CARNARVON TABLETS I AND II
BY F. LL. GRIFFITH
The writing tablet (Carnarvon Tablet I) is a document of the highest
historical importance, preserving as it does a contemporary record of
the conflict of the Theban Dynasty with the Hyksos. On the face of the
tablet eight lines of hieratic contain the introduction to the famous
Proverbs of Ptah-hetep, setting forth how the Wazir Ptah-hetep, son of a
king, spoke to his King Assa of the advance of old age upon him and the
diminution of all his powers, and requested that he might delegate his
duties to his son, whom he would instruct in the words and ways of the
Ancients. The King accorded his request and bade him proceed, and thus
originated the rules of good conduct which go by the name of the old
Wazir. The text[18] of the tablet shows some considerable differences of
reading from the only other copy known--that in the Prisse Papyrus.
Below this fragment of philosophy are marked the lines of a
draught-board, in squares 10 × 3. Four of the compartments contain
hieratic signs indicating their place in the game.
The historical text on the other side consisted of no less than
seventeen long lines. Unhappily the flaking of the stucco[19] about the
fracture has robbed us of one line and of the greater part of two more.
The text is singularly difficult, and this great gap, added to some
minor imperfections, further obscures the meaning. In the following
brief analysis I have had the help of a number of excellent readings
suggested by Mr. A. H. Gardiner.
The text is dated in the seventh year of King Kamosi, who is described
as beloved of Amen-Ra, the god of Karnak. His Majesty was speaking in
his palace unto the court and nobles who attended him, ‘Consider for
what is my might! One prince is in Avaris, another in Ethiopia!’ He
continues to discourse of the division of the land and mentions Memphis
and Cusae in an obscure context. ‘And the nobles of his court said,
“Behold, the Asiatics have approached (?) unto Cusae, they have drawn
(?) their tongues in one manner, [saying?] We are happy with our Black
Land as far as Cusae, ... our barley is in the papyrus-marshes ... our
barley is not taken.”’ The meaning of this is very uncertain. Then after
a gap, ‘they are painful to His Majesty,’ perhaps referring to the
replies of the countries.
After a long gap, ‘[The king, mighty in] Thebes, Kamosi, protector of
Egypt [said?], “I have gone north victorious to drive back the Asiatics
by the command of Ammon: the plans of my army have succeeded: every
mighty man was before me like a flame of fire, the mercenaries of the
Mezaiu (Nubians) were like the threshing instrument (?) to seek out the
Satin and to destroy their places: the East and the West were successful
(?), the army rejoicing at each thing in its order. I led the victorious
mercenaries of the Mezaiu ... Teta the son of Pepa in Nefrus, I allowed
him not to escape (?). I stopped the Asiatics, I freed (?) Egypt ... I
was in my ship, my heart rejoicing! When day dawned, I was on him like a
hawk: at a moment of ... I drove him out, I hacked down his wall, I slew
his people, I caused my soldiers to embark like wolves with their prey,
with slaves, cattle ... honey, dividing their property; their hearts
...”’ Another very obscure line follows. As Ahmosi, the successor of
Kamosi, completed the overthrow of the Hyksos by the capture of Avaris
early in his reign, one may conjecture that this text gives us the stage
in the expulsion of the Hyksos when they were driven from Middle Egypt
and confined to Lower Egypt by the Theban power. The latter had also to
contend with a rival in Nubia, who was likewise crushed by Ahmosi.
It is remarkable that the titles of Kamosi as given here do not agree
with those upon the Treasure of Ahhotp; the handwriting proves that Lord
Carnarvon’s tablet (Carnarvon Tablet I) had been written within a few
years of the events recorded in it. The publication of the facsimile is
certain to rouse the interest of every student of one of the most
fascinating problems in oriental history.
The fragments of the second tablet (Carnarvon Tablet II), facsimiled in
Plate XXIX, have not yet been translated.