The Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV

- The Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV -

Contents

1. The offering scenes 2. Introduction 3. The story The offering scenes The scene on the lefthandside: Identification of the king: The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Lord of the Two Lands, Menkheperure Thutmosis, the appearance of appearances, bestowed with life. The king's action: Greeting (the god) with a Nemset vase The Sphinx: Harmakhis. Words spoken: "I give strength to the Lord of the Two Lands,Thutmosis, the appearance of appearances". The scene on the righthand side: Identification of the king: The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the lord of the Two Lands, Menkheperure Thutmosis, the appearance of appearances, bestowed with life. The king's action: Making an offering of incense and a libation The Sphinx: Harmakhis. Words spoken: "I give strength to the Lord of the Two Lands,Thutmosis, the appearance of appearances". Between the two scenes: Words spoken: "I make that Menkheperure appears on the throne of Geb, and Thutmosis, the appearance of appearances, in the offixe of Atum".

Introduction Year 1, the 3rd month of Akhet, on the 19th day of the Majesty of Horus, the victorious bull, perfect of appearances; the Two Ladies, stable of kingship like Atum; the Golden Horus, strong of sword, who subdues the 9 Bows; the King of Upper and

Lower Egypt, Menkheperure, the son of Re, Thutmosis, the appearance of appearances, beloved of Harmakhis, bestowed with life, stability and authority like Re, eternally. May the good god live, the son of Atum, who protects Harachti, the living statue of the Lord-of-All, the sovereign, created by Re, the excellent heir of Khepri, with the face as beautiful as (that of) his father, who came forth complete, equiped with his shape of Horus upon him, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, beloved of the gods, the possessor of charm with the Ennead, who has purified Heliopolis, who appeases Re, who has embellished the Temple of Ptah, who presents Maat to Atum and who rises her before the One-Who-Is-South-Of-His-Wall, who makes monuments as a daily offering to Horus, who does all things, who seeks what is beneficial for the gods of the South and the North, who builds their temples in white stone, who embellishes all their offerings, the bodily son of Atum, Thutmosos, appearance of appearances, like Re, the heir of Horus upon his throne, Menkheperure, bestowed with life.

The Story Behold, when His Majesty was a youngster, like Horus in Khemnis, his beauty like (that of) the one who protects his father and who is seen like the god himself, the army rejoiced in his love, the royal children and all the chieftains were in his power, making him flourish, and he repeated the circuit, his strenght like (that of) the son of Nut. Behold, he engaged in a passtime, amusing himself in the desert of Ineb-Hedj, upon its northern and southern road, shooting at a bronze target, hunting lions and flocks and riding in his charriot, his horses faster than the wind, along with only two of his followers while nobody (else) knew about it. Then the hour came to give rest to his followers, at the limbs of Harmakhis, beside Sokar in Ra-Setjaw, Renutet in Northern Djeme, Mut the mistress of the Northern Wall and the mistress of the Southern Wall, Sekhmet who presides over her Kha, Seth, the son of Heka, the Holy Place of the First Occasion (of creation), near the Lords or Kheraha, the divine road of the gods towards the West of Heliopolis. Now then, the great statue of Khepri was lying in this place, great of power and powerfull of majesty, the shadow of Re resting upon it. The estates of Hut-Ka-Ptah and all the neighbouring cities come to it, their arms raised in adoration before him, carrying many offerings for his Ka. One of those days, it so happened that prince Thutmosis came, passing by at the time of miday and he sat down in the shadow of this great god. Sleep seized him, a sleep at the time when the sun was at the zenith, and he found the Majesty of this noble god speaking with his own mouth, like the words of a father for his son, saying: "Look at me, see me, my son Thutmosis. I am your father, Harmakhis-Khepri-Atum, and I shall give you the kingship on earth, in front of all the living ones. You shall wear the White and the Red Crowns upon the throne of Geb, the heriditary prince. The earth shall be yours in its length and width, (everything) that the Eye of the Lord-of-All illuminates. The food of the Two Lands shall be yours, (as well as) the great tributes

of every foreign land, (your) lifetime will be a time, great in years. My face is yours, my heart is yours as you are a protector to me, for my (current) condition is like one that is in need, all my limbs (as if they were) dismembered as the sands of the desert upon which I lie have reached me. So run to me, to have that done which I desire, knowing that you are my son and my protector. Come forth, and I shall be with you, I shall be your leader". When he finished these words, this prince stared woke up at what he had heard ///.../// he understood the words of this god and he put a silence in his heart. Then he said: "/// Let us hasten back to our home in the city! We shall set aside an offering for this god and we shall bring him oxen, all the vegetables and our arms shall be raised in adoration to those who were (there) before (us) ///.../// noble ///.../// Khefren, the statue made for Atum-Re-Harmakhis ///.../// days of festivities ///.../// many ///.../// of My Majesty for her, living ///.../// for Khepri in the Horizon of the West of Heliopolis in ///.../// At this point the story breaks off.