As well as the long Biography of Petosiris, his tomb contains many other inscriptions, including these two scenes of his children paying homage to Petosiris and his wife. Another son, who died prematurely, is the subject of a separate inscription ( AET_4.51 ).
Most of the translations have been adapted from E. Otto, "Die biographischen Inschriften der ägyptischen Spätzeit" (1954), pp.175-79. A and D have been adapted from G. Lefebvre, "Le Tombeau de Petosiris" (1923/4), pp.85 & 90-91.
The photograph published by Lefebvre does not do justice to the scene featuring the daughters of Petosiris (A-D), but he has given a lavish description of it, as follows: "Dressed in a himation with a crenellated border, wearing sandals, his head covered with a yellow takiyah, staff in hand, and the priestly ring on one finger of his left hand, Petosiris sits on a raised seat with lion legs and claws . . . His wife is seated to his right on a stool whose four straight legs are visible, and which is covered with a fabric of shimmering colours; she is dressed in a chiton and a light tunic; she has a golden necklace around her neck and a bracelet on each arm; she holds, in her left hand, a blue flower which she brings to her nose, and a red flower on her knees . . . The three girls are dressed, like their mother, in a white tunic, light as a veil, which covers their shoulders and falls to the ankles, drawing tight folds along the body; one of them, in an elegant gesture, has crossed under her breasts the two edges of this graceful garment which, joining low above the waist, and flaring below, reveals the fine chiton between the red edges of the border . . . All three wear short wigs encircled by a headband that projects a golden flower bud from the front of their foreheads. Standing on a rectangular pedestal, they turn towards their parents, their right arms outstretched in homage."
[A] Petosiris inscription 58a : Petosiris & Renpetneferet
The imakhu of Thoth, twice great, lord of Khmunu, great god, master of hieroglyphs, the Great of Five, master of seats, high priest, seeing the god in his shrine, entering the pylon of the holy place in the company of the great prophets, prophet of the Ogdoad, chief of the priests of Sekhmet, chief of the priests of the third class and of those of the fourth class, royal scribe, accountant of all the goods of the temple of [Khmu]nu, second prophet of Khnum-Re master of Herwer and Hathor lady of Nefrusi, phylarch of the second priestly class of the temple of Herwer and that of Nefrusi, Petosiris (l.p.h.), son of the Great of Five, master of seats, second prophet of Khnum-Re master of Herwer and Hathor lady of Nefrusi, phylarch of the second priestly class of the temple of Herwer and that of Nefrusi, Sishu, justified, and born of the lady, [musician of Nehmetawy], Nefer-renpet, justified.
His wife, his beloved, sovereign of grace, gentle in love, with skillful speech, pleasant in her speeches, of useful advice in her writings; everything that passes from her lips is in the resemblance of the works of Maat ; perfect woman, great in favour in her city, extending her hand to all, saying what is good, repeating what is loved, pleasing everyone, from whose lips nothing evil passes, great in love with everyone, Renpetneferet, daughter of the Great of the Five, master of the seats, Peftauneith, and born of the lady Siturit.
[B] Petosiris inscription 58b : Tehen
The daughter of Petosiris, Tehen, says:
My father, my father! Listen to what your people say about you when they see your property: You are a lover of Neper through the harvest. Khenemet grants that your table is overflowing with daily needs. You are a favourite of Anubis, the lord of the cattle, whom Sekhat-[Hor] adorns. They place the masses of cattle, flocks, and oil into your stables. Sekhet, the mistress of fishing and fowling, decrees that fish and birds gather in the field beneath your net. The lord of the Imti district grants you plenty of wine according to your desire, so that your day is beautiful. You are rich in trees, for the garden glows with all kinds of blossoms in their season. It is pleasant for you to celebrate a daily feast there. They will bring you the beautiful treasures of Punt when you enter the land of the god, so that your grave is well-prepared. They will press myrrh for your needs, as Shesmu ordains for you every day, so that you can follow your heart there too. You have at your command numerous beautiful musicians, flawless to look at, with pleasant voices like Meret. They cheer your heart when they are drunk, until night comes every day. This will be done for you according to your heart's desire. But all this is accomplished by Thoth ! Glorious things will happen to you in his house. He prepared it for you as a reward. He gave you the excellent office that endures in his house. He will make your name endure in his temple. He will give you the same according to your age, when your house is well-established with your children, with son following son forever. Let everyone who comes along the way say: "Whoever follows his god will be honourable!"
[C] Petosiris inscription 58c : Tehiau
The daughter of Petosiris, Tehiau, says:
My father, my father! How good it is to walk in the way of the god! Everyone who walks in it is as wise before him as... (?) You have always relied on him. He guided your heart to build your tomb in the necropolis, so that your name would live on earth in the mouths of those who are to come, forever and ever. You built this house with contentment. Everyone worked on it, with glad hearts. The Nile came to you as you wished. The agricultural goddess gave you her wealth, beloved of all gods, so that your barns are full, while you can keep people alive and follow your heart by doing what you wish. Your ships are in place when the Nile comes, and they rush downstream and upstream as your heart desires. You traverse the bird marshes and roam the bird ponds of the lagoons, seeking what is hidden in them, and passing through the waters of the cataracts in their season {of flooding}. Sekhet has ordained for you that your bulls breed and your cattle conceive. They bear you fat calves. Your cattle tributes are numerous, sealed by the experience of the wab-priests of Sekhmet. The braziers burn for you at the festival of all the gods. Beloved of all the gods, you are rich in all these things through Thoth ! May he do the same for you after death, as one beautifully embalmed according to the work of Anubis. May your body be buried in this tomb in four coffins, one of uan wood, another of kedet wood, another of sycamore wood, and another of stone. They will be in your house on that day, inscribed with your name, and inlaid with all kinds of precious stones.
