Reproduction Details
Object Type: Painted bas relief
Date: c. 1290-1279 BC
Period: Reign of Seti I, Dynasty 19, New Kingdom
Findspot: Temple of Seti I, Abydos (west wall of the passage leading from the Second Hypostyle Hall to the Butcher’s Hall)
Reproduction Notes: This reproduction was made by Natalie Watson using reference photographs of the current site found on Wikimedia. The colours and art style used are based on Amice Calverley’s colour reproductions in ‘The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos Vol 1-3’. The transliterations and translations of hieroglyphics come from Rosalie David’s book Temple Ritual at Abydos. Reconstructed elements of the image are based on examples used elsewhere in the temple.
Print Reference: DP85A
The Mansion of Menmaatre
Seti I was the second pharaoh of Dynasty 19, ruling c. 1290-1279 BC, and the father of Ramesses II. Among the many artistic achievements of the popular king’s reign, his mortuary temple at Abydos represents a high point in craftsmanship and ambition. Called the Mansion of Menmaatre in antiquity, it is better known today as the Great Temple of Abydos or the Memnonium.
It was commissioned by the king to provide a place to honour the gods and his eternal soul. Unlike most temples, it was dedicated to more than one god. As well as the deified form of Seti I, it also included chapels honouring Ptah, Re-Horakhty, Amun-Re, Osiris, Isis, and Horus. The temple was unfinished at the time of the king’s death and completed by his son and heir, Ramesses II. It is famous for the beauty and quality of its decoration, and the presence of the invaluable ‘Abydos King List’.
The Abydos Kings List
The Abydos King List is carved into the temple's walls and records the names of 76 rulers inside cartouches from the previous 1,600 years. The hieroglyphics record the prayers that Seti and his son Ramesses are reciting for the past kings.
The List was carved on the west wall of the passage known as the Gallery of Lists which leads from the Second Hypostyle Hall to the Butcher’s Hall (‘B List of Kings’ on the plan below). You can explore a 3D model of the Kings List made by David Anderson to help you visualise the space and the poor state of preservation it is now in. Originally, the wall reliefs would have been brightly painted using a standard palette of colours which are preserved on reliefs in other parts of the temple.
Seti I
In the scene, Seti stands before the list in full regalia, holding a burning censor and gesturing with his hand to indicate he is speaking. On his head is the blue crown with a rearing uraeus cobra, and he is wearing a linen Shendyt kilt held in place with a jewelled belt.
The hieroglyphics record Seti’s words, which describe how he is giving offerings to the eternal souls of the kings in praise of the god Ptah-Sokar-Osiris:
Words spoken by the king, Menmaatre. Bringing the god to his food, depositing an offering for the Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt: “Greetings to thee, Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, who-is-south-of-his-wall; come, that I may carry out for thee these choice things which Horus carried out for his father Osiris.”
Ramesses II
In front of Seti is his son, Ramesses II, his young age indicated by the sidelock of hair on his head. He is wearing the linen robes of a priest and reciting a prayer from the scroll in his hands. The hieroglyphics beside him explain he is reciting ‘The Jubilant Summons’ for his predecessors:
The Jubilant Summons by the hereditary prince and king’s eldest legitimate son, whom he loves, Ramesses, justified.
The Offering Formula
Above the registers filled with cartouches are hieroglyphics recording the words of the offering prayer Seti is reciting for the kings. This is a standard funerary prayer which is designed to give the kings all the things their eternal souls would require for a happy afterlife.
An offering-which-the-king gives for Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, Lord of the Sanctuary of Sokar, who is residing in the Mansion of Menmaatre. Depositing an offering for the Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt, by the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Lord of the Two Lands, Menmaatre, son of Re, Seti Merenptah.
A thousand of bread, a thousand of beer, a thousand of cattle, a thousand of fowl, a thousand of incense, a thousand of unguent, a thousand of linen, a thousand of cloth, a thousand of wine, a thousand of god’s offering, as the gift of the king, Menmaatre.
Register 1 and 2
The List itself can be found in the top and middle registers of cartouches which take up the bulk of the scene. The names of 76 kings are shown in chronological order which should be read from the top left to the bottom right (see closeups of each cartouche below).
Every cartouche is preceded by the phrase “To the King of Upper Egypt” and should be read as a continuation of the main offering formula in the upper register, so the full prayer for each king is:
An offering-which-the-king gives… a thousand of bread, a thousand of beer… to the King of Upper Egypt [KING’S NAME].
Register 3
The offering formula is completed in the third register, where each column ends with the words “As the gift of” followed by Seti’s throne name and birth name repeated in alternating columns.
Seti’s throne name Menmaatre “Established is the Justice of Re” is preceded by the word “king” and followed by a determinative of a seated king wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt. His birth name Sety Merenptah "Man of Seth, beloved of Ptah" is preceded by “son of Re” and followed by a determinative of a seated king wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt.
Therefore, each of the 76 rulers in the King List can be given a personalised offering:
An offering-which-the-king gives … a thousand of bread, a thousand of beer … to the King of Upper Egypt [KING’S NAME] … As the gift of king Menmaatre, King of Upper Egypt [OR] king Sety Merenptah, King of Lower Egypt.
