Page:Six Temples at Thebes 1896.djvu/30

20 of the temple ruin was observed. In the evening of the same day, Polaris and Canopus were observed, to ascertain the true bearing of the sight line. First taking Polaris twice, and Canopus as a time star between the two; and then reversing every part of the theodolite (which was not a transit), and repeating these three observations. This gave a result safe within 2′, and much more exact than the fixing of the temple axes. The magnetic variation thus observed was 4° 55′ W. of N. on 16 Feb., 1897.

The observed axes of the temples have all had corrections applied to them to reduce from the observed line to the best mean axis in each case, as measured from the plans. The results are as follows, arranging them in the order of the azimuths: 123° here means, 123° from true N. round by E., or 33° S. of E.

These have a very great value for the question of any astronomical reference in the axes of temples. Here is a group of ten temples and chapels, all for one purpose, and therefore to be expected to point to one star; all with the same distant horizon, so that uncertainties cannot come in from that cause, and all built by one school of architects. If ever we could expect to find the astronomical reference in any case, it should be in such a series of connected buildings. Yet there seems no trace of a sequence of change in direction along with the time. The dates here given go to and fro in the most indifferent fashion, and show no connection whatever with the changes of direction.

42. Fig. 1. The signs above the front figure probably give his name, ''Aa. kheper. ka. ra. teku, and the title hen. ka "the ka'' priest"; but this is not quite certain in the present broken state. Perhaps teku may be separate from the king's name, and on comparison with Fig. 2, where the compounded royal name has no cartouche, this is the more likely. It might be asked if teku is not a mistake for tekenu, the human sacrifice discussed with much insight by M. Maspero in the tomb of Mentuhikhopeshef (Mem. Miss. Arch. Fr. V 438 f.f.). Unfortunately there is not enough of the scene to show if it was one of human sacrifice. Fig. 2 shows a priest of Amen, and a man named ''Aa. kheper. ka. ra. senb.'' Both pieces are evidently from one tomb of the time of Tahutmes I, which had been broken up for building material under Tahutmes IV.

Fig. 3. A tablet showing a woman, Baket, sacrificing to "Hathor lady of heaven, mistress of the two lands." Below is the dedication, with some orthographic blunders, to "Hathor, lady of heaven, mistress of the gods, that she may give milk, oxen, geese, and all good and pure things to the ka of the engraver of Amen, Amen . em. . het. His beloved wife, the mistress of the house, Baket"

Fig. 4. Part of an altar inscribed "The first prophet of Tahutmes III, Ra says, 'Hail to thee Ra in thy rising, hidden in thy setting. Beautiful in thy shining … on the back of thy mother. Thou shinest as king of the cycle of nine gods. Thou makest (dry [k?]) [life?] to every one (her neb?). The goddess of truth embraces thee always. Thou courseth through (nemtak) the heaven, thy heart being glad. The sea of the two swords has become …… his arms ……'" The prophet named here is known also by another inscription (L.D. iii, 62b), where he has the titles "high priest of Amen in the tomb-temple of Tahutmes III, Ra" (see Spiegelberg in Rec. Trav. xix, 87).

Fig. 5. A fragment of the splendid hard limestone colossus of Amenhotep in, reading "lord of the lands in …"

Fig. 6. Part of a limestone tablet with figures of "The lady of the house, Nefret . ári," "His daughter …" "The son Pendua," "His son Nen," "His son Pendeh[n]et." The latter name means "the man of the goddess Dehnet" who is a form of the goddess of the Theban necropolis, Meritsegret.

Fig. 7. A sandstone tablet with Tahutmes IV before a god, probably Amen. The end of inscription remaining is redát mu "giving water," showing that the king was offering water. Below is, "For I have settled (gerget na) the fortress of Tahutmes IV among the tribes of Palestine [with everything] his majesty took in the town of Qaza ……" Perhaps "Tahutmes IV among the tribes of Palestine" is the