BURIAL CHAMBER - WALL 21
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The hieroglyphs of the texts of the gates, depicted on wall 21 of the burial chamber of Prince Khaemwaset’s tomb, were translated into English by Dutch Egyptologist Huub Pragt.
For an overview of wall 21, from left to right, click on (153) (157) (158) (162) (164) (167) (170) and (171) consecutively.
(153) shows Prince Khaemwaset and Pharaoh Ramesses III.
Khaemwaset carries in both hands the colourful behet-fan, depicted in a very detailed way (153).
The fact that the prince is shown carrying the behet-fan, shows that he has the right to bear the prestigious title of Fan-bearer to the Right of the King.
This title implies a very close personal or official relationship with the pharaoh.
(156) shows a detail of the behet-fan.
Between Khaemwaset and Ramesses, a yellow hieroglyphic column displays the name and title of the prince, stating ‘The [sem-priest] of Ptah, the great one, (who is) south of his wall, Lord of Memphis, the king’s son of Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, Khaemwaset, true of voice, for ever’ (153).
To the right of the hieroglyphic column, Pharaoh Ramesses is standing with his arms raised (153).
Ramesses is wearing a gold-coloured headdress with embroidered red rings (154) (155).
Above the head of the pharaoh the sun disk of Behdet is shown.
On both sides of the sun disk of Behdet a uraeus is depicted, while under the disk hieroglyphs are shown, stating ‘He from Behdet’ (153) (154).
To the right of the sun disk of Behdet, two cartouches are shown with the nomen and praenomen of Ramesses, stating ‘Lord of the Two Lands, User-Ma’at-Ra Mery-Amun, Lord of Appearances, Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, true of voice’ (154).
(157) shows, from left to right, seven hieroglyphic columns, gate 10 and the guardian of gate 10.
The murals and the texts on wall 21 of the burial chamber are taken from chapters 145 and 146 of the Book of the Dead.
These two chapters describe the twenty-one gates through which the deceased must pass on his journey into the afterlife.
Each of the twenty-one gates is guarded by a genie.
The texts from chapters 145 and 146 of the Book of the Dead, shown in the seven hieroglyphic columns, must be recited by Ramesses and Khaemwaset to the genie at each gate in order to pass through.
The text reads: “Greetings”, says the King, User-Ma’at-Ra Mery-Amun, the son of Ra, Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, “10th Gate of the Weary-hearted One”. Make way for me! I know (you), I know the name of the god who guards you. “High of door wings, who awakes outcries, whom one greatly respects when one reaches her, who shouts with her loud voice, who terrifies enemies, there is no limit for whom is in her” is your name. “Great Embracer” is the name of the god, who guards you. I was purified with that water with which Isdes was purified when he came in to interrogate Seth in the hidden room. I have been anointed with red oil. I am dressed in red fabric. My Ames sceptre is in my hand like the red (fleshy) stretch of foetuses. Go now, because you are purified.
To the right of the seven hieroglyphic columns, gate 10 and the guardian of gate 10 are shown.
The guardian of gate 10 is wearing a blue wig and a tunic.
He has a human head and holds a green knife in each hand (157).
Above the genie’s head, hieroglyphs show the name of the guardian: ‘Great Embracer’.
‘Great Embracer’ is the English translation of the guardians’ name, Sekhen-wer.
(158) shows, from left to right, Prince Khaemwaset, Pharaoh Ramesses III and five hieroglyphic columns.
Khaemwaset is carrying in his left hand a flabellum and a sceptre and greets with his raised right hand the guardian of gate 12 (159) (158).
Above Khaemwaset’s head, two hieroglyphic columns are shown, stating ‘The sem-priest of Ptah, the great one, (who is) south of his wall, Lord of Memphis, the king’s son of Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, Khaemwaset, true of voice’ (158).
(159) shows a detail of the prince.
As a headdress, Ramesses III is wearing a white khat with a frontal uraeus (160).
Above the pharaoh’s head is shown a red sun disk and the two cartouches of the pharaoh (158).
(160) shows a detail of Ramesses III’s head.
(161) shows a detail of the pharaoh’s apron.
(162) shows, from left to right, five hieroglyphic columns, gate 12, the guardian of gate 12 and Khaemwaset.
The text of the five hieroglyphic columns is taken from chapter 145 of the Book of the Dead and must be recited by Ramesses and Khaemwaset to the genie of gate 12 in order to pass through.
In the last two of the five hieroglyphic columns, a number of hieroglyphs have been lost (162).
