The Great Restoration Stela of Tut-Ankh-Amun
This important stela, dating from the early years of King Tut-ankh-Amun's reign is an important Historical testimony to the State of the Egyptian Land and Temples,
following the Heretical reign of Akhenaten.
Discovered by George Legrain during 1905 in the Great Temple of Amun, Ipet-Sut. The Stela was lying under a half meter of earth in the North-East corner of the Hypostyle hall before the Third Pylon. This Pylon was constructed by Amunhotep III, and one assumes that the stela would of been set up before the Pylon; in a place of prominence.
It is worth noting that a fragment of a duplicate was found by Legrain in the foundations of the Temple of Monthu in 1907.
The steal now resides in the Cairo Museum, where it has the num 41504 in the Inventory
The stela itself, is made from Red Granite and measure 2.54 mts x 1.20 mts and is 3cm thick.
As discovered by Legrain, the stela was shattered into five parts, at some time it had also been subjected to an attempt to split it by drilling holes down its center line, presumebly to utilise the stone, we can be thankful that this was not succesful.
The stela describes the King's birthright, the sad and neglected state of the Shrines and Temples of the Great Gods. We are told how the King made everything good, all that had been made ruinious as a result of the reign of Akhenaten.
The text is graphic and eloquent, the words are a powerful statement of the reconcilation of the divine King with his father Amun and and how he established the Temples and Shrines of the Gods anew.
The Complete Text
1)[...] Fourth month of the innudation season, day 19, under the Majesty of Horus ' Strong bull,' Beautiful of Birth', Two Ladies { Goodly of Laws, he who pacifies the Two Lands, Horus of Gold, 'Exalted of Crowns, Who placates the Gods,'King of Upper and Lower Egypt,' Nebkheperure, 'Son of Re, ' Tutankhamun, Ruler of Hermonthis', Given Life like Re, Forever]
2) Beloved of [Amun-Ra] Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands, Chief of Ipet-Sut; Atum, Lord of the Two lands and Iunu; Re-Harakhte; Ptah, South of his
Wall, Lord of [Ankhtawy] and Thoth, Lord of the Gods speech; He who ap[pears on]The Horus [Throne of the liv]ing like his father Re, everyday;
3) The Good [God], Son of Amun; image of Kamphis, Glorious Seed,[Splendid offspring], Scion of Amun Himself; [Father of the Two Lands] who moulds his moulder, who fashions his fashioner;
4)For whom the Souls of Iunu assembled, in order that he might be fashioned to act as King of Eternity, as the everlasting Horus; The Good God who does things beneficial to his father and all the Gods,
5)He has made that which was in ruins to flourish as a monument of Eternal age; he has suppressed wrongdoing throughout the the Two Lands; truth is established, she (Maat) causes falsehood to be the abomination of the Land, as in its First Time.
6)The Temples of the Gods and Goddesses, beginning from Elephantine [down] to the marshes of the delta,[their?----had] fallen into neglect
7)Their shrines had fallen into desolation and become tracts overgrown with k[3t?]-plants,their sanctuaries were as if they had never been.Their halls
were a trodden path.
8)The land was in confusion, the Gods forsook this land.
9)If an [army] was sent to Djahy to widen the frontiers of Egypt, it met with no sucess at all, if one prayed to a God to ask things of him {in no sense] did he come.
If one made supplication to a Goddess in like manner, in no sense did she come.
10)Their hearts were weak of themselves (with anger) They destroyed what had been done. After some days had passed by this [his Majesty app]eared on the throne of his father; He ruled the countries of Horus, The Black Land and the Red Land were under his
11) dominion and every Land was in obeisance to his might, Behold his Majesty was in his palace which is in the estate of 'Ankheperkare' like Re in the heavens and his Majesty was administering this land and making daily governance of the Two-River banks,
12)then his Majesty took council with his heart, searching out every excellent occasion, seeking what was beneficial to his father Amun for fashioning his August image of real fine-gold. He has added to what was done in former times,
13)He has fashioned (an image of)his father Amun upon Thirteen carrying poles, his Holy image being of fine gold, lapis lazuli and every rare and costly stone,
14)where as formerly, the Majesty of the August God had been upon Eleven carrying poles.
He has fashioned ( an image of) Ptah, South of his Wall, Lord of Ankhtawe, his August image being of fine gold [upon eleven carryi]ng poles, his holy image being of fine gold, lapis lazuli, turquoise and every rare and costly stone.
