The Theban tomb of Pashed (TT3) is - understandably - one of the most famous of the whole necropolis of the workers and craftsmen of Deir El Medineh. It actually combines two very positive features: on the one hand it is very well preserved, with vivid colours; on the other it was created by a gifted craftsman of real talent, in spite of the existence of areas which were somewhat hastily achieved. The texts which decorate the walls denote a real religious sense, even though they include numerous spelling mistakes.
Pashed lived in the reign of Ramesses II. In contrast to most of his colleagues, he did not grow up with the other craftsmen attached to the royal necropolis. Starting as a simple workman, his skill won him promotion to workshop foreman, when he was recruited to the royal workshops and moved to join the gangs at Deir el-Medina. With the title of "Servant in the Place of Truth", he was allocated a house in the workers' village and his whole existence would in future be governed by the authorities. He was thus allowed to dig a tomb at Deir el-Medina, tomb N°3.
His name occurs frequently in the New Kingdom, notably at Deir el-Medineh (TT292 tombs, TT323, TT326, TT339. Its significance remains difficult to determine. It could relate in the god Shed (the saviour god), who was held in a certain reverence in Deir el-Medineh and who hunted serpents, scorpions and crocodiles. Thus Pashed name could possibly refer to him in either a perpetual protective way, or to make allusion to an accident or an illness from which the deceased may have survived.
On the walls of the tomb it can be seen that the character's name is written (more or less) the same number of times in two different written forms, with or without the final "u",
: Pashed or
: Pashedu.
This could also indicate that the name of Pashed could be borne by a woman, as with the mother of Karo TT330. Zivie and Cerny think that the final "u" comes from a common graphical custom in the new Egyptian and chosen to remain in the short form.
The family of Pashed is represented abundantly in his tomb. The location of the characters is not very easy to determine because of the fundamental imprecision of Egyptian vocabulary. It would be interesting to know if the use of the restricted number of vague words to designate family relationship came from an incapacity to conceptualize domestic ties or on the contrary that it translates a fashion of organisation of the widened domestic circle. For example the word "snt" designates theoretically the sister. Multiple examples show that it is also used for the wife, the beloved, the beautiful sister, the daughter-in-law ...
An Egyptian tomb of this period has three elements - a courtyard, enclosed in a mud brick wall ; a chapel, opening directly onto the courtyard and a burial chamber, reached by a shaft or staircase, invariably situated (as here) in the courtyard.
Chapel and burial chamber represented two different worlds. The chapel was of necessity accessible to the living, who came to celebrate the cult of the deceased and its decoration was of scenes from daily life. In contrast to this "public" section is the burial chamber, where the magical process unfolds, whereby the deceased reaches eternal light. No living person was meant to enter this part.
The courtyard which precedes the entry of the chamber of the tomb is of more or less oblong in shape. It encroaches greatly on to that of
Amenemhat (TT340), of which the entry to his complex (one of the most ancient of the necropolis) didn't however suffer.
The chapel still exists in an embryonic state, opening up almost to the west, but more precisely west-northwest. The part of the complex is blocked by mud and stones and is inaccessible and may well, according to Bernard Bruyère, have never been finished. The tomb had to include a whole superstructure of bricks and topped with a small pyramidion.
At about 0.50m from the western wall of the courtyard is the opening of an oblong funeral well whose depth is 3.90m at the east side and 5m at the west, giving it a slope towards the chambers below.
Having descended the shaft in the courtyard and crossed an antechamber whose walls are only rough hewn, we reach the thresh-hold of the burial chamber, which is like the majority of those at Deir el-Medina. The walls have a painted surface of yellow ochre, reminding us of the colour of papyrus ; this is the running background of the Book of the Dead. The registers are separated by bands of deep blue, edged in black with the lower register resting on a red band, also edged in black.
A narrow corridor leads to the chamber; on its walls are two large black dogs, lying on a structure under the shelter of a pavilion constructed of light material (
view 2). Wooden posts support a canopy of coloured cloth to represent the divine kiosk. The canopy roof is ornamented with rosettes in red, blue and green ; the painter has even remembered to depict the guy-rope used to tension the light canopy. The black haired canines are effigies of the god Anubis, who appears to be keeping guard on the corridor alert, with ears erect, facing the rising sun. The flail resting between its flank and rear paw indicates its divine nature and connection with Osiris. The structure on which it lies can be interpreted like a hieroglyph : it represents a cult building, such as a temple or chapel ; here, it depicts the tomb.
