baskets were fastened with seals of the queen or her husband. Her name is engraved on four bronze libation vases and their stand, while the alabaster canopic jars have her sacerdotal titles. Several figurines or ushabti were likewise dedicated to Astemkheb. The most important object found in connection with her burial is unique in the history of tomb furniture. This is the gorgeous canopy of blue decorated leather, under which the body of the queen rested during the funeral ceremonies. The top piece, about eight feet long and seven feet wide, is formed of three bands of leather, originally blue, which has faded to pearl grey. Across the central band six vultures spread their wings over a ground studded with stars. The side pieces are five feet long, and are bordered with designs in which figures of gazelles, scarabs, lotus flowers and plants are worked into a conventional ornamentation which is strikingly bold and effective. The top piece has the name of the queen's father Masaherta, suggesting that it was part of his funeral canopy, to which new side pieces were added at the time of his daughter's death. These pieces have inscriptions in the name of Astemkheb and the cartouche of her son Pinezem II., in whose reign she died. It is noticeable that the titles here given to the queen are those of her sacred offices: "Daughter of the first "Prophet of Amen, Chief of the Chantresses of Min, of The finding of this follows: "As he was Horus, and of Isis in Apou." interesting piece is described as making his way into the tomb, Emile Brugsch Pasha picked up at the entrance to the long passage a parcel "of leather clumsily wrapped together, which seemed to "have been thrown aside by some Egyptian priest who "was in a hurry to get away. The central part which "forms the roof represents a starry sky, over which the "vultures of Nechabit extend their wings to protect the "dead. " An ornamental border in stamped leather links 'to this roof four side pieces, which were covered with a draughtboard pattern of green and red squares, and hung "down on every side of the coffin, enclosing it as a tomb. "The inscriptions .invoke a happy rest for her "who sleeps under the funeral daïs." Unfortunately, the funeral tent is much damaged. The fragments of the original leather, with a restoration drawing by MM. Vassalli and Emile Brugsch Pasha, are shown in the Cairo Museum.2 He HENT-TAUI (II.) was a daughter of Astemkheb and Menkheper-ra. It is doubtful if she is to be classed among the Egyptian queens, for although she would have been an heiress of royal rights through her mother, yet there is no conclusive evidence that either she or her husband and brother, Nesibanebdadu, actually occupied a throne. was high priest of Amen, according to the inscriptions of a bronze statuette and of a pendant, and may therefore have held a place in the succession of Priest Kings of this dynasty. Numerous ushabtis of rough workmanship have been found, which have the name of the princess Hent-taui.3 A third princess of this line was ASTEMKHEB (II.), a daughter of Menkheper-ra or of Nesibanebdadu, and queen of Pinezem II. The decree of the original Astemkheb, which deals with the settlement of that queen's property on her descendants, names as her heiresses Hent-taui (II.) and Astemkheb (II.), presumably her daughter and grand-daughter. That this decree regarding personal property was of sufficient importance to be graven within the temple limits implies that not 1 M.'s Q.G., 403. 2 Gal. Q, Case K, 1194. Fine illustrations of the canopy are published in MASPERO's Momies Royales, etc., 585–87. * M.'s M.R., 707; P., H.E., iii, 214. 4 • M.'s M.R., 711. only the Queen Astemkheb, but also the princesses to whom she bequeathed her estate, were the reigning high priestesses of the Theban cult of Amen. There is no proof that Astemkheb II. was the wife of Pinezem II., but as she seems to have been the chief heiress princess at the time when Pinezem wore the crown, it is likely that she was one of his queens. Her coffins, alabaster canopic jars, and bronze vases, were found at Deir el-Bahari.1 NESIKHONSU. This princess was the queen of Pinezem II., one of the last of the Priest Kings. Her father was Nesibadadu of the priestly line, her mother being a "Lady Tahonit-tauti," probably descended from the same stock. It is to her mother that Nesikhonsu