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Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2009.12.19

Ursula Rssler-Khler, Tarek Tawfik (ed.), Die ihr vorbeigehen werdet ...Wenn Grber, Tempel und Statuen sprechen: Gedenkschr i f t fr Prof. Dr.Sayed Tawfi k Ahmed. Deutsches Ar chologisches I nstitut, Abtei lung KairoSonderschr if t 16. Berlin/New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2009. Pp. xi,206; 27 p. of plates. ISBN 9783110203936. $123.00.

Reviewed by Joachim Friedrich Quack, Heidelberg University

(Joachim_Friedrich.Quack@urz.uni-heidelberg.de)

This volume is a collection of studies in memory of an Egyptian Egyptologist. Like somany examples of this genre of book, it contains a fairly mixed assemblage of topics(even if most authors manage to point out a convincing connection of their studies withthe honored person) which can only be briefly resumed here.

S.S. Abdel el-Aal, "Some Blocks belonging to the Tias from Kafr el-Gebel" (p. 1-4).

Publication of some isolated blocks which were found near Giza and once formed partof a funerary installation from a couple belonging to the royal family of the 19thdynasty. Only a part of the find is published here, for the total a separate study ispromised. The reliefs show a depiction of the Apis-bull as well as adorations of Osirisand Sokar.

H. Altenmller, "Prinz und Pharao--Amunherchopeschef und Ramses VI" (p. 5-16).Tomb KV 13, originally conceived for the royal chancellor Bay, was left unfinishedafter his fall from grace and later reused for the burial of two princes of the 20thdynasty. The author argues that the first of them, Amunherkhepshef, was not actuallyburied there (so the sarcophagus remained unused) but went on to become king Ramses

VI, then using the tomb for the burial of his own son.

M.I. Ali, "La Chapelle de Thot Abou Simbel. Est-ce le Mammisi du temple?" (p. 17-33). The author presents and translates the texts of the Thot-chapel of Abu Simbel(only printed hieroglyphs, no facsimiles or photographs; the texts are also available inKRI II, 748-751) and wants to see a function parallel to that of the Late-Period birth-houses (Mammisi). On p. 20 the author has mistakenly proposed "[giving] divinewater", not recognizing the typical designation of a king as "divine semen". On p. 24 a

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crucial mistake has occurred; where the author wants to translate "mammisi", the textjust says "house of him who sired him". On p. 26, instead of "vielleisse", the text has"office", and on p. 27, instead of "l'eau (divine) qui sort du chateau de la naissancedivine du roi et de l'Ennade dans sa totalit", the reviewer would propose "divinesemen who came forth from the temple which the king has fashioned for the entire

ennead". These corrections should lead to a reconsideration of the principal ideas of theauthor.

N. Arafa, "Les oreilles du roi au Nouvel Empire" (p. 35-49). The author assemblesattestations of the title "ears of the king" as well as an epithet "who fills the ears ofHorus with truth" (and variants) which, in the opinion of the reviewer, should better bekept separate.

R. Assem, "Scenes of the Djed-Pillar" (p. 51-58). A study of the different appearancesof the djed-pillar in Theban tombs of the New Kingdom. The author concludes thatscenes of all individual types can occur in tombs in all areas of the Theban necropolis

as well as on all walls.

E. Bresciani, "Les temples de Medinet Madi. Pass et future d'une explorationarchologique dans le Fayoum" (p. 59-65). Illustrated with plans and drawings of somereliefs, the author gives an overview of the excavation of the Middle Kingdom templesof Medinet as well as the prospects for developing the site.

Z.Z. Gamal el-Deen, "Akhenaten's religion: A political view" (p. 67-80). Mainlyfocusing on royal titularies, the author traces the development of the position of theking towards solar religion. He adheres to the idea (formulated by Assmann) thatAkhenaten's religion developed out of the so-called "New Solar Theology" and that he

was assuming a central role as sole mediator between the god and the people.

M. Eldamaty, "Die leeren Kartuschen im Tempel von Edfu" (p. 81-101). Especiallyduring the later Ptolemaic Period, the cartouches of royal inscriptions have sometimesbeen left empty instead of filling in a specific name. The author supposes that this factis due to the political unrest which induced the priests to keep neutral aboutrecognizing any pretender until the outcome was clear. Following the process ofbuilding and decorating the temple of Edfu, he proposes a very fine-tuned attribution ofdifferent types of completely or partially empty cartouches to different times of crisis,especially during the years 108/107, 88, 81/80 and 58-55.

S. Gohary, "New Evidence on the Duration of Mummification" (p. 103-104). Shortremarks focusing on the evidence for the duration of the embalming process which canbe gleaned from a stela published by T. Handoussa in the same volume.

N. Grimal, "Nouveaux fragments des Annales de Thoutmosis III Karnak" (p. 105-120). During conservation work in the temple of Karnak, some blocks of the annals ofThutmosis III came to light which had been reused in constructions of Seti I. The

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author publishes ten blocks in photograph, facsimile drawing and translation. On blockVII A, x+4 read probably "this noble god". For the important passage on block VII I,x+5 (discussed p. 111f.), the interpretation of the author is grammatically impossible,understand rather "lest others say that he made it in order to be a Ka-house [of ...]".