The corridor opens onto the east wall (
view 3t ), which is surmounted by a tympanum showing a falcon on a barque. The back of the burial chamber (west wall) is devoted to Osiris. On the two long side walls, humans and gods face each other ; the deities are static, as if at home in their own domain. All figures face the east.
Note that the technique is not always smooth, some details being "hurried" - for example, characters fingernails are dust white blobs, which, seem to have been hastily added.
As for the texts, they are original and denote a-real mystical concern, but the numerous mistakes among them raise doubts - the scribe who reproduced them does not appear to have been. highly literate!
The journey begins on the east wall.
view 3
The tympanum is separated by a deep blue band, each end resting on small triangles denoting the sky. Beneath it, scenes are painted each side of the doorway, thus showing two different worlds.
On the right (south of the entrance) a small scene is inserted over the entrance archway (
view 4). The deceased, on his knees, stretches his hands out towards a tree, whose trunk, terminates in a female figure at the top this is Nut, the goddess of the sycamore. She grants to the applicant for eternity the gifts of the garden, symbolised by a loaf and fresh water flowing from a jug.
On the same wall, the family of the deceased is portrayed in three registers (
view 5). Barefooted and with hands raised to face level, his relatives are at prayer.
Pashed's parents lead the top register - first his father, MENNA, "servant of Amun", his white wig signifying that he belongs to the previous generation, more than his advanced years (
view 7 ). He is followed by his wife, the "lady of the house" HUY and by Pashed's brothers.
The middle register is taken up by Pashed's in-laws, the relatives of NEDJMETBEHDET. Their wigs, like that of HUY, are streaked with white ; doubtless they were somewhat younger than MENNA. Behind comes her eldest daughter, UYA, with only the lower part of her wig shewing white streaks ; she would be older than her sister-in-law, NEDJMETBEHDET.
On the bottom register appear the offspring of Pashed and NEDJMETBEHDET, 5 boys and girls.
The appearance of the deceased's relations in a tomb is not rare, but usually they are shewn in the chapel. They form a link between the dead and the living and here Pashed wanted to link them closely to his own eternal life.
Pashed and his wife lead their family along the paths of the other world. The first stage is the meeting with the divine falcon, whose lofty figure dominates the other end of the scene. When a deceased sets off along the uncertain paths which lead to eternity, his way is strewn, with ambushes and one way to overcome these obstacles is to assume the appearance of a divine figure. Here, the long chapter 78 of the Book of the Dead allows Pashed to assume the form, of a solar bird.
NEDJMETBEHDET wears an elaborate wig, gathered by a floral ribbon. On her head is the traditional perfume unguent cone symbolising a feast (
view 12b).
Between Pashed's feet a little boy appears to imitate the respectful attitude of the adult. The short inscription in front of him denotes him as a son of the deceased AAPEHTY (
view 14).
Once the solar falcon stage has been surmounted - a trial which Pashed has undergone for his wife - the pair can progress towards eternity. The other world is an imaginary domain represented with the help of concrete elements. Once through the gates of death, the first steps in the other world are regarded as a voyage and the primary means of transport in Egypt was the barque. Thus it is on board a boat where we next find Pashed and Nedjmetbehdet, en route for the west (
view 16). They are sailing, on a symbolic canal in a skiff (with no crew !) and already resemble a drying embarkation: seated on thrones, they are treaty wrapped in long clothes, red for the man, white for his wife. They have left behind the clothes of the living and adopted the costume of beings in the process of transfiguration .
The destination is not far : on the west wall we enter the mysterious world of Osiris. The god is depicted in all his majesty, the mountain behind him, an evocation of his kingdom. Dressed in a white sheath, he wears the nemes wig, its cover of gold and dark blue stripes reminiscent of the first rays of the rising sun, a symbol of his triumph over death.
On each side of the god, two beings held lamps, from which protrude two flaming wicks - to the north the udjat-eye, to the south a being with body edged in red. Above him a short inscription gives the clue to the ritual: "Spell for lighting the torch for Osiris...". It covers the ritual of four torches to be lit for the deceased.
Pashed is there, immediately behind Osiris, praying to the god. The fire cannot touch him, as he has been declared "true of voice" (
view 18).
Pashed has regained his freedom of movement, being able to come and go from this world to the next. In addition, he is portrayed on the same side as the divine being, signifying that he now belongs in the same domain.
Pashed and his wife may now continue their journey, the passage through the realm of Osiris being merely a stage enabling tile deceased to "go out into the day".
