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REIGN OF AMENEMHET IV

KUMMEH INSCRIPTIONa

749. All of the few dated records of Amenemhet IV are beyond the borders of Egypt. The earliest is the rock inscription of Kummeh, recording the height of the Nile there.

Height (r) of the Nile of the year 5, under the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Makhrure (M-hrw-R, Amenemhet IV), living forever and ever.

SINAI INSCRIPTIONS

750. Amenemhet IV continued the exploitation of the Sinaitic mines at least as late as his sixth year. At Wadi Maghara his officials have left two records, the first containing only the date and the leader's titles, as follows:

Year 6 under the majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Makhrure (Amenemhet IV), given life forever, beloved of Soped, [lord of the East] and Hathor, mistress of malachite.

-c desire, treading the way of him (the king) who favors him; whom the soldiers love, - his designs, giving attention, — — --, storeroom-keeper of the palace, Kheye (Hy), [born of] Henut (Ḥnw[t]).

A further inscription also bears the same date, but contains only a mortuary prayer.

At Sarbût el-Khadem two inscriptions contain only the Pharaoh's name.

a Engraved on the rocks above the river at Kummeh; Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 152 f.

bLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 137, d; Weill, Sinai, 145.

[blocks in formation]

eLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 140, 0. p.; Weill, Sinai, 171, 172.

FROM THE THIRTEENTH DYNASTY TO

THE HYKSOS

REIGN OF SEKHEMRE-KHUTOWE

RECORDS OF NILE-LEVELSa

751. These four inscriptions are the latest of the wellknown records on the rocks at Semneh, above the second cataract, which mark the maximum level of the river. They begin under Amenemhet III, and continue into the reign of Sekhemre-Khutowe, when they abruptly cease with these four, here discussed, which thus possess a certain importance. These Nile records are indeed our only historical inscriptions from the reign of this obscure king, and the first ray of light after the fall of the Twelfth Dynasty. They continue uninterruptedly from the year 1 to the year 4, inclusive, but only that of the year 3° contains more than the words, "Height of the Nile of the year—;" it is as follows:

752. Height of the Nile of the year 3, under the majesty of King Sekhemre-Khutowe (Shm-R-hw-t' wy), living forever; when the wearer of the royal seal, the commander of the army, Renseneb (Rn $nb), was commanding in the fortress: "Mighty-is-Khekure" (Sesostris III).d

a Inscribed on the rocks above Semneh; published by Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 151, a-d.

bAdministrative documents from his first, and probably also his second and fifth years, are found in the Kahun Papyri (Griffith, Kahun Papyri, Pl. X, ll. 1, 3; and Pl. IX, 1. 9; see Griffith's remarks, p. 86). Blocks bearing his name were found also at Bubastis. There is no evidence connecting this king with the name Sebekhotep.

cLepsius, Denkmäler, II, 151, C.

dThis is evidently either the fortress of Semneh or that of Kummeh opposite.

REIGN OF NEFERHOTEP

GREAT ABYDOS STELAa

753. As the only considerable document of this king, containing more than his name or those of his family, this inscription is of great importance; but, besides this, its unique content renders it of especial interest. Neferhotep was the son of a priest, "the divine father, Ha-enkhef (h'nh)" and "the royal mother, Kemi (Kmy)," through whom he possibly inherited royal blood, although he is more likely to have usurped the throne, thus giving his mother her title. Like the ephemeral Khenzer, he gave special attention to the maintenance of the Abydos temple, and this stela, erected to testify to his zeal, tells how he investigated the ancient records at Heliopolis to ascertain exactly what was due to Osiris, particularly the proper form for the divine statue, as it was at the beginning of the world.

754. In order to carry out what he had found in the records, he proceeded in person to Abydos, sending a mes

A sandstone stela, nearly 6 feet high and over 3 feet wide, set up on the wall of the road leading to the Middle Kingdom Osiris-temple. It was in such ba condition that Mariette left it in situ; but, after years of exposure to weather and vandalism, it has now been brought to the Cairo Museum. It was evidently exceedingly indistinct and difficult to copy, and the two copies of Mariette and Devéria, from which the text is published (Mariette, Abydos, II, 28-30; Catalogue général d'Abydos, 233, 234, No. 766) contained many errors, only a portion of which it is possible to correct. These and the frequent lacunæ render a complete translation impossible, but enough has been given to make the essential progress of the narrative clear. A better text is now hardly a possibility.

bFamily list cut on the rocks at Assuan (Petrie, Season in Egypt, XIII, No. 337-Lepsius, Denkmäler, II, 151, e-Text, IV, 126) and on Sehel at the first cataract (Mariette, Monuments divers, 70, 3); also on several scarabs (Petrie, Scarabs, Nos. 293-98.

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