Thutmose III and Set at Karnak


Hintere Pfeilerhalle = Rear pillar hall
I think this is Thutmosis III running his Heb-Sed race, or is he also going around purifying the temple (as he's running his Heb-Seb race)?


I noted in the Erman book from which Wilkinson and Naydler got the image of Set teaching Thutmosis III that Erman gave credit to a Lepsius. I tracked Karl Richard Lepsius and his book Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien,where I found the original drawing of that (plus several other Set sightings)!

In the above scene, in front of Set is Amun Ra, "Lord of Heaven". One of the Herus is behind Thutmose III, but I'm not quite sure who. I was able to work out translations of some of the hieroglyphs. From the right (by Set's nose), we have "I have given to you all life and power therewith." Then, "I have given to you all health therewith." Then there's a damaged area, but I suspect the whole sentence read "[Words spoken by] Lord of the Sedge-lands (Upper Egypt), Lord of the Heavens." Then we have further descriptions of Set, "Great of Magic", "Son of Nut", "Great of Strength" and "Foremost of Su" (xnty sw).

Set holds in his left hand the palm branch, with a tadpole over a shen symbol, which he is presenting to Thutmose III, meaning a long reign of thousands of years of life. In his other hand, he holds three ankhs, further emphasizing his bestowing Thutmose III with life.

Heru (Horus) is repeating some of the same gifts as Set. Closer to the center (to Thutmose III), we read, ""I have given to you all life and power therewith." Above his beak, we read, "I have given to you all health therewith." Then after that, among those glyphs are descriptions, "Great God, many-colored of plumage (a reference to Horus as a falcon), and "Lord of Heaven".

Amun Ra is also offering power and life. In addition, he's offering stability (djed). There's still more hieroglyphs to decipher. (I have a pdf of this image of Set and the translated glyphs.)


Photographer Arja Kontkanen says "We found SETH in one of the rooms near Festival hall"
She has a larger view, showing there is still paint on the pharoah

Sadly, some damage has occured since Lepsius' day.

Thutmose III is also seen with Set and Nephthys in two different reliefs at Karnak:


Printable version...