The Treasurer Of The King Of Lower Egypt Meru

The Treasurer

of the King

of Lower Egypt Meru

Mohamed Abdelrahiem (Tafel 1)

Abstract A publication of the stela JE 55606 in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. The stela belongs to ?the Count and Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt" Meru, itwas found inNaga El-Mesheikh during the construction of El-Farukieh canal.

The object of this paper is a stela bearing no. JE 55606 in theEgyptianMuseum, Cairo. The
stela belongs referred to the ?Count and Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt" Meru, and according

to theJournal d 'Entree, the stelawas found inAulad El-Sheikh nearAkhmim. Vandier1 has
doors, out some to this stela as an example of the stelae, which derived from the traditional false those that have been decorated with the wdlt-eyes. has pointed Brovarski2 especiallyimportant notes on this stela.

Description

Measuring 76 cm in height, 120 cm inmaximum breadth, and 15 cm in depth, the roughly
stela is of limestone. The right side of the stela slops in toward the bottom, its rectangular and a large area of the left side is broken away. The surface is generally edges are chipped, areas. Traces of brown color are still visible. The well preserved, except incertain damaged some raised internal details, while decoration is in sunk relief with are the inscriptions incised. and Representation owner At the left the text is represented standing(a), facing right. He wears a shoulder-length behind wig

with vertical rows of locks, a broad collar, a projecting kilt and a leopard skin3. In his left
hand, he holds a long staff, while (c).The his right holds ascepter, which to the right passes his figure. items

Infront of Meru is a representation of a double-leaved door provided with a bolt(b) and is
adorned with wdlt-eyes remaining space is filled with offering

arranged from left to right and from top to bottom as follows: a low offering table laden
with six stylized half-loaves; a stand under which is a ewer the foreleg of an ox and two basinson object, in a basin; a bird; a vase; two bunches of onions among some four jars on a stand, under which is an ewer in a basin; ribs amidst over three jars on stands; two an ill-defined

other unclear some

objects; a bunch of onions unidentifiable offerings; resting loaves with incurved sides; some other unclear rectangular

objects.

1 2

J. Vandier, Manuel II, 443, fig. 286 (bottomleft). E. Brovarski, The Inscribed Material of the First Intermediate Period from 1989,594, fig. Naga-d-Der, 129, cf. A. Spalinger, The Private Feast Lists of Ancient Egypt, AA 57,1996,91 (n. 20), he followed Brovarski in reading the name of the feasts. 3 E. Staehelin, Untersuchungen zur agyptischen Tracht im Alten Reich, MAS 8,1966, 36, fig. 26.

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Stela Meru, 55606 of JE Egyptian Cairo, Museum u>

2003 The Treasurer of theKing of Lower Egypt Meru
In front of the owner's figure, the remaining space above

3
door and

the represented

offerings are six lines of horizontal hieroglyphs oriented towards right as follows:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

htp dj nswt Wsjr nbDdw Hntj-jmntjw nb Ibdw ms[w]t [fnbt] prt-hrw n.fm Wig Sldprt Mnw wpt rnpt tpj rnptDhwtjt rkhm hbw nbw nfr(w) n hltj-c sdlwtj-bjtjMrwj htp dj nswt Jnpw tpj dw.fjmj wt nb tl dsr prt-hrw n hltj-c smr wrtj hrj-hbt jmlhw hr ntr cl nb pt Mrw hi t hi hnqt hi kl hi Ipd hi... Ss hi mnht ht nbt nfrt n hltj-c smr w^tj jmlhw Mrw

? (I) An offering which the king give{d)and Osiris, lord of Abydos^, and Khentiamentiu{f), lord ofAbydos, in all his places, (give) (2) that funerary offerings bepresented to him af%) theNew Year's festival, the theWag-feast, the Sadf? festival, the coming forth ofMin?, and at every beautiful first of theyear?, the Thotfestival, (3) theFire-Lighting festival the count, the treasurer of the king of Lower Egypt Merui. (4) An offering which feast for the king gives and Anubis, who is on his hill, who...