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The king and the gods

Related Images

  • Fig 1 - Tomb-painting of the god Osiris - the British Museum - [EA37995](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA37995)
  • Fig 2 - Limestone flake depicting the god Amun holding a _was_-scepter - the British Museum - [EA60001](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA60001)
  • Fig 3 - _Djed_-pillar amulet - Metropolitan Museum of Art - [34.6.2](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/550987)
  • Fig 4 - Mold for an _ankh_-amulet - Metropolitan Museum of Art - [11.215.711](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/559134)
  • Fig. 5 - Stela of Besenmut from the 26th dynasty, with a winged sun disk - the British Museum - [EA22915](https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA22915)

The top part of this stela is full of symbolism. Depicted is the god Osiris giving power, stability and life to king Amenemhat III, while a winged sun-disk protects the entire stela.

In the middle, you can see the god Osiris (fig. 1), king of the Underworld, holding a bent staff containing Egyptian symbols. The vertical part of the staff is the so-called was-scepter, often held by gods and a symbol of power (fig. 2). The bent part of the scepter is made up of two more symbols: the djed and ankh signs. These are both popular symbols, often used as amulets (fig. 3-4). Djed is said to depict the spine of Osiris, and symbolizes stability. The ankh sign symbolizes life, and is the same sign that can be found in Sehetepibreankh’s name. To the right of Osiris, a few of his titles are written:

Osiris, foremost of the WesternersIn ancient Egyptian belief, the underworld is often referred to as the West, as the west is where the sun sets. The dead ‘living’ there are therefore called the Westerners, great god, lord of Abydos. May he give life, stability, power, and health.

Osiris is pointing his symbolic scepter at (the then ruling) king Amenemhat III, who is depicted in the form of a falcon, or Horus, the god of kingship, wearing the double crown of Egypt. He is standing on a so-called serekh, a palace facade, containing two signs spelling one of the names of pharaoh Amenemhat III. Behind him are some titles commonly associated with the king:

The good god, lord of the rituals, lord of the two lands, king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Amenemhat III, given life forever.

Hanging over this scene is - unfortunately a little damaged - a winged sun disk. The winged sun disk was a popular motif in ancient Egypt, especially atop stelae, for example the one in fig. 5. This stela dates back to the 26th dynasty, some 1500 years later than Sehetepibreankh’s. It is different in almost every respect, yet a lot of the same motifs as seen on Sehetepibreankh’s stela are depicted, like the gods holding was-sceptres and ankh-signs, and the winged sundisk.