Vara Aegypica 102-3 (1995) Sothis and “Officiat” Calendar Texts by Anthony Spalinger "Emblazoned by the Parachs on varios wall oftmpes and secular buildings a well are ‘merous royal inscriptions of varying character. "These texts hve herp in the ofc re standing sla hat were ete within those temple prosines whos ain, thoveh more ‘eumsebed in nature was the same: namely, adverse the king's wish to present specific ‘rograms or policies, Wis resenting new daa fr Egypolgists, hae hieroglyphic records ‘everthless demand car‘ analysis. They were intended tobe overt marker of an avowed politcal or socal perspecve. Royal inscriptions wee meant to be ead, ora least e een and ‘wondered at. As such, ese writen monuments have tobe rested ina fashion tat sth (reumspect and detailed. Boldly pocaiming an orientation tat i open othe word yet oficial in ‘ullook, Pharzonic record ad their own agenda, oe that Was eflctiveof the Kings poy, be it religous, politcal retherwise.!" Contemporary pall might be brovgt into consideration such asthe Whitehall Whie Papers or the extrardnaiy numerois pres releases of Washington ‘ice those proclamations i lite in perspective fom the ancien records. Given this ‘mckground isnt supisig thal modern scholars have dat with them from «cautious pont of view. Inessenc, an affialroyal inscription presents an extremely ited and one-sided azcount of any monarch, one that was written Wo relet the kins wis, For this reason iti az ado fr us moderns 16 ita biography of any Paras ie based upon his oa records 28 scan undertaking would tend torefet the personal wishes ofthat ue ono sal extn Among these vated oy inscriptions one group is requenlly considered ot contain such basso one-sided reporting: the festival slendar.” Thaw seemingly stuightorvard ests appear to have all the hallarks of sober, if ot matheatical, perspective. However, hee 100, the scolar must be on eutlook fo pci hat ae not rey the rest of poor copying or * Gena ssn sina Part king Howe tse ek il at Muinan’s abo toa snd eich ets rhe hoy long Alcon MOAI (94D) 31 Het stay “Zar Lap repens A ‘ey Veen erator Apes Kongreey Moct ¥S Var (191) 113 ae ‘wefan hier rch a it be laf fa pers he ear lb ‘eth ey ty Fin rl nd og (4, ps es tbe tee, tn content on he ea epcig pl r tPeoe Egy f olay Cao ho Ammo se sees jean Ua len INES 32 (08752000. “eke Dieppe Kogan, Gata Now Yoo (93) hs il an it ge scien top a i ye 2 Tyco ret ses det cued ta ota a Ke Shi ad Monde, deh (985 Lah Die cronlogcePerng der gpachen Moench nach de Tempero alas, eno 39) ant, pny pg 186 57a lap lL Saber type ona Wit 98), pointy or ih ni ne infin cn “snd Ser eon ise, He on Ot Wie 97) 1729 mm ae aa pole sy ee aa ea si ‘apnea orca sais en (8 56 lube Conlegae:Eeypological Sues iaiosyneaticvewpoins. This canbe sen in ark detail with respect to ove of the mast important festivals enacted in Epyps i, tht sited wit he helical sing of Sais. ‘Uni 1982 there were the pt Sp tes known to scholars that were scarey se within theNew Kingdom. Since he at east two more have been fund, and although hey solve some ‘uandaies they liewse sea hos fadtional questions. In evonological order, the Sothis referees ae a follows (1) The Bbers Inst, Anunhotpe I (Thebes, but sighting ofthis ne inated): renal year 9 Lm; (2) The fesval calendar of Amunhoipe (Karma unde “4pm (between wo festivals) andthe ineralof| pr 4-19 {Gelsive st bth ene, (@) The festival end of Thutmose I (Elephatins net) HI Fw 28; (4) The festival ealndar of Thutmose It (Buto, undted: interval of I Fm 5-29 (inelsive at bot ends), (6) "The festival calendar of Ramesses I (Medinet Haba, 1Lis.23, copy of Ramesses): 1 3 (month of Tet). ich of hes refernces conta is om problems ofa histariogrphic nite, The ist has seen lengthy eres of historical analyses since is discover. More rece the Bes Insert fas been covered rom a hale vantage pin, one thal is concer with ts inet outlook as wel ais mathematical implications. Far the absolute cating othe 18 Dynasty, ofcourse, eri rial, and in