Personnel of Expedition 447. Now, his majesty commanded that there go forth to this august highland an army with me, men of the choicest of the whole land: miners, artificers, quarrymen, artists, draughtsmen, stonecutters, gold[workers, treasurers of Pharaoh, of every department of the White House, and every office of the king's-house, united behind me. I made the highlands a river, and the upper valleys 11a water-way.a Return with Sarcophagus 12 448. I brought for him a sarcophagus, an eternal memorial, an everlasting reminder. Never descended its like in this highland since the time of the god. My soldiers descended without loss; not a man perished, not a troop was missing, not an ass died, not a workman was enfeebled. It happened for the majesty of my lord 13as a distinction, which Min wrought for him because he so much loved him, that his ka might endure upon the great throne in the kingdom of the two regions of Horus. He made (it) as something greater than it.1b I am his favorite servant, who does all that he praises every day. 449. Eight days after the erection of the two preceding records, a second wonder occurred, which was immediately recorded on the rocks, as follows: Date 450. 'King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nibtowere (Nb-1'wy-R, Mentuhotep IV) who liveth forever, born of the king's mother, Imi (Ymy), second month of the first season, day 23. aReferring to the desert march. See the similar, but more explicit, statement of Henu on the same march, § 430, l. 12. According to the figures given there, this expedition consumed 200,000 loaves a day! (See note, ibid.) bGrammatically, the sentence is clear, but its meaning? The same phrase in Henu, l. 16. cGolénischeff, Hammamat, XIV=Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 149 f. Rain and a Well 451. One seta to work in this mountain on the lid blockb of the sarcophagus. The wonder was repeated, rain was made, the forms of this god appeared, 3his fame was shown to men, the highland was made a lake, the water went to the 'margin of the stone,d a well was found in the midst of the valley, 410 cubits by 10 cubits on its every side, filled with fresh water, to its edge, undefiled, kept pure and cleansed from gazelles, concealed "from Troglodyte barbarians. Soldiers of old, and kings who had lived aforetime, went out and returned by its side, no eye had seen it, the face of man had not fallen upon it, (but) to his majesty himself it was revealed. Those who were in Egypt (T-mry) heard it, the people who were in Egypt (Km't), South and Northland (Delta), they bowed their heads to the ground, they praised the goodness of his majesty forever and ever. 8 452. On the twenty-eighth day of the month the work was completed, and the following appendix was added to the king's official stela: 453. 19Day 28. The lid of this sarcophagus descended, being a block 4 cubits, by 8 cubits, by 2 cubits,h 2con coming forth from the work. Cattle were slaughtered, goats were slain, incense was put "1on the fire. Behold, an army of 3,000 sailors of the nomes of the Northland (Delta) followed it in safety to Egypt. aLit.: "laying the hand on the work." The form is an infinitive, the same construction continuing to the end of 1. 5. bI am not quite certain that this rendering is correct; it is lit.: "laid or set block of the sarcophagus." cWater in the highland was always remarkable; compare Kheti's feat (§ 407) who "made the elevated land a swamp" by means of a canal. dMight also be "lake." eObscure references to the discovery as a favor to the king. fIt is clear that Nibtowere governs all Egypt. «Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 149, d=Golénischeff, Hammamat, XI. hAbout 6 feet, 9 inches wide, 13 feet, 9 inches long, and 3 feet, 5 inches thick. TABLET OF SENEKHa 454. This tablet does not belong to the same expedition as the preceding, but it narrates the attempts to settle with people the desert stations in Hammamat, and along the road from Coptos to the Red Sea, 455. Nibtowere (Mentuhotep IV), living forever. Commander of troops in the highlands, steward in Egypt, commander of on the river, Senekh (Ś‹nh), says: 456. I was commander of the troops of this entire land in this highland, equipped with water skinsb (šdw), 'baskets, with bread, beer, and every fresh vegetable of the South. I made its valleys green, and its heights pools of water; settled with children throughout, southward to Thau (Tw) and northward to Menet-Khufu (Mnt-H†w). I went forth to the sea (Red Sea), I hunted adults, I hunted cattle. I went forth to this highland with 60 people of years, and 70 young ones of the children of one (woman). I did all correctly for Nibtowere (Mentuhotep IV), living forever. с STELA OF ETId 457. This biography of an active official is of interest as showing the agricultural and industrial conditions in the Middle Kingdom, when the skilful administration of resources by the governing princes was necessary to prevent a famine. Eti was so successful in this respect that he even conveyed surplus grain to neighboring towns, and Thebes, sent to him for supplies. aCut on the rocks at Wadi Hammamat; published by Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 149, g; and Newberry, Beni Hasan, II, 18 (where the translation is misleading). I had also a collation of the Berlin squeeze, kindly loaned to me by Mr. Alan H. Gardiner. bGardiner. cOr: "I went forth to this desert as a man of 60 years, and 70 little children, the offspring of one (woman);” “offspring” or “children” (ms`w) is of course used in sense of descendants." dLimestone stela (0.47 m. by 0.75 m.) from Gebelên, now in Cairo, Catalogue, 20001; also published by Daressy, Recueil, XIV, 21. 458. An interesting reference in II. 7, 8, where Eti states, "I followed my great lord, I followed my small lord,” may possibly indicate that we are to refer this document to the early Eleventh Dynasty, when the Theban princes ruled above Thebes, but were not yet kings. The powerful Theban prince would then be Eti's "great lord,” and the local nomarch his "small lord." In accordance with this, his field of activity did not extend below Thebes. 459. 'The assistant treasurer Etia (Yty); he says: "I was an excellent citizen (nds), achieving with his strength, the great pillar in the nome of Thebes, Nehebkauf in the upper country (hnty ). I sustained (s ́ ́nḥ) 3Gebelên© during unfruitful years, there being 400 men fin distress. But I took not the daughter of a man, I took not his field. I made ten herds of goats, 5with people in charge of each herd; I made two herds of cattle and a herd of asses. I raised all (kinds of) small cattle. I made 30 ships, (then) 30 other ships, and I brought grain (rsy) for Eni (Yny)d and Hefate (Ht), after Gebelên was sustained. The nome of Thebes went up-stream.f Never did one below or above Gebelên bring to another district. I followed my great lord, I followed my small lord, and nothing was lost therein. I built a house -, filled with every luxury. The people said: "He is innocent of violence to another." His beloved eldest son, h made it for him. He was also "wearer of the royal seal, and sole companion." bAn uncertain epithet, "who controls his ka's," also applied to a well-known mortuary god. cYw-mytrw. dEni is probably Esneh (Yny ́t). eTuphium. Same as the Ophieion of the Cornelius Gallus inscription at Philae; see Sethe, Sitzungsberichte der Berliner Akademie, 1896, 482; it is located on the east bank of the Nile, between Thebes and Hermonthis. f Probably for supplies. 8Or: "never did Gebelên send down-stream or up-stream ('dyl hd hnt) to another district" (namely, to procure supplies). hThe name of the son is lacking, but one surviving sign would indicate that it was also Yty. |