ENTRANCE TO THE GREAT TEMPLE OF ABOO-SIMBEL, 
NUBIA. 
TITLE VIGNETTE. 
The Title Vignette represents a portion of the sculpture above the entrance to the 
Great Temple of Aboo-Simbel. In a recess over the door stands a well-formed figure 
of Osiris, twenty feet high, symbolised by the hawk’s head, a form sacred to the sun; 
the head is surmounted by the solar disc, and in its front is the asp, the emblem of 
sovereignty; his arms are placed straight on his sides, and the sacred tau, the emblem of 
eternal life, is held in each hand: beneath that in his right is the head of a terminal 
wolf, and under the left a small statue of Truth. On either side of the niche in which 
is the statue of Osiris are figures cut in the face of the rock, in incised relief; they 
represent Remeses II., offering the emblem of truth to the god. On the plinth beneath 
are cut a row of the cartouches of Remeses II., each supported by crowned asps, like the 
supporters of heraldic shields. 
Below is seen the lintel of the doorway, and under it the opening which had been 
made by the removal of the sand through which the entrance was effected. 
For the latest excavations here, as well as for many important discoveries in Egypt 
and Nubia, the public are indebted to Mr. Hay; he had the sand so far removed 
as to disclose entirely the two colossi on the south side of the door, together with the 
doorway down to its base; and now nine or ten Nubians can remove the sand in a 
few hours which may fall in, and give ready access to the Temple, of which the 
whole height of the facade is shown. In doing this, he also exposed to view a curious 
Greek inscription of the Ionian and Carian soldiers of Psamaticus, as well as some 
interesting hieroglyphical tablets. The inscription, which remarkably confirms the 
account by Herodotus, appears to have been written by the troops sent by the Egyptian 
king after the deserters who are reported by the Greek historian to have left the 
service of Psamaticus; the desertion was Said to be of an army of two hundred and 
forty thousand men! They had been stationed at Elephantine, to protect the country 
from the Ethiopians; . . . . and havhig been kept three whole years in garrison without 
being relieved, they resolved with one accord to desert their king and go over to the 
Ethiopians. Psamaticus pursued them, and endeavoured to bring them back by entreating 
that they would not desert their country, their gods, and their families: but they 
were deaf to his arguments; they entered Ethiopia, gave themselves up as subjects 
to the king, settled there, and carried with them those customs of the Egyptians 
which tended to civilise the natives of their adopted country. The account is exceedingly 
interesting, and will be found, together with the inscription, copied and translated 
in Wilkinson’s a Egypt and Thebes.” 
Dr. Robertson’s Travels. 
Wilkinson’s Egypt and Thebes. 
