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Egyptian Texts:  8.16


THE HERMOPOLIS STELA OF NECTANEBO I


Text:   Cairo JE 72130   [ TM 92264 ]
Provenance:   Hermopolis
Date:   c. 373 B.C.
Script:   Hieroglyphic
Translated by:   L. Medini
Format:   see key to translations

Adapted from the French translation by L. Medini, "La mythologie de la XVe province de Haute Égypte aux époques hellénistique et romaine", Doc. A1.   There is an older German translation by G. Roeder in ASAE 52 (1952), pp.379-416.

For some comments on the 'oracle' given to Nectanebo (section D), see D. Klotz, "Two overlooked oracles" ( academia.edu ).



[A]   Year four, second month of the season of the flood {Paopi} under the Majesty of the valiant Horus, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, the one of the Two Ladies who makes the Two Lands prosperous, the Horus of gold who does what the gods love, Kheperkare, the son of ;, the master of apparitions Nectanebo living like Rê eternally, the king of Upper Egypt for eternity and of Lower Egypt and for infinity, loved by the master of the masters of Khemenu, "[the one of the] curtain", the vizier, the master of Maat, Thoth, the lord of the gods.

[B]   May the perfect god live, the son of Thoth, [the heir] of the master of Khemenu, the one who guides the Two Lands, whose beauty is that of Shu, the son of Rê. It is the living image of Rê who is on earth, the offspring of the bull of the gods, who stands out from the millions to govern Upper and Lower Egypt - [their] tributes [are for him] -, the one whom the gods of this land [make appear] as king of Upper Egypt, as perfect [sovereign] and as . . . of the temples, the one to whom Shu gave his kingship on his throne in the White Wall.

The perfect god, the image of ;, the excellent egg of the master of life {Thoth}, who came out of Thoth's flesh: that is the curator of his throne. All life is with the gods . . . [in] its time . . . Rê, by giving life to all those who are in his royalty, in the place of Rê. He who gives the gods their bodies and who makes the images of worship in which they the gods are, so that everyone will serve them the gods and bring him a great flood in his time . . ., the flood in him; the one who loves life and hates death, like the one who comes 5 from the heart of Rê. The gods know his heart because of this and they love their son for it. May they give him the kingship of eternity and the sovereignty of infinity as king of the Two Lands, and ruler of the shores, because he is the son of the master of life, who loves life.

The perfect god, the one whose strength is great and whose arm is mighty, who [subjugates] the Nine Bows, the one who inspires great fear in the bellies of those who ignore his power, the valiant king who strikes his adversaries, whose name is great and whose title is sacred. The beloved prince, at the sight of whom all the people rejoice as when they see Rê when he rises [each day], by [worshipping the] god for the sovereign and asking for [health for] his Majesty next to their ka. To him come Upper Egypt, going down to the north, and Lower Egypt, going up to the south, carrying their marvels on their heads and asking him for their lives. His Majesty is a refuge around Egypt and a wall of brass to the... ..., before which foreign countries shrink back because of the greatness of . . . and the greatness of his conduct. The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, the master of the Two Lands Kheperkare living like Rê eternally.

[C]   When his Majesty came to Heseret, in the time of the king who reigned before him, he was still general. His Majesty . . . to punish those who must be overthrown, his adversaries and the one who had become sovereign of the border territories. The enemy had killed the people of the city and he was one of the rebels. Nectanebo had saved the great ones of the city and brought life to the humble ones, at the time of the troubles of the king who reigned before him; the son of Rê, the master of apparitions Nectanebo, living like Rê.

[D]   His mother, Useret-Nehemetaway, the eye of Rê ... of the god, . . . [who resides in the] High [Mound] announced to him that he was going to become the king of Upper and Lower Egypt for many years as the perfect ruler of this earth, while he was before her; so he hurried back to the residence. 10 Whoever was in the palace paid him homage because of what had happened to him. After which, his father Thoth, [twice great,] master of Khemenu. and his mother Useret-Nehemetaway crowned him [as king of Upper Egypt] for eternity and as king of Lower Egypt for infinity. Her Majesty the goddess was the uraeus [on] the king's head to inspire terror of the king in all lands. [Their] faces were frightened because of his prestige: [the king of Upper] and Lower Egypt, the master of the Two Lands, Kheperkare living forever.

