Departure of Sebni 366. [Then I took1] a troop of my estate, and 100 asses with me, bearing ointment, honey, clothing, oil (tḥnt) and of every sack, a in order to make presents [in]] these countries [and I went out to3] these countries of 3the negroes. 367. Sebni's Message to the King b [Then I sent1] people who were in the Door,d and I made letters to give information that I had gone out to bring this my father, from Wawat (W'w''t), and Utheth (Wṭṭ). Expedition of Sebni 368. I pacified 4these countries Le [in] the countries of C the name of which is Mether (Mtr). ['I loaded1] the body of this sole companion upon an ass, and I had him carried by the troop of my estate. 5I made for him a coffin in order to bring him out of these countries. Never did I send f I brought ). -8 I was greatly praised on account Return of Sebni 369. I descended to Wawat and Uthek (Wtk)h and I ['sent'] the royal attendant Iri (Yry) with two people of my estate as [—i "bearing incense, clothing,j k3 cubits long, one tusk, in order to give information that my best one] was 6 cubits long; one hide, and that I had brought this my father and all kinds of gifts from these countries. here. aOr "every equipment" (pr) or "every costume" (db3) ? bOne-third line, The determinative and plural ending are all that is visible. dElephantine is often called the "Door of the South;" and it is probably meant eOne-quarter line. f One-quarter line, followed by fragmentary words. "One-quarter line. hOr "Uthek of Wawat." The of Uthek is doubtful. iIt is possible that this curious word contains the names of the two people. с Embalmment of Mekhu a from the 370. When I descended to give information bend, (Wrt) behold, Iri ['came'] from the court, 'as I1 came, to embalmb the count, wearer of the royal seal, sole companion, ritual priest, this Mekhu (Mhw). He brought -- embalmers, the chief ritual priest, ymy-wcb, shd, the mourners and all offerings of the 'White House. He brought festival oil from the double White House and secret things from the double webt-dhouse, from the h-house, clothing of the double White House, and all the burial equipment which is issued from the court, like the issuance for the hereditary prince, Meru. Sebni's Letter from the King 371. Now, when this "Iri arrived, he brought to me a command (also), [to] praise me on account of it. It was said in this command: "I will do for thee every excellent thing, as a reward for this great deed, because of bringing thy [father]f 12[N]evers has the like happened before. Mekhu's Burial I buried this my father in his tomb of the necropolis; never was one of his rankh (so) buried [before]. Sebni's Honors at Court 372. I [went north] to Memphisi bearing the gifts of these countries which this counts had brought. I deposited every gift which this my father deposited — before this my army and the negroes — —]. 14The servantk there was praised at the court, and the servant there [gave praise to the king, because the servant there was so greatly favored aOne-fifth line. -- bOr ceremoniously to receive. <Titles of funeral functionaries. er as in the letter of Harkhuf, § 351, 1. 7. f The determinative of "father" is still visible. 8The negative n is not visible either on the squeeze or original. hLit.: "his equal." Zau affirms the same regarding his father (§ 382); there is a remarkable resemblance between this and the inscription of Zau. iLit.: "the wall," a designation for Memphis, e. g., several times in Papyrus Harris. j His father. kCommon circumlocution for “I.” - by 'the king 15-1. There was given to me a chest of carob wood, containing and containing ointment; there was given [to me] with clothing; 16there was given to me the gold of praise; there were given to me rations, meat, and fowl. Now, when 17 by my lord. Sebni's Reward 373. Said the servant athere: "There came to me a command of [lord of] Nekheb, 18the inferior prophet Ini the chief judge (Yny) while he was in Perb-Hathor-Resit (Pr-Hthr-rsy t) [saying: that I might bringe1] this [my father'] immediately 19that I might bury this ['my father] in his tomb north of Nekheb. Sebni's Reward 374. There were given to me 30 (+dx) stat of land in the North and Southland, in the domain of the pyramid: "Neferkere-RemainsAlive," in order to honor the servant there. INSCRIPTIONS OF IBI 375. The nomarch, Ibi, begins the history of a new family in the twelfth nome, whose relations with the royal house are especially instructive. In all probability Ibi was the son of the powerful Zau of Abydos (§§ 344 ff.), nomarch of the Thinite nome, whose two sisters became the queens of Pepi I. Ibi was a contemporary of Pepi I, Mernere, and Pepi II during