ministrative, and historical data, coming from a period of which we know so very little. Unfortunately, we possess only the second half of the narrative, and this in a condition so fragmentary that a general outline is necessary in order to make the contents clear.

a

363. The first half, now no longer legible, must have contained the narrative of an expedition into Nubia by Sebni's father, Mekhu. On this expedition Mekhu in some way meets his death. Here the surviving portion of the inscription begins; information of Mekhu's death is brought to his son Sebni, and he sets out with troops and 100 asses, laden with presents to rescue his father's body for embalmment; otherwise of course there would be no life hereafter for Mekhu (ll. 1-3). He sent messengers to the king to inform

promised (1887) soon to publish the long text. It was finally published (1893) by de Morgan (Catalogue des monuments, 147, 148), but his copyists have clearly spent no time on the difficult collation, and the publication is unusable; the inscription has never been translated or treated. The long text occupies nineteen columns on the right of the door; these are the continuation from the beginning on the left of the door, which has now unfortunately almost totally disappeared. The nineteen columns are crossed by six wide horizontal cracks, some of which were filled up and did not interrupt the scribe's writing, and some of which he jumped over. It is always a question whether the crack has caused a lacuna, e. g., in ll. 11-17 in the third crack from the top there are no lacunæ. Moreover, the whole text is very badly weathered, and one can sit for hours pouring over one line in varying lights, without being certain of the reading. The accompanying translation is based on my copy of the Berlin squeezes, collated with Erman's collation of the original; Erman and I then spent an entire day going over the doubtful passages in the squeezes together, and it is to be hoped that the text is now fixed. Sethe has since published all our readings and his own collation of the squeeze (Urkunden, I, 135-40).

aIt is certainly remarkable that of the three narrative inscriptions of Assuan, two contain accounts of the death of a nobleman on a foreign expedition and the rescue of the body: Mekhu in Nubia and Enenkhet on the northern shores of the Red Sea (§ 360). For the tomb of an Egyptian buried in Sinai, see Borchardt, Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache, 1897, 112. Another Egyptian who apparently perished in the desolate quarries of Hammamat is commemorated on the rocks as follows: "O ye living, the ones who come to this land, who desire to return to the king, bearing their gifts to their lord; say ye, '1000 loaves, 1000 jars of beer, etc., etc., for the wearer of the royal seal, etc., Sheme (Šm3)."" Text in Golénischeff, Hammamat, III, No. 1.

him of his departure and the purpose of his journey (1. 3). He reached Wawat, and pacified it and its further neighbors, secured the body of his father and started upon the return (11. 3-6). On reaching Wawat again, he sent the officer Iri and two companions to the court with some of the native products which his father had acquired (ll. 6, 7). They were evidently instructed to return with embalmers and equipment for embalming the deceased Mekhu, for as Sebni descended the river he met Iri returning from the court with all the people and paraphernalia necessary for the embalmment (11. 8-10). Iri brought also written instructions from the king to Sebni, containing promises of great reward for his pious deed (ll. 10-12). Sebni then buried his father and proceeded to Memphis with the Nubian products which his father had gotten (ll. 12, 13). He was highly praised by the king, and given very rich gifts (ll. 14-16). Later a communication from the vizier reached him, conveying to him a gift of land, either as a further reward for his good deed to refund him his expenses, or as an endowment of his father's tomb (ll. 17-19).

364. Sebni's titles are: Count, wearer of the royal seal, governor of the South, sole companion, ritual priest, Sebni (S'bny).

365. The long text is as follows:

b

overseer of

Information of Mekhu's Death

[Then came'] the ship captain, Intef (Yntf), and the - Behkesi (Bhksy), to give informationd that the

с

sole companion, and ritual priest Me[khu] ['was dead1].

aDe Morgan, Catalogue des monuments, 146, omitting repetitions.

bOne-third line.

Probably the name of a Nubian; it is determined by the soldier, but bearing an m-club; a similar club is before the y (!) which renders the reading questionable. Of course, one thinks of nḥsy, but we have the wrong s.

dr rd't rh ntt.

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 the 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 (Wwt), and Utheth (Wtt).

Expedition of Sebni

368. I pacified 4these countries

the name of which is Mether (Mtr).

Le rin1 the countries of I loaded1] the body of this

sole companion upon an ass, and I had him carried by the troop of

my estate. "I made for him a coffin

f I brought ——

in order to bring him out of these countries. Never did I send

or any negro-caravan of it.

-g 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,i - 3 cubits long, one tusk, in order to give

k

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.

gOne-quarter line.

hOr "Uthek of Wawat." The of Uthek is doubtful.

It is possible that this curious word contains the names of the two people.
imnh't-ntr.
kOne-fifth line.

с

Embalmment of Mekhu

a from the

370. When I descended to give information bend, (Wert) behold, Iri ['came]] from the court, 'as I 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-web, shd, the mourners and all offerings of the White House. He brought festival oil from the double White House 1oand 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]ever 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 Memphis bearing the gifts 13of these countries which this counti had brought. I deposited every gift which this my father deposited - before this my army and the negroes ——), 14 The 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.

cTitles of funeral functionaries.
dThe "pure" house.

er as in the letter of Harkhuf, § 351, 1. 7.

f The determinative of "father" is still visible.

The 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.

*Common 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 17by my lord.

Sebni's Reward

373. Said the servant athere: "There came to me a command of

the chief judge

(Yny) while he was

[lord of] Nekheb, 18the inferior prophet Ini in Perb-Hathor-Resit (Pr-Hthr-rsy't) [saying:

my father] immediately 19that I might bury

that I might bring1] this
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 domaine 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

a Common 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).