The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 01 : $b Prolegomena; Egypt, Mesopotamia
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 01 : $b Prolegomena; Egypt, Mesopotamia
World history
The two most ancient of these inscriptions mention Her-Hor. The first
is conceived in these terms: “The year VI, of the 2nd month of Shaït
the VII, the day of the expedition made by Her-Hor the … of the first
Prophet of Amen Ra, king of the gods, to restore the funeral pomp of
King Men-maat-Ra L. H. S. [life, health, strength] Son of the Sun, Seti
Meneptah, through the inspector,” a name which is not very legible, as
is also the case with those of his companions. The inscription which
had been placed on the coffin of Ramses II has been rubbed out, and
then written over. As it now reads, it suffices to show that it, like
the preceding, was of the year VI and of the 2nd month of the season
of Shaït, the VII; that the expedition had been undertaken by order of
Her-Hor, and that its object was to ascertain the condition of the body
of Ramses II. This interpretation of the date does not fail, however,
to involve some difficulties. The name of Her-Hor is not surrounded
with the cartouche; and we may, if we choose, conclude from this fact
that the mention of the year VI refers to the reign of the Ramesside
whom Her-Hor succeeded on the throne. On the other hand, the comparison
of this inscription with the following ones appears to me to prove
that the date, year VI, should probably be placed to the count of the
priest-king.
Indeed, no hesitation is possible in regard to the second inscription.
It presents itself under two forms, of which one is found only on the
coffin of Seti I, whilst the other is afforded us by the two coffins of
Ramses I and Ramses II. The inscription of Seti I is conceived in these
terms: “In the year XVI, of the 4th month of the season Pirt, the VII,
under King Se-Amen, the day of the exhuming of the King Men-maat-Ra
Seti Meri-en-Ptah L. H. S., from his tomb to bring him into the tomb of
the lady An … of the great dwelling, by the prophet of Amen-Ra, king
of the gods, the third prophet of Khonsumois Neferhotep, chief scribe
of the monument of the temple of Amen-Ra, king of the gods, servant of
the temple of Ramses II in the temple of Amen, Nesipkhashuti, son of
Beken-Khonsu. The superior of the funeral hall had said in the presence
(of the king) what was the condition (of the mummies) and that they had
suffered no damage in being taken from the tomb where they were, and
transported to the tomb of the lady An … of the great dwelling where
King Amenhotep rests in peace.”
The inscription of Ramses II differs from the preceding only in the
opening words: “In the year XVI, of the 4th month of Pirt, the VII, the
day of the exhuming of King User-maat-Ra-sotep-en-Ra, the great god
of the tomb of King Men-maat-Ra, Seti Miptah.” The rest is similar in
every point to the text of Seti I.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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