which stood before the second pylon was 60 feet high, and weighed about 900 tons. He completed the Hall of Columns at Karnak; added to the temple of Amen-hetep III at Luxor; and set up several statues of himself and two granite obelisks, each about 80 feet high. In the Delta he rebuilt Tanis, which became a city of the first importance, and he built the city of Pa-Temu, the Pithom of Exodus i, II, which is now called Tall al-Maskhûtah; from the latter place came the statue of the "Recorder of Pithom" (Bay 21, No. 776). At Memphis, Abydos, and every important city of Egypt and Nubia, he carried on building operations; and he dug wells in Wâdî Ulâki, in the desert

to the east of Dakkah, and worked the gold mines there. His reign was one of great material prosperity, and he lived long enough to carry out every work of importance which he planned. He was not a great soldier like Thothmes III, or a great administrator and diplomatist like Amen-hetep III; and the glory and power, and the territory of Egypt were not so great as in the days of those kings. Few of the works carried out by Rameses can be compared with those of the great kings of the XVIIIth dynasty in beauty of design, finish, and solidity.

The monuments of this reign are very numerous, and among them may be noted the following: Wooden Ka-figure of Rameses II, from his tomb at Thebes (Central Saloon,

No. 575). Upper portion of a colossal granite statue of Rameses 11, which was originally painted red, and was one of a pair that stood in the Ramesseum in Western

Thebes (see Plate XXXIX); weight about 7 tons 5 cwt. (Central Saloon, No. 576). Colossal statue of Rameses II, on the shoulders and breast of which are cut the prenomen and name of Seti Mer-en-Ptah (Central Saloon, No. 577). Statue of Rameses II from Elephantine (Bay 14, No. 582). Kneeling statue of Rameses II, holding before him a tablet of offerings (Bay 17, No. 584). Portion of a statue of Rameses II; on one side of the plinth is sculptured a figure of a favourite wife called Batau-ānth: from Ṣarâbît al-Khâdim in the Peninsula of Sinai (Central Saloon, No. 587). With these should be compared the cast of the head of a colossal statue of the king which was set up before the temple of Ptah at Memphis (Central Saloon, No. 588), and the cast of another colossal statue of the king at Abû-Simbel (Vestibule, No. 589). The width of the face of the latter is 8 feet 9 inches, and the length from brow to chin is 9 feet 8 inches. From the temple built by Rameses at Abydos comes the famous King List, or Second Tablet of Abydos, which, when complete, contained the prenomens of 52 of his predecessors on the throne of Egypt (Bay 6, No. 592); from Athribis (Benha) comes the granite lion (Bay 14, No. 593); from Abû-Simbel the interesting pair of hawk-headed sphinxes (Bay 15, Nos. 594, 595); from Pithom the granite hawk (Central Saloon, No. 596); and from Memphis the fist of a colossal statue (Bay 16, No. 597).

Of considerable interest, too, are the granite columns (Nos. 598, 599). The first is from the temple of Bubastis, and on it, in places, are seen the names of Osorkon II; its total height is 20 feet 8 inches and its weight about II tons The second is monolithic and is from the temple. of Heru-shefit, the Arsaphes of the Greeks at Herakleopolis; in places the names of Menephthah I have been added. Its height is 17 feet 2 inches, and its weight about 6 tons

The altar of Rameses II is in Bay 16 (No. 600). In connexion with the colossal statues of this period may be noted the upper portions of two statues of Queens or goddesses, in the Central Saloon, Nos. 601, 602. They were found by Belzoni at Abû-Simbel, and most probably represent wives of Rameses II.

The art of the reign of Rameses II is illustrated by several small objects bearing his name, e.g., the scarabs (Table-case D, Fourth Egyptian Room); gilded vase for eye-paint (Wallcase 143, Fourth Egyptian Room); a scribe's palette (Tablecase C, Third Egyptian Room); a beautiful glazed bowl inscribed with the king's names and titles (Wall-case 151,