This is a replica of the Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช Stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ at the Musei Vaticani that my Nonno gave to me over fifteen years ago. I love this piece so much because the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช on it are so accurate compared to the original stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ!
This is one of my most prized possessions because my Nonno have it to me. He brought this for me before we got to see the stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ together, because he knew I would absolutely love it, and I do!
Let me know if you guys enjoy seeing my little collection of Egyptian replica pieces that my Nonno has given me!
Here is one of my posts about this beautiful ๐ค stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ!
I love this picture for two ๐ป reasons: the first ๐ is because my Nonno took this picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ of me with the Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช Stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ at the Musei Vaticani! I almost feel that this picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ represents how Nonno saw me, and Iโve never shared it until today ๐๐๐๐ณ because I wanted to keep it as โmine.โ I wish I could go back to this moment because look at the happiness ๐ซ๐ฃ and joy ๐ซ๐ฃ on my face! The second ๐๐ป reason is because this Stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ of Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช is one of my absolute favorite Egyptian artifacts – it was a dream of mine to see this in person, and Iโm so lucky I was able to!
I know I have posted about this stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธa lot, however, today ๐๐๐๐ณwe are going to examine a different aspect of it! If you search “Hatshepsut” or “Vatican Museum,” you will be able to see my previous posts on this beautiful stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ!
This sandstone ๐๐ ฑ๐ง๐๐๐ stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ depicts Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช and Thutmosis III ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ during their joint reign. Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช is wearing the blue (khepresh) crown ๐ฃ๐๐๐ and is making an offering of nemset jars ๐๐๐ to the god ๐น Amun-Ra ๐๐ ๐๐ณ๐บ. Thutmosis III ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ is wearing the White Crown ๐ค๐ of Upper Egypt ๐!
The stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ was meant to commemorate restoration works in West Thebes ๐๐๐! Many pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ would restore the work of previous rulers ๐๐๐พ๐ช to demonstrate their own power and to honor the gods ๐น๐น๐น, not to honor the previous pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ!
Another reason why restoring previous works and building lots of new buildings (which Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช did early in her reign ๐๐๐พ), was so significant was because it meant the name ๐๐ of the pharaoh ๐๐ป (in this case, Hatshepsut) would live on since the names were part of the buildingsโ inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ. All of these new projects also impressed upon the common people the economic prosperity of the Hatshepsutโs ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช regime. This was important for her to demonstrate immediately because she was not only a female ๐๐๐๐๐ ruler ๐๐๐พ, but she kind of pushed Thutmosis III ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ to the side and named herself the legitimate pharaoh ๐๐ป.
When I was first starting to learn to read hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช, the cartouches of the pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ were some of the first things I learned how to read and recognize! Learning the cartouches allowed me to become familiar with the different uniliteral, biliteral, and triliteral signs! By remembering the signs/meanings of the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช associated with the names ๐๐๐ฅ of the pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ, I was able to then expand my knowledge using the Book of the Dead transliteration/translation!
A lot of the New Kingdom pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ had simple three ๐ผ symbol throne name cartouches, which sometimes takes some practice to read because of the order of the symbols! For the three symbol cartouches, usually (not always) the symbols were read โMiddle-Right-Leftโ or โMiddle-Bottom-Topโ depending on the orientation of the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช.
For example, Hatshepsutโs throne name of (๐ณ๐ฆ๐) would be read โMaatkareโ (Maat ๐ฆ ka ๐ re ๐ณ) and the throne name of Thutmosis III (๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ) would be read โMenkhepherreโ (Men ๐ kheper ๐ฃ re ๐ณ).ย
While to most this is just a piece of wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ, to me this is significant because this piece of wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ is inscribed with the cartouche of the throne name of the 19th Dynasty pharaoh ๐๐ป Seti I!
So in this picture ๐๐ ฑ๐, Seti Iโs cartouche reads (๐ฆ๐ ๐ณ) or โMenmaatreโ (Men ๐ maat ๐ฆ re ๐ณ), however, in most inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ his cartouche is written as (๐ณ๐ฆ๐ )! A lot of people will translate his name as โMaatmenreโ (Maat ๐ฆ men ๐ re ๐ณ) because of the way it is written. So as you can see, the orientation of the three ๐ผ symbols definitely changes and can be confusing to a beginner! I have seen both Menmaatre and Maatmenre used in published books, but if we are going to get technical, the translation of Menmaatre (Eternal is the Truth of Re) makes a little more sense than Maatmenre (Truth is the Eternal of Re).