continually refers in her funeral papyrus, as though it were solely through that parent that she claimed her supremacy and titles. The invariable form in which the papyrus names her is "this daughter of Tahonit-tauti." In the monuments concerning Nesikhonsu, we probably have records of one of the great Queens of Thebes. A stela3 shows her before Osiris, and designates her by the unusual titles "Viceroy of Kush (or Ethiopia), Administrator of the Middle Country," titles which before this seem only to have been assumed by men. The domain over which the queen had authority is specified by the inscription on her mummy bandages, from which it is evident that she was the actual sovereign of a large part of the kingdom. We have as yet no record of buildings or of independent acts of government by Queen Nesikhonsu, but it is not unlikely that she was engaged in works such as those 1 M.'s M.R., 578-89. 2 M.'s M.R., 606-9, 707. 3 Bought several years ago at Luxor and published by Miss EDWARDS, Rec., iv, 81, University Coll., London. which occupied other rulers of Egypt. She married her uncle, both her father and husband being sons of Queen Astemkheb I. and Menkheper-ra. mentions her mother, brothers and children, the princes Zaunefer and princesses Ataui and Nesitanebashru. The funeral papyrus' sisters, and her four Masaherta, and the The queen's death took place before that of her husband, and the same officials are named as having conducted the burials of both. That of Nesikhonsu was in the fifth year of some reign unspecified. A tomb inscription runs: "The year V, the 4th month of Shomou, "the 21st, when was entombed the chief of the favourites, "Nesikhonsu." In the Deir el-Bahari tomb her mummy, two coffins, and a number of articles dedicated to her service were found. The body of this Priestess Queen, who ruled Ethiopia more than a thousand years B.C., is to-day exposed in the Cairo Museum.3 When the mummy was examined it was found to be in good condition. A singular feature of its preparation was the use of onion parings carefully cut to follow the form of the features, and placed over the eyes and mouth. One of the bandages was inscribed with the name of Pinezem II., and a stamped leather ornament had the titles of the first Prophet of Amen, Pinezem, royal son of Pasebkhanu.^ The coffins showed a strange confusion of ownership. They had originally been made for Astemkheb II., and had afterwards, for some reason unknown, been altered for Nesikhonsu's burial. Such parts of the inscription as had the titles common to the two princesses, were left untouched, but the name of Astemkheb was covered with a coat of red paint, and that of Nesikhonsu traced over it. This coating has fallen off in places, and the name of the original owner 1 Translated in M.'s M.R., 594-614. • M.'s M.R., 578. 3 Gal. Q, Case 2, 1184. appears. Nor was this the only usurpation of the coffins; one of them was occupied when found by a mummy which was thought to be that of Ramses XII. It has as an outer wrapping a re-used bandage of the chief wife of Amen, Nesikhonsu, in the year VI.1 A basket found with the coffins contained seventy vases of glass and earthenware, yellow, white and turquoise blue; all of which had the name of Nesikhonsu traced in black. The funeral papyrus represents the queen before Amen, to whom she justifies herself, and by whom she is deified. Each paragraph begins, "Thus declares Amen-Ra, the "very great god of creation." The deity says, “I have "observed Nesikhonsu, this daughter of Tahonit-tauti, and "she has done no evil against Pinezem the son of "Astemkheb." The papyrus proceeds to enumerate the good gifts which Amen promises to the queen, assuring her immortal life. The same blessings are likewise granted to "the "brothers and sisters of Nesikhonsu," and to "Ataui, Zaunefer, Masaherta and Nesitanibashru, the children of "Nesikhonsu." The tabulated records of the queen are as follows: Coffin and mummy, Cairo M., Gallery Q, Case Q, 1184. Shroud, Cairo M. Catalogue, p. 422. A second coffin, with mummy Ramses XII., Cairo M., A mummy bandage, on mummy Ramses XII., Cairo M. The Papyrus, Cairo M., No. 686. A wooden tablet, Cairo M., Gallery Q, Case X, 1225. A stela (Edwards), University College, London.* 1 Cairo M., 1196. 2 Cairo M., Vestibule Jewel Room, Case B; M.'s M.R., 590. • Rec., II, 15. • Ibid., IV, 8. |