[D] Petosiris inscription 58d : Nesnehmetawy
His youngest daughter, his beloved, Nesnehmetawy, born of the lady Renpetneferet, says:
My father, my father! Listen to what everyone has been saying about you, since you have walked the path of your god Thoth, and great are the blessings with which he has bestowed upon you! He has enriched you with every good thing. He has led your heart to do what He loves: this is the work he has done for the one whom he loves. You drink until you are drunk (?), doing what your heart desires, ceaselessly, for ever. Everyone brings you . . . . and strives to gladden your heart (?). The wine is fresh (?) in your home, and abundant like water.
{ The lines that follow are too damaged to translate. The inscription ends with these words: }
Your master Thoth allowed these things to happen to you, because you have shown yourself to be kind towards everyone.
{ Before E there is repeated, with a few minor differences, the same text as A, describing Petosiris and his wife. }
[E] Petosiris inscription 61b : Teos
The son of Petosiris, Teos, says:
Your heart is glad in every beautiful way since you walked on the water of your master Thoth. Your form is therefore sublime; it is the water of life; your heart was drawn to it. One favoured by the god is he who puts the god's way into his heart. It is a mound on which you can rely; there is no right path that leads past it. It lengthens life and increases the years. It makes a man rich when he was poor. The god has made your nature greater than all your equals since you walked on his water. His ka works in your heart. He has given you favour in the hearts of the nobles and popularity in the hearts of the people. Everything you say is excellent. Your heart is just, like that of the Lord of Hermopolis {Thoth}. You will not be kept away from the gods. The inhabitants of the nome of Hermopolis praise you when they see the great god being worshipped at his appearance. The inhabitants of the nome of Hermopolis say to you when you stand before them: "This is a great monument to the lord of Hermopolis!" You are a nobleman of your city, a prince of your people, with vast possessions, rich in fields and herds without number. You worked for your lord Thoth, so that his heart was content. You built the house of Rê with a large basin of limestone, perfect in every work. Its doors are of cedar, the foundation of Asiatic copper. You allowed Rê to settle there, who was raised there before the Island of Fire. You placed your aim protective around the great garden, which is forbidden to the barbarian, the place where Rê came into being in the very beginning, when the earth was surrounded by Nun, the birthplace of all the gods who first came into being after Rê; for all creation originated in it. You sanctified it when the wretched ones had entered it; people ate the fruit of its trees; its reeds were taken away everywhere, causing an uproar throughout the land. You built the house of the goddess of women in Hermopolis, when you found her house old and she lived in the temple of Thoth, the lord of Hermopolis. "Hebet of the Goddesses" is what it is called according to the festival regulations. It faces to the east, in front of the house of the cow {goddess}. You built the house of Nehmetawy, the one who created beings, as well as the house of Hathor, the lady of the southern sycamore, and of Nehmetawy, the king's mother. You built it of limestone, perfect in every work. The gates of good cedar from Lebanon. You let this goddess settle there. They will make your lifespan eternal; when you have reached this necropolis, you will not be forgotten.
[F] Petosiris inscription 61c : Petekem
The grandson of Petosiris, Petekem, says:
It is glorious to walk in the way of the god! Great is he who puts him in his heart. A memorial to the god on earth is he who puts the god's way in his heart. He who walks in the way of the god establishes a noble way, his life passes in contentment, more glorious than that of all his equals. He grows old in the city; he becomes venerable in his region. All his limbs are young like those of a youth. His children are numerous before him, honoured by the cities, with son following son. He is respected like the sun when it shines. Respect for him is in the hearts of men, love for him in the hearts of women. He reaches the holy land in contentment, well embalmed by the work of Anubis, while his children's children are in their place. The inhabitants of his city will say to him when he departs this life: "He is one who follows Khenti-Amenti; there is no reproach against him before the god!" You walked in the way of your master Thoth. He allowed these blessings to happen to you on earth; he will give you the same after death.
Seven years were given to you as Thoth's guardian, without a single reproach being found against you. All things were given to you for good fortune in his house. You found the walls of the temple of Hermopolis dismantled. You built them of brick, perfect in every work, to satisfy the heart of your mistress Nehmetawy when she sees your work daily. The same was given to you in the temple of Khnum-Re, the lord of Antinoë, when you were before this goddess, the ruler, the mistress of Antinoë, at her beautiful festival in the fourth month of the summer season. You were Thoth's guardian. She came to a place located to the north of the city. It is called "The house of the Empress" in common speech. It had been dilapidated since time immemorial. The water had swept it away year after year. Not a single brick or stone remained on it. It resembled a place where no foundations had ever been laid. It resembled a pool of water in the middle of a field. There was nothing there but green plants. Ships sailed up and down it when the Nile flowed. In summer, a threshing floor was built there for cattle to do the threshing. There the goddess stood. You considered in your heart how to build a beautiful monument there. You summoned the scribe who is in this temple. You gave him boundless money to perform the work there on that day. You surrounded it with a great wall (?) so that the water would not sweep it away. You provided bricks for its construction. You consulted all the learned men to learn the way by which this goddess walked and settled there. You gave this building to satisfy the heart of the goddess and to make your name exalted in her house.
Attalus' home page | 28.10.25 | Any comments?