which is commonly known as the "Metternich Stele," because it was given
to Prince Metternich by Muhammad `Ali Pasha; it was dug up in 1828
during the building of a cistern in a Franciscan Monastery in
Alexandria, and was first published, with a translation of a large part
of the text, by Professor Golenischeff.[FN#48] The importance of the
stele is enhanced by the fact that it mentions the name of the king in
whose reign it was made, viz., Nectanebus I., who reigned from B.C. 378
to B.C. 360.



[FN#48] See Metternichstele, Leipzig, 1877. The Stele was made for
Ankh-Psemthek, son of the lady Tent-Het-nub, prophet of Nebun, overseer
of Temt and scribe of Het (see line 87).



The obverse, reverse, and two sides of the Metternich Stele have cut
upon them nearly three hundred figures of gods and celestial beings.
These include figures of the great gods of heaven, earth, and the Other
World, figures of the gods of the planets and the Dekans, figures of
the gods of the days of the week, of the weeks, and months, and seasons
of the year, and of the year. Besides these there are a number of
figures of local forms of the gods which it is difficult to identify.
On the rounded portion of the obverse the place of honour is held by
the solar disk, in which is seen a figure of Khnemu with four ram's
heads, which rests between a pair of arms, and is supported on a lake
of celestial water; on each side of it are four of the spirits of the
dawn, and on the right stands the symbol of the rising sun, Nefer-Temu,
and on the left stands Thoth. Below this are five rows of small