Inscription of the naval resurrection of Khnumhotep II
Inscription of the naval resurrection of Khnumhotep II
The positioning of the boats within the tomb led them south to Abydos to the right of the entrance and back north to the left of the entrance This wall together guaranteed the owner of the tomb a rebirth in the afterlife a journey that linked Khnumhotep II with Osiris The western wall of the chamber features scenes primarily depicting funeral preparations and the resurrection of the deceased The tomb is accessible via a passageway visible from the dark brown stones on either side Khnumhotep II was buried in Beni Hasan in Tomb 3 "BH3" one of the most prominent tombs in ancient Beni Hasan This passageway led from the open courtyard down the hillside to the edge of the cultivated area. Directly in front of the tomb entrance the ceiling is arched resembling the shape of a cistern.
The only light in this chamber comes from the entrance to the gallery A fourteen-line inscription lists the festival dates for the funeral rite called percheru along with Khnumhotep II's name and position His request to visitors to offer offerings to the deceased in the afterlife is located to the left of the shrine entrance and runs counterclockwise along the main chamber's wall Ending to the right of the entrance to the shrine the intimate family ties of the deceased are carved on the edge and run around the wall beneath the main chamber paintings beneath the image of Khnumhotep On the south side rowers are depicted fighting one on the north and one on the south The eastern wall depicts the deceased seated in front of an offering
Khnumhotep II's Tomb BH 3 Deceased Snaring Birds in the Marshes East Wall Beni Hasan
table laden with offerings holding a club, typically considered a symbol of royalty or deity in his right hand Unlike the false doorways of the Old Kingdom where statues within niches may have been combined the placement of statues in chapels represents a new style of funerary art that appeared in Middle Kingdom tombs The fourth wall of this tomb the southern wall is dedicated to the celebration of Khnumhotep II and his wife On the south side he is depicted harpooning two fish and on the north side he is seen using a throwing stick to catch prey These tombs combined represent the eternal regeneration of King Khnumhotep II At the eastern end of the northern wall
Khnumhotep II's Tomb BH 3 Deceased Fowling in Reed Skiff East Wall- Beni Hasan / image - tobeytravels
a large statue of King Khnumhotep II stands primarily receiving offerings of animals and birds The pharaoh who wielded the power of chaos in the desert Khnumhotep II the border between order and the farthest reaches of the Egyptian world stands at the western end of the wall. Another colossal statue of Khnumhotep II but here Khnumhotep is facing right and hunting in the desert with a bow and arrow is a hallmark of this evocation as well as the fact that the two partners appear several times in Khnumhotep's tomb. Khnumhotep II the chief of the Upper Egyptian oryx nome tribe was named for his oryx scimitar symbolized by the oryx nome from Khnumhotep II's tomb at Beni Hasan. He was also ruler of the Necheb and overseer of the Eastern Desert a position he held from the 19th year of Amenemhat II to at least the 6th year of Senusret II a date that appears in Khnumhotep's tomb
