of his construction of a common tomb for his father, and himself, is the most remarkable expression of sentiment which this remote age has bequeathed us. He seems to have been the last of his line. Introduction 381. His eldest son, his beloved, of his body; 'his favorite, his darling, a prince of the palace, wearer of the royal seal, commander of a stronghold, 3real sole companion, great lord of the nome of CerastesMountain," Zau (Dw). I say: "I was one beloved of his father, praised of his mother, 5whom his brothers and sisters loved. Father's Burial 382. I buried my father the count, Zau, beyond the splendor, beyond the goodliness of any ['equal] of his 7who was in this South. I requested as an honord from the majesty of my lord, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neferkere (Pepi II), who lives forever, that there be taken a coffin, clothing, and festival perfume 1°for this Zau. His majesty caused that the custodian of the royal domain should bring a coffin of wood, festival perfume, 12(sft-)oil, clothing, 200 (pieces) of prime (htyw) linen, 13and of fine southern linen of -1, taken from the double White House 14of the court for this Zau. Never had it been done 15to another of his rank. Son's Burial 383. Now, I caused that I should be buried in the same tomb 16with this Zau, in order that I might be with him in one place; 17not, however, because I was not in a positions to make a second tomb; but I did this in order that 18I might see this Zau every day, in order that I might be with him in one place." aLit.: "in his heart, belonging to the place of his heart." bThe rule that this title (hry-dd-c) is to be found only in the Middle Kingdom (Bersheh, II, 4) does not hold. The title arose in the Sixth Dynasty. Name of the Antaeopolite nome. dThe same rare word for "honor" as in Harkhuf, Letter, § 352, 1. II. ešd; it occurs in precisely the same connection in the Abydos inscription of Dɔw, see § 349, and is the regular word for legally collecting. fThe demonstrative is customary in referring to the dead; cf. the deceased Mekhu in the Sebni inscription or the pyramid texts passim. shr-; lit.: "having the hand" or "power." Zau's Prayer 384. The count, commander of a stronghold, sole companion, 19Zau; I say: "O ye living, who are upon earth, servants like me; those whom the king shall love 2oand their city-god shall favor, are they who shall say: 'A thousand loaves, beer, oxen, geese, clothing for Zau, son of Zau.'" Zau Succeeds His Father 385. I requested "[fro]m [his majesty]a that I might fulfil the office of count, of this Zau. His majesty caused that there be issued (lit., made) the decree appointing himb count, as an offering which the king gives.c Something similar must have been in the lacuna (nearly one-third line); there is not room for "as an honor from," as in ll. 7, 8. "The change of person is very sudden, but Zau can be referring to no other than himself, from the standpoint of the command issued. The mode of obtaining the office of ḥty-"count" at this time, points clearly to its source in the royal favor. The designation of the appointment as “an offering which the king gives." the usual term for a mortuary gift of the king, certainly indicates that this term did not originally designate solely a mortuary gift, but must have at first enjoyed a wider application, which in course of time was narrowed to exclusively funerary largesses of the king. [Later: A letter from Eduard Meyer suggests that the rank of count was given to the deceased father after his death as a mortuary honor. This would explain its designation as a mortuary gift, and the pronoun "him."] REIGN OF ITY HAMMAMAT INSCRIPTIONa 386. This is the only inscription of King Ity known. His pyramid mentioned in the inscription has never been found and the place of the king in the series of Pharaohs is uncertain. The inscription is dated in his first year, and records an expedition which was sent to procure the finer stone necessary for the king's pyramid. 387. Year of the first occurrence (of the numbering), fourth month of the first season, day 2. Ihy (Yhy); Khufu (Hwf); commander of the army Yakhetirni (Yht yrn(y)).c Came the ship captain, Ipi (Ypy), and Nekuptah (Pth-n-kw) to do the work on the pyramid (called): "Fame-of-Ity" (Yty); together with 200 soldiers and 200 [workmen, making] 200 (sic!). aCut on the rocks in the Wadi Hammamat; text: Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 115 f.; partially Golénischeff Hammamat, VII; Sethe, Urkunden, I, 148; see Maspero, Recueil, 17, 56 ff. bSee Maspero, ibid., 56 ff. These names were perhaps later inserted between the date and the following. REIGN OF IMHOTEP HAMMAMAT INSCRIPTION 388. This unknown king, from whom we have no other documents, sent his eldest son Zaty, who held the office of treasurer of the god, as well as that of general in the army, to the Hammamat quarries to procure a monument, possibly a statue for the king. Zaty left the following record of the enterprise: 389. 'Commission which the eldest king's-son, the treasurer of the god, commander of the army, Zaty (D'ty), called Kenofer (K3-nfr) executed. 390. I was at the front of the people (hm) in the day of battle, 3I controlled the going in the day of attack, by my counsel. I was exalted above multitudes, I made this work of Imhotepa 5with 61,000 men of the palace, 100 quarrymen, 71,200 'soldiers and 50 - His majesty sent this numerous troop from the court. 1oI made this work while in every —, while his majesty gave 150 oxen and 200 assesb every day. Palace-overseer, Intef. Scribe of the marine, Mereri. The name is in a cartouche with the determinative of a king. 175 |