TodayΒ ππππ³Β we are going to be taking a closer look at one of the statues πππππΎπͺ that MerenptahΒ π³ππππΉπΉπΉΒ usurped from Amenhotep IIIΒ ππ ππ΅πΎπ! There are definitely some familiar hieroglyphic πΉππͺ phrases here that some of you will recognize!! This statue is at the πππππΎ MET!
The hieroglyphs πΉππͺ here show three πΌ names πππ¦: the Horus Name, the Throne Name and the Given Name! Since the symbols are pointing to the left, letβs start reading from the left!Β
π‘ππππ π ππ – βThe Strong Bull Who Rejoiced in Truthβ (Horus Name)
π – this symbol on the side of the statue πππππΎ is thought to be representative of the unification of Upper π and Lower π€ Egypt.
Something else that is interesting is that there are name ππ variants on the same statue πππππΎ! Name ππ variants were just different ways to write the same name ππ in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
I must admit – I am very guilty of walking past these statuesΒ πππππΎπͺΒ at the MET a lot because usually I want to go straight for the Temple of Dendur!! These pictures ππ ±ππ¦ are from May, but when I went to the MET earlier this month I got some close up photosΒ ππ ±ππ¦Β of these gorgeous π€ statuesΒ πππππΎπͺ, so Iβm going to do a bit of a series on them! TodayΒ ππππ³Β we will learn the history, and then we will read the hieroglyphsΒ πΉππͺΒ tomorrowΒ πΌπΏπ³!Β
These two π» statues πππππΎπͺ originally belonged to the pharaoh ππ» Amenhotep III ππ ππ΅πΎπ. While these two π» statues πππππΎπͺ now adorn the entrance to the museum exhibit of the Temple of Dendur, they originally were located at Amenhotep IIIβs ππ ππ΅πΎπ temple πππ dedicated to Amun-Ra ππ ππ³πΊ at Thebes πππ (modern day Luxor). Amenhotep III ππ ππ΅πΎπ ruled πΎ Egypt ππ ππ during the 18th Dynasty.
Then in the 19th Dynasty, along came the pharaoh ππ» Merenptah π³ππππΉπΉπΉ! Merenptah π³ππππΉπΉπΉ was the son π of Rameses II ππ πππ³πΊππ΄π, and like father πππ like son π , Merenptah π³ππππΉπΉπΉ usurped the statues πππππΎπͺ of other pharaohs ππ»π¦ and put his name ππ on them!
Usurping can be thought of as ancient plagiarism, and was very common during this time period. While I equate usurpation to plagiarism to put it in a modern context, the purpose wasnβt to defame the previous pharaohsΒ ππ»π¦Β of EgyptΒ ππ ππ. The purpose was for the common pharaoh to promote his own rule πΎ, and what better way to do that than to use statuesΒ πππππΎπͺ, templesΒ ππππ¦, etc. that already are made!?
It is always funny to see a statue πππππΎ that has the facial features of one pharaoh ππ», but has the name ππ of another pharaoh ππ» on it! Rameses II ππ πππ³πΊππ΄π did this all the time – that manβs name ππ is everywhere!
The Temple of Dendur is gorgeous π€ – the room that it is located in makes it actually feel like you are along the Nile River ππππ ±ππππΊ in Egypt ππ ππ!
This room is one of my absolute favorite places – sometimes I like to sit on one of the benches and just enjoy the atmosphere of it! Visiting the temple only makes me want to go to Egypt ππ ππ more!
The temple πππ was actually commissioned by Augustus and building was complete by 10 B.C. Dendur is located in Nubia, and is just south of Aswan. Even though the temple πππ was built by Augustus, it definitely follows Egyptian style and not Roman style. The emperor is actually presented as a pharaoh ππ» worshipping Egyptian gods πΉπΉπΉ on the walls of the temple πππ. The temple πππ was primarily used to worship the goddess πΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯.
Ostraca are basically the ancient Egyptian version of a sketch pad or scrap paper! They were used by scribes πππͺ or artists to practice their craft! The ostraca were usually chips of limestone or broken pottery.
