The underside of this large glazed steatite scarab (9 cm x 6.8 cm) is provided with nine lines of text commemorating the nubian king’s victories over rebels in Egypt, the deserts, and foreign lands. Like earlier examples from the reign of Amonhotep III, such scarabs were the equivalent of official medals, presented by the king to select officials and courtiers. First noted in Syria, the scarab was acquired in Jerusalem in May 1910 by the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, with the registration number 1718.
For the text, translation, and discussion, see Maspero 1906, 142; Muller 1914, 49-52; Alt 1915, 43-45; and Eide et al. 1994, 123-25. Suggestions of forgery raised by Maspero and Alt were disproved by Yoyotte 1956, 457-76; 1958c, 206-10. See Kitchen 1986, 379 §340.
(1) [™nh Hr] sbq1 tl. wy Hr-nbw sbq tl. wy (2) ny-sw. t bi. ty Nfr-k?-R™ s? R™ Slblk? di ™nh (3) mry /mn r ny-sw. t nb{.t} hpr{.t} dr (4) wlh2
T? sml. nsfl sb(i).w rsf m Sm™w Mhw (5) m hls. t nb(.t) hry. w s™y. w bds(6).w rsf hr n s™sf iy(7)ssn dsssn m sq(i).w-™nh n(8)dr. n w™ snwsf imssn hr ir(.t) nsf4 (9) Ih. t n. t itsf n ™? n mrsf sw
(1) [Long live the Horus:] “He who blesses2 the Two Lands,” the Golden Horus, “He who blesses the Two Lands,” (2) the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neferkare, Son of Re, Shabako, given life, (3) whom Amon loves more than any king who has existed since the establishment of (4) the earth.2
He has slain3 those who rebelled against him in Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt (5) and in every foreign land, while the sand-dwelling Bedouin who (6) revolted against him are fallen to his slaughter. (7) They themselves come as prisoners because (8) each has seized his fellow among them, enacting for him (Shabako)4 (9) the benefaction of his father through the greatness of his love for him.
NOTES
1. Reading sb?q “to illuminate, bless” (Erman and Grapow 1926-63, 4:86-87). See Grimal 1986, 320 n. 1033.
2. For wh™ tl, see Erman and Grapow 1926-63, 1:349/11; see Yoyotte 1958c, 206-10.
3. Emphatic form stressing “in Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt,” etc.
4. Or, as Muller and Kitchen: “for he (the king) had performed (ir. nsf) benefactions for his father.. . . ”
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