SCEPTRE (=Uas=) _Western Thebes_. The sceptre here depicted is that carried in the left hand of Theban kings. It is composed of three parts, the top is the head of a greyhound, the shaft is the long stalk of some reed, perhaps that of the papyrus or lotus, while the curved bottom represents the claws of the crocodile, an animal common in Upper Egypt in ancient times. This sceptre, called KAKUFA, was often represented by an ostrich feather, the common symbol of truth, and stands for _Uas_, the name of that part of Thebes which stood on the western bank of the Nile. The sceptre as an ideograph means power, in the same manner as the sceptre carried by our monarch on state occasions is a badge of authority. Thus the palatial title may be rendered, "The powerful bull, crowned in Western Thebes." Above the cartouche will be noticed a group of four hieroglyphs, namely, a _reed_, _bee_, and two _semicircles_. This group is usually placed above the cartouche containing the prenomen or sacred name of the king, and the four are descriptive of the authority exercised by the monarch. They may be thus explained:-- [Illustration] REED (=su=) is the symbol of Upper Egypt, where reeds of this kind were probably common, especially by the banks of the Nile. A flower or plant is often used as the emblem of a nation. In ancient times the vine was the emblem of the king of Judah, and on the same principle the reed was the emblem of Upper Egypt. The semicircle below is called _tu_, and here stands for king. The two hieroglyphs together are called SUTEN, and may be rendered "king of Upper Egypt." BEE (=kheb=) is the emblem of Lower Egypt. The four hieroglyphs are called SUTEN-KHEB, and mean "king of Upper and Lower Egypt." The bee was an insect that received great attention among the ancient Egyptians. They were kept in hives which resembled our own, and when flowers were not numerous, the owners of bees often carried their hives in boats to various spots on the banks of the Nile where many flowers were blooming. The wild bees frequented the sunny banks and made their habitations in the clefts of the rocks. Moses says that God made His people to "suck honey out of the rock," and the Psalmist repeats the same idea, when he says, "with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee."