Items from Temple of Set, Naqada, New Kingdom

Compiled by Joan Lansberry

Digitalegypt.ucl.uk/ has several pages regarding the ancient temple:

The Petrie Museum has two fragments from its door jambs. They also show a relief
which is now housed in the Cairo museum, featuring Set giving life to Horus. It is
possible there are two of these reliefs, for their photo shows a less damaged relief, but not
within a wooden framework.

"Relief of Thutmose I found in the temple (Cairo JE 31881)", Naqada (Nubt), Temple of Seth

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Their source: Naqada and Ballas W.M. Flinders Petrie, J.E. Quibell., 1896, online:
http://digitalcase.case.edu:9000/fedora/get/ksl:petnaq00/petnaq00.pdf

Photo (c) 2000 by Andrew W. Nourse

At first I thought it was from the 12th Dynasty, Senusret I (aka Senwosret I, Sesostris I).

“The Ka of Ra has come into Being” – prenomen

Yet I was puzzled by the extra hieroglyph for ‘great’. The Digitalegypt.ucl.uk/ site said it
was Thutmosis I cartouche. So handy I’d just bought Budge’s two book dictionary:

Not only does the prenomen cartouche match, Thutmosis I’ titulary ‘Strong bull loves
Ma’at’ is present. That seals it, it’s 18th dynasty.

There are many pieces of suspected origin from this temple and the Naqada area, but the
provenance is not full, and so they remain just suspicions. Some, however, are quite
certain.

One piece with incomplete provenance, but fairly certain is Seti I’s offering table to Set
and Nephthys. It’s now located at the Metropolitan museum in New York City. Peter
Brand speaks of this offering table in his _Monuments of Seti I_:

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"The layout of the decoration is identical to that of the Ny-Carlsberg table dedicated
to Horus, the table top being decorated with two pairs each of conical and round
bread loaves and a pair of jars. On the front side, two miniature offering scenes
flank the concave depression. On the right, Seti kneels with his legs splayed out and
his arms upraised in adoration of Seth, who sits enthroned on a plinth. The act of
the king is labeled "adoring the god four times.' Seth's figure has been hacked out in
antiquity, but its outline, as well as many internal details, can easily be made out.

"On the left-hand panel, pharoah kneels in the same position before Nephthys, with
his arms holding aloft a nmst-jar and a pot of incense. The scene is entitled 'giving
libation.' Nephthys also sits enthroned on a plinth, wearing a tripartite wig, but no
other distinguishing headgear. Both deities hold w3s-scepters and 'nh-signs..."

In addition to Brand's book found at Google book search, there is also William Hayes'
translation of the text accompanying these two offering scenes:

"Nephthys' panel (left) reads: 'Long live the Horus, Appearing-in-Thebes-who-

causes-the-Two-Lands-to-live, He of the Two Goddesses, Repeating-births, powerful
of arm who repels the Nine Bows, Horus of Gold, Repeating-appearance-in-glory,
rich in archers in all lands, the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Men-ma'et-Re', the
Son of Re', Seti Mery-en-Ptah, beloved of Nephthys, Mistress of the Gods, and given
life.'

"Set's panel (right) reads: 'Long live the Horus, Strong-bull-contented-with-Truth,

He of the Two-Goddess, Great-of-splendor-in-the-hearts-of-mankind, Horus of
Gold, Contented-with-strength-and-beloved-of-Re', the King of Upper and Lower
Egypt, Men-ma'et-Re', the Son of Re', Seti Mery-en-Ptah, beloved of Set, the son of
Nut, may he live forever!'".
Hayes, William C. The Scepter of Egypt: The Hyksos Period and the New Kingdom.
Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1959.(p.332), via correspondence with Mark
Roblee

Brand refers to Hayes, as well, which I share after a color photo of the offering table:

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"Although the table has no provenance, the epithet of Seth, 'the Ombite Lord of the
Southland,' points to the site of Ombos. Hayes identifies this with Nubt, which he
believed was located at modern Tukh on the west bank of the Nile, 32 km north of
Luxor. Nubt, however, was probably located at the site of Nagada 26km north of
Luxor."

Here are two fragments of door jambs found at the temple, now at Petrie Museum:

In UC14795, Thotmosis I’ cartouche is discernable, despite the damage.

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 Line drawing made by enlarging and overlaying the original photo.

The Set animal and the Nubt town hieroglyph associated with his region in Naqada are
visible.

"Its name derives from ancient Egyptian nub, meaning gold, on account of the proximity
of gold mines in the Eastern Desert." (source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naqada).

There are three stelae from the temple of Set, one now housed at the Petrie Museum, and
one which Petrie had drawn in his Naqada and Ballas, now at the Manchester Museum.:

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"A fine tablet of Set was also found (LXXVIII), dedicated by an official Anhotep; and
with the engraver's name added below,'made by the priest of Amen, chief of the
engravers Nezem'." "NUBT, THE TOWN OF SET", from _Naqada and Ballas_, by
Petrie. This stela is now at the Manchester Museum. Their website describes it: Set
"wears the double-crown associated with kingship, and carries a staff in the form of the
hieroglyph 'was', meaning 'power.

"In hieroglyphs, at top: Seth of Nebti, lord of provisions, great of strength, powerful of
arm. In hieroglyphs, to right of altar: [word missing] of Amun, Anhotep. This is the title
and name of the stela's donor. In hieroglyphs, at bottom: Made by the wab-priest of

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Amun, the chief of the craftsmen, Nedjem. This unusual inscription seems to name the
man who made the stela, or who supervised the workshop where it was made."

The Manchester Museum website has a description, but no photo of another stela, this one now
just a fragment from Naqada:
# 4565, Limestone
"Fragment from the top of a round-topped, limestone stela, with the winged sun disc; inscribed
for the god Seth."
Inscriptions: "Fragment of hieroglyphic inscription incised at top right, for 'Seth, great of valour'"
Height (cm) 9.4, Width (cm) 18.0
The Petrie Museum has a “Damaged upper part of limestone stele, showing head and
torso of the god Set holding was sceptre, he is facing the top of an offering table which
supports a lotus flower and two buds. Face of Set partly erased in antiquity, his flesh is
colored red. (Dynasty 18 (1295BCE - 1550BCE)” (Digitalegypt.ucl.uk/ description)

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Attempt at ‘restoration

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When Set fell out of favor during Ancient Egypt’s waning days, many of his images and
those of other deities were defaced. However, during the 18th and 19th dynasties, Set was
very much honored.
For instance, Thutmosis III built or rebuilt many temples in Egypt and Nubia . He did not
ignore the temple of Seth and "enlarged or renovated the temple" leaving evidence of his
name in the temple's foundation deposit. As Petrie himself wrote, "The foundation
deposits of Tahutmes III were found in the middle of the temple area in three pits
(LXXIX). They were in no regular order, but strewing loose in the dust. The alabaster
vase and model shell, the alabaster cup, and the pair of corngrinders, all inscribed with
ink: the model axe of thin copper is punched with the same inscription, "The good god
Men-kheper-ra, beloved of Set of Nubt." _Naqada and Ballas_

Though faded, Thotmosis III’s cartouche is still recognizable, as well as “Nubt town”

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“Tuthmosis I and II, and Amenhotep II and several Ramessid kings have built at this
temple. Amenhotep III placed a massive faience scepter in Nubt." (source:
http://www.geocities.com/takhaetmentuhotep/5thnome/nubt/dyn.htm
Perhaps the web author meant Amenhotep II, for I did find an illustration of his Was,
which I show later. But first, a statue of Sennefer, the mayor of Thebes, along with its
translated hieroglyphs:

"Given as a reward from the king in the temple of Nubti to the prince of the southern city
Sen-nefer," and below, "May the king give an offering and Set of Nubit, son of Nut, very
valorous, at the front of the sacred bark; and all the gods who are in Nubt, may they grant
the receiving of food that appears upon the altar, of every good and pure thing, the
offering of frankincense on the censer daily, to the Ka of the hereditary prince, the
watchful overseer, who loves his lord, the steward of . . . prince of the southern city
Sen-nefer, devoted to his lord, makheru." Naqada and Ballas

On that statue, Set is acclaimed as being “very valorous”. The text on the lintel
featuring Set and Amun also praises Set, “Set Nubti lord of the South land, great god,
lord of heaven, fair child of Ra. Giving praise to thy Ka, Set, the very valorous,…”

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The Manchester Museum has a faience Was head from a scepter of Thutmose III which
was found at Naqada . As described at their website, "On the neck of the sceptre, before it
breaks off, is the cartouche of king Thutmose III."

Also, Hatsheput had an faience ankh at Naqada, the end piece, Manchester museum
#1031 shows her name.

In addition to these, I have a photo of a nearly perfect ‘lotus’ chalice found at the Naqada
Temple:

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Doubtless, other pieces will be found from this area. Furthermore I have found many
pharoahs’ artifacts which feature Set, many originally located in other realms than the
Naqada temple. Also, there are stelae and amulets of other royal and non-royal people.
Eventually I will expand this pdf to include them all. Meanwhile, I close with a lovely
relief of Thutmosis II now found in Karnak’s ‘Open Air Museum:

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 © Ma'at Production. Used with permission
A photo of this relief also appears in KMT magazine, VOLUME 15, NO. 4, Winter 2004-
05, which explains it is "On a limestone block of a destroyed monument of Thutmose II,
in the Open Air Museum, 18th Dyn."

Despite the destruction, we are putting the pieces back together to reveal a god who was
greatly honored during the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties, as well as earlier.
"If the name of Set, the dweller in Nubt (Ombos) flourisheth, then the name of Pepi
shall flourish, and this his pyramid shall flourish, and this his building shall flourish
unto all eternity!" (Source _Egyptian Magic_ by E. A. Wallis Budge quoted at sacred-
texts.com)

However, there are things much greater to flourish than pyramids!

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