15) Where as formerly the Majesty of this August God had been upon [six?] carrying poles and his Majesty has made monuments for the Gods [fashioning] their statues of real fine gold, the best of foreign lands,
16) Building anew their sanctuaries as monuments of eternal age, they being endowed with property forever, establishing for them divine gifts as a lasting daily sacrifice and supplying them with food-offerings upon earth.
17) He has added to what was done since the time of the ancestors,he has inducted priests and prophets, children of the notables of their towns, each the son of a noted man and one whose name is known;
18)He has multiplied their [wealth?] with gold, silver, bronze and copper without limit of [all things?]; He has filled their storehouses with slaves, men and women, the fruits of his Majestys plundering.
19) All the [possesions?] of the Temples are doubled, trebled and quadrupled with silver,gold,lapis lazuli,turquoise,all rare and costly stones,royal linen, white cloth, fine linen, olive oil,gum,fat [...],
20) incense, ihmt incense and myrrh without limit of all good things.
His Majesty ( may he live, prosper and be in health) has hewn their barques which are on the
21) river of fresh cedar, the best of the hill slope,the pick of Negau, worked with fine gold, the best of foreign lands; and they illume the river. His Majesty (may he live, prosper and be in health has consecrated men and women slaves,
22) singers and dancers who are servants in the house of the King; and their wages are to the [....] palace of the Lord of the Two Lands.
23) I cause them to be protected and preserved for my fathers, the Gods, in the desire to placate then by doing what which their Ka's love so that they may protect [Ta-meny]
The Gods and Goddesses who are in this land, their hearts are joyful,
24) The possesors of shrines are glad, lands are in a state of jubilation and merry making,exhaltation is throughout [the whole land]; a goodly state has come to pass.
The Ennead of Gods who are in the Temple,their arms are raised up in adoration,
25) Their hands are full of jubilees [of] eternity and everlastingness, all Life and Prosperity with them (are placed) to the nose of Horus who is born again, beloved son [of his father, Amun-Re, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands-]
He (Amun) has fashioned him that he (himself) may be fashioned, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nebkhperure, Beloved of Amun.
26)His Beloved, real Eldest Son, who protects the Father who fashioned him that he may excercise the Kingship over K[ings in all Lands], Son of Re, ' Tut-Ankh-Amun, Ruler of Hermonthis, a Son who is profitable to him who fashoined him, wealthy in monuments, Rich in Wonders,
27) Who makes monuments in righteousness of heart for his Father, Amun; Beautiful of Birth, Sovereign [ who assumed the Crowns in Chemmis].On this day, one was in the goodly palace, which is in the estate of Ankhkheperkare, Justified;
28) Behold, [his Majesty] was rejuvenated, he who seizes (?) hastened of himself, Khnum has moulded him[........................]
He is Mighty of Arm, Great of Strength, One distinguished more than the mighty, vast of strength like the son of [Nut].
29) Mighty of Arm like Horus, there exists no equal to him among the mighty ones of all lands together; He who knows like Re, who[...s] like Ptah, who understands like Thoth, who ordains execellent laws, who commands [........],
30) Execellent of Utterance;
King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Lord of the Two Lands, Lord of Rites, Lord of the Strong Arm, Nebkheperure, He who placates the Gods, beloved Son of Re of his Body, Lord of every Foreign Land, Lord of Crowns, Tut-Ankh-Amun, Ruler of Hermonthis, Given Life, Stability and Prosperity like Re [for all time} ( My change).
Commentary and Notes
That is the Text as finished, in many respects the text speaks for itself; however some points regarding some of the words will be made in the end notes.
As stated in the text, The Temples and shrines of the Great Gods had been either neglected or attacked, as was the Temple of Amun, Ipet-Sut.
Ahkenaten had a particular hatred of Amun, and his agents, no doubt backed up by Military force, carried out a concentrated attempt to remove the images and names of Amun. They even went to the extent of scaling the Great Obelisks of Hatsheput, Thuthmose I and Thuthmose III to remove the names and images of Amun.
This can still be clearly seen on the Pyramidion of the Fallen Hatshepsut Obelisk, note that this damage had to wait until the reign of Seti I for repair.
It is no coincidence that the real backlash against Akhenaten occurs from the Reign of Seti onwards. All the preceeding Kings, ie, Tut-Ankh-Amun, Ay, Horemheb and Ramesses I were connected with the Armarna Heresy.