T. Handoussa, "A Stela of the God's Father Psametik" (p. 121-124). Publication of astela discovered in excavations of S. Tawfik. Giving neither photographs norhieroglyphs (only transliteration), the publication is of very limited usefulness. This isall the more to be regretted as something seems problematic with the dates given in thetext: If the span of life indicated as 65 years, 10 months and 2 days and the date of birthyear 1 of Nekho II, third month of summer, day 1 are both correct, then the date of year27 (of Amasis), fourth month of inundation, day 28 can on no account be the actualdate of the death.

Z. Hawass, "The Tomb of Keki: The Pyramid Builder" (p. 125-135). Publication of atomb belonging to the upper cemetery of the workmen at Giza pyramid. The tomb

contained an inscribed offering basin and had three burial shafts.

S. el-Kholi, "The Lost Colossus of the Mate of the Sphinx (Part II)" (p. 137-144).Second part of a study (the first appeared in Z. Hawass (ed.),Proceedings of the 8thInternational Congress of Egyptology, Volume II, Cairo 2003, p. 352-361). The authorstudies Arabic reports about a colossal statue of a seated woman with a child whichonce stood in the same axis as the great Sphinx, which he interprets as a figure of Isis.He tries to locate a temple of Isis where this statue once stood. Concerning the roads ofSepa discussed on p. 140, the study of J.-P. Corteggiani, in: Hommage SergeSauneronI (Cairo 1979), p.132-151 could have provided additional information.

G.T. Martin, "Ra'y, Head of the Bakery of the Lord of Truth" (p. 145-149). Publicationof a relief block in Cambridge (E.SS.49) belonging to the chief baker of Ptah (notincluded in G.T. Martin, Stelae from Egypt and Nubia in the Fitzwilliam Museum,Cambridge c. 3000 BC--AD 1150, Cambridge 2005, because he argues that it is not astela).

D. Mostafa, "Red Sea Ports, Eastern Desert Roads, Quarries and Mines in Greek andRoman Egypt" (p. 151-155). A compilation of the main harbors, roads, and quarriesconnected with the red sea region. Most of the relevant more recent literature is notcited by the author, e.g. the reports on the excavations and finds at Mons Claudianus.

C. Nauerth, "Tunika, Dalmatika oder Stola Olympika? Eine Anmerkung zumsogenannten Sakralgewand aus Sakkara" (p. 157-160). Some points concerning thewell-known tunica from Saqqara are discussed anew. Especially, the author draws acomparison with the garment worn by the initiated of the Isis mysteries according toApuleius.

A.M. Osman, "Ein verborgenes Allerheiligstes fr Imn, den verborgenen Gott? Die

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architektonische Ausfhrung eines theologischen Konzepts" (p. 161-168). The authordiscusses the sanctuaries in the Akh-menu of Thutmosis III, the one in the main axis aswell as the hidden one, and asks which one was the principal sanctuary. He prefers tosee the hidden one as more important.

A. Radwan, "Sayed Tawfik in Saqqara. Einiges zu fnf Fundobjekten aus seinenAusgrabungen" (p. 169-174). Publication of five stone objects from the excavations ofS. Tawfik in Saqqara. On the broken lower part of a private stela (p. 172), read, insteadof "wobei mein Krper unter (der Aufsicht) des Anubis, des Oberen derGerechtfertigten (d.h. der seligen Toten), sein wird", rather chet cher reshut"my bodybeing in gladness". The formulation seems more typical for a monument erected duringthe lifetime of a person than for a funerary object. On the back pillar of the statue ofPsametik (p. 174), instead of "alle Vorlesepriester, die herbeikommen werden,(sowohl) aus Memphis (als auch) aus gypten", translate rather "all lector-priests whowill come from Memphis to the Kemet-area" (on Kemet as name of the Serapeumregion at Saqqara, see H. Gauthier, Dictionnaire des noms gographiques contenus

dans les texts hiroglyphiques, tome cinquime, Cairo 1928, p. 199f.). Understand,instead of "(und) die Gnade (bei) Ptah-Sokar gehrt dir", rather as a verbal sentence"May Ptah be gracious towards you".

H. Refai, Die "Herrin der Unterwelt" (p. 175-185). Discussion of a female deity called"the one who embraces (Horus)", often with the additional epithet "mistress of thenetherworld". Her head is stylized as a snake and / or lion and crocodile. She is attestedon papyri and coffins of the 21th dynasty. The reviewer seriously doubts that the snakeand crocodile parts of her should be interpreted as symbols of regeneration (asproposed by the author); they could at least equally well stand for aspects of protectionas being dangerous animals capable of warding off attacks.

H. Selim, "Four Pyramidia in the Cairo Museum" (p. 187-206). Publication of fourpyramidia (New Kingdom and Saite Period) coming probably from Abydos. The nameof the proprietor of the first one (Iraw) might be, in the opinion of the reviewer, a shortform of something like the Nebirieraw attested as name of a king of the 17th dynasty.On the Pyramidion of Padiese, read the final word of west side of the verticalinscription simply as the definite article ta.