Philological Development of 'Sdj.t' (Madinet el Fayoum) till the End of the Middle Kingdom. Ibrahim Abd El-Sattar1 and Osama Ibrahim2 1. Lecturer, PhD, Egyptology Dept., Faculty of Archaeology, Fayoum University. 2. Lecturer, PhD, Tourism Guidance Dept., Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University. I. The Etymology and Meaning of Sdj.t The Etymology and Meaning of Sdj.t (Modern Kiman Fares in the Fayoum town) remains controversial among Egyptology scholars. It held its position as the main city and capital of the Fayoum Region as early as the pre-dynastic period. 1 Morenz2 translated 'graben/to dig'3 , as ‘durch Graben the word Sdj.t, derived from the verb Sdj gebildetes Land’ which might indicate the land reclamation and irrigation projects in the Fayoum as early as king Narmer4. On the other hand, Brugsch5 previously suggested that Sdj.t means 'mud town' or 'schlamm Stadt' depending on the eighteenth dynasty word Sdy.t ! which was referred to in Berlin Dictionary as 'a wet land or a muddy area full of fishes and frogs' or 'a water area for purification' in the Middle Kingdom texts6. However, since the word Sdy.t appeared lately in the Middle Kingdom after Sdj.t. it is not logic to use a word displayed during the Middle Kingdom in order to interpret the meaning of Sdj.t. While Morenz probably depended on Diodorus Cecilus legend of the establishment of Sdj.t under King Menes which lacks evidences that it at all happened or Sdj.t might have already been established a long time before.7 !1 Consequently, Sdj.t can be translated as 'taken or extracted' which is derived from the verb Sdj ' nehmen/fortnehmen/ herausnehmen'8 as the town was almost completely submerged under water during the Paleolithic epoch. At that time, the water level in the Fayoum depression was 30 m above sea level and fluctuated between 23m and 45m above sea level while Sdj.t was only 23m9 above sea level. However from the pre-dynastic period onwards, water level degraded below 23m above sea level and kept fluctuating but never submerged the whole Sdj.t again.10 Therefore, Sdj.t was naturally 'extracted' from water and became a good place for fishing and fowling. The previous debate reflects how important the in-depth study of the philological development of Sdj.t is. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the chronological development of Sdj.t writing and orthography till the end of the Middle Kingdom. This time limitation is because the word showed no changes in its writing during the New Kingdom onwards. II. Early References of Sdj.t Sdj.t might be mentioned on a cylinder seal from the tomb 414 of Tarkhan since Naqqada III (?).11 It shows the crocodile Sobek with two plumages on its back standing above a standard which is surrounded by other representations of crocodiles and coiled ropes that probably indicate ‘water’. Directly before the standard, another important symbol is displayed on the seal; a bucranium/ bovine's head surmounting probably a serekh or pr-nw 12 which is used lately in the Pyramid text as a determinative of Sdj.t.13 This previous composition of figures can be read ¤bk Sdj.ty !2 .14 Certainly, the name Sdj.t of Horus ! appeared for the first time 15, among one of the titles @r Sdj.t(y), during the second dynasty as evident from the reconstruction of a seal that dates back to Khasekhemwy from Abydos.16 III. The Chronological Development of Sdj.t Writing and Orthography In the oldest instance of writing Sdj.t,! with bilateral sign Sd ! mentioned above, the word is written and the consonant sign ! t. This feminine t is an added ending, not an original part of the noun itself. It is noted that the phonetic complement ! d doesn't exist. III/I In the Old Kingdom In the Fourth dynasty17, Sdj.t was written with