With the death of it's despotic leader, Atenism really had no future, although we still do not know the mechanics of the return to Orthodoxy, The young King's future must of been dependent upon the two Power brokers in Egypt, Ay and Horemheb and they must of decided that Atenism was really dead along with it's leader. These two must of organised the talks and reconcilation of the Royal house with the Priesthood of Amun. This process must of taken some time, because it is apparent that the young Tut-Ankh-Aten spent the first three years of his reign at Akhetaten, before the court moved to Memphis, and hence to Thebes where the young King was crowned as Tut-Ankh-Amun.
Now the Year date of the stela is missing and cannot be restored, but it cannot be dated any later than year three, most scholars agree that the King spent the first three years of his short reign at Memphis (Hwt-Ka-Ptah), the stela itself mentions Memphis in it's text. (see end notes) Most likely, the stela was made in Thebes, taking as it's text, a Royal decree made in Memphis.
The rebuilding of the Temples and the embelishing of the shrines, no doubt made a powerful public statement that the Old Gods were once again honoured and would again favour the Two lands through the agency of the Divine Son, the Living Image of Amun and the Living Horus.
In the spirit of reconciliation, there is a notable releif at Ipet-Sut showing Tut-Ankh-Amun offering Maat to Amun , symbolising the return of the divine order to Egypt as described in the stela.
Tut-Ankh-Amun in another move to distance himself from Akhenaten at this time, begins to refer to his earthly father as Amunhotep III, the inscription on the Soleb lions confirms this, and the King was active in resuming work on projects of Amunhotep, such as the completion of the colonade at Southern Opet (Luxor) and works in Nubia.An important work done entirely by Tut-Ankh-Amun was the line of Sphinxs on the approach to the Temple Of Mut, Lady of Ashur.
The actual stela has two scenes above the text comprising of Two Lunettes, in each lunette, the figures of both the King and the Gods show definate Armarna influence in the artwork.
Each lunette shows Tut-Ankh-Amun offering to Amun-Re and Mut. In the left hand scene, the King offers bonquets of lotus and papyrus to Amun and Mut, The lady of 'Ishru', Mistress of all the Gods.
An inscription between the king and the God says ' rdit rnpwt ir-f di 'nk', 'Giving flowers that he give life'; The God reciprocates, ' di.f 'nk nb ddt nb w3s nb'; ' He gives life and all life, all stability and all Prosperity'.
The right hand scence is similar, but in rather a bad condition without text.
All the Kings cartouches were usurped by Horemheb; however AnkhsenAmun's name was left intact and Tut-Ankh-Amun's other names likewise. In common with his known reverance and respect for Tut-Ankh-Amun, Ay did not attempt to appropriate
the stela for himself.
Finally, it should be noted that the lines as stated by Bennett, by their symmetry and contrast, the text has an underlying poetic construction.
The pivotal part of the stela is the King's coronation, before all is Chaos; afterwards, order and Maat are restored and all is well again within the Two Lands, Amun is is satisfied.
Translation by John Bennett (JEA)
Notes to the Text
Line 2) Ankhtawe is a district of Memphis
Line 5)The First Time or First Occasion (Tep Zepi), the Time when the gods ruled the Land
Line 7) Possibly K3K3, ie bushes, plants.
Line 9) Djahy, an area of Syria, South of Byblos.
Line 11) The estate of Akheperkare, ie, the estate of Thuthmose I, known to be near Memphis.
Line 11) For two river banks, read 'idbwy'
Line 13) Carrying poles, these are poles used to support ans carry aloft in procession, the Barques of the Gods.
Line 18) Regarding his 'Majestys plundering', I can't believe this refers to actual military action, but rather the stripping ouot of Akhetaten and it's Temples along with Aten Temples elsewhere.
Line 19) Trebled and quadrupled is 'Kb hmt i ifdy', a phrase as far as I know , occurs nowhere else.
Line 27) Beautiful of Birth, a phrase enforcing the Kings divine heriditary right as the living Horus.
Line 27) ' On this day ' , a typical Armarna phrase, ie Hwr pn iw.tw.
Line 28) 'He who seizes hatened of himself', rather unclear , however, it seems
to indicate that the King seized the Moment, ie the Kingship.
Ian Alex Blease: 30th October, 2001