[E]   He made this as his monument [for] his mother, Useret-Nehemetaway, who is inside the dwelling, the great one in the Great Castle, the one who created what exists, the [great] Flame among the gods, the eye of Rê, the mistress of the sky, the sovereign of all the gods, the uraeus of Rê, of ... Rê's face, which grants him the fear he arouses among gods and men.

He made a dwelling for her and inside it a stone kiosk... with four papyrus-shaped stone columns [...]; each of them has, as a capital, four sistrum-shaped faces [covered with gold] and two akhet-eyes which look through all kinds of real gems. The roof is made of ash wood and is also coated in gold. This kiosk is covered in gold, filled with all kinds of precious stones; its floor is made of alabaster like water. Everyone [rejoices] . . . we say on this subject: he shines as [Rê] shines . . . each. Another kiosk is just [outside] this: it is made of beautiful limestone with eight lotus-shaped columns, conforming to what is written. The roof is made of ash wood, covered in gold, its ceiling is made of lapis lazuli and its stars are in gold. A brick wall surrounds it, protecting the area. Its [door] is made of beautiful limestone, the leaves of ash wood . . . it [remains], in its entirety, being inscribed . . .

His Majesty made a beautiful orchard 15 outside this residence, all kinds of fruit trees were planted there, all kinds of flowers bloom [as an ornament] of this residence: the horizon of the sovereign of the living who is on the earth, which her son whom she loves has made for her, the son of Thoth, the master of apparitions Nectanebo [living like Rê eternally].

[F]   [Nothing like this has been done] since primordial times. The abode is on earth like the horizon of ; in the sky: it is Punt which belongs to the sovereign of Heseret, it is the horizon of the uraeus of Rê which is in the Wenu of the south . They [made] the throne of the goddess [in her abode] in [joy... ...]. Rê's heart was filled [with joy] at the sight of his daughter because in this house they do what she loves every day. This is why gave a [great] kingship to the king of Upper Egypt. This goddess: the hearts of Thoth and Rê rejoiced because [in] this abode they do for her what [her heart] loves every day. They have done for her [everything] that her heart loves. [The master of?] Heseret rejoices in everything he sees . . . in the abode. All who enter there: there is no affliction among them, the perfume reaches their noses like the perfume that comes from Punt.

The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, the master of the Two Lands Kheperkare living like Rê eternally.

[G]   He provided this dwelling with all that was needed [in gold], silver, every true [gem, more than what was there before]. His Majesty ordered the Majesty of this goddess to be brought into her abode which he had built for her. Nothing like this had been done since ancient times. He made a great offering {ʿȝb.t} of bread, beer, oxen, long-horned cattle, waterfowl, wine, sweet wine and all kinds of good things . . . [the women] of the city, who were in a flood (?) of lotus, while a garland was on their [heads], 20 both men and women. The cry of joy of this city reached the sky announcing the perfection of . . . perfect, . . ., from Rê, the [perfect] voice, which announces perfection. . . . . . because of what she brought into being, so that men and women . . . for her, to make her heart happy every day. Nehemetaway, the beloved of Thoth: the Majesty of this goddess was in joy seeing this work that her son whom she loves had done for her, [the son] of Thoth, the master of apparitions, Nectanebo (l.p.h.) like Rê eternally.

[She] saved [his] Majesty from the perfidy [of] his enemies, she gave him the lifespan of ; in the sky, and the kingship of Shu at the White Wall. She is the mistress of the splendour on his brow as uraeus, while his Majesty is in life, stability and power, his sceptre being over all foreign lands for eternity.

The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, the master of the Two Lands Kheperkare, living as Rê.

[H]   He rebuilt what he had found [in ruins] in beautiful limestone, the two leaves of the door of ash wood, covered with copper, for a length of 60 cubits and a width of 30 cubits: a resting place for his mother Useret-Nehemetaway. "The residence of Khemenu, the residence of the Golden One", thus it is called: there are eight emblems of Hathor Nehemetaway there. It is the resting place of the Khemenyu in the earliest times, it is the place in which Rê finds himself, after leaving the Great Lake of the Island of Conflagration, doing what he loves. His Majesty was a perfect child, with his Ennead behind his Majesty: the primordial gods of the High Mound, Neith, Ihet-weret who gave birth to Rê, the great Ennead who are in Khemenu. May they provide their son whom they love with stability and power: [the son of] Thoth, the master of apparitions, Nectanebo living eternally, who appears 25 as king of Upper and Lower Egypt on the throne of Horus, at the head of the living, eternally.

