Home › The Stele of the Temple of Khons › The Stele of the Temple of Khons: Bouchten

The Stele of the Temple of Khons: Bouchten

In the fifteenth year of his reign, when His Majesty was celebrating at Thebes that capital and mistress of the nations-the grand panegyric of his father Ammon, the sun, the distributor of thrones, behold the arrival of a messenger bearing rich presents from the King of Bouchten for the queen, was announced to his Majesty.

On being admitted to the presence of Rameses XII., the envoy saluted His Majesty in these words: "Glory to thee, oh sun of nine peoples; grant to us the breath of life !" Then prostrating himself, he added: "The king my master sends me to Thy Holiness because of Benten-rest, the young sister of the Queen Ra-Neferu. A secret malady consumes her; will Thy Holiness deign to send to her one of those men who know all things, such as there are around thee?"

Then the King said: "Let there be assembled before me the college of sacred philosophers and the doctors skilled in mysteries.

So soon as they had all hastened to stand in array in His Majesty's presence, he said to them: "I have summoned you to hear and to obey. Point out to me the one of all of you whom you look upon as the firmest of heart, the quickest in understanding and the most skillful of hand." The recorder of sacred writings, Toth-em-hebi, stepped forth from the ranks and bowed before His Majesty. Hu APPENDIX. immediately received orders to repair to the country of Bouchten with the royal messenger.

But when this master of wisdom and science had arrived at Bouchten, and was placed in the presence of the spirit that beset the Princess Benten-rest, he found himself its inferior and dared not engage in contest with it.

The King of Bouchten thereupon sent another messenger to Pharaoh, saying: "Sovereign lord! oh my master! deign to command that a god may be brought to the country of Bouchten to combat this evil spirit."