conbination withthe Elephantine reference opt Sp, alatvely rig Seleon has bee erected enbingEgyplologiss to insert various real yar dates of Ue sssocated rulers of that pe“od. In both eases, an exact dt ie given, nota tine neva, anit is ‘arly sping hat tas wel sits companion fom Elephant, had povided relatively frm Tet iow rts een ew (0) Kat Shin iden, 1116 wth Agen wad Lane (1952) 1545; La, G92 oo hema adie (on a ad see ‘Asronet 20-4; Vo cath SAK 14 1987) 2.3, Aye aa Late 3 (183 29 7a EAS 120 {G95 [ta SA 15 (9) (9.4 yi pga gh dl Law a 3. oe ‘ete Si, 109 nom Ee An Ata Cai "he ppaing manent of Ki few Tbe sighing fh ai “Te Rs Kya ‘ciseaogy in ann to ns gs gh or ow Pat, Otter (OE 1 esey Dt ‘sai Parkar ot commit Calo 38§190-ope bse ote (Give tes nt Frs and Th Corll nfs, Che page 1-17 amd 19.20, Theale calc nl become uaa ug theese nc Od ‘non, Nott pte wept Sirs) wht he Bato eof Tats (aw as Slap Srnec wear heeding rey ers Gy Oy 2230 wh a A Io 27 on Re, eh nd Monn, pin ssp pg 3 (9 er uta of te Come of Papo Sa 1090 123, el yt bo eons nial mpl of is ei ope. {@) KRIV 14a Pr, The Cana of nt Bp, Chin (195 40 § 206 Kem, 5 Sel the ies onl inte nt tne).‘in Memory of AA. Sak (VA 102-3 [1995)) m structure forthe chronolgy of the New Kingdom One imprtant caveat must be mentioned at {his pts bese tho only Sothie referonce which ent Intel within a Oil Ftval exon. “Therefore one des at tave to del with he vagaries of textual transmission or inaccurate copying fom one royal dee associated with donations to another.” The Medinet Hab refereces no tat useful since it presents time interval fone civ ‘month 30 ays, Contained in the pstion of is calendar connected wit anal ater han repeitve feasts — the pv — Ramesses I's ference ils lected virtually athe ron. That isto. itis place a the head of the cronologialy-orderedseson ofthe calendar (List 23), preceding wp mph so he wel-ksown dof 31, but following the eroratin festival of the king (Lis 19). This section of th inscription sala copy of Ramesses I's calendar dere ‘and was copied from the Ramessu, itl oat nota pret tance fom Medinet Habu? Herc, to quote Parker, te reference “inluies the whole ega of Ramses, whose calendar Was the prootype of Ramses I's, and prof te reign of Ramses I himse™.1© Tt must not be ‘verooked that his pr Sp dates placed inthe fst civil month; hence, its poston in fon of wp rape (31) sat east se. “Two additonal remarks canbe aed to Parkers observations at this point, The fist ‘concerns the acta date of Ramesses I fesival calendar. Since such dexres were st upto publicize the ata series of donations established by te reiging Para fr his morary temple, they would e pomalgated eal in te conarcton sae of the associated temple no. ‘ose 0 the cual date hat buildings foundation. For the Medinet Habu temple, fo example, ‘ve know thatthe frst sre of donations had to be enacted inthe Phra our year and ‘spect tht the actual de was etier with the ofc endownent decree probably issued in the Paras fit rgnal ye Therefore, even if we are in ignorance concersng the ffsings of Ramesses If with respect his mortary temple, the Ramesseum, a date within hat king's ‘opening year Seems reasonable, and for his eason one can posit te orginal pr Sp eat no 00 Teng afer the accession dat of Ramses This aves open, however the possi tha the ‘rig ealenca sefeence to prt Sp wasn interval athe than a specific date. Afterall Medint Habu simply povies 2 month, 3, anit may very wel have been the eas tht he -amesseam provide te same time fae. Noein this context that Ramesses I's pr feasts © ooh nw de of Tht: Hand Ram Iovate ahr pi: Kn Said ‘Moi 2123 8 oer ck to Persia nye JRES Te 9S) 304. Tae ea ar ‘yolk wc ot conseing O30 (98) 372. 2 Tce a witn on am g,Gese eoe te Eee) ‘hove tat Se Ker ose " ° Seis Rams Se of Mei Retin ifs in Hor f Cer Rae Cae (91) 175, rae compares el Gr, Rae Mr re, ars (988) 38 wie Sips, 10 Me Cale of oR 40 § 208, "For alowe ti of 1226 Pee, Te Ar of Hamer Wem 94 10 2. A hand thd o Mit Haps nt apyen py i n.