Monday, March 08, 2010

Deciphering the Pyramid Texts of Behenu

Talking Pyramids (Vincent Brown)

With photos and diagrams.

Following on from Thursday’s post I’d like to focus a bit more on the Pyramid Texts found in Queen Behenu’s recently discovered burial chamber.

Offering texts on the north wall of the Unas sarcophagus chamber. Photo by Helmut Satzinger.

I’ve been investigating the particular way in which the Pyramid Texts are arranged in Behenu’s pyramid. Confining the analysis to just the one section of the north wall of Behenu’s sarcophagus chamber I began translating the middle section as it is the easiest to see.

As I mentioned in the previous post, the name ‘Behenu’ is the first word that is recognised. She has the title “Osiris Behenu”. Observe that Behenu’s name is not enclosed in a cartouche. This is because Behenu is a Queen. But she still takes the title of Osiris in death as all Kings do.

1 comment:

Vincent said...

Thanks Andie,

I hope photos of the second walll or other wall fragments see the light of the Internet in the future.

I'd love to see those inscriptions on the sarcophagus too.

With each new pyramid found containing the Pyramid Texts we learn a bit more about the important role these texts served.

Vincent.