Tombs of the royal family
3. Literally : after having been spoken to by the worker in métal.
SPOLIATION OF TOMBS
14 of the temple of User-ma ra Meri-Amen (Ramsès III) in Pa-
Amen, which (temple) is under the direction of the First Prophet of Amen-Ra, the Ring of the gods, Amen-hotep. This man, who was found on the spot,
15 was arrested, he having been (one) of three temple servants
who were near the sepulchres, at the time when the Nomarch Ra-neb-ma-nakht made
16 his investigation in the year XIV ; he said : “ I was in the tomb
of the royal spouse Isis of the Ring User-ma-ra Meriamen (Ramsès III). I took away some
17 objects and I squandered them.” When the Nomarch and
the controller had the worker in métal brought before them at the
Page V
1 sepulchres, he was blindfolded as a man to be carefully watch-
ed; his sight was restored when he arrived at the spot, and the Magistrates
2 said to him : “ Walk before us to the tomb of which youd said :
I took away some objects from i t. ’ ' The worker in métal walked before the Magistrates
3 to a reserve-tomb of the royal children of Ring User-ma-ra
Sotep-en-ra (Ramsès II), the great god; nobody had been interred therein and it had been left open,
4 as well as the resting- place of the workman Amen-em-an, son
of Hui, of the necropolis, also situated there. And he said : “These are the tombs where I bave been.”
5 The Magistrates submitted the worker in métal to a complété
cross-examination in the inferior of the Great Valley. It was
6 found that he was unacquainted with any place there, except-
ing the two on which he had put his hand. He pronounced an oath by the sovereign Lord, striking his nose
7 and his ears, and with both hands upon a rod said : “I do
not know any place within the (funeral) abodes, with the exception of the tomb which is open and
8 the resting-place on which your hand is placed.” Tfye Magis-
Bibl. égypt., t. xvii.
SPOLIATION OF TOMBS
trates examined the tombs and the great places which are the abode of
9 the perfected, where repose the royal children, the royal wives. the royal ancestors, the good fathers and mothers of the King.
10 They were found in good condition. The high Magistrates des-
patched the Examiners, the overseers, the workmen of the necropolis, the Chiefs
11 of the Police- officers, and ail the servants of the necropolis of
the West-quarter of the city, with a grand verdict (of Not Guilty ?) as far as the city.
12 The 16th year, the 19th day of Athyr. On that day, at the
timeof evening, near the temple of Ptah, Lord of Thebes, arrived the royal Controller,
13 Nes-su-amen, Scribe of the King and the Commandant Pa-
sar, of the city. They met the Chief of the workmen, User-Khopesh, the Scribe Amen-nekhtu,
14 and the workman Amen-hotepu, of the necropolis. The Com-
mandant of the city spoke to the men of the necropolis in the presence of the Controller of the King
15 as follows : “The statement which you hâve made this day is
not an authentic statement. You will hâve to suffer for what
16 you hâve done.” Thus he spoke to them. He pronounced an
oath by the sovereign Lord, in presence of the Controller of the King, and said : “The scribe Hora-sherau, son of Amen-nekhtu,
17 of the necropolis, from the interior of the Khena1, and the
Scribe Paibesa, of the necropolis, hâve made me five révélations of sayings for which you are accountable, well worthy of death ;
18 now I shall place a report on this subject before the King, my
master, that the King’s men may be sent to destroy you ail.’’ So spoke he.
1. The buildings pertaining to the résidence of the King (according to M. Chabas).
SPOLIATION OF TOMBS
19 The 16th year, the 20th day of Athyr. Copy of the writing
which the Commandant of the West-quarter of the city, Chief of the Police, Pa-au-aa, of the necropolis, placed before the Nomarch,
20 relative to the words which the Commandant Pa-sar, of the
city, spoke to the men of the necropolis, in presence of the Controller of the King and the Scribe Pai-netem, of the Overseer of theTreasury.
21 The Commandant, Pa-au-aa, of the West-quarter of the city,
said : “The royal Controller, Nes-su-amen, Scribe of the King, found himself in company with the Commandant, Pa-sar,
22 of the city. He was discoursing with the men of the necro-
polis, near the temple of Ptah, Lord of Thebes.” And the Commandant of the city said to the men
Page VI
1 of the necropolis : “ Why were you mirthful on my account at
the door of my house ? I am the Commandant who makes the reports
2 to the Prince. Corne ! be mirthful in the place where you
dwell. When it was examined, gou found it in good condition, the violated (tomb) of
3 Ra-sekhem-seshet-taui, son of the Sun, Sebek-em-sau-ef and
Nub-kha s, his only royal spouse. By the great Prince!” And
4 he pronounced ten oaths by the worth of Amen-Ra, the King
of the gods, the great god, whose statues were placed in his sanctuary this day.
5 Then, the workman User-khopesh, who is under the autho-
rity of the chief workman, Retu-em-maut, of the necropolis, spoke as follows : “Ail the kings and their
6 royal spouses, royal mothers and royal children, who repose
in the august necropolis, as well as those who repose in the abode of the perfected, are in good condition ;
7 they are protected and cared for through ail eternity ; the ex-
cellent administration of the King, their child, watches and inspects them
8 thoroughly.” The Commandant of the city said him : “ You
use marvellous language.” But the words were not insignificant ones, those spoken by the
9 Commandant of the city. Again the Commandant of the city
told the words for a second time, saying : “The Scribe Hora-sherau, son of Amen-nektu, of the necropolis, of the interior of
10 The Khena (came...) towards the place where I was, and
made me three révélations of very important sayings,
11 which my Scribe and the Scribe of the two districts of tbe city
wrote down. Now the àcribe Pai-besa, of the necropolis, made me
12 two other révélations, total, five. They also wrote them down.
Concerning them silence cannot be kept. Woe ! They are crimes worthy of the hatchet,
13 (and that the criminals) be placed on the bed of torture and
submitted to ail sorts of chastisement on account of them. But I shall send a report on this subject before the King, my master,
14 that the King’s men may be despatched to destroyyou .” Thus
spoke to them the Commandant of the city, and he pronounced then oaths, saying :
15 “Thus shall I do.” I heard of the words which the Comman-
dant of the city said to the men of the august necropolis of millions of years of the
16 King, in the West of Thebes, and I will make a report of them
before my master, as it would be a crime for a man like me
17 to hear of words and conceal them. Howewer, I hâve not
been able to get at the highly important words of which thus said the Commandant of the
18 city : “The Scribes of the interior of the necropolis, who
stayed amongst the men (of the necropolis), told them to me.” Alas! I
19 did not reach them1. I make a report before my master on the