[I]   They came to announce to His Majesty: "The dwelling of your mother Useret-Nehemetaway is completed, being firm and lasting like the sky. Beautiful limestone columns are found in front of this residence, each of which has for a capital four sistrum-shaped faces, covered in gold and two akhet-eyes which see through real gems. Her great seat is in the middle of the dwelling, covered with gold on the inside; its two doors of the sanctuary are of gold, inscribed with the great name of his Majesty." Such a thing had never been done since the primordial times. His Majesty the king provided it with everything necessary in gold, silver, all kinds of true gems and all kinds of good things, to appease her Majesty the goddess by making more than what was there before.

[J]   Year eight, second month of the akhet season {Phaophi} : entry of her Majesty the goddess into her abode after his Majesty the king made a great offering {ʿȝb.t} of all kinds of good things for her ka. Her Majesty the goddess proclaimed the goodness of the king and her heart rejoiced at what his Majesty had done for her. Every man in the city was in the service of the first master, while he adored the heart of the sovereign. The cries of joy reached the sky, while the entire city rejoiced in this work that his Majesty had done for his mother Useret-Nehemetaway. May the great Ennead, who are in the Wenu of the south, grant many sed festivals to the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, the master of the Two Lands Kheperkare living as Rê eternally.

[K]   His Majesty ordered that the Khemenyu, the elders of the first primordial times, be placed to rest in their abode of the beginning, in which they rest. He provided it with everything necessary in gold, silver and [all kinds of] real gems. He made a large offering {ʿȝb.t} of all kinds of good things to satisfy the ka of the Khemenyu. Everyone in the city was happy, wishing good health to his majesty with their ka. May they provide the sovereign with valour and strength, his Majesty being in life, stability and power like ; eternally.

[L]   Year eight, third month 30 of the peret season {Phamenoth} : His Majesty founded the residence of his father Thot the twice great, master of Khemenu, the great god born from the heart of ; who has created his perfection, in beautiful limestone. The floor of the dwelling was of stone . . ., its length was 220 cubits, its width 110 cubits: an excellent work for eternity. Nothing like this had been done since ancient times. His Majesty performed work daily, and he finished it with joy, when he saw that his father Thoth was satisfied with it. His Majesty was alive, stable and in power for eternity. His Majesty made offerings more numerous than anything that had been there before. His Majesty gave a reward to the pure prophets and priests upon the completion of all the works he had carried out in Heseret.

Thoth twice great, master of Khemenu, master of divine words, Rê, emerged from the Great Lake of the island of conflagration, the Khemenyu, the elders of the first primordial time, Nehemetaway inside the abode, the great goddess in the Great Castle, Neith, Ihet-weret who gave birth to Rê, the entire great Ennead who are in Khemenu, may they grant many sed festivals, the sovereignty of eternity and power over infinity to their son whom they love, the son of Rê, the master of apparitions Nectanebo (l.p.h.), like Rê. Egypt is expanded for His Majesty, all foreign countries are under his feet through eternity and for infinity.

[M]   His Majesty said: "Let this be fixed on a stele, placed in the temple of my father Thoth, the twice great master of Khemenu. Oh, may the stele recall my beautiful name for all eternity." May the great Ennead who are in Khemenu say to their son whom they love, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt Kheperkare living like ;, the son of Rê, the master of apparitions Nectanebo, endowed with l.p.h. like Rê, eternally: 35 "Your father Thoth will remember your benefits in his temple every day. As long as it exists, we will drive away all the enemies of your Majesty by giving you valour over Upper Egypt and strength over Lower Egypt, while all foreign countries are brought together under you and your Majesty appears in all life, stability, power, all health, all joy as king of Upper and Lower Egypt on the throne of Horus, at the head of all living persons, like Rê for eternity and for infinity."


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