 This granodiorite block dates from the reign of Amenhotep III c1390-1352. The block was discovered at the Sobek Temple in the town of Sumenu, south of Luxor. Standing 55 cms tall, it shows Nebnefer, an official, worshipping the king's cartouche. This block would have functioned as a votive object and would have been displayed in the temple to attest to the piety of the donor. The gods Sobek and Hathor are depicted on the block: a pair of sacred crocodiles which symbolise Sobek sit atop the block while Hathor is shown as part of a sistrum on one of the four sides. Though Sobek was generally unpartnered, he was often represented with 'The Golden One', Hathor. One of the inscriptions on it reads: 'Giving praise to the Lord of the Two Lands, kissing the earth for the Ruler of Thebes by the priest, overseer of the treasury of Amun, Nebnefer.' A second: 'Beloved of Nebmaatre' [Amenhotep]. |