I chose to use Seti Iโs ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ cartouche for this example because Nonno loved Seti I ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ !
This year for Christmas/Advent, my sister ๐ข๐๐๐ made our Mom ๐ ๐๐ an advent calendar of beautiful ๐ค homemade ornaments for the Christmas tree ๐ญ๐ ๐ญ using pictures ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ from past Christmases! One of the pictures ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ she chose was a picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ of us at the MET with Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช! This picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ definitely qualifies as โChristmas Themedโ because my sister ๐ข๐๐๐ is wearing a Santa hat, plus this was actually taken during Christmas 2015!ย
My Nonno loved Christmas and he loved spending Christmas together ๐๐ as a family ๐ ๐๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ฆ. Christmas 2019 was my Nonnoโs last Christmas, and Iโm so glad we got to spend it with him. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (we celebrate both days) are very hard now that he isnโt here with us. I miss him so, so much.
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช – this time it will be Christmas ๐ themed vocabulary!
From me ๐ and my family ๐ ๐๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ฆ to yours, I hope you all have a joyful ๐ซ๐ฃ๐, happy ๐ซ๐ฃ๐บ, and Merry Christmas ๐!
The star ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ผ design is one of my absolute favorites to see. As someone who has always been fascinated by space and astronomy, I love how the Egyptians ๐๐๐๐๐ช incorporated astronomical concepts not just into their language and religion, but into their art as well. I even have this star ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ผ design as my phone case!ย
This design appears on the ceilings of tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ช (Seti Iโs ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ธ๐ tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ comes to mind), temples ๐๐๐๐ช (Hatshepsutโs ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช temple ๐๐๐ at Deir el-Bahri ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐) and even on funerary objects ๐๐๐ด๐๐๐ญ like canopic jar cases! The star hieroglyphic ๐น๐ symbol ๐ผ was used very frequently in words as well and there are different variations of star symbols (๐ป, ๐ฝ).
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ I chose to highlight the star ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ผ design because a five ๐พ pointed star ๐ผ, just like the hieroglyphic ๐น๐ symbol, appeared over the manger in Bethlehem when Jesus was born and guided the Wise Men to his birthplace. Known as the โChristmas Starโ or the โStar of Bethlehem,โ this star ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ผ was seen as a sign that the Messiah had been born. I have always loved Nativity scenes, and the symbolism behind the star ๐ผ shining above the Nativity. The star is even mentioned in The Bible:
Matthew 2:9-10 : โฆand the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
I love this verse because I too feel overjoyed when I see stars ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ช – whether itโs the stars in the sky ๐ผ๐ ก๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ, stars ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ช on top of Christmas Trees, stars ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ช on Egyptian art or in hieroglyphic ๐น๐ inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ. Stars ๐ด๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ช are the light in the darkness – and I hope your holidays are filled with light and love.
This little replica of the Rameses II ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐ statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ from the Museo Egizio in Torino was given to me by my Nonno, and I love it so much!
You can read more about this beautiful ๐ค statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ in my post about it!
Here is a picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ to show you where Rameses II ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐ (and a replica ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ figure, also from the Museo Egizio) sits on my bookshelf!
Todayโs ๐๐๐๐ณ pictures ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ are from Nonnoโs point of view! While I have never been to the Museo Egizio in Torino, my Nonno had been there many times and always spoke so highly of it. He took these photos ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ on one of his trips there. He spoke about this statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ a lot because he thought it was just stunning ๐ค. It is one of my dreams to go to the Museo Egizio one day – I just wish Nonno and I could have gone there together ๐๐.
Rameses II ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐
This granodiorite ๐ ๐๐๐๐ statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ of Rameses II ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐ is one of the most majestic pieces in the museumโs collection and one of the most lifelike statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช there is of Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐. This may just be mine (and Nonnoโs) opinion, but I think it is one of the most majestic of all of the pharaonic statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช (Besides Hatshepsutโs of course)!!!
Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ is depicted here wearing the khepresh crown ๐ฃ๐๐๐ (also known as the blue crown) and he is holding a scepter ๐พ in his hand. On his feet he is wearing sandals ๐ฟ๐๐๐ธ๐ช, but under those sandals ๐ฟ๐๐๐ธ๐ช are nine bows ๐บ๐๐๐ฆ which represent the enemies ๐๐๐๐๐ช of Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐!
On either side of Rameses IIโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐ legs, there are two ๐ป smaller figures. On the right side is Queen Nefertari ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ and on the left is Rameses IIโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐ and Nefertariโs ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ first ๐ born son ๐ ญ Amunherkhepeshef ๐๐ ๐๐ท๐บ๐๐ผ.
While it may be difficult to see in the photographs, a special symbol appears on both sides of the statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ. This symbol, called the sema-tawy ๐, is a combination of many different symbols all combined into one! Most prominently, it is thought to be representative of the lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ and the windpipe ๐ฅ. The lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ are a symbol of Upper Egypt ๐ and the windpipe ๐ฅ was a symbol of Lower Egypt ๐ค. Due to this, the sema-tawy ๐ is thought to be the symbol of a unified Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐.
The pharaoh ๐๐ป was always referred to as the โLord of the Two Lands ๐๐ฟ๐ฟโ or โKing of Upper and Lower Egypt ๐ฅโ because Upper ๐ and Lower ๐ค Egypt, although united, were in fact very different from each other. They each had their own natural resources, cultures and local gods ๐น๐น๐น. The lung ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ and windpipe ๐ฅ design ๐ was usually found on objects that belonged to the pharaoh ๐๐ป. In this case, it is on the side of one of Rameses II’s ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐ most beautiful ๐ค statues ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ๐ช!
Some Egyptologists think that this statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ looks like Seti I ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ธ๐, and that Rameses II ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐ usurped it from his own father ๐๐๐. However, there are no signs of reworking on the cartouche or on the inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ as a whole, so the two ๐ป pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ probably just resembled each other!ย
This statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ is dated to the first 30 ๐๐๐ years of the reign ๐พ๐๐ of Rameses II ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐, because Nefertari ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ died during Year 30 ๐๐๐ of Rameses IIโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ณ๐บ๐๐ด๐ reign ๐พ๐๐.
While this may just seem like the broken fragment of a statue ๐๐ ฑ๐๐พ (and I guess it is), I love this piece at the MET because it contains the cartouches of Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ and Nefertiti ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ณ๐ค๐๐๐ป๐!ย
The Amarna Period, and the reign ๐พ๐๐ of Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ and Nefertiti ๐ค๐๐๐๐ has always fascinated me, ever since I was a child ๐๐๐. Professional Egyptologists have tried to piece together the series of events that shaped this tumultuous time period of Egyptian history, mostly by looking at the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช themselves.
Fragmented statue containing the cartouches of Akhenaten and Nefertiti
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! Letโs start at the right column, since the directional symbols point that way!
๐ฅ – King of Upper and Lower Egypt
๐น – Life
๐ – On
๐ง – Maat
๐๐ฟ๐ฟ – Lord of the Two Lands
๐ณ๐ค๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ก๐- Neferkheperura-waenre which means “Beautiful are the Forms/Manifestations of Re, the Unique one of Re” (Akhenatenโs throne name)
๐๐น – Given Life
Now on to the left column! This first part is cut off, but itโs probably a variant Nefertitiโs title of โKingโs Great Wife, as you can see the ending of the word โ great ๐ ฉ๐๐โ
What always gets me is Akhenatenโs throne name of ๐ณ๐ค๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ก๐- Neferkheperura-waenre. This particular spelling of the throne name is only seen after he changed his given name from Amenhotep IV ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐น๐พ๐ to Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐. The original spelling, before the name ๐๐ change was โ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ก๐.โ The name ๐๐ is still pronounced the same and has the same meaning, but the falcon glyph ๐ was changed to just the sun disc ๐ณ (both pronounced Re/Ra).ย Also, all of Akhenatenโs ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ other names (Horus name, etc) underwent a change, to remove the other deities ๐น๐น๐น, but this one didnโt.ย
I wonder why Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ didnโt change the throne name (๐ณ๐ค๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ก๐) to represent the Aten ๐๐๐๐ณ, just like how all of his other names ๐๐๐ฆ were changed.ย Nefertitiโs name also underwent a change; her name ๐๐ went from just Nefertiti ๐ค๐๐๐๐ to Neferneferuaten Nefertiti ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ณ๐ค๐๐๐ป๐ around year 5 of Akhenatenโs ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ reign. Year 5 in the reign ๐พ๐๐ of Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ is significant, because that is when we see most of the changes to Atenism begin to take place. Year 5 is when Aten ๐๐๐๐ณ became the supreme and only god ๐น, and the other deities ๐น๐น๐น could not be worshipped ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ข.
