A stela names its owner with titles before the name and epithets after it. Reading them tells you who the person was: a scribe, a priest, an overseer of works, a lady of the house. This lesson builds on The Offering Formula, since titles fill the end of the formula.
Key idea
| Title | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sš | scribe |
| jmj-rꜣ pr | steward (overseer of the house) |
| jmj-rꜣ mšꜥ | general (overseer of the army) |
| ḥm-nṯr | priest (servant of the god) |
| wꜥb | priest (“pure one”) |
| ẖrj-ḥbt | lector priest (who carries the ritual book) |
| ṯꜣtj | vizier |
| smr wꜥtj | sole companion (a rank at court) |
| nbt pr | lady of the house |
Epithets of the dead
mꜣꜥ-ḫrw “true of voice” (often translated “justified”) follows the names of the dead, rather like “the late” or “of blessed memory”. It expresses the idea of being vindicated, found truthful, as in the judgment of the dead. Another common epithet is jmꜣḫw “revered one”, often with ḫr and a god: “revered before Osiris”. Neither is part of the name.
Women’s titles appear too. The Middle Kingdom often calls a married woman nbt pr “lady of the house”, and women could also hold priestly titles in the service of goddesses. A family stela may list a whole household, each person with titles and epithets.
Why it works
Common mistake
Worked example: Read the parts
- sš “scribe” stands before the name: a title.
- mꜣꜥ-ḫrw “true of voice” follows it: an epithet.
Answer: title sš, name Nakht, epithet mꜣꜥ-ḫrw
Titles can be stacked: an official may list ten or more, from honorary ranks at court to his practical job. Read them one by one; each usually ends where the next title word begins. A name follows the last title, and the epithets close the sequence.
Worked example: Translate
- jmj-rꜣ “overseer”, pr “house”.
Answer: “steward” (overseer of the house)