ABSTRACT
THE text of this interesting document is cut in hieroglyphics upon a granite stele, which was set up in the temple of Amen-Ita at Gel1el Earkal, in the third year of the reign of .Aspelta, to commemorate an endowment made by his (Fteen Miitisen. vVhen and by whom it was found is not known, bnt it is tolerably certain that it formed one of the group which stood clo~e to the great Stele of l'iiinkhi. It was acquire<l by Linant Bey, and then it passed into the possession of Prince Napoleon, and snhse(1uently into the hands of E. de Houge, after whoRe death it was given to the Louvre l1y Monsieur .T. de Houge. It now skm<h in Sf1lle Henri IV. The text was Jirst publisheJ. and translatPd hy Pierret in 187:\,1 all(l an English translation lly the same Egyptologist appeared in 1876.~ The text was republished with a German translation hy Dr. Schiifer in 1895/ and a facf;itnilc of the Lext, mmle from a tracing, was given witl1 a smHmaty of its contents by myself in Hl07.4
obverse is sculptured the following scene :-Under a winged disk stands Amen-Ra, man-headed, wearing the usual disk and plumes. Before him we see King Aspelta wearing a close-fitting cap with an uraeus in front of it, anu a lappet falling behind his head anu neck; the cap is surmonntcu by plumes. With both
Hu," and Khensu. Behind the king stand his mother the Queen of Kesh, N enselsa,l his wife M1itisen,2 and his daughter Khebit.3 Each of these ladies is pouring ont a libation with her right han(l, and is holding a sistrum in her left. Each wears a royal tiara and a
The text sets forth that on the 2-t.th day of the fourth month of the season Akhct (i.e., about NoYcml1er 9), of the third year of the reign of Aspelta, eleven high oft-leers of state assembled in the temple of Amen-Hit to take part in the ceremony co1mected with the presentation of an endowment of the temple which tho
Queen Matisen, the daughter of Queen (~cls;;:), or N ens a rasa, and of king "Pharaoh (Amen-tar}" purposed to offer to the god. The endowment consisted of a silver sistrum and a silYer liLation-bucket for the god, awl the following ration for tho priests: lu loaves of bretHl J.aily, 15 Yessels of l1eer montldy, and three oxen anmwlly. On festival days tl1ree vessels of beer \\·ere to be added to the c1nily ration. This endowment was to be continued l1y !Jcr c!Jildren and grandchildreu for e\·cr, anll no declnction of any sort or kina \Vas to Le made from it. Those who maintained the cnuowmcnt loyally woulcl oujoy the Llcssing of Amen-Hft, ;nul tliose \rho dicl not would ]lc slain by his Rwonl, and their boclies \ronhl lie bmnt np Ly the goddesH Seldtemet, a,nd their posterity would die out. The witnesses to tl1is Decree, whose names are duly enumerated, included the officials of the Hoyal Household, the Overseer of the Crown Domains, the Chief Stewnn1A, the Cherseer of the Granm·ies, and his scribe
