ilK XlTii DYNTASTY TKMl'T.K AT HETR RL-nAIlAKI. before, ami th<strong>at</strong> he succeeded in restoring- to the kinsrclom its former extent. <strong>The</strong>refore I b<strong>el</strong>ieve he must be put <strong>at</strong> the head of the kings with two cartouches. He would thus be Mentuhetep II. (PI. xii. d, g,h). It is he who built the <strong>temple</strong>, Avhich after his de<strong>at</strong>h and under his successors was j^robably used as a burial place for princesses, who were <strong>at</strong> the same time priestesses of H<strong>at</strong>hor, and who had there their tombs and their shrines. Th<strong>at</strong> seems to be the reason why we have found in tlie <strong>temple</strong> the names of the two following Mentuheteps, which come from these shrines. <strong>The</strong>se two kings were both Avarriors, and there is hardly any reason to put one before the other. <strong>The</strong> gre<strong>at</strong>er similarity of the names and the fact thfit he had to fight also the neigh- bouring n<strong>at</strong>ions of Egypt, would induce me to put O ^^3:7 '^ first, while the gre<strong>at</strong> work <strong>at</strong> Hamam<strong>at</strong> of To ^:2:7 ^^^ j would point to a more settled country, as is the case also Avith Sankhkara. Thus the Xlth Dynasty would consist of tAvo series of kings, those Avho reigned only in Upper Egypt, and Avho had only one name, and four IMentuhetejDS, aa^io ruled over the AAdiole country. It is quite possible th<strong>at</strong> Ave may have to insert in the list two or three less powerful princes. Q 1 1 ^ mdMi []•«> e builder of the <strong>temple</strong>, is in my opinion the first king of the Xlth Dynasty Avho joined the two parts of Egypt under his sceptre, and aa'Iio ruled over the AA'hole country. His l-a name T "" seems to prove it. It is not lik<strong>el</strong>y th<strong>at</strong> he Avould have taken this name if the task of the restoring his kingdom to the size AAdiich it had under the first dynasties of the Old Emjiire had been achieved by one of his predecessors. His first cartouche ( o "^37 || llias long been read Nch-l-hrm-Ra, but the sp<strong>el</strong>ling of the Abbott Papyrus, To ^^zzy "j" | j, showed th<strong>at</strong> the last sign is ditferent iVom th<strong>at</strong> Avhich is read Uimi.^ It seems evident th<strong>at</strong> 1 has the same reading as "^ in the name of the- next king, so th<strong>at</strong> these tAA'o Mentuheteps, Avho I take to be f<strong>at</strong>her and son, would have their first names sounding exactly alike, though they Avere Avritten Avith different signs. Nch-hepci-Tia, or Ra-iwh-licju'f, Avould be the first name of both. <strong>The</strong>se tAvo signs, 1 the oar and ^, Avhich is supposed to be a mason's square, are very often connected, especially in a ceremony Avhich occurs often <strong>at</strong> the entrance of <strong>temple</strong>s and Avhich, I b<strong>el</strong>ieve, refers to the found<strong>at</strong>ion of the build- imj. We haA'e an instance of it in this <strong>temple</strong> (PL xii. e). <strong>The</strong> king is seen making a long stride, and liolding in one hand the oar, and in the other the "nl • I suppose th<strong>at</strong> it means th<strong>at</strong> the king is measuring in strides the ground Avhich is to be consecr<strong>at</strong>ed to the god. This ceremony is called ^^ ^ '^, "taking possession of the oar," or of "the square." <strong>The</strong> oar has certainly a symbolical meaning. <strong>The</strong> first Xeb-hepet-Ra Mentuhetep, Avhom, according to tlie reconstruction of the <strong>dynasty</strong> Avhich I here propose, I call Mentuhetep II., must have been a very poAverful king. His rule Avas Av<strong>el</strong>l established, since he reio'ned more than forty-six years, as Ave know from the tablet of one of his officials called Meru.- Neverth<strong>el</strong>ess lie has not left many monuments besides this <strong>temple</strong>. <strong>The</strong> fact of his having ruled OA'er Loavci' Egypt is proved by the inscription of one of his officials avIio Avas j^riest in the H<strong>el</strong>io- politan nome, and who had <strong>at</strong> the same time an employment <strong>at</strong> Elephantine^; and also by ' Since this Avas Avritten Ave haA'e found beautifully carved hieroglyphs showing distinctly th<strong>at</strong> the sign i is an oar, and therefore reads hepct. C<strong>at</strong>alogue of Turin ; St<strong>el</strong>e No. 1447. •' Petrie, Season in Egypt, No. 243.
w /^ ^L .MKXrrilKTKI' II. AM) Till'; Xliii DVXASTV.
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