A kneeling man is presenting a small chapel which houses the statue of a goddess. This is a type of temple statue known as "naophorous". The man appears to be naked, without any jewellery or amulets. His hair is bag-shaped in the characteristic fashion of Late Period statuary. His delicate features are another sign of the times. The face is not individualized nor realistic, but renders the contemporary ideal type. The individual traits are present chiefly in the inscriptions. The goddess inside the chapel- a nude female figure with only the Lower Egyptian crown on her head, is Neith, the goddess of the city of Sais.
(1,2) The true of voice with the Neith-goddesses (?), the Mistresses of Sais, with Osiris who resides at Sais, and with Re, (3) the excellent (4) on account of (5) with the praised (6) with (7) his statue (?), town, family; (8) the one who does not (9) leave from his place, because he is firm, (10) who takes away the possessions from the needy, (11) who is partial in every case, (12) there is no (13) complaint against him with god, (14) his guilt with the people, (15) a god without his (Gemnefhorbak's) food offering (?); (16) the one about whom word is not spread, (17) who gives bread to the hungry, (18) who clothes the naked; (19) the caretaker in the temple of Neith, who is efficient in speech, who finds the right word and answers correctly, (20) Gemnefhorbak, son of Pa-di-aset, (21) born of the chief weaver of the Temple of the South, Mer-net-ites. (22) It is his brother who causes his name to live in (the district of ) Sais (?), who has placed his image in the temple of Neith, (23) whom the gods of Sais have promoted on account of the excellence of his conduct, the caretaker in the temple of Neith, the prophet of the Temple of the South and prophet of (24) the gods of the Temple of the South, Nekhet-sepedu, son of Pa-di-aset, born of the chief weaver of the temple, Mer-net-ites. (25) Neith, the mistress (26) of the lifespan, may she give a long life without illness, (27) the respect, may she place respect in the hearts of the gods, (28) the foodstuffs, may she give all kinds of good food, (29) the children, may she give many children in the temple of Neith, (30) to the caretaker in the temple of Neith and the prophet of the Temple of the South, Nekhet-sepedu, (31) the son of the caretaker in the temple of Neith and the prophet, Pa-di-aset.
(25) Neith, the mistress (32) of power, (33) of old age, (34) of burial, (36) Whoever reads this inscription, may he speak an offering formula for the one who is praised by Neith, (35) may she give (32a) power in the heart of people (33a) a high old age in peace (34a) a good burial in the necropolis of Sais, (37) to the (38) caretaker in the temple of Neith and prophet of the Temple of the South, Nekhet-sepedu, (39) who was born of the chief temple weaver of the Temple of the South, Mer-net-ites.
Bibliography
Satzinger, H., Das Kunsthistorische Museum in Wien. Die Ägyptisch-Orientalische Sammlung. Zaberns Bildbände zur Archäologie 14. Mainz. 1994.
Rogge, E., Statuen der Spätzeit (750-300 v. Chr.). Corpus Antiquitatum Aegyptiacarum (CAA) Wien 9 (1992), 37, 98, 105-116, 118, 126, 146.
)