majesty wrote with his own hand. A lake of 1,200 cubits' length is planned for by the architect, and the king expresses his delight with the plan. Unfortunately, the fragmentary state of the inscription renders the narrative very obscure.

269. The closing inscriptions were the work of Senezemib's son, who after his father's death recorded in the tomb the mortuary endowment of his father, and the presentation of the sarcophagus by the king.

Senezemib's Fidelity and Honors

2

270. I was one who pleased the king1 as mas]ter of secret things of his majesty, as favorite of his majesty in everything, 2——— As for any work which his majesty commanded to do, I did (it) according to the desire of his majesty's heart toward it 3while he was in the placeb of writings. When it came to pass 4 his majesty caused that I be anointed with fat 5[by the side of his majesty] - [Neve]r [was done] the like by the side of the king for

anyone

6

7

his majesty,

[His majesty] himself wrote with his (own) fingers,d in order to praise me [because I did every work which his majesty commanded to do1] well and excellently according to the desire of his majesty's heart toward it.

Letter by the King's Own Hand

271. Royal command (to)e the chief judge, vizier, chief scribe of the king's writings, chief of all works of [the king, Senezemib].

1oMy majesty has seen this thy letter, which thou hast sent to inform me that I for (the building called:) "Beloved-of-Isesi," which is built for the palace of -, 'being truly1 Senezemib 12in rejoicing the heart of Isesi

; ['for thou

aLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 76, d, Sethe, A. A horizontal line may have preceded this, and contained Senezemib's name and titles.

bThe king thus visited the public archives in company with the vizier, Sene. zemib.

The restoration is certain; see Weshptah (§ 247, l. 10).

dDual; this is the letter given below, ll. 8-16.

Omitted also in the second letter and in the letter of Harkhuf (§ 351).

f Senezemib's name means "Rejoicing the heart," and the king is punning on his official's name.

canst1] 13speak that which Isesi loves, better than any men who are in 14. When indeed

this [whole land]

every vessel 16most excel

King Isesi Counsels with Senezemibb

"Thou shalt make a lake according as he saith in

his lord. [My majesty] greatly desires to hear this thy my majesty everything

of all works of 4[the king, Senezemib]c

Second Letter from the King

Said the chief

273. Royal command (to)d the chief judge, vizier, chief of all works of the king, chief scribe of the king's writings, Senezemib. "My majesty has seen the plan of this command palace of Isesi (called): Nehbete

II

1ofor the

[length] 1,200 cubits, [width] 221f cubits, according to that which was commanded to [thee] 12Now, the god hath made thee the favorite of Isesi [more than any men] 13who are in this whole land I will do every great thingg

Endowment of Tomb

274. In the next section Senezemib's son, Senezemib, called Mehi (Mhy) says that "a command was issued" to "gather the princes" and other people. The command evidently concerned the endowment of his father's tomb, called "this his tomb which I made for him in only one year and

aSenezemib's name means "Rejoicing the heart," and the king is punning on his official's name.

bLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 76 f.; Sethe, B.

cHere followed the reply of Senezemib in three lines, but it has almost entirely disappeared; the words "whom Re loves" still visible, show that he is addressing the king.

dSee 271, and note.

*Sethe suggests a garden of the palace. hLepsius, Denkmäler, 76, c; Sethe, C.

f May be a few units more.

8 Fragments of two more lines.

'three months, while he was in — — —1 in the eternal house which is at the pyramid: 'Isesi 4-is-[Beautiful']."

The son then adds: There was brought grain from the accounting of the divine offerings, from the North and the South, with a reference, after a break in the text, to the continuance of the offerings "until today as new. Then his majesty caused decrees to be sealed with the seal of writings," of course for the perpetuation of the mortuary offerings. A long lacuna doubtless contained other benefactions, after which we find, "he appointed mortuary priests [of the endow ment], and I had it put into writing." The record of it was placed in the tomb where "it was 'engraved by the artists." The mortuary priests were "divided into phyles," and the son then asked the king to give the equipment and furniture of the tomb, referring to the well-known quarry of Troja, whence came so much of the stone used in the Old Kingdom cemeteries.

