the manner of his tongue, the moderation of his character, 19°Sebekenekh's son, Nehri, triumphant, revered, whom he exalted before his nobles to be ruler (hk) of his city.

His Own Buildings

637. The achievements of the count, Khnumhotep: I made a monument in the midst of my city; I built a colonnaded hall which I found 195in ruin1;a I erected it with columns anew, inscribed with my own name. I perpetuated the name of my father upon them.b I [recorded"] my deeds upon 200 every monument.

I made a door of 7 cubits, of cedar wood without - for the first doorway of the tomb; double doors for an opening of 5 cubits, 2 palms, for the shrine of the august chamber, which is in this tomb.d A prayer 205for offerings, the mortuary oblations of bread, beer, oxen, geese, was upon every monument, which I made. I .... greater in monuments in this city than the fathers; 210a child of this city, more excellent in monuments of its burial place than the ancestors, in the buildings] made before me.f

aThis stands in place of the usual m ws “in ruin," and probably means something similar. (See Loret, Revue égyptologique, X, 87-94.) What this building in the city was, it is impossible to say; all city buildings having perished. Compare also the work of Kheti another member of the family, as recorded thus: "Prince and count, sole companion, — great lord of the Oryx nome, who made eternal monuments in the temple (ḥt-ntr) of Khnum, lord of Herur (Ḥr-wr)” (Champollion, Notices descriptives, II, 354).

bN and plural strokes are lost in the lacuna; the feminine s could not have stood alone, for the building is masculine.

cLit., "of."

d" The first doorway" is, as we should expect, the main entrance to the tomb chapel. A comparison of the height of the "door" given above (7 cubits) with the surviving doorway shows that the door was enough higher than the doorway to lap slightly at top and bottom. The second doorway was for double doors; the only double doors in the tomb of Khnumhotep are those of the shrine containing his statue, in the back wall of the chapel chamber. A comparison of the height of this doorway, given by the inscription, with the surviving doorway itself, shows exact correspondence. On the whole passage, see Breasted, Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archæology, XXII, 88–90.

eThese lines are unintelligible.

The syntax of both these comparisons is doubtful in several places; it is clear in both that he is comparing his own building activity with that of his ancestors; the first comparison referring to his works in the city, and the second to those in the highland of the necropolis.

Crafts Encouraged

638. I was munificent in monuments; I taught every craft 215which had been 'neglected' in this city, in order that my name might be excellent upon every monument which I 'made',

Conclusion

a

639. 220The hereditary prince, count, Nehri's son, Khnumhotep, born of Beket, triumphant, revered.

22 Foreman of the tomb, the chief treasurer, Beket.b

*Unintelligible.

bThis is the architect's "fecit," the signature of the official who conducted the work.

REIGN OF SESOSTRIS III

THE CONQUEST OF NUBIA

640. Sesostris III completed the conquest of Nubia, begun by his predecessors nearly one hundred years before, and was known in the Empire as the real conqueror of the region between the first and second cataracts. He conducted not less than four campaigns in this district, and probably more; and by his canalization of the cataract passages, and the erection of fortresses at strategic points, he made this country a permanent possession of the Pharaohs, which was never lost except for a time during the Hyksos period, until the dissolution of the Empire. Important material documents, like the fortresses of Kummeh and Semneh, are graphic witnesses of the character and permanence of this conquest.a

641. The documentary materials for Sesostris III's operations in Nubia are as follows:

I. The Canal Inscriptions (§§ 642-48).

II. The Elephantine Inscription (§§ 649, 650).
III. The First Semneh Stela (§§ 651-52).

IV. The Second Semneh Stela (§§ 653-60).

V. Inscription of Ikhernofret (§§ 661-70).

VI. Inscription of Sisatet (§§ 671, 672; see also §§ 676 ff., and 687).

I. THE CANAL INSCRIPTIONS

642. In order to establish unbroken water communication with the country above the first cataract, Sesostris III

A further reference to one of these Nubian campaigns of Sesostris III is found in the life of Sebekkhu (§§ 676 ff.).

cleared a channel which permitted the passage of his war fleets, and later doubtless of much commerce also. Although this enterprise had been begun in the Sixth Dynasty, it was now over five hundred years since Uni's attempts to pierce the cataract (8324). Sesostris III's achievement was recorded in the two following inscriptions, cut on the rocks of the Island of Sehel. The first, recording the ‘making” of the canal, is undated, but as the second states, he repaired ("made anew") the canal in the eighth year, it must have been made before this date, and probably in anticipation of the campaign of that year.

First Inscription

643. A scene above, represents the king, Sesostris III, standing before the goddess Anuket, exactly as below (§ 646) before Satet; below them is the inscription:

644. He made (it) as his monument for Anuket, mistress of Nubia (T› · - pdt) ———, making for her a canal, whose name is: "Beautiful-Are-the-Ways-of-Khekure" (Sesostris III), that he may live forever.

645. In the eighth year the channel was already in need of repair, and had to be cleared for the passage of the expedition of that year. This is recorded in the

Mr. Wilbour and Mr. Somers Clarke found a rock-cut canal south of Sehel, but its dimensions do not coincide with those given in the inscription (see Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache, 1894, 63, 64).

bBut it should be remembered that "anew" may possibly mean for the first time" as it later sometimes does.

cText published by Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 136, b=de Morgan, Catalogue des monuments, 87, No. 39. This inscription was known fifty years before Mr. Wilbour's discovery below, but the name of the canal was misunderstood as that of a city (e. g., Wiedemann, Aegyptische Geschichte, 252). The inscription did not become clear until the publication of Mr. Wilbour's discovery (cf. quotation of Erman's letter, Recueil, XIII, 203). The old misunderstanding still survives, and the canal appears as "an emporium" bearing the name "Ways of Khâkerf" in some publications.

Second Inscriptiona

646. In a scene at the top stands the king, Sesostris III, wearing the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, and bearing the (w's-) scepter and (hrp-) baton. The goddess "Satet, mistress of Elephantine," stands before him, presenting him with life; while behind him is the "chief treasurer . . . chief of works."b Below is the following inscription:

647. Year 8 under the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt: Khekure (H-k'w-R, Sesostris III), living forever. His majesty commanded to make the canal anew, the name of this canal being: "Beautiful-Are-the-Ways-of-Khekure-[Living]-Forever," when his majesty proceeded up-river to overthrow Kush, the wretched. Length of this canal, 150 cubits; width, 20; depth, 15.

648. The canal was still in use in the New Kingdom, and was cleared again by Thutmose I and III (II, 75, 76, 649, 650).

e

649. In addition to the great works on the canal, Sesostris III also gave some attention to the fortress of Elephantine as he passed southward on the campaign of the eighth year. The work was recorded there by Ameni, the officer commissioned to do it, in the following inscription:

aDiscovered by Mr. Charles Wilbour, and published by him in Recueil, XIII, 202-4; later by de Morgan, Catalogue des monuments, 86, No. 20.

bHe has been omitted by Wilbour, and his name is lacking in de Morgan, Catalogue des monuments.

cOr possibly: "for the first time."

dFrom a small stela now in the British Museum (No. 852); it was published by Birch (Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache, 1875, 50), and again, Egyptian Texts, 12, 13. I used my own copy of the original, as that of Birch contains a number of inaccuracies.

eThe fortress is supposed by Maspero (Recueil, XIII, 204) to be the wall connecting Assuan and Philæ, of which there are considerable remains at the present day.