Their voyage is continued on the north wall with the counterpart of the scene on the south wall. Note the differences : the boat is there again, but this time the couple are under a canopy. Then- dress, that of the living, proves they have left the shadows of night and chairs have replaced the square thrones.
North of the entrance, Pashed is shown prostrate under a palm tree laden with bunches of dates : in the shade of the solar tree, be drinks water from a pool (
view 21). The falcon with outstretched wings occupying the tympanum is more evidence of Pashed's new status (
view 22). It is the Memphite equivalent of the Osiris on the west wall - the text reveals its identity : "Ptah-Sokar, lord of the SHETYT shrine, the great divine god. Lord of the Sacred Land (the necropolis)...
Bridging the north and south walls : gods and goddesses are seated, their bodies wrapped in a sheath, some holding the sign of life, some their special attributes. On both sides, Osiris is at the front (
view 25) dressed in red and wearing the white URERET crown. A broad collar encircles his shoulders, with the counterweight visible at the nape of his neck. On the north side, he is followed by ibis-headed Thoth, in white, then come two solar deities, Hathor and Ra-Harakhty, above whose falcon head is the sun disc. Behind them there are two goddesses, Neith and Selket, who protect the mummy and the canopic jars. Bringing up the rear there are two dog headed deities - Anubis and Wepwawet.
On the southern vault there are corresponding deities (
view 29). Behind Osiris comes Isis, who keeps the key to the magic spells which restore life like that. Next we meet Nut, who corresponds to Hathor and who represents the heavenly vault and brings daylight to the heavenly bodies every day.
However, the correspondence with the north side is not broken, as this god is the patron of the earth and its creatures, and like Selket, protects from reptiles and scorpions. Anubis and Wepwawet appear again, each wall only invoking half of their personality.
| THE FINAL SCENE ON THE NORTH WALL |
In the most important scene occupying the north wall (
view 32) can be seen the deceased standing with his daughter Nubnofret, the picture of father and child corresponding with one on the south wall.
Here Pashed is worshipping several deities seated on square backed thrones. First come three forms of the sun god.
The first god is Ra-Harakhty, who represents the sun at its zenith. He is followed by Atum, the creator god, who at the beginning of time was contained in primordial chaos. The connecting link between these is represented by the third deity, Khepri, whose head has been replaced by a scarab beetle. Khepri represents coming into existence and here symbolises the birth of the sun, which out of Atum will come Ra.
The fourth god is Ptah ; dressed in a tight-fitting cloak, he symbolises the manifestation of a divine force, like Osiris. He was a god especially venerated by the Deir el-Medina community.
Although the tomb often appears to be painted in haste and the texts strewn with mistakes, it is remarkable that it contains a veritable theological treatise in miniature. The three major aspects of the sun illuminate the chthonic domain (Ptah), so that vegetation (Osiris) will be re-born. What better concept is there that these gods, symbolising the triumph of the vital forces of the universe should be able to guarantee that Pashed will successfully fulfil his eternal destiny .(
view 35).
It constituted an exceptional monument which is reduced today to fragments, preserved in storage in the Cairo Museum. Made of chalky stone, decorated and inscribed, it was constructed in the chamber and not created from a single block brought from outside. It was perfectly integrated to the wall of which it seemed to constitute a part in projection. Hay was again able to make a copy in 1834, then it was vandalised, possibly sawn up to be resold. In 1920 an antiquarian from Luxor possessed some fragments which can never be recovered.
The sarcophagus constituted a great oblong facade which was surmounted by a coving. Its size is estimated to be 2.26m in length, 0.90m to 1m width, and about 1.0m in height. Its decoration and the disposition of the texts were relatively simple.
The outside showed the arrival of Pashed in front of the room of the two Ma'ats, where the assembly of judges were seated. Pashed reads them the "negative confession", taken from § 125b of the Book of the Dead.
The inside of the chest (east wall and west) carry long columns of text still drawn from the Book of Deathsd. One vignette from §17 decorates a small part of the west wall. The south wall includes a classic scene where Anubis can be seen leaning on the deceased's mummy to protect it.
What is the actual date of the tomb of Pashed ?
The question can seem paradoxical for such a well preserved tomb, but as pointed out by Alain Zivie, with many of these tombs of craftsmen we do not have a date. It is otherwise very exceptional that the reigning Pharaoh is represented there. Therefore, it remains solely on the stylistic criteria to date them, with all the risks which that imposes
Original page created by Thierry Benderitter
© Copyright OsirisNet 2006
BONUS
| Thanks to Danielle and
Jack Kihn, here are some new photos realized by fusion. |
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