These scenes in the Nefertum Chapel of sety I in his Abydos temple were published in Auguste Mariette's _Abydos: description des fouilles executees sur l'emplacement de cette ville_ vol. I, Paris 1869. This section of the temple of Sety I was not ever published in Calverley and Broome's _The Temple of Sethos I at Abydos_. This volume is now so rare that I have decided to put some of these images up on the web so as to make them available to people who may otherwise never get a chance to see them.

The Nefertum Chapel was one chapel in a small suite of rooms known as the Sokar Complex (Hw.t-zkr) in the Mansion of Menmaatre (Sety I). The rites which are protrayed in it more than likely relate to the annual Sokar Feast during the month of Khoiahk. This feast revolved around the images of the dead and resurrected god Sokar-Osiris. The calendar date of the feast corresponded with the disappearance of Orion from the night sky, which was a symbolic death for the god who resided in this constellation. This is why the rites of the Sokar Feast revolve around the mortuary preparations and entombment of this deity.

Each year a new image, often referred to as a "Corn-Osiris" of the god was prepared and and the old image had to be buried. The new image was made from grain seeds in clay and sand and then watered until it sprouted, symbolizing the rebirth of the god. Meanwhile the old image had been prepared with fragrant substances like a mummy and placed into a coffin and entombed.

various different deities assisted in the mythical rites of the feast of Sokar, and Nefertum and his mother Sekhmet were very prominent among these. This is why a chapel to Nefertum and Sekhmet, side by side, was included in the Sokar Complex of Sety's temple.

This scene (labeled "A" for the purposes of the Ancient Egyptian Language Listserve) represents Sety I pouring libations into a basin before the falcon-headed god Sokar who is enthroned in a shrine, holding his was-scepter and extending life toward the king. The text is very archaic and formulaic. The boxes at the bottoms of the columns are glosses telling the officiant how many of which kind of offering is to be made when reciting the prayer.

A. North Wall, Upper Register, Middle

Here is a provisional translation of the text to this scene. If you have a suggested correction, please e-mail me (Geoffrey Graham) at sokar@minerva.cis.yale.edu.

1) Dd-mdw.w jn zkr
A recitation by Sokar

2) Hr.y-jb Hw.t-mn-m3`.t-r`
residing in the Mansion of Menmaatre:

3) dj.n(=j) n=k
"I have given you

4) nxt nb
every victory

5) 3w.t-jb nb(.t)
and all happiness."

6) Dd-mdw.w jn n.y-sw.t mn-m3`.t-r`
A recitation by King Menmaatre,

7) z3-r` nb x`j.w stX.y mrj.y-n.y-ptH
Son of Re, Lord of Diadems, Sety, beloved of Ptah:

8) mj n=k sw jTj=j n r3=k : jrT.t : wsx snw
Accept it, that which I take to your mouth!
*Two bowls of milk*

9) mj n=k jr.t=k wpj=j r3=k jm=s : nwd : snw
Accept your eye, that your mouth might be opened with it!
*Two unguents*

10) mj n=k mzj.w wr.t-Hk3.w : h3sD w`
Accept what Werethekau extends!
*One "Hasedj"-vessel*

11) mj n=k mw bz3 jm.y mnD.wy mw.t=k : mw mnz3 xmnw
Accept the protective fluid from the breasts of your mother!
*Eight "Mensa"-jars*