Wells Dug

431. Now, I made 12 wellsa in the bush, 13and two wells in Idehet (Yd'ht), 20 square cubits in one, and 31 square cubitsb in the other. I made another in Iheteb (Y'htb), 20 by 20 cubits on each side —

Ship Built and Sent

432. Then I reached the (Red) Sea; then I made this ship, and I dispatched it with everything, when I had made for it a great oblation of cattle, bulls and 14ibexes.

Return and Quarrying at Hammamat

433. Now, after my return from the (Red) Sea, I executed the command of his majesty, and I brought for him all the gifts, which I had found in the regions of God's-Land. I returned through the [valleyld of Hammamat, I brought for him august blocks for statues belonging to the temple. Never was brought down the like thereof for the king's court; never 15was done the like of this by any king's-confidant sent out since the time of the god. I did this for the majesty of my lord because he so much loved me. . .

e

Mr. Griffith (Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archæology, XIV, 420), has read the sign before 12 as a measure of area; giving "a well of 12 —?" As this would leave the word "well" without either determinative or feminine ending, it is improbable. The sign in question is more probably a part of the word for well (nm), giving bnmt as usual.

bSee Mr. Griffith, ibid.

cHenu only equipped and dispatched the ship, but did not accompany it to Punt; he then returned to Egypt by way of Hammamat (l. 14).

dPossibly Wg, another land.

eFurther asseverations of the king's favor follow. The same obscure phrases also Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 149, e, l. 13=Golénischeff, Hammamat, XIII 1. 13.

REIGN OF NIBTOWERE-MENTUHOTEP IV

HAMMAMAT INSCRIPTIONSa

434. These are among the most important of the Hammamat inscriptions. Besides their unusual archæological interest, they throw great light on the reign of NibtowereMentuhotep (IV), from whom we have no other inscriptional material. They show clearly that the wars with the North (Heracleopolis), had long ceased, and that the North was now united under his rule; for he had an army of 3,000 men from the Delta to transport the lid block of his sarcophagus to Egypt (§ 453, 1. 21; similar indications in § 451, 3, 11. 8-10). The only place that he can have held in the series of Eleventh Dynasty kings is therefore at the end of that dynasty. The place of Mentuhotep II and III is certain from the Turin Papyrus. Our Mentuhotep cannot precede Mentuhotep II, who supplanted an Intef; nor does the Turin Papyrus permit him to follow Mentuhotep II. The only place open after the close of the war with the North is at the end of the dynasty after Mentuhotep III, where the Turin Papyrus shows a lost name.

I. THE FIRST WONDER b

435. A relief shows the king offering wine before Min of Coptos; behind the king are the words: "First occurrence

aCut on the rock-walls of the Wadi Hammamat. Text: Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 149, c to g; Golénischeff, Hammamat, X-XV; and partially in the manuscripts of Nestor l'Hôte in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. I had also collations of the Berlin squeezes by Mr. Alan Gardiner, of which he very kindly gave me the use.

bLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 149, c= -Golénischeff, Hammamat, X. Copy in manuscript of Nestor l'Hôte; translated by Erman, Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache, 1891, 60.

a

of the Sed Jubilee; at the top the date: Year 2,a second month of the first season (second month), day 3."

436. Then the following:

'This wonder which happened to his majesty: that the beastsb of the 'highlands came down to him; there came a gazelle great with young, going with her face toward the people before her, 3while her eyes looked backward1; (but) she did not turn back, until she arrived at this august mountain, at this block, it being still in its place, (intended) for this lid of this sarcophagus. She dropped her young upon it while this army of 5the king was looking. Then they cut off her neck 'before'd it (the block) and brought fire. "It descended in safety.

437. Now, it was the majesty of this august god, "lord of the highlands, who gave the offering (m3) to his son, Nibtowere (Nb-t'wy-R), Mentuhotep IV, living forever, in order that his heart might be joyful, that he might live upon his throne forever and forever, that he might celebrate millions of Sed Jubilees.

438. "The hereditaryf prince, count, governor of the city and vizier, chief of all nobles of judicial office, supervisor of that which heaven gives, the earth creates, and the Nile brings, supervisor of everything in this whole land, the vizier, Amenemhet.

