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A graffito found at the temple of the Meydum pyramid
(roll over the writing and you will see the names of Snefru and Meresankh highlighted in red)


Petrie 1892: pl. XXXIII

Translation (following Griffith, in Petrie 1892: 40)

Year 41, 22nd day of Mesore, under the majesty of the king Horus Strong Bull, who appears gloriously in Thebes; the wearer of the two diadems who prolongs his reign like the sun in heaven, the golden (victorious) Hawk who wields might, who prepares glorious visitations, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Menkheperra, son of the sun Thumose III, who lives for ever to eternity upon the throne of Horus (as ruler) of the living.

"Behold his majesty is a young bull ... as a goodly youth 20 years whose equal has not been produced: the Menthu? formed him for ... the god Atum ... him: the universal lord created him: he is a mighty man very valorous in the field ? of (battle ?).

The scribe Aakheperkara-seneb, son of Amenmesu the scribe and reader of the deceased king Aakheperkara (Thutmose I) came here to the beautiful temple of the Horus (king) Snefru: he found it like heaven within when the sun-god is rising in it: and he exclaimed, The heaven rains with fresh frankincense and drops incense upon the roof of the temple of the Horus king Snefru.

And he says: O every scribe, every reader, every priest, who reads this inscription, and all people who hear it, as ye would win the favour of your local deities, transmit your offices to your children, and be buried in the necropolis of Ptah-resanbef on the west (of Memphis), after old age and long life on earth-so say ye May the king give an offering, and may Osiris, god of Busiris the great deity, god of Abydos, and Amen Ra king of the gods, and

in the shrine, who dwells in the city of embalment, the god of the west-give offerings, may they grant a thousand loaves of bread, a thousand jars of beer, a thousand oxen, a thousand fowls, a thousand offerings, a thousand provisions, a thousand packets of incense, a thousand jars of wax, a thousand bundles of linen, a thousand herbs, a thousand of every good and pure thing that heaven gives, that the earth produces, that the Nile brings from its source-to the ka of the Horus king Snefru who made his claim(?) before his father (Os)iris (?) the great lord of the sacred land, and to the goddess(?)-queen Meres-ankh.


 

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