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Limestone false door stela

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Title/s	Limestone false door stela
Category	architectural element
Name	stelae false door
Description	rectangular, priestess of Hathor seated before offering table, inscribed. The stela is in the form of a doorway. Such objects acted as the doorway through which the spirit if the deceased could recieve offerings at the tomb. At the top sits the owner, a woman who was priestess of Hathor. Her name was Hemy-Re. In front of the deceased is an offering table. There is no mention of a husband of family in the text.
Field Collection	Busiris ? Egypt
Dimensions	height 82.5 cm width 63.5 cm thickness 8 cm
Period	Seventh Dynasty Tenth Dynasty First Intermediate period
Date	2170 B.C. — 2025 B.C.
Inscriptions/Marks	inscription Position: left jambs Method: incised Content: Htp di nsw in wsir nb Ddw t Hnqt xt nb(t) wabt prrt Hr sAT n wsir m Ddw n imAXt Hmi-ra rn.s nfr rxt nsw Hm(t) nTr Hwt-Hr Hmi i anxw tpyw tA swAt.sn Hr wAt tn Ddt.sn t wAb pw n wsir iw n imAxtwy Hmi Description: vertical text, hieroglyphs facing to right Translation: An offering which the king gives by Osiris, Lord of Busiris: brea, beer and every pure thing that goes forth upon the libation slab of Osiris in Busiris, for the revered one Hemire, whose 'good name' is the royal acquaintance and priestess of Hathor, Hemi. O you living upon earth, who will pass by this way, who will say: "It is the pure bread of Osiris", it is for the revered one, Hemi. inscription Position: right jambs Method: incised Content: [Htp di] inpw xnty sH nTr imy wt nb tA Dsr prt-xrw m wAg-Hb DHwty-Hb n imAxwt Hmi-ra rn.s nfr Hmi [ink iri] Htp sbi imAxHsyt nt it.s //rt [mut].s imAxt nt Hwt-Hr nbt Ddw Description: vertical text, hieroglyphs facing to left Translation: A gift which Anubis gives, who presides over the embalming shrine, Lord of the Sacred land; an invocation offering on the Wag-festival and the festival of Thoth for the revered one, Hemire, whose 'good name' is Hemi. [I am one who makes] peace and attains a state of reverence; praised by her father /// beloved of her [mother], revered of Hathor Mistress of Busiris. (Hemire, whose good name is Hemi). inscription Position: offering scene, in front of deceased Method: incised Content: imAxwt Hmi Description: hieroglyphs facing to right Translation: The revered one, Hemi inscription Position: panel below offering scene Method: incised Content: imAxwt xr ptH skr imAxwt xr wsir nb Ddw imAxwt xr inpw nb qrst Description: 3 horizontal rows of hieroglyphs facing to the right Translation: Revered before Ptah-Sokar. Revered before Osiris, Lord of Busiris. Revered before Anubis, Lord of Burial inscription Position: panel below offering scene Method: incised Content: rxt nsw Hm(t) nTr Hwt-Hr Hmi-ra rn.s nfr Hmi Description: hiergolyphs facing to right Translation: The royal acquaintance and priestess of Hathor, Hemire whose 'good name' is Hemi inscription Position: central jambs, left Method: incised Content: sDA.s Hr wAwt nfr(w)t nt Hrty-nTr m imAxwt nt nTr-aA Hmi-ra rn.s nfr Hmi ir sS nb swAt.f Hr is pn Ddt.f t Hnqt n nbt is pn imAxt (Hmi-ra rn.s nfr Hmi) Description: vertical columns of hieroglyphs facing to right Translation: May she proceed on the good ways of the necropolis as the revered one of the Great God, Hemire, whose good name is Hemi; as for every scribe who will pass by this tomb, who will say: 'Bread and beer for the mistress of this tomb, the revered one (Hemire, whose 'good name' is Hemi). inscription Position: central jambs, right Method: incised Content: ink rdit t n Hqr Hbs n Hawy Hsyt nt hi.s Hmi-ra ir r[mT] nb Ddt.sn t n Hmi m is.s pn ink Ax iqr n rdi.i Dw n.sn Description: vertical columns of hieroglyphs, facing to left Translation: I am one who gives bread to the hungry and clothing to the naked, one praised of her husband, Hemire; as for all the people who will say: 'Bread for Hemi in this her tomb', I am an excellent spirit who will not cause harm to them
Documentation	(1995) [page: ] [comments: no.7, p.22] Martin, G.T. (2005) Stelae from Egypt and Nubia in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, c. 3000BC - AD1150 , Cambridge (Cambs.) : Cambridge University Press (2005) Cambridge (Cambs.): Cambridge University Press [page: 14-16] [comments: ] Fischer, H. Some early monuments from Busiris, in the Egyptian Delta [page: 5-6,14-24] Source title: Metropolitan Museum Journal (1976) [comments: see also figs. 8-9] Sweeney, Deborah Forever Young? The representation of older and ageing women in ancient Egyptian art [page: 71-72] Source title: Journal of the American Research Centre in Egypt (2004) [comments: with fig. 5]
Material/s	limestone
Accession Number	E.6.1909 (Antiquities) (Reference Number: 51004; Input Date: 2003-03-25 / Last Edit: 2011-07-22)

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Limestone false door stela