II. THE OFFICIAL TABLET'

439. The above prodigy, which doubtless occurred soon after their arrival, found record twelve days before the official record of the expedition, which is as follows:

aThis king was therefore nominated as crown prince 28 years before his father's death, as he celebrates his 30-years' jubilee in his second year. Thus Mentuhotep III reigned at least 28 years.

bSuggested by Gardiner; Erman: "Gebirgs (arbeiter).”

cUndoubtedly this explanation of Erman is correct.

dRead bnt-hrf? l'Hôte shows a šms-sign before hrf; and Gardiner saw a similar sign. The soldiers sacrificed the gazelle upon the block.

eThat is, the block reached Egypt in safety.

fThe leader of the expedition here adds his name and titles. A double line separates them from the king's inscription above them.

«Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 149, d=Golénischeff, Hammamat, XI.

Date

440. 'Year 2, second month of the first season, day 15, (of) Nibtowere-Mentuhotepa (IV) living forever.

......

may

6

...

Erection of Stela

....

441. His majesty commanded to erect this stela to his father Min, lord of the highlands in this 4august, primeval mountain, . . . . . in order that his ka may be satisfied and that the god in his desire, as does a king who is upon the great throne, first in thrones; enduring in monuments, excellent god, lord of joy, mighty in fear, great in love, heir of Horus in his Two Lands, whom "the divine Isis, Min, and Mut, the great sorceress reared for the dominion of the two regions of Horus, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nibtowere (Mentuhotep IV), living like Re, forever; "he says:

Dispatch of Expedition

442. My majesty sent forth the hereditary prince, governor of the city and vizier, chief of 12works, favorite of the king, Amenemhet, with an army of 10,000d men 13from the southern nomes, Middle Egypt, and the -f of the Oxyrrhyncus 14nome; to bring for me an august block of the pure costly stone which is in this mountain, 15[whoses excellent things' Min makes; for a sarcophagus, an eternal memorial, and for monuments 16in the temples of Middle Egypt,h according as a king over the Two Lands sends 17to bring for himself the desire of his heart, from the highlands of his father Min.

a Full five-name titulary.

bThe word "erect" (lit., "cause to stand") is here loosely used from habit, although the inscription is cut on a natural wall of rock, which could not have been "erected."

cEulogistic epithets of the god.

dGardiner gives the sign as certain; Golénischeff also has apparently a finger (=10,000); both give the top pointing wrong, but this is a peculiarity of the Hammamat inscriptions (cf. Henu, Lepsius, Denkmäler, III, 150, a, l. 7, thrice!) and is only one of many instances of the influence of the hieratic in these texts. This peculiarity occurs frequently also in the Assiut texts of the same period. Cf. the 8,368 men of a later expedition, IV, 466.

fHnty written only with the nose; determinative house.
&Referring to "stone" (feminine).

hŠmw, perhaps "South."

Dedication

443. He made (it) as his monument for his father Min of Koptos, lord of the highlands, head of the Troglodytes, in order that he (the king) might celebrate very many [Sed Jubilees], living like Re, forever."

III. THE COMMANDER'S TABLET

444. On the same day, Amenemhet, the commander of the expedition, engraved his own record of the achievement, as follows:

Date and Introduction

445. 'Year 2, second month of the first season, day 15. Royal commission, executed by the hereditary prince, count, governor of the city, chief judge, favorite of the king, chief of works, distinguished in his office, great in his rank, with advanced place in 3the house of his lord, commanding the official body, chief of the six courts of justice, judging the people (pt) and the inhabitants (rhy't), and hearing causes1; to whom the great come bowing down, 4and the whole land, prone upon the belly; whose offices his lord advanced; his favorite, as keeper of the Door of the South; conducting for him millions of the inhabitants (rhy t) to do for him the desire of his heart toward his monuments, enduring on earth; magnate of the King of Upper Egypt, great one of the King of Lower Egypt, conductor of the palace, — in stretching the measuring-cord; judging without partiality, governor of the whole South, to whom is reported that which is and that which is not; conducting the administration of the Lord of the Two Lands; [zealous of heart upon a royal commission; commander of those that command, conductor of overseers; the vizier of the king, at his audiences, Amenemhet, 7says:

Choice of Amenemhet

446. My lord, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nibtowere (Nb-t' wy-R, Mentuhotep IV) living forever, sent me, as one sending, in whom are divine members; to establish his monument in this land. He chose me before his city, I was preferred before his court.

aThere is an appendix here of the twenty-seventh or twenty-eighth day, which is the latest date in the series; it is translated at the end (§§ 452, 453). bLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 149, e=Golénischeff, Hammamat, XII, XIII; manuscripts of Nestor l'Hôte.