the full unilateral signs of the word accompanied with the bilateral sign Sd! . The word is written with the sign Sd ! d as phonetic complements, and preceded by the two consonants! followed by ! S, and ! t as a feminine added ending. At the fifth dynasty, a fragment from the temple Userkaef bears part of a crocodile head surmounted by the hieroglyphic sign of the hand ‘d’ most likely what remained from the word ‘Sdj.t’.18 It is clear, from the fourth-fifth dynasty19 examples of writing Sdj.t, that it has been changed to its 'common' writing! . The word is written with the bilateral sign Sd ! !3 and ! d as a phonetic complement, and followed by both! t as a feminine added ending and ! as a determinative. The common determinative of writing Sdj.t in the Old kingdom is the ! determinative which appeared for the first time on the false door of kA nfr that dates back to the reign of king Senefru. 20 This determinative continued to be used twice in the Pyramid Texts' versions of Wnis of the fifth dynasty and Pepi I of the sixth dynasty (Pyr. 1564c). The same determinative also appeared on blocks from the south jamb of kA nfr chapel entrance in Giza (G2150). 21 In Pepi II's version of Pyramid Texts (Pyr.1564b), another determinative of the word Sdj.t takes the shape of a pr-nw or a serekh surmounted by a bucranium ! replaced the! determinative. This determinative is connected to the chapel of Sobek in Sdj.t during the Middle Kingdom.22 The pr-nw or the serekh sign surmounted by a bucranium/ bovine! is not only appeared as a determinative of Sdj.t in Pepi II’s Pyramid Texts, but also represented on the previously mentioned seal of the tomb 414 in Tarkhan. This can be regarded as the first attempt to write the word Sdj.t.23 Reading the word Sdj.t /Sdj.t(y) of the Old Kingdom was a debate among scholars. Although Dolzani24, Zibelius25, Kaplony 26, Strudwick27, and Jones28 in their reading to the title of both KA nfr of the fourth and sixth dynasties Hm nTr sbk Sdj.t(y)29, put the weak consonant (y) as a Nisba Adjective ending to the word Sdj.t, in the Pyramid Texts, Sdj.t can never be read as a Nisba Adjective.30 III/II In the First Intermediate Period !4 During the First Intermediate period due to the degradation of Qarun lake to a very low level (-40 to -50)31, the name of Sdj.t disappeared from literature along with the disappearance of the name of Sobek. 32 III/III In the Middle Kingdom The name Sdj.t started to rise again in the Coffin Texts through ¤bk Sdj.ty titles such as (B4C) - (B10Ca and B10Cb).33 It is obvious from - the previous variations of Sdj.ty that the determinative varies from coffin to coffin. Although the first variation takes the shape of a Nisba adjective which was infrequent in the Middle Kingdom34, it ends with the determinative, the common one of the Old Kingdom. Moreover, the last variation ! of Sdj.ty bears a unique determinative of a seated deity which should signify Sobek in his title ¤bk Sdj.ty. It is noted that this writing was also rare in the Middle Kingdom texts.35 Notably, the absence of the phonetic complement ! d is occurred in many examples dating back to the Middle Kingdom whether the word is written with a determinative 36 or without37. Almost all instances of mentioning Sdj.t during the Middle Kingdom date back to the reign of Amenemhat III. 38 The Old Kingdom traditional way of writing Sdj.t appeared in some of these examples.39 Notably, the additional (y) of the Nisba adjective, moreover, occurred in most Middle Kingdom examples. During the twelfth dynasty especially under Amenemhat III, ! determinative has occurred in some examples whether Sdj.t(y) refers to the noun or the Nisba adjective. In !5 these instances, the word is written with the sign Sd! complement, and followed by ! 