The lion hunts of Amenhotep III during the first ten years of his reign

Lion Hunt Scarab from the Royal Pump Room, Harrogate
Base with inscription	Top of the scarab

The Lion-Hunts of Amenhotep III During the First Ten Years of his Reign is one of a group of five historical and commemorative scarabs made during the reign of Amenhotep III. The set of five scarabs were presumably used to validate, and proclaim his choice of Tiye as his wife.^[1] (Both were extremely young, not yet teenagers.)

Each of the five scarabs begin with the identical name pronunciation of Amenhotep, and then the addressing of his wife, Tiye.^[2]

Scarab specifics

Example scarab: Queen Mernua coffin, 2 large scarabs, one showing many lines of text.

Because the five memorial scarabs were for public dissemination, multiple copies were made and circulated. Kerrigan's book has a photo of the scarab from the Oriental Institute, Chicago. Budge's reference translates a British Museum scarab-(B.M. 4096), of 8 lines of text. The Oriental Institute scarab is also a text of 8 lines, but has minor variations from the British Museum scarab; the scarab is pictured in the section for Tiy's Wedding Scarab, but there is no photo of Tiy's Wedding scarab. Instead they use the photo of Amenhotep's Lion Hunts.

Since copies of the five scarabs were made for dissemination, they have been claimed to be a form of 'public information reading', much like a "news release" from a newspaper.

The lion hunt story, line-by-line

The translation of the lion-hunt story in the first 10 years of Amenhotep's reign is:

(following introduction): Amenhotep's name and Tiye's name;

List of the lions brought in His Majesty by his own shooting, beginning with year 1-(="renpet") up to year X. Lions fierce 102 (!)^[3]

List of the 5 scarabs

(Example scarab bottom):Medium to moderate size scarab, with horizontal text. (Text always reads into the faces of animals, right-to-left, this scarab.)

1. The Wild-Cattle Hunt by Amenhotep III in the IInd Year of his Reign-(2nd year)
2. Scarab Giving the Names of the Father and Mother of Queen Ti
3. The Lion-Hunts of Amenhotep III During the First Ten Years of his Reign
4. The Arrival in Egypt of Gilukhipa, the Mitannian Bride of Amenhotep III, in the Tenth Year of his Reign
5. The Construction of a Lake in Western Thebes for Queen Ti by Amenhotep III in the Eleventh Year of his Reign

Complete scarab BM 4096

Introduction with wife Tiye, and entire 8 lines of scarab BM 4096:

"Horus the living one, bull mighty diademed(crowned) with Maat(Truth), Nebty-(Two Ladies), Stablisher of laws, pacifier of the Two Lands, Horus of Gold, Mighty of Thigh, Smiter of the Nomads, King of the South and the North, Neb-Maat-Ra, Son of Amenhotep, Governor of Thebes, Given Life, King's Woman, Tiye, Living One-("Living One, Like Ra", Ra not on this scarab);^[5] (in Tut's reign for Ankhesenamun, "May She Live")^[6]

List of the lions brought in His Majesty by his own shooting, beginning with year 1 up to year X. Lions fierce 102 (!)"^[7]

line.1

(Living Horus) (bull mighty) (with) (crowned) (Maat)

line.2

(Two Ladies) (eStablisher) (laws) (pacifier)

line.3

(two lands) (Horus of Gold) (mighty of thigh) (smiter) (of Nomads) (King South North)

line.4

(son of)

(governor Thebes) (given life) (Kings Wife)

line.5

(Living Tiye)(Tiye may She Be Forever Living (Youthful))

line.5.5

(list of) (lions)

line.6

(Brought In) (majesty his) (by)

line.6.5

(his shooting) (his own) (beginning)

line.7

(with) (year1) (up) (to) (year10) (lions)

line.8

(fierce) (102)

^[8]

Other scarabs with this title have variations of what hieroglyphs are added or omitted because of the multiple copies made of this scarab series. (The Two Ladies are goddesses/gods of the South and North.)

References

Bibliography

• Kerrigan, 2009. The Ancients in Their Own Words, Michael Kerrigan, Fall River Press, Amber Books Ltd, c 2009. (hardcover. ISBN 978-1-4351-0724-3)
• Budge, 1989 (reprint, 1893, 1925) The Mummy, A Handbook of Egyptian Funerary Archaeology, E. A. Wallis Budge, 1989, (1893, 1925), Dover Publications, (Chapter on 'Scarabs', subsection: Historical or Memorial Scarabs of Amenhotep III.) (softcover, ISBN 0-486-25928-5)
• Zauzich, 1992. Hieroglyphs Without Mystery: An Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Writing, Karl-Theodor Zauzich, English translation, Ann Macy Roth, c. 1992, University of Texas Press, Austin. Appendix-(problem solutions), "Hieroglyphic Sign List"-(abbreviated Gardiner's), Museum Numbers and Photo Credits for the Objects Discussed-(12 entries); 121 pages. (see for verb usage of: "May She Live") (softcover, ISBN 0-292-79804-0)

External links

• Lion-hunt scarab of Amenophis III, by Mark-Jan Nederhof.