𓃒𓃒𓃒 were a symbol of strength 𓌀 and fertility, both of which are qualities that pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 wanted to have!

Tags hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, rameses ii, the met

Egyptian Artifacts

The Shabti Spell

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date September 18, 2022

We are going to be taking a (virtual) trip to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳! As many of you know, I love ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures, so let’s take a closer look at this one!

The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the ushabti 𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is a version of the “Shabti Spell” from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. This spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 gives the ushabti 𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖. Many people (if they could afford it) were buried with at least 365 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏾 ushabti 𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figures – one for each day of the year! Some were buried with even more!

The “Shabti Spell” usually starts off with the following phrase:

𓋴𓌉𓆓𓇶 – The Illuminated One

𓁹𓊨𓀭 – The Osiris

(Look at the first line of text on the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 and start reading from the right!)

However, my favorite part of this ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figure is that the word “𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 shabti” appears very clearly on the piece! It is part of the spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 that says: “O these shabtis, if you are counted, to do all the works to be done there in the realm of the dead.”

Can you find “𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾” on the piece in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏?

There are a bunch of different ways to write “ushabti” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Just like in other languages, we can use the words “shabti” and “ushabti” to denote the same figures!

𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾

𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 (shortened version)

𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾

Tags artifact, hieroglyphs, petrie museum, ushabti

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