40, determinative , and ! t as a feminine added ending accompanied with this or written with the bilateral sign Sd feminine added ending and d as a phonetic as a determinative , followed by both t as .41 However in many other examples, Sdj.t/Sdj.ty has been written without any determinatives.42 In this case, it is written with the bilateral sign Sd! , followed by both ! d as phonetic complement and ! t as a feminine added ending together with/or without! y as Nisba adjective. From the reign of Amenemhat III too, the sign! , a bucranium on a pr-nw which was previously used as the determinative of Sdj.t in Pepi II's version of Pyramid Texts, implies also a . 43 Sometimes, this sign is only used to give the phonogram Sd.t.44 determinative Furthermore, the duplication of this sign! , used as a Nisba adjective of Sdj.ty, occurred in the same period whether they are used alone 45 or after the word Sdj.t itself .46 This dual sign becomes the symbol of Sobek in Sdj.t (Kiman Fares) during the Middle Kingdom. On the other hand, although the sign ! Sdj.t 47 , was used as a determinative in the word it appeared independently and reads Sdj.t.48 The sign is also used as a symbol of Sobek in Sdj.t. In a rare example in Medinet Madi inscriptions, Sdj.t is written only with a pr-nw sign.49 Moreover, is another sign which is used as a bilateral sign !6 Sd followed by an added ending t.50This sign might be an abbreviation of the sign discussed above. The duplication of this sign, , used as a Nisba adjective of Sdj.ty.51 1 D. Arnold, Fajjum, LÄ II (1977), 88; E. Brovarski, "Sobek", LÄ V (1984), 996. 2 S. Morenz,"Traditionen um Menes", ZÄS 99 (1973), x-xvi, xiii. 3 Wb. IV, 563. 4 A. Ćwiek,"Fayum in the Old Kingdom", GM 160 (1997), 18. 5 H. Brugsch,"Der Möris-See", ZÄS 31 (1893), 27-28. 6 Wb. IV, 567, 13-14. 7 O. Ibrahim, and I. Abd El-Sattar, ‘Major Historical, Archaeological, and Religious Features of the Fayoum Region during the Old Kingdom’, in: R. Pirelli (ed.), Natural and Cultural Landscapes in the Fayoum, UNESCO – (Cairo, 2011) 142f. 8 Wb. IV, 560. 9 GPS readings. 10 F. Hassan - G . Tassie,"Modelling environmental and Settlement Change in the Fayum", Egyptian Archaeology 29 ( 2006), 39. 11 W.M.F. Petrie, Tarkhan I and Memphis V, II, (London, 1913), pl.II no.4. !7 12 Brovarski, in: LÄ V, 997, fig.1; G. Dryer, Umm el Qaab 1. Das prädynastische Königsgrab U-j und seine frühen Schriftezeugnisse, (Mainz, 1998), 173-182; M. Zecchi, Sobek of Shedet The Crocodile God in the Fayyum in the Dynastic Period, (Todi, 2010), 6, fig.2; Ibrahim & Abd El-Sattar, in: R. Pirelli (ed.), Natural and Cultural Landscapes in the Fayoum, UNESCO, 142f, fig.1. 13 Pyr.1564c. 14 Cf. Brovarski, ‘Sobek’, LÄ V, 997, fig.1. 15 Although the Dictionary of Berlin stated that the first appearance of Sdj.t was in the Pyramid Texts Wb. IV, 567, 4. 16 E.M. Engel, et al "Umm el-Qaab- Nachuntersuchungen im frühzeitlichen Königsfriedhof 16./17./18. Vorbericht", in: MDAIK 62 (2006), 117-118, fig.17e. 17 It appeared on a false door of kA nfr from the reign of Senefru T.G. James, The British Museum. Hieroglyphic Texts from Egyptian Stelae, I, (London, 1961), pl.10. 18 Brovarski, ‘Sobek’, LÄ V, fig.4; Zecchi, Sobek of Shedet The Crocodile God in the Fayyum in the Dynastic Period, 15. 19 L. Borchardt, Das Grabdenkmal des Königs Ne-user-re, I, (Leipzig 1907), 92, fig.70; G.A. Reisner, A History of the Giza Necopolis, I, (Oxford, 1942), pl.396; Pyr. 416c (W); 1564b (P); D. Jones, An Index of Ancient Egyptian Titles, Epithets and Phrases of the Old Kingdom, II, (London 2000), 574; Ibrahim and Abd El-Sattar, in: Pirelli, R. (ed.) Natural and Cultural Landscapes in the Fayoum, 140-142. 20 James, The British Museum. Hieroglyphic Texts from Egyptian Stelae, I, pl.10. 21 Reisner, A History of the Giza Necopolis, I, pl.396. 