Sarcophagus

10

275. Another inscription, now very fragmentary, narrates the bringing of the sarcophagus, etc., for which the son had asked. After a statement of the king's command, we find the usual officials "on a ferry-boat. Everything was done by these sailors, according to that which had been [commanded concerning it in the court. This sarcophagus, together with [its lid], arrived at the pyramid: 'Horizon-of-Khufu,'" where the tomb of Senezemib was located. The officers who conducted the work were praised by the king, and "this sarcophagus" was conveyed to its "place."

"A temporary resting-place, while the tomb was being built.

bLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 76, e; Sethe, D.

Relief

276. This inscription is accompanied by a relief, showing the transport of the sarcophagus across the river. Over the relief are the words:

The great 'towl-boat, the name of which is "Mighty-is-Isesi."

Three men on the bow are designated as: Overseer of ten; [naval] commander; overseer of —1 (sb3); while one in the stern is called "captain." The sarcophagus and lid are shown, accompanied by the words "sarcophagus" and "lid."

Son's Inscription

277. The son Senezemib, called Mehi, left in his father's tomb a short inscription a stating that he placed the above records on the walls of his father's tomb. Only the ends of the three lines remain, but the son closes the record of his pious work with a reminder to his own son by referring to himself as one "whose son shall do the like for him."

MORTUARY INSCRIPTION OF NEZEMIBb

278. A short mortuary prayer, interesting for its quaint claim that the deceased was never beaten! Nezemib (Ndmyb) was probably a private citizen of the middle class, from whom very few monuments have descended to us.

279. O ye living who are (yet) upon earth, who pass by this tomb; let water be poured out for me, for I was a master of secret things. Let a mortuary offering of that which is with you come forth for me, for I was one beloved of the people. Never was I beaten in the presence of any official since my birth; never did I take the property of any man by violence; (but) I was a doer of that which pleased all men.

aLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 78, b; Sethe, Urkunden, I, 67.

bCairo, 1732; published by Mariette, Mastabas, 417; Brugsch, Thesaurus, V, 1212; Sethe, Urkunden, I, 75.

TOMB INSCRIPTION OF THE NOMARCH HENKUa

280. This nomarch, with his brother, was ruler of the Cerastes-Mountain nome, the twelfth nome of Upper Egypt, opposite the Lycopolite, or thirteenth, nome. He flourished late in the Fifth or early in the Sixth Dynasty, and his descendants enjoyed the favor of the Sixth Dynasty Pharaohs (§§ 344 ff.). So little is known of the nomarchs of the Old Kingdom that the meager data of this inscription are of importance. Especially noteworthy are the statements regarding the settlement of people from other nomes in his nome. Besides being much mutilated, the inscription is frequently very obscure. I have only rendered the more important passages and those which are most intelligible."

281. O all ye people of the Cerastes-Mountain; O ye great lords of other nomes, who shall pass by this tomb, I, Henku (Hnkw), tell good things:

I gave bread to all the hungry of the Cerastes-Mountain; I clothed him who was naked therein. I filled its shores 13with large cattle, and its lowlands with small cattle. 141 satisfied the wolves of the mountain and the fowl of heaven with flesh] 15of small cattle lord and overseer of southern grain in this nome . . . . settled the 'feeble] towns in this nome with the people of other nomes;

16I was 181

aIn a cliff-tomb at Der el-Gebrâwi; published by Davies, Deir-el-Gebrâwi, II, Pls. 24, 25; Sethe (from Davies), Urkunden, I, 76–79.

bSee Davies' excellent remarks on Henku, ibid., 42.

This general beneficence toward man and beast includes here the animals sacred in Henku's locality. Across the river the jackal was the sacred animal, while in Henku's own nome the hawk was sacred. It is no accident that these are just the two animals which Henku fed, for the word translated "wolf," should be more general, designating all wild animals of the canine family and the like. We have here then the first symptoms from which the belief in the sacredness of whole classes of animals (as opposed to one member only) afterward grew up. The same thing in a later stage is observable in the Saite time. On a stela in Miramar a man says: "I gave bread to the hungry, water [to] the thirsty, clothing to the naked; I gave food to the ibis, the hawk, the cat, and the jackal" (Bergmann, Hieroglyphische Inschriften, Pl. VI, ll. 9, 10).