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Egyptian Texts:  5.15


STATUE OF HERESANKH


Text:   (A) Louvre N 2456   [ TM 48455 ]   ,   (B) BM EA 389   [ TM 48456 ]   ,   (C) Vienna 130 (previously 157)   [ TM 52173 ]
Provenance:   Saqqara
Date:   263 or 183 B.C.
Script:   Hieroglyphic
Translated by:   S. Albersmeier ; M. Panov
Format:   see key to translations

There has been much debate amongst scholars about the identity of Heresankh.

The first assumption to be made is that all three inscriptions translated here refer to the children of the same couple, Neferibre and Herankh; so that B would be the epitaph of the same Heresankh who is depicted in A, and C would be the epitaph of her brother Neferibre. This is accepted by most scholars, although it is acknowledged that the similar names could be just a coincidence.

Secondly, the unnamed king in B needs to be identified. Based in particular on Heresankh's role as priestess of Philotera, it has generally been assumed that the king was Ptolemy II; it is known that the High Priest of Memphis, Nesisti-Pedubast, was priest of Philotera at around this time ( AET 4.11 ). However recently a strong case has been made for identifying the king as Ptolemy V; see N. Marković, "The Curious Case of Heresankh, a Perfect Player of the Sistrum of Min and a Priestess of the King's Sister Philotera" ( PDF ).

Thirdly, the position of Herankh's name in epitaph C has caused some confusion. The translation here assumes that the position of Herankh's name is a mistake, and that the names that follow are the ancestors of Neferibre the father.

       

The translation of A is adapted from S. Albersmeier, "Untersuchungen zu den Frauenstatuen des ptolemäischen Ägypten", p.137. The translations of B and C are taken from M. Panov, "Istochniki po istorii zhrecheskih semej Mamfisa i Letopolja v pozdnij period", pp. 388 & 391 ( academia.edu ) - note that these two have been converted into English by tidying up the output from Google Translate.


[A]   { back pillar: } The one honoured by Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, the perfect sistrum player of Min, the Lord of Senut, the prophetess of Isis and Nephthys, of the house of Osiris-Apis, the house of Osiris in Rutisut, the house of the Chest of Anubis-on-his-mountain . . .

{ left: } Prophetess of the king's daughter Philotera,   Heresankh, justified, daughter of the prophet Neferibre, justified, born to the lady of the house, Herankh . . .

[B]   { captions to the scene: } Osiris, the great god, lord of the west.   The deceased {Osiris} beautiful musician of Min, Heresankh . . .

{ main inscription: } Year 22, 2nd month of peret {Mecheir}, day 3 was the day of the burial of the deceased {Osiris} beautiful musician of Min,, lord of Senut,   Heresankh, justified, born to the lady of the house Herankh, justified. After she had spent 70 days being embalmed, she was given a beautiful burial, through the work of Anubis, by her eldest beloved son, the sem-priest, priest of Ptah, Nesisti, after she had lived on earth 66 years, 5 months and 5 days.

[C]   { caption to the scene: } The god's father, priest, master of the secrets of the domain of Ptah, Neferibre, son of Neferibre.

{ main inscription: } The pronouncement of the words of Osiris, the First of the West, the great god, the lord of Rosetau, of Isis the great, the mother of the god, of Nephthys, the sister of the god, and of Anubis, who is in front of the (?) hall of purification. They proclaim offerings, consisting of bread and beer, wine and milk, libations and incense, anointing oil and špsw-offerings, a beautiful burial for the deceased {Osiris}, the god's father, the sem-priest, the servant of Ptah, the master of the secrets of the domain of Ptah in Rosetau,   Neferibre, justified, son of the god's father, the priest, the master of the secrets of the domain of Osiris-Apis, and of the house of Osiris in Rutisut, and of the house of the Chest of Anubis,   Neferibre, justified - born to Herankh - son the god's father, priest, master of the secrets of the domain of Osiris-Apis, and of the house of Osiris in Rutisut, and of the house of the Chest of Anubis,   Psamtikhmen, justified, son the god's father, priest, master of the secrets of the domain of Osiris-Apis, the house of Osiris in Rutisut, the house of the Chest of Anubis,   Padikhornedjitef, justified, son the god's father, priest, master of the secrets of the domain of Ptah in Rosetau,   Anemher, justified, son the priest, master of the secrets of the house of Ptah in Rosetau,   Neferibre, justified.

{ Additional inscription in demotic: } God's father, master of the secrets of the domain of Ptah in Rosetau, Neferibre, son of Neferibre, whose mother is Herankh.


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