These ostraca at the MET are very awesome because they depict Senemut π’ππ πΌ!! Senemut π’ππ πΌ was Hatshepsutβs π³π¦π most trusted advisor (and in my opinion, they were definitely much closer than that π). Senemut π’ππ πΌ was not only the tutor for Hatshepsutβs π³π¦π daughter π π Neferure π³π€ π€ π€, the royal architect in charge of Deir el-Bahri, but he was also the Steward to Amun πππΊππ π at Karnak.
The sketch of Senemut π’ππ πΌ on these ostraca are very similar to the sketches of Senemut π’ππ πΌ that are seen in his tomb!
These were always some of my favorite pieces to see as a kid! Not only because it was Senemut π’ππ πΌ, but also I loved seeing how the Egyptians πππππͺ used to do things!! Seeing the grids and seeing their βsketch padsβ allowed me a glimpse into just how some of this incredible art was created!
This bronze statue at the MET is from the Ptolemaic Period (664 – 31 B.C.E.) represents Isis π¨ππ₯, Osiris πΉπ¨π and Horus π π- the main triad of the Egyptian pantheon.
Here, Horus π π is represented in his Greek form Harpokrates, with his trademarked “finger to lips” pose. This pose represents the βbe quietβ gesture because to the Greeks Harpokrates was the god πΉ of silence. What is interesting about this piece is that there are suspension loops on the back of Osiris πΉπ¨π and Harpokrates – this piece is probably too big to be worn as a necklace, so the loops may have some type of unknown symbolic significance.
Many gods πΉπΉπΉ in the Egyptian pantheon appeared in groups of threes πΌ, which were known as Triads. They were groups of gods πΉπΉπΉ that usually have some type of familial significance to each other. For example, one of the Memphis triads during this period was Ptah πͺπππ±, Sekhmet πππ ππ, and Nefertem π€πππππ―. Nefertem π€πππππ― is the son of Ptah πͺπππ± and Sekhmet πππ ππ, just like Horus π π is the son of Isis π¨ππ₯ and Osiris πΉπ¨π!!
This is one of the grand, large kneeling statues πππππΎπͺ of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ that were found during excavations of her temple at Deir el-Bahri. The excavations were a joint operation between the MET and the Egyptian government.
In this statue πππππΎ, Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is depicted wearing the nemes headcloth, a false beard on her chin, and is kneeling with a nemset jar π in each hand π§ππΊ. These were meant to be offerings to the god πΉ Amun ππ π- an inscription on the statue πππππΎ states that Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is offering “maat” to Amun ππ π- while Maat ππ΄π£ππ¦ was the goddess of truth, “maat” was also a concept held dearly by Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ. Her reign was guided by order, truth, and justice – all the principles of maat.
Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is seen kneeling, which is not too common for a Pharaoh ππ» since they were considered to be gods πΉπΉπΉ on Earth. However, since Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ was making an offering to the god πΉ Amun ππ π, she did this in a kneeling position. A pharaoh ππ» kneeled for no one – except for another god πΉ.
From this angle, the statue πππππΎ looks even more grand! I also love pink granite, which many of Hatshepsut’s ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ statues πππππΎπͺ are made out of. Granite is an extremely dense and durable rock (hence why it is used for countertops today), and these statues πππππΎπͺ of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ were definitely built to last.
The image above is of the cartouches of Hatshepsutβs throne name, Maatkare π³π¦π.
This is a small, kneeling statue πππππΎ of Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ made out of black/pink granite! The black and pink granite is traditionally found in Aswan (Upper Egypt). In the USA, black and pink granite is commonly found in Nevada and other western states! This piece is in the MET.
While not as grand as some of her other statues πππππΎπͺ that adorned her temple πππ at Deir el-Bahri, this one makes quite an impression. There are at least eight of these statues πππππΎπͺ, and many of them are in the MET. They were most likely used to line the upper court at her temple πππ, and are thought to be intended for her Heb Sed festival (a festival used to celebrate 30 πππ years of rule, and then celebrated every three πΌ years after the initial 30 πππ). Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ, ever the Pharaoh ππ» to break from tradition, instead celebrated hers in the 16th ππΏ year of her rule!
In this statue, Hatshepsut ππ ππΉππππΌπͺ is kneeling and is seen holding the nemset jar π. The jar π has the djed pillar π½ adorning the front. The djed pillar π½ is thought to be the spine of Osiris πΉπ¨π, and it represents stability and endurance – both are attributes a Pharaoh ππ» needed in order to be a successful ruler!
