Letβs read some hieroglyphs πΉππͺ!
Today ππππ³ we are going to look at the funerary stela ππ ±ππΈ of a bowman πππΊΒ named Semin! This limestone ππππ stela ππ ±ππΈ depicts Semin holding a bow ππΊ in one hand and arrows in the other. This stela ππ ±ππΈ has hieroglyphs πΉππͺ on the top and right sides.
This stela ππ ±ππΈ is dated to the 11th Dynasty (First Intermediate Period c. 2120β2051 B.C.E.).Β
We are going to start reading the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ from the top left, and then continue reading down the column on the right. Below is the full inscription ππ ±π:
Top: ππΌπππΌπΎπ Ώπ±πΌπ²ππΌπππ΅πππ€ππ
Right: ππππͺππ ±πππΉπΌππͺππ― π_πͺπ πππππ€π ±
Letβs break it down:
π – A Voice Offering
πΌππ – A thousand bread and beer
πΌπΎπ Ώπ± – A thousand ox and fowl and alabaster
πΌπ²π – A thousand linen
πΌ – A thousand
πππ΅ππ – Everything
π€ππ – Good
ππ – Pure (βWabβ is replaced by a weird symbol here – this is the more common one: π)
π – For
πͺππ ± – Venerated One
ππ – Before
πΉπΌ – Great God
π – Lord
πͺππ― – Heaven/Sky
π_πͺπ – Semin (I canβt read the second symbol)
ππππ- Excellent
π€π ± – True of Voice
All π together ππ, the full translation is: βA Voice OfferingΒ of a thousand bread and beer, a thousand ox and fowl and alabaster, a thousand linen, a thousand of everything good and pure for the venerated one before the great god, lord of heaven, Semin the excellent, true of voice.βΒ
It’s interesting that this stela ππ ±ππΈ doesn’t start with the first part of the Offering Formula, “An Offering the King Gives… πππ΅π,” and it may be due to spacing issues, as there was not much space available for the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ on this stela ππ ±ππΈ. The spacing issues are indicated by the arrangement of the hieroglyphs πΉππͺ.
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.