Since this piece contains the โupdatedโ version of Akhenatenโs ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ throne name and the longer version of Nefertitiโs ๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ณ๐ค๐๐๐ป๐ name ๐๐, we can assume that this piece was made during or after year 5 of Akhenatenโs ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ reign ๐พ๐๐.
Today ๐๐๐๐ณ we are going to look at a word that appears a lot in funerary inscriptions ๐๐๐ฅ! This word is simple, so it is easy to remember and to recognize! So letโs get started – the word for today ๐๐๐๐ณ is โOverseer ๐ ๐.โ
People with the title of โOverseer ๐ ๐โ worked for the nomarchs (kind of like governors and were appointed by the pharaoh ๐๐ป). The overseers ๐ ๐๐ฆ helped the nomarchs run the local government, and the overseers ๐ ๐๐ฆ had lots of people who worked for them, many of which were scribes ๐๐๐ช.ย
We start reading from the right, because the directional hieroglyphs (like the owl) are pointing to the right! ๐ ๐๐๐ is “Overseer of the King’s Scribe”
The word/title of โOverseer ๐ ๐โ was always followed by what specifically the person was an overseer ๐ ๐ of. This brings me to the full inscription: ๐ ๐๐๐.
๐ ๐ – Overseer
๐ – King/Royal
๐ – Scribe
So the person who this inscription ๐๐ ฑ๐ is for is the โOverseer of the Kingโs Scribe ๐ ๐๐๐โ or โOverseer of the Royal Scribe ๐ ๐๐๐.โ The word ๐๐ by itself can also mean โKingโs Secretary!โ
The word Overseer ๐ ๐ can also be translated as โCommander.โ Letโs take a look at some other Overseer ๐ ๐ titles you might see:
๐ ๐๐ – Overseer of the Wab Priests
๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐ – Overseer of the Forts
While this piece doesnโt look like a regular stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ (stone, rounded top), it is still considered to be one! This stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ has taken the shape of a shrine ๐๐๐ ๐๐ or pylon ๐๐๐๐๐ and thatโs what makes this wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ piece very unique! I also love this stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ because it shows the two ๐ป sisters ๐ข๐๐๐๐ช Nephthys ๐ ๐๐ and Isis ๐จ๐๐ฅ!
On the left, we see an image ๐๐ ฑ๐ of the goddess ๐น๐ Nephthys ๐ ๐๐, and on the right we see an image ๐๐ ฑ๐ of the goddess ๐น๐ Isis ๐จ๐๐. Part of a spell ๐๐๐ recited by the two ๐ป sisters ๐ข๐๐๐๐ช are located in the middle of the stela ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ. I love how symmetrical ancient Egyptian art is!
The crowns on their heads is one of the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช that is used in their names ๐๐๐ฆ (๐ and ๐จ), which makes both Isis ๐จ๐๐ and Nephthys ๐ ๐๐ very easy to identify in Egyptian art.
You can also identity Isis ๐จ๐๐ and Nephthys ๐ ๐๐ by reading the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช!
Starting on the left:
๐๐๐๐ – Words Spoken By
๐ ๐๐ – Nephthys
Now on the right:
๐๐๐๐ – Words Spoken By
๐จ๐๐ – Isis
๐ จ๐๐ – Great One
The Middle:
๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ – Words Spoken By
๐ – The Two Ladies (Nekhbet and Wadjet)
๐ ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ – The Two Crowns (๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ and ๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ is another way to write this)
๐๐ฒ๐ฆ – Lords/Master
๐๐บ – House
๐ – Eternity
This piece is dated to the Ramesside Period (19th-20th Dynasties, c. 1295โ1070 B.C.E.).