The text reads: “Greetings”, says the King, User-Ma’at-Ra Mery-Amun, the son of Ra, Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, “12th Gate of the Weary-hearted One”. Make way for me! I know (you), I know your name, I know the name of the one who is inside you. “She traverses the Two Lands, who chops off those who come at daybreak, High Mistress of Effectiveness, who hears the voice of her Lord daily” is your name.
“Cat” is the name of the god, who guards you. You are under the control of the veiler of the Weary one.
To the right of the five hieroglyphic columns, gate 12 and, to the right of the gate, the guardian of gate 12 are depicted.
The guardian of gate 12 is wearing a blue wig and holds a blue knife in each hand.
He has a human body, but the head of a cat (162).
(163) shows a detail of the head of the guardian of gate 12.
Above the genie’s head, hieroglyphs show the name of the guardian: ‘Cat’ (162).
‘Cat’ is the English translation of the guardians’ name, My or Miu.
To the right of the guardian of gate 12, Khaemwaset is shown (162).
Khaemwaset carries a sceptre in his left hand and greets the guardian of gate 14 with his raised right hand.
Above the sceptre in the prince’s left hand, three hieroglyphic columns are shown, stating ‘The sem-priest of Ptah, the great one, (who is) south of his wall, Lord of Memphis, the first royal son of his body, Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, Khaemwaset, true of voice’.
(164) shows, from left to right, Khaemwaset, Ramesses III and the incomplete annex.
The workers started building this annex, but it was never completed.
Initially, to the right of Ramesses III, four hieroglyphic columns and gate 14 were depicted, but the text of these four hieroglyphic columns and the depiction of gate 14 were destroyed during the building of the annex.
Only a small part at the top of the four hieroglyphic columns has survived.
From left to right, the remaining text reads: “Greetings”, [says the King, …], I know (you), [I know..], [… ? make …] and [… this who ? …] .
Ramesses III is wearing a blue khepresh crown.
Above the pharaoh’s head a solar disk of Behdet is shown, and, to the right of the Behdet disk, the two cartouches of Ramesses III.
(165) shows a detail of Ramesses III.
(166) shows a detail of the pharaoh’s belt and apron.
(167) shows, from left to right, Ramesses III, the incomplete annex and the guardian of gate 14.
The guardian of gate 14 is wearing a blue wig and – like all genies in the burial chamber – a tunic.
In his left hand he is holding a blue knife.
Parts of the image of the guardian have been lost: part of the head, the right shoulder, part of the right arm, part of the lower left leg, a large part of the right leg and the right foot (167) (168).
Above the genie’s head, hieroglyphs show the name of the guardian: ‘The Protector’. (167).
‘The Protector’ is the English translation of the guardians’ name, Sau-pen.
(168) and (169) show details of the guardian of gate 14.
(170) shows, from left to right, the guardian of gate 14, Prince Khaemwaset, Ramesses III and four hieroglyphic columns.
Khaemwaset is carrying in his left hand a khu-fan and greets the guardian of gate 16 with his raised right hand.
Above Khaemwaset’s head, two hieroglyphic columns are shown, stating ‘The sem-priest of Ptah, the great one, (who is) south of his wall, Lord of Memphis, the king’s son of Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, Khaemwaset, true of voice’ (170).
Part of the raised right hand, the face and the wig of Khaemwaset have been lost.
To the right of Prince Khaemwaset, Ramesses III is shown, wearing the hedjet crown.
A large part of the pharaoh’s depiction has been lost.
Above the yellow hedjet to the right, the pharaoh’s two cartouches are shown, displaying the nomen and praenomen of Ramesses, stating ‘Lord of the Two Lands, User-Ma’at-Ra Mery-Amun, Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, true of voice’.
(171) shows, from left to right, Ramesses III, five hieroglyphic columns and gate 16.
In the left and second-left hieroglyphic column, some hieroglyphs have been lost.
The hieroglyphs that have been lost are indicated in the text by square brackets […].
The text of the five hieroglyphic columns is taken from chapter 145 of the Book of the Dead and must be recited by Ramesses and Khaemwaset to the genie of gate 16 in order to pass through.
The text reads: [“Greetings”,] says the King, User-Ma’at-Ra Mery-Amun, the son of Ra, Ramesses, Ruler of Heliopolis, “16th Gate of the Weary-hearted One”. Make way for me! I know (you), I know your name, I know the one who is inside you. “She who belongs to Terror, who throws fire, who sprinkles sparks with her flames when she goes out, who creates secrets” is your name. “He who bows to the One who provokes weariness to those who go forth to death” is the name of the god who guards you. You are under the control of the veiler of the Weary one.