The sarcophagus of Wereshnefer is a really interesting piece in the MET. Wereshnefer was a priest of the goddesses πΉππͺ Mut ππΏπ, Nephytys π ππ, Satis π΄ππππ and Neith ππππ and he lived during the 30th Dynasty to the early Ptolemaic Period. Despite being a priest πΉπ in Upper Egypt ππ ππ, his sarcophagus was found at Saqqara.
One of the interesting things about his very large coffin is that the funerary/religious texts that are engraved into the stone are from writings that predate Wereshnefer by about one thousand years! The lid (which is pictured) shows images and texts related to the sun’s journey through the sky πͺππ― during the day πππΊπ³, which in Egyptian religion, acts as a metaphor for the journey from death π ππ± to life πΉ that one would take while accompanying the sun π³πΊ.
What is so interesting about Wereshnefer’s sarcophagus is that it shows the Earth πΎπΎ as being round. This is the first evidence that scientists and historians have of the Earth πΎπΎ being depicted as a round object (as we know, most people thought that the Earth πΎπΎ was flat). Nut πππ―π, the goddess πΉπ of the sky πͺππ―, is seen arched over the rounded Earth πΎπΎ and is supported by Shu ππ ±π, the god πΉ of the atmosphere. At Nut’s πππ―π feet is Geb π ππ, the god πΉ of the Earth πΎπΎ. It is fascinating to me that the Egyptians πππππͺ would depict the Earth as being round!
This copy of the Book of the Dead (known to the Egyptians as the Book of Coming Forth By Day) belonged to a priest πΉπ of Horus π π named Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ! Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ, Priest πΉπ of Horus π π, lived during the early Ptolemaic Period (between 332-200 B.C.E.) Fun fact: the word priest πΉπ actually translates to βgodβs servantβ!!!
Now, this is definitely not that Imhotep from “The Mummy” (1999), however, this is still a funny coincidence! I always get a laugh when I see this in the museum! The Book of the Dead was created for Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ so he could have a successful journey into the afterlife πΌπΏππ. The spells on the papyrus π πππ were also meant to ensure his safety and well-being in the duat πΌπΏππ(realm of the dead).
The Book of the Dead is interesting because it doesn’t follow a particular story. The spells do seem to be grouped by theme, and sometimes pictures ππ ±ππ¦ can be representative of the spells as well. The scene shown here is the Weighing of the Heart, in which the deceasedβs heart πππ£ was weighed against Maatβs ππ΄π£ππ¦ feather. More details on that scene later in the post!
Imhotep’s version of the Book of the Dead is complete, and is over 70 feet long!
This page illustrates spell 110, which gives Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ the ability to enjoy various earthly activities. This takes place in the Field of Reeds, which is also known as The Field of Offerings. Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ is actually seen doing work in the field πππ – he can be seen using a scythe to harvest grain, plowing the field, and doing other various activities. In the top left, there are hieroglyphs βπΉππππΏπππππβ that translate to “it is he in the Field of Offerings.β The Field of Reeds could also be written as πππ ππΏππ ±π°π
I have provided some close up images of some of the aspects of the image that I mentioned in the caption above!
Let’s take a look at some other portions of the Book of the Dead!
I only have the drawings in this photograph, but to the left of the images would be the Hieratic script which would spell out the Sun Hymns. The Sun Hymns would allow Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ to be turned into a spirit and join the Khepri π£πππ in the daily cycle of death and rebirth (rising and setting of the sun). During the night πΌπππ, Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ would travel through the Duat πΌπΏππ underworld/netherworld) and be born again the next morning in the form of ba π ‘πΊ (individual’s soul that was depicted as a human headed bird).
The top image ππ ±π shows the goddesses πΉπΉπΉπ Isis π¨ππ₯ and Nephytys π ππ attending to the sun god Khepri π£πππ, who is in the form of a scarab π£. The middle image ππ ±π shows the sun π³πΊ in human form and is attended by two π» ba π ‘πΊ and baboons. The bottom image ππ ±π shows Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ and his wife* receiving offerings.