22 As shown on a block preserved in Berlin Museum. L. Habachi,'Une vaste salle dʼAmenemhat III à Kiman-Farès (Fayoum)', ASAE 37 (1937), fig.10; Brovarski, ‘Sobek’, LÄ V, 997, fig.2. 23 Cf. Petrie, Tarkhan I and Memphis V, II, 2 and H. G. Fischer, Dendera in the Third Millennium B.C, Down to the Theban Domination of Upper Egypt, (New York 1968), 3-5. 24 C. Dolzani, II Dio Sobek, atti de⁄IIa academia nazionale dei lincei, storiche e filologiche VIII, 10.4, (Rome 1961), 180. 25 K. Zibelius, Ägyptische Siedlungen nach Texten des Alten Reiches, (Wiesbaden, 1978), 237. 26 P. Kaplony, Die Rollsiegel des Alten Reiches, II, Kataloge der Rollsiegel, (Brukelles 1981), 214, pl.66(7). !8 27 N. C. Strudwick, The Administration of Egypt in the Old Kingdom: The Highest Titles and their Holders, (London 1985), 152(148). 28 Jones, An Index of Ancient Egyptian Titles, Epithets and Phrases of the Old Kingdom, II, 574 29 For reading Sdj.t see: H.W. Helck, Untersuchungen zu den Beamtentiteln des Ägyptischen Alten Reiches, ÄF 18, (Glückstadt 1954), 123, 145; E. Brovarski,"Two Old Kingdom Writing Boards from Giza", ASAE 71 (1987), 33(8). 30 Pyr. 416c (W); 1564b (P, N). 31 Hassan -Tassie, Egyptian Archaeology 29 ( 2006), 39. 32 Zecchi, Sobek of Shedet The Crocodile God in the Fayyum in the Dynastic Period, 20. 33 CT.I, sp.61, 260 d-e. 34 See. A.H. Gardiner,"Hymns to Sobk in a Ramesseum Papyrus", RdÉ 11 (1957), pl.3, 71. For further reading see the inscription no.48 of Wadi Ḥammāmāt. M.M.J. Couyat& P. Montet, Les inscriptions hiéroglyphiques et hiératiques du Ouâdi Ḥammāmāt, MIFAO 39, (1912), 51. 35 See. pKahun LVI.1. F.L. Griffith, Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob. (Principally of the Middle Kingdom), II, (London 1898), pl.XXXI, 33; pl.XXXVI, 50. See pBerlin 10005 from al-lahun. L. Borchardt,"Besoldungsverhältniss von Priestern in Mittleren Reich", ZÄS 40 (1902-03), 114. 36 On a block of Amewnemhat III from Hawwara and preserved in the British Museum (171.1072). F. Gomaà, Die Besiedlung Ägyptens während des Mittleren Reiches, I. Oberägypten und das Fayyūm, TAVO, Beiheft Reihe B 66/2 (Wiesbaden 1986), 392; Also on a vessel of Neferuptaḥ from Hawwara. N. Farag& Z. Iskander, The Discovery of Neferuptah, (Cairo 1971), 14f. 37 On a fragment of Amenemhat III in Berlin Museum (11585). Berlin, Ägyptische Inschriften aus den könglischen-staatlichen Museen zu Berlin, I, (Leipzig 1913), 139; In Madinet Madi temple inscriptions. A. Vogliano, Secondo rapport regli scavi condatti dalla Missione Archeologica dʼEgitto della Regia Università di Milano nella Zone di Medînat Mâdî, (Milan 1937), pl.33; S. Donadoni,"Testi geroglifici di Medinet Madi", Orientalia 16 (1947), 351. On a statue of Rn-snb. H. Wild,"Quatre statuettes du moyen empire dans une collection privéc de Suisse", BIFAO 69 (1971), 115, fig. 6, pl.21. On a statue of Sbk-htp. Wild, BIFAO 69 (1971), 90ff, fig.1. !9 38 The oldest examples of writing Sdj.t during the Middle Kingdom date back to the reign of Amenemhat II mry sbk Hr Sdj.ty on a circular object in Brooklyn Museum 37.1746E (unknown provenance). T.G.H. James, Corpus of Hieroglyphic Inscription in the Brooklyn Museum, I. From the Dynasty I to the Dynasty XVIII, (Brooklyn- Newyork 1974), 42, no.96, pl.XXXIII, and to the reign of Senusret II mry sbk nb Sdj.t on a cylinder seal preserved in Brooklyn Museum 44.123.56 (unknown provenance). James, Corpus of Hieroglyphic Inscription in the Brooklyn Museum, I. From the Dynasty I to the Dynasty XVIII, 47-48, no. 108, pl. XXXV. 39 Cf. James, Corpus of Hieroglyphic Inscription in the Brooklyn Museum, I. From the Dynasty I to the Dynasty XVIII, 47-48, no.108, pl. XXXV. 40 On block of stone dates back to Amenemhat III from Hawwara. M. Chabân, 'Fouilles à Achmounéîn', ASEA 