54 Rev. Edward Hincks on the Egyptian Stele, or Tablet. 



years and a few weeks. By comparing the dates of the births of her son and of 

 his father, the interval between them is found to be forty-three years and eight 

 or nine months. This accords with the statement on the father's tablet : " I 

 lived forty-three years before a son was born to me." Whether he had or had 

 not daughters previously, is not stated. As they could not fill his sacerdotal 

 office, the existence of such would be considered unimportant. That office was 

 not strictly hereditary ; for it appears from this tablet, that it was conferred by 

 the sovereign. It is probable, however, that if it was not conferred, as a matter 

 of course, on the heir of the former possessor, as soon as he attained a suitable 

 age, it was limited to the members of a few particular families ; and a desire to 

 preserve the purity of the priestly stock, as well as to prevent it from becoming 

 too numerous, may have led to such unnatural marriages as that of Psherin-phthah 

 and his sister. Similar marriages were, however, common among all ranks of 

 the Egyptians. It appears that the sacerdotal office, whatever it was, was con- 

 ferred on this person, when he attained the age of eighteen. This may have 

 been the age at which he was considered capable of filling it, and it may have 

 been kept vacant for him ; but it is also possible that it may have been held in 

 the interim by some other person, on whose death it reverted to the son of the 

 former incumbent. 



In the remainder of this paper, it is my intention to resolve the inscription, 

 which usually occurs on these tablets, into its several parts. I will treat of all 

 these parts in succession ; pointing out, as I go along, the criteria derived from 

 each, by which the age of undated tablets may be ascertained ; and likewise 

 directing the Egyptian student to the parts in which he is to look for informa- 

 tion respecting the person commemorated. 



The following is the skeleton of an inscription in the most usual form : 



/wwv 



\-lJ „ Pronoun, / \ « / \ ♦ * 



/W\/y " 3rd person, f ■ \ -^ / » \ Mil ▼* 



which I translate : " An act of homage to A ; he has \or, as the case may be"] 

 given B unto C, who says D." The blank at A is filled up with the names 

 and titles of deities ; that at B with an enumeration of gifts ; that at C with the 

 name and description of the deceased person ; and at D is the speech attributed 



