Kingship, Authority and Legitimacy in the Abydos Stela of Neferhotep I
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Neferhotep Stela, Revisited Kingship, Authority and Legitimacy in the Abydos Stela of Neferhotep I Helen Neale 42471591 Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Research Department of Ancient History Macquarie University, Sydney October, 2016 ii I hereby certify that this work has not been submitted, partially or in full, towards a degree at any other university or institution. This is all my own work. Where the works of others have been consulted, due acknowledgement has been given. Signature of Candidate iii iv For all my family, but especially my brother David, who didn’t get a mention in the dedication of our father’s thesis as he wasn’t yet born. v vi Acknowledgements Sincere acknowledgement is due to all the following, without whom this work would not have been possible. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor, Boyo Ockinga, for his patience, guidance and encouragement, not only in the production of this thesis but throughout my studies. His expertise has been invaluable. To all the members of the Department of Ancient History at Macquarie University who have inspired and supported me over the years. Special thanks are due to Susanne Binder, whose never-failing advice and warmth I am most grateful for; to Lea Beness, without whom I would have never begun the Masters of Research; and to Malcolm Choat, who made me smile when I thought everything was falling apart. I would also like to acknowledge the work of the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae Project Structure and Transformation in the Vocabulary of the Egyptian Language at the Berlin- Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, as well as that of the Wortdiskussionen Project of the Ägyptologische Seminar of the Universität Basel. Both these resources greatly advanced this project. Grateful acknowledgement is also given to the creators of the JSesh Hieroglyphic Editor, generously made available to all, which has been used in this project. Finally, I would like to thank my family, who endured many dinner-time discussions of Egyptian grammar and whose constant encouragement has been my greatest support. vii viii Abstract Against the backdrop of the politically tumultuous Thirteenth Dynasty, the reign of Neferhotep I stands out for its length and stability. This stela of Neferhotep gives rare insight into the construction of royal authority and legitimacy, in a time where Egyptian kingship underwent extensive change. Ostensibly, this stela recorded the refashioning of the cult statue of Osiris, the form of which was based upon the king’s own research in the temple archives, as well as his personal participation in the associated festival of Osiris in Abydos. Yet, as an example of the Königsnovelle text type, this inscription also served to demonstrate the singular qualities of the king, his power to act, and his special relationship with the gods. The stela itself has been lost to history, and so for many years, the scholarship of it was hindered by the poor quality of its only drawn record. In light of the publication of a much improved hieroglyphic transcription by Helck, this thesis presents a new philological commentary of this inscription in its entirety, accompanied by a discussion of the ideology of kingship as conveyed in the text. In a time of great change, Neferhotep I drew upon the established religious motifs of Egyptian kingship in order to legitimise his reign and display his authority as king of Egypt. ix x Table of Contents Abbreviations ................................................................................................................ xv 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1: Historical Background: the Thirteenth Dynasty ................................................... 1 1.2: Historical Background: the Reign of Neferhotep I ............................................... 7 1.3: A History of the Text .......................................................................................... 16 1.4: Methodology ....................................................................................................... 19 1.5: Conventions ......................................................................................................... 21 2: Text, Translation and Commentary ...................................................................... 23 2.1: Style and Structure .............................................................................................. 23 2.2: The Text as Königsnovelle .................................................................................. 27 2.3: Lunette.................................................................................................................. 30 2.4: Titulary, Date and Opening of the Inscription ..................................................... 32 2.5: the First Speech of the King ................................................................................. 34 2.5.1: Part 1 ......................................................................................................... 34 2.5.2: Part 2 ......................................................................................................... 37 2.6: the First Reply of the Companions ...................................................................... 39 2.7: the King in the Archives ...................................................................................... 40 2.8: the Second Speech of the King ........................................................................... 42 2.8.1: Part 1 ......................................................................................................... 42 2.8.2: Part 2 ......................................................................................................... 45 2.9: the Second Reply of the Companions .................................................................. 47 2.10: His Majesty and the Royal Custodian, the Third Speech of the King ............... 48 2.11: the Third Reply of the Companions ................................................................... 49 2.12: the Journey to Abydos ........................................................................................ 50 2.13: the Journey of the King ...................................................................................... 52 2.14: the Restoration of the Statue .............................................................................. 54 2.14.1: the Procession to the Workshop ............................................................. 54 2.14.2: the Role of the King ................................................................................ 56 2.15: In Praise of Osiris .............................................................................................. 58 2.16: In Praise of the King .......................................................................................... 61 xi xii 2.17: the Fourth Speech of the King ....................................................................... 64 2.17.1: The Address to Osiris, Part 1 .................................................................. 64 2.17.2: The Address to Osiris, Part 2 .................................................................. 67 2.17.3: Instructions to the People........................................................................ 70 2.17.4: Threat Formulae ...................................................................................... 72 2.17.5: Closing Remarks ..................................................................................... 75 3: Kingship, Legitimacy and Authority in the Neferhotep Stela ............................. 77 3.1: Introduction ......................................................................................................... 77 3.1.1: Divine Sanction ....................................................................................... 79 3.1.2: Right to the Throne .................................................................................. 81 3.1.3: Consecration ............................................................................................ 87 3.1.4: the King and the Law ............................................................................... 90 3.1.5: the Right to Resist .................................................................................... 92 3.2: the Making of Monuments ................................................................................... 94 3.3: Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 95 4: Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 97 Appendices ................................................................................................................... 100 Appendix A: Transcription, Transliteration and Translation .................................... 100 Appendix B: Index of the Neferhotep Stela in Blumenthal’s Phraseologie ............. 112 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 114 Plates ............................................................................................................................ 129 xiii xiv Abbreviations ÄAT – Ägypten und Altes Testaments: Studien zur Geschichte, Kultur und Religion Ägyptens und des Alten Testaments AcOr – Acta Orientalia ÄDS