Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/529

 REMAKKABLE OBJECT OF THE KEIGN OF AMENOPIIIS 111. -109 name, it docs not a])pear that the erasure was owin<; to the rehgious hatred of the i-ival sect, but there is no proof that he was the elder brother of Anieuopliis III., or that he succeeded in right of his wife, who was tlic daugliter of Amenophis III.^ The vicinity of his tomb to that of Amenophis III. in the Western valley, and the destruction of his edifices by Horns, and the resemblance of jiis features to Achenaten, rather show that he was a near relation of that King. That he was not a " disk"-worship)ier apj.cars from a tablet, dated ^ on the 1st of the month clioidk of the 4th year of his reign, which commences with a dedica- tion to Amenra, Phtha-Socharis and Osiris, in which the name oi Amen is not erased; with a connnon formula for Nechtkhem; set over the granaries of all the gods in the land of Takah, and of the god Khem in the land of Khcnkati, high priest of Khem, son of Isis, in the land of Tapu, and King's cousin. In it the deceased says, " I am he who was obedient to his chief while upon earth {inik Jicsi en atai api ta). He has let me be at rest in my eternal house (tomb)." From a second tablet,' it appears that he was superintendent of the king's palace, and employed upon his tomb. This faithful servant of the king exclaims, " I have done the commands of the spirits^ [Bach or acha), the wull of the gods; inasmuch as I gave bread to the hungry, I supplied the destitute, I served the Horns (the pharaoh) in his house." And again: " I did in truth the wall of the king, I knew what he ordered, I was proud to do his behests, I adored to his adoration daily; I placed my heart on what he said, I thoroughly did the commands of my master; by my con- structions, he saw the work of my hands." Another scj)ul- cliral tablet of Tutii^ a chamberlain of the palace, on which is seen an adoration to the hawk-headed god, Horns, shows that the religion of the country was not then changed. On some rings and other amulets, which escaped the ravages of the destroyers, his prsenomen is found entire; but on tablets it is all erased, except the woi'd "truth," which could be intro- duced into that of Amenophis HI., and renders it jios.siblo that lie preceded Amenophis. The monarch Horns, — the " Prlsse. Mon. Egypt., xvii. placed >y the reed, a, and sieve, <■/,, in ii ' Sharpe, Eg. Inscr., pi. lOG. IJitual, H. M. " The word for spirit, u.sually read /?of/(, ^ Tablet, Eg. Saloon, No. 130.
 * Buiisen, 1. c, n. 5. is I bolievo either ach or vha. t, beiiip re-