Full Kings List
The Abydos King List covers Dynasty 1 to the start of Dynasty 19 but is not a complete list and deviates in places from other known king lists. It omits many rulers considered illegitimate and also includes 17 royal names not seen on any other King Lists. The missing kings come from periods of political instability or religious upheaval:
First Intermediate Period kings including Mentuhotep I, Intef I, Intef II, Intef III (end of Dynasty 6 to the beginning of Dynasty 11.
Female king Sobekneferu (end of Dynasty 12).
Kings from the Second Intermediate Period (Dynasty 13-14).
Kings from the Amarna Period (end of Dynasty 18) including (female king) Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Smenkhare, Tutankhamun and Ay.
Besides providing the order of the Old Kingdom kings, the Abydos King List is the sole source to date of the names of many of the kings of Dynasty 7 and 8. It can be compared to the Karnak Kings List, the list in the Temple of Ramesses II at Karnak, the Palermo Stone, the Saqqara Kings List and the Turin Canon (the only list written on papyrus as a historical account rather than produced as a cultic device).
Dynasty 1
Dynasty 2
Dynasty 3
Dynasty 4
Dynasty 5
Dynasty 6
The Dynasty 6 kings straddle the end of the top register and the beginning of the middle register.
Cartouches of the kings of Dynasty 6: #34 Teti (commonly known as Teti), 35 Userkare (Userkare), 36 Meryre (Pepi I Meryre), 37 Merenre (Merenre Nemtyemsaf I), 38 Neferkare (Pepi II Neferkare) and 39 Merenre Saemsaf (Merenre Nemtyemsaf II).
Dynasty 8
Dynasty 11-12
Dynasty 18
Dynasty 19
Translations
The transliterations and translations of hieroglyphics come from Rosalie David’s book Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018, 240-41).
Seti Inscription
nṯr nfr Mn-mꜣʾt-Rʾ
The perfect god, Menmaatre (Established is the Justice of Re)
sꜣ Rʾ Sthy-mr-n-Ptḥ
The son of Ra, Sety Merenptah (Man of Seth, beloved of Ptah)
ḏd mdw in nsw Mn-mꜣʾt-Rʾ in nṯr r šbw.f wꜣḥ ḫt n nsyw-bityw nḏ-ḥr.k Ptḥ-Skr rsyw-inb.f m’I iry.i n k nw [ḫt] iri.n Ḥr n it.f Wsir
Utterance by the king, Menmaatre. Bringing the god to his food, depositing an offering for the Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt. Greetings to thee, Ptah-Soker-Osiris, who-is-south-of-his-wall; come, that I may carry out for thee these [things] which Horus carried out for his father Osiris.
Ramesses Inscription
nis ḥnḳ in rpʾt sꜣ nsw sms n ẖt.f mr.f Rʾ-mss-s mꜣʾ-ḫrw
Reciting praises by the hereditary prince, king’s son, the eldest, bodily, beloved son of the king, Ramesses, vindicated.
Offering Formula
irt ḥtp-di-nsw n Ptḥ-Skr-Wsir nb sṯyt ḥry-ib ḥwt Mn-Mꜣʿt-Rʿ wꜣḥ ḫt n nsywt-bityw in nsw-bit nb tꜣwy Mn-mꜣʿt-Rʿ sꜣ Rʿ Sthy-mr-n-Ptḥ
Making-a-boon-which-the-king-gives for Ptah-Soker-Osiris, Lord of the Sanctuary of Soker, who is residing in the Mansion of Menmaatre. Depositing an offering for the Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt, by the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, lord of the Two Lands, Menmaatre, son of Re, Sety Merenptah.
ḫꜣ m t ḫꜣ m ḥnkt ḫꜣ m kꜣw ḫꜣ m ꜣpdw ḫꜣ m sntr ḫꜣ m mrḥt ḫꜣ m ssrw ḫꜣ m mhnt ḫꜣ m irp ḫꜣ m ḥtp-ntr m dd nsw Mn-mꜣʿt-Rʿ
A 1,000 of bread, a 1,000 of beer, a 1,000 of cattle, a 1,000 of fowl, a 1,000 of incense, a 1,000 of unguent, a 1,000 of linen, a 1,000 of cloth, a 1,000 of wine, a 1,000 of god’s offering, as the gift of the king, Menmaatre.
Register 1-2
n nsw [Unis]
To the King of Upper Egypt [Unas].
Register 3
m dd nsw Mn-mꜣʾt-Rʾ nsw
As the gift of King Menmaatre (Established is the Justice of Re), King of Upper Egypt.
m dd bit Stẖy-mr-n-Ptḥ bit
As the gift of King Sety Merenptah (Man of Seth, beloved of Ptah), King of Lower Egypt.
Further Reading
Pharaonic King Lists, Annals and Day Books (1986) by Donald B. Redford
Sethy I, King of Egypt (2019) by Aidan Dodson
Temple Ritual at Abydos (2018) by Rosalie David
The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt (2000) by Richard H. Wilkinson
The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos, Vol. I-IV (1933) by Amice Calverley and edited by Alan Gardiner