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Saturday, May 21, 2016
It's too bad I can't make out the details on the cartouche. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't find a modern photo of this piece. Thus I fear it may have succumbed during World War II. "The second World War had dire consequences for the collection. The 'Neues Museum' was much damaged and many objects were burned." (Source: http://www.egyptian-museum-berlin.com/c01.php) |
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Sunday, May 22, 2016 I tried another avenue to find a photo of the statue I'd seen yesterday in Lepsius' drawings. I used the German words for "Egyptian Museum Berlin", thinking there might be a old book written before World War II that would show it. No such luck. I tried "Hathor" in the next search-within-the-book to one of the search results. A book by Jan Assmann had referenced this museum. He shared a hymn to Ra and Hathor, and gave more info at the bottom. I learned his translation was from a stela at the New York museum, Accession #13.182.3 and that M. Lichtheim had referenced it in a book she wrote in 1973 called _Ancient Egyptian Literature_. I was able to track down the exact pages in her book!
I found it amusing to place the two translations side by side: |
Oh you lords of the western sky, Oh you gods of the western sky, Oh you who rule the shores of the western sky, Who rejoice at Hathor's coming, Who love to see her beauty rise! I let her know, I say at her side That I rejoice in seeing her!
My hands do "come to me, come to me,"
May your heart be at peace with music,
From _Ancient Egyptian Literature: The Old and Middle Kingdoms_, |
© Joan Ann Lansberry