Egyptian Texts:  9.15

NAMES OF DEAD PERSONS, FOR BLESSING

This stele was found in the Serapeum at Memphis, the same place where the records of the Apis bulls were discovered. However it is different from most of the inscriptions, in that it does not directly mention the Apis bull. One assumes that the persons named in the inscription were connected with the Serapeum, but they were not directly involved in the care of the bull. Their names were listed here so that they might be 'praised for eternity . . . forever rejuvenated'.

The translation is adapted from D. Devauchelle, "L'écriture démotique peut être belle : la stèle Louvre IM 3709", in "Éclats du crépuscule" (2022), pp.157-169.

O Ptah who is to the south of his wall, master of Ankhtawi, Sokar-Osiris, great god, master of the shetayet, Apis-Osiris who reigns over the west, master of eternity, king of the gods, Anubis who is above his mountain, Imhotep the great, son of Ptah the great god, Hornedjitef {"Horus avenger of his father"} of Rutisut, all the gods and goddesses who are in the imehet, may you make perfect the name of the god's father of Memphis, god's father of Heliopolis, governor-of-castles, he-who-separates-the-gods, feky-priest, tebty-priest, priest imen-hau-netjer (?), Wahibpre son of the similarly-titled god's father Ankhpmae, whose mother is Ankhet;   his brother, the similarly-titled Tutua son of Ankhpmae, 5 whose mother is Inpet;   his son Ankhpmae son of Tutua, whose mother is Inu (?);   his brother Padineith;   his brother Djedher;   his brother Heriu;   his brother Udjahorresnet (?);   his sister Inpet;   his sister Tana.

• The god's father Wennefer son of Ankhpmae, whose mother is Ankhet.
• The god's father Ankh... (?) son of Wennefer, whose mother is Tayhenet.
• Nesnephthys daughter of Ankhpmae, whose mother is Inpet.
• Tekhaau that daughter of Ankhpmae, whose mother is Ankhet.
• The god's father Djedher son of Wennefer, whose mother is Taret.
• The god's father Ankhpmae son of Djedher, whose mother is Tekhaau.
• Taret that ? daughter of Djedher, whose mother is Iseturet;
• her sister Tayhenet daughter of Djedher, whose mother is Tekhaau.
• The god's father Ankhimhotep son of Nekhthorheb, whose mother is Taba;
• 10 his brother Djedher son of Nekhthorheb, whose mother is Taba ;
• his brother Pegyl son of Nekhthorheb, whose mother is Taba;
• his son Hor son of Pegyl, whose mother is Taua;
• his brother Nekhthorheb.
• The god's father Ptahhotep son of Heriu, whose mother is Tana.
• The god's father Heriu son of Ptahhotep, whose mother is Tekhaau ;
• his sister Ays, whose mother is Tekhaau;
• his sister Taret.

• You are praised for eternity, Ankhpmae son of Djedher, whose mother is Nesnephthys;
• similarly, his brother Wennefer son of Djedher.
• Likewise, Nekhthorheb son of Imhotep, whose mother is Tekhaau.
• (?) Udjahorresnet (?) son of lahmes (?), whose mother is Ays.
• The same, Ankhpayefhery the eldest, whose mother is Inpet ;
• likewise, his brother Djedher ;
• 15 likewise, his brother Ankhpayefhery, the name of their mother being Inpet daughter of the god's father Tutua.
• The same, Taua that daughter of Tutua, whose mother is Tekhaau;
• her daughter (?) Tacheretentaihet daughter of Djedher.
• Likewise, Wennefer son of Djedher, whose mother is Iseturet.
• Likewise, Nekhthorheb son of Imhotep, whose mother is Henusennetjer (?);
• similarly, his brother Hener son of Imhotep, whose mother is Henusennetjer (?).
• Tutua son of Imhotep, whose mother is Tayhenet.
• Taba that daughter of Pegyl.
• Tekhaau daughter of Nekhthorheb, whose mother is Taba.
• Imhotep son of Heriu, whose mother is Tana;
• his brother Tutua son of Heriu, whose mother is Tana.
• Imhotep son of Tutua, whose mother is Tekhaau.
• Hor son of Painna (?), 20whose mother is Ankhet.

Written in year 15 which is the equivalent of year 12, second month of the shemu season {Pauni}, day 6 of the reign of Cleopatra (l.p.h.) and pharaoh (l.p.h.) Ptolemy called Alexander (l.p.h.), when he was setting up camp in Pelusium.

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