the first part of his reign. Although Mernere appointed him to the nomarchy of the Cerastes-Mountain, it aCommon circumlocution for "I." bSee II, 728. cI see traces of nd on the squeeze. dNot more than 70. *Or possibly "as custodian of the domain of the pyramid, etc.;" meaning that he received the gift by virtue of his office. f From his tomb in the southern necropolis of Der el-Gebrâwi;. published by Davies, The Rock Tombs of Deir-el-Gebrâwi, Pl. 23 and 7; Sethe, Urkunden, I, 142-5 (from Davies). is also probable that he was appointed to it in confirmation of his title to it through his marriage to a lady named Rahenem (Rḥnm), in whom we may recognize the heiress to the said nome. He thus became the head, not only of his hereditary nome of Thinis, the ancient capital of Egypt, but also of the twelfth nome. To the latter for some reason he transferred his residence. It is possible that he had not at first received the Thinite nome, and that on his marriage, he went to the Cerastes-Mountain first, as his only nome, and remained there even after his appointment to the Thinite nome. But it is his office in the latter of which he is most proud. 376. The office of "great lord" or at least that of "count" (h'ty-) of a nome, was at this time evidently one of appointment by favor of Pharaoh. The royal house thus maintained control of the landed lords, who were the descendants of the local governors of the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties. Ibi introduced a severe and effective discipline into the organization of the nome, and must have prospered greatly from its revenues. His son Zau-Shemai succeeded him in 377. "Wearer of the royal seal, commander of a stronghold, sole companion, great lord of the Thinite nome, Ibi (Yby); he saith: "I was a youth who bound on the gir[dle under] 'the majesty' ['of1] the King of Upper and Lower Egypt [Merire (Pepi I)]." ["The majesty of] 3my lord, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Mernere, living --- [appointed me] as count (h'ty-), sole companion, and great lord of the nome of the Cerastes-Mountain." 378. "The majesty of my lord, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt [Neferkere (Pepi II)], appointed me governor of the South." The real governor of the South, 4Ibi; he saith: "As for any people who shall enter into this tomb [as] their mortuary property, [I] will aDavies, ibid., 33, 34. bOver the east wall, on the left, Davies, Pl. 23. seize [them] like wild fowl. I am an excellent, equipped soul, I know every charm and the secrets of the court, the - which is in the nether world. I was one beloved of [his] father [praise]d of his mother, honored by the king, honored by his city-god, possessed of love, Ibi." a naked ... 379. "Now, I gave [bread] to [the hungry], clothing to the of grain, of oxen, and of the peasants of my domain. .b I have made this from the towns of my domain as a mortuary possession, and from the royal mortuary offering which the majesty of my lord gave to me; in order to make for me 2with peasants of my domain, filled with bulls, goats, and asses, as [_] -, except the possessions of my father, while I was commander of the stronghold of the granary: 203 stat of land [which] the majesty of my lord gave [to me], to make me rich. INSCRIPTION OF ZAUa 380. This nomarch of the Cerastes-Mountain was the grandson of Ibi whom Mernere had appointed to this nome. Ibi's son Zau-Shemai died early, and his son Zau succeeded him. He was a contemporary of Pepi II, under whom he held the office of "keeper of the door of the South," an office usually belonging to the nobles of Elephantine. At his father's death he was obliged to petition the king that he might succeed to the paternal nomarchy. His account aOver the east wall, on the right; Davies, Pl. XXIII. bOn the east wall over the scenes of cattle and under women bringing offerings (Davies, Pl. VII). The omitted introduction contains only name and titles of Ibi, preceded by "For [the k' of]." The endowment from which the offerings depicted before him are drawn. It includes eleven villages or settlements. dIn the Gebel Marâg, marked on the Fund map (Pl. IV) as "Dêr-el-Gebrâwi Tombs," north of Assiut on the east side of the river. Text copied by Sayce and published in Recueil, XIII, 65–67; comments by Maspero, ibid., 68 ff. Corrections by Sayce, ibid., XX, 170 ff.; better by Davies, Deir-el-Gebrâwi, II, Pl. XIII, but unfortunately the inscription suffered much in the interim between Sayce's and Davies' visits; Sethe (from Davies), Urkunden, I, 145-47. See also Newberry, Egypt Exploration Fund Archæological Report, 1892-1893, 14, 15. eSee Davies, ibid., II, 35 ff. |