*Since Imhotepβs ππ π΅ππͺ mother π ππ is mentioned a lot throughout his Book of the Dead, many people think that the woman who always accompanies Imhotep in the images ππ ±ππ¦ is his mother π ππ and not his wife!
Fun fact! The words for βnight πΌπππβ and βend πΌππππβ were very similar in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!!!
Now on to my favorite scene from the Book of the Dead (in more detail)!
While I have already posted a pic of the Weighing of the Heart, I wanted to post some alternative angles because this series of images is my absolute favorite – no matter whos Book of the Dead it is from!
Here, Anubis πππͺπ ±π’ weighs the heart πππ£ of the deceased π ππ± against Maatβs π΄ππ£ππ¦ feather. If Anubis determines thereβs balance between the two, then the deceased would be presented to Osiris πΉπ¨ π by Horus π π. Thoth π €π records the findings. Ammit waits to eat the heart if itβs unworthy!
Here we can see that Imhotepβs ππ π΅ππͺ heart πππ£ is balanced against the feather! There are some really cool images in this particular scene – instead of just being a feather on the scale, it is the hieroglyph determinative for Maat (π§). Also, in the last picture, Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ is accompanied by a feather with a human body! This is probably a representation of Maat π΄ππ£ππ¦, though she is usually depicted as a woman with a feather on her head and rarely as just a human body with a feather.
This is the last picture I have from Imhotep’s ππ π΅ππͺ Book of the Dead. Due to the way that the papyri π ππππ¦ are displayed at the MET, it can be very difficult to get clear pictures ππ ±ππ₯. I’m happy that I went back through my pictures ππ ±ππ₯ because I had taken some better ones than I initially thought!
In this image, you can see some of the hieratic script that the Book of the Dead is written in – don’t ask me to translate, because I can’t read hieratic! I can only read hieroglyphs πΉππͺ! I would love to learn hieratic though! Some of the hieratic is in black ink while some of it is in red. The red ink seems to symbolize either the beginning or the end πΌππππ of a spell, or it could highlight a word for a noun that was considered “bad” in Egyptian culture. However, sometimes even “offering table” could have been written/drawn in red and offering tables were not bad at all! So, some of the red ink seems kinda random.
Imhotep ππ π΅ππͺ is seen here with Anubis πππͺπ ±π£, who is seated on top of a shrine. As you all know, Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ is my favorite Egyptian god (he is the god of mummification and cemeteries) so I was very excited to see I got an image ππ ±π with Anubis πππͺπ ±π£! I like this image ππ ±π because it reminds me of the Anubis πππͺπ ±π£ shrine that was found in Tutankhamun’s ππ πππ ±ππΉπΎπΊπ tomb – that is one of my absolute favorite pieces of all time! The drawing is also like the hieroglyph determinative βπ£β for Anubis!
Happy Anniversary to the deciphering of Egyptian HieroglyphsΒ πΉππͺ! Seeing the Rosetta Stone in person was a dream come true for me!Β
Jean-FranΓ§ois Champollion was just a teenager in September 1822 when he discovered how to read hieroglyphs πΉππͺ based off of the Rosetta Stone! The Rosetta Stone is actually a decree issued by priests πΉππͺ in 196 B.C.E. that affirmed the cult of Ptolemy V πͺππ―ππππ΄. Identical decrees were supposed to be placed in every temple πππ in Egypt ππ ππ!
During the Christian period in Egypt ππ ππ, the use of hieroglyphs πΉππͺ began to wane and finally disappeared at the beginning of the 4th Century. The Rosetta Stone contains three πΌ languages ππ¦: Hieroglyphs πΉππͺ, Greek and Demotic. Since Greek was a known language ππΊ, scholars began to try to use the Greek section of the Rosetta Stone to translate the portion in hieroglyphs πΉππͺ.
Thomas Young was the first person to show that the name ππ in the cartouche (πͺππ―ππππ΄) actually spelled out βPtolemy,β however, Champollion gets the credit for deciphering hieroglyphs πΉππͺ because he showed that the phonetic symbols were also used for Egyptian ππππ names πππ¦ and not just foreign names πππ¦. With his extensive knowledge of Coptic, Champollion was able to begin reading the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ fully!
I am thankful for the early works of scholars like Champollion because I would not be reading hieroglyphs πΉππͺ without it!