8 (1907), 223. In a relief that dates back to Amenemhat III from the Fayoum. H. Kees,'Der Name des Suchosheiligtum von Illahun', ZÄS 59 (1924), 155; J. Yoyotte,'le Souchos de la Maréotide et dʼautres cultes régionaux du Dieu-Crocodile dʼaprès les cylinders du Moyen Empire', BIFAO 56 (1957), 92. On a column of Amenemhat III from Kiman Faris. Habachi , ASAE 37 (1937), 78f; 'Khatâana-Qantîr. Importance', ASEA 52 (1954), 88. In the inscriptions of Madinet Madi Temple. Vogliano, Secondo rapport regli scavi condatti dalla Missione Archeologica dʼEgitto della Regia Università di Milano nella Zone di Medînat Mâdî, pl.33; Donadoni, Orientalia 16 (1947), 337. On a vessel of Neferuptaḥ from Hawwara. Farag& Iskander, The Discovery of Neferuptah, 14f. On a fragment from the reign of queen Neferusobek. M. Valloggia,'Remarques sur les noms de la reine Sébek-ka-Rê Néferou-Sébek', RdÉ 16 (1964), 48, fig.5. From the tomb of Senusretankh at lisht. W.C. Hayes, The Texts in the Mastaba of Sen-Wosert-aAnkh at lisht, PMMA 12, (New York 1973), pl.9. On the statue of Gbbw. J.P. Corteggiani, 'Documents divers (IVI)', BIFAO 73 (1973), 149, pl.XXIIB. In pKahun VIII, 1 and LVI, 1. Griffith, Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob, II, pl.XXXV,6; pl.XXXVI,51. In pRamesseum VI. Gardiner, RdÉ 11 (1957), pl.2, 44-34; pl.3, 71; pl.4, 141. 41 Vogliano, Secondo rapport regli scavi condatti dalla Missione Archeologica dʼEgitto della Regia Università di Milano nella Zone di Medînat Mâdî, pl.33; Donadoni, Orientalia 16 (1947), 339. Gardiner, RdÉ 11 (1957), pl.3, 80. On the Statue of queen Neferusobek from Khataana-Qantir. Habachi, ASEA 52 (1954), 459; M. Valloggia, RdÉ 16 (1964), 46. !10 42 On a fragment in Berlin 11585 dates back to the reign of Amenemhat III. Berlin, Ägyptische Inschriften aus den könglischen-staatlichen Museen zu Berlin, I, 139, in Madinet Madi temple inscriptions. Vogliano, Secondo rapport regli scavi condatti dalla Missione Archeologica dʼEgitto della Regia Università di Milano nella Zone di Medînat Mâdî, Milan, pl.33; Donadoni, Orientalia 16 (1947), 351; On some g cylinder seals of Amenemhat III . Yoyotte, BIFAO 56 (1957), 86. On the Statue of queen Neferusobek from Khataana-Qantir. Habachi, ASEA 52 (1954), 459-460; M. Valloggia, RdÉ 16 (1964), 46. On the statue of Sbk-htp. Wild, BIFAO 69 (1971), 90ff, fig.1; in pRamesseum VI. Gardiner, RdÉ 11 (1957), pl.2, 31, 43, 46; pl.3, 65, 76, 83, 94, 106, 114, 119; pl.4, 123, 125. 43 Gardiner, RdÉ 11 (1957), pl.2, 31; frag. C. 44 Farag& Iskander, The Discovery of Neferuptah, 14f; H. Wild,"Quatre statuettes du moyen empire dans une collection privéc de Suisse", BIFAO 69 (1971),115, fig.6, pl.21f. 45 Cf. Habachi , ASAE 37 (1937), 95, fig.10. On cylinder seal of queen Neferusobek preserved in the British Museum (16581). P.E Newberry, Scarabs. Egyptian Antiquities, (London 1906), 113 no.6, pl. 6, 21; 'CoRegencies of Ammenenes III, IV and Sebknofru', JEA 29 (1943), 75; Valloggia, RdÉ 16 (1964), 47, fig.1. On the statue of Jppj in the Brooklyn Museum. James, Corpus of Hieroglyphic Inscription in the Brooklyn Museum, I. From the Dynasty I to the Dynasty XVIII, 59, pl.7. On the fragment no.11586 in Berlin Museum. Berlin, Ägyptische Inschriften aus den könglischen-staatlichen Museen zu Berlin, I, 139. 46 Gomaà, Die Besiedlung Ägyptens während des Mittleren Reiches, I, 392. 47 On a statue of Amenemhat III from Hawwara (Cairo CG. 20699). Gomaà, Die Besiedlung Ägyptens während des Mittleren Reiches, I, 392. 48 Valloggia, RdÉ 16 (1964), 46. 49 Vogliano, Secondo rapport regli scavi condatti dalla Missione Archeologica dʼEgitto della Regia Università di Milano nella Zone di Medînat Mâdî, pl.33; Donadoni, Orientalia 16 (1947), 341-43. 50 Yoyotte, BIFAO 56 (1957), 86. 51 Yoyotte, BIFAO 56 (1957), 86. !11