THE FRIEZE AND CEILING INSCRIPTIONS  

At the top of the east and west walls is a narrow frieze of large colourful hieroglyphs.

1) On the west wall

"The king wishes to make an invocatory offering to Osiris-khentyamentiu, lord of the west and to the gods who are in the necropolis. May they give the scent of the soft breeze of the North, that he may accomplish his transformations into a living Ba. For the Ka of Osiris, the nomarch Paheri, justified. May you eat cakes of black (?) barley. May you are given a stick for Tanent. May you eat of bread and drink a bowl of milk from the altar of the great god, and may you receive the gifts. May there be offerings for you in Ankh-tauy. May you have water according to your desire. May you breathe the soft breeze of the North, trusted before Anubis, Osiris, the nomarch Paheri, justified. ".

2) On the east wall

" The king wishes to make an invocatory offering to Nekhbet, the White One of Nekhen, mistress of Fak, and Hathor in her mountain; to Osiris, lord of eternity, to Anubis lord of the necropolis, to the mountain of the west which shelters (?) the body, embrace the bones and where the noble mummy rests. That they may give the invocatory offering (consisting of) bread, beer, heads of livestock, birds, linen, incense, ointment and all good pure things which one offers to a god. The offerings from the beginning of the seasons and which is left at the altar daily, for the Ka of the nomarch of Nekheb, Paheri, justified. He says : "Oh you who give bread and beer to the lowly ones who are in the house of Osiris, give bread and beer two times per day to the Ba who is with you, the blessed before Osiris, the nomarch of Nekheb, Paheri, justified". ".

The middle line on the ceiling and the two side lines above the khekher ornamentation, as well as the geometric pattern of the roof are too mutilated to be read ( and ).

 THE BACK WALL 

Paheri was a well informed and prudent man, concerned with detail.
Thus, the inscription on the wall at the back is remarkable by its length. The themes are those usually found : the deceased's merits, the prayers for a happy future, and the desire to see the visitors reciting the offering formulas in order to provide for the Ka. Unfortunately the inscription doesn't include a biography.

North wall and statues in the niche.
The whole right image can be enlarged by clicking ,
or individual areas can be enlarged by clicking on the image.

1) Lines 1 to 21

These include some prayers to address the gods, so that they transfer the offerings, which were presented by the king, to Paheri. The invoked gods are : " Amon, lord of the thrones of the Two Lands "; " Nekhbet, the White One of Nekhen, Lady of the sky"; " Hathor, mistress of her mountain "; " Ptah-Sokar, lord of the Secret Chamber"; "Anubis, lord of Ro-Setau (= entry of the necropolis)  ".

Then follows a long enumeration of offerings, provided daily or on the occasion of different festivals.
One also finds by way of an apology which Paheri even addresses him : " Oh excellent satisfier of the heart of his master, may you enter and leave, your heart expanded (= happy), in the favour of the lord of the gods. A beautiful funeral after a long life of excellent service. When old age is there and you arrive at your place in the sarcophagus and join the land in the necropolis of the west, become a living Ba. Oh may you be able to enjoy bread, water and breath. May you be able to transform into a heron, swallow, falcon, egret, according to your desire. May you cross (the Nile) in the barque without being driven back and having to sail with the current. May your life come back to you a second time. May your Ba not separate from your body. May your Ba be strong with the Akhus (= glorified spirits). May the nobles Bas speak to you. [……] for the Ka of the governor of Nekheb (= El Kab), for the governor of Anyt (= Esna), responsible of the grain of Ant (= Denderah) to Nekheb, the most attentive, and devoid of fatigue, the scribe, Paheri, justified. ".
Further : " May the doors of the horizon open up for you, and the bolts be untied for you. May you arrive in the hall of the two Ma'ats (= the room of judgement, where the deceased's heart will be weighed before the courthouse of the gods) and that the god who is in it greets you […] May you move according to your desire, may you leave every morning and return to your house every evening. May a lamp to be lit for you every night until the light (of the sun) illuminates your chest. May one say to you : Come, come, into your house of the living ! May you see Ra in the horizon of the sky and Amon at his rising. May your wakening be good every morning, destroying completely for you all demons. May you pass your eternity with a happy heart by the god's favour that is in you, your heart (= here, stomach) torture you not, and your food remain in its place. ".

2) Lines 22 to 35: Paheri speaks and praises his own merits

" My own heart guided me on the road of those who are appreciated by the king ! "
Paheri also makes reference to elements of the " negative " confession, which one finds inscribed in the Book of the Dead and which enumerate some acts which the deceased hasn't - theoretically ! - made. Paheri did (or didn't do) all this because " I knew the god who is in the man ".

3) Line 36 to the end

" Listen, you who will come into existence, I speak to you and there is no deception in what I say ! "
These are the recommendations to the living, inviting them to recite the ritual formulas for him, to read his acts of which he assures authenticity and to be inspired by it for their greater good.
" If you recite the invocatory offering (from the top) in accordance with the writings; with the vocal expression according to the formulae of old, as a god would do it. And whoever will raise his hands in prayer, may you do it in a correct manner, and may he make his devotions according to the rules, according to the reading of the commands here inscribed. May you partake of the thousands of breads, of the thousands of beer, and of hundred of thousand all good pure things, for the Ka of Osiris, the governor of Nekheb and Anyt […] Paheri, justified. "
And the last sentence concludes this long inscription : " nefer sedjem tenMay your hearing (of this) be pleasant to you ".

4) The niche

The niche is oblong, 1.73m. deep, 1.50m. wide and 1,80m. high. The whole can be compared to a gigantic curved stela, entirely covered by a very long inscription, engraved in small hieroglyphs. These inscriptions start 50 cm. above the original level of the floor, of which they are separated by two horizontal bands.
It includes three statues built directly from the rock in very high relief (). The three characters are seated and watch toward the entry. Paheri is represented in mummiform, but the arms are folded on the chest. To his left, one finds his mother Kem and on his right, his wife Henut-er-neheh. Both surround the deceased with their arms. All representations have been disfigured.

The niche is engraved on its internal faces. Above, a kheker-frieze separates the statues from the roof ().
The head of Paheri is framed symmetrically by his two main honorary titles : " Nomarch of Nekheb (= El Kab), scribe ", and " nomarch of Anyt (= Esna), scribe ". The two women are " his mother, whom he loves, the mistress of the house, Kem, justified " and " his wife, whom he loves, the mistress of the house, Henut-er-neheh ".

The sides of the niche:

On the west part, "the nomarch, the superintendant of the priests, the scribe ". Paheri and his wife are sat in front of a table of offerings, while his son Amenmes dedicates the food products : " Performing the ceremony to dedicate the offerings, by his son, whom he loves, Amenmes. He says : May you breathe the breeze of the North; may you smell frankincense and incense. ".
And also : " For your Ka, it is pure ! ".
A young child wearing the lock of childhood stands at the side of Henut-er-neheh. It could be one of the grandchildren or the second prince, Uadjmes. Under the table is inscribed : " Partaking of all good things ". Under this scene are located six sons and daughters of Paheri.

On the east part, Paheri himself is offering to two royal children and to his parents, who raised one of them. These are, on the first chair " the king's son, Uadjmes " and then " his brother, whom he loves, the son of king Amenmes ". On the second chair, the " tutor of the son of king Uadjmes, Atefrura, justified " and the " mistress of the house, Kem ".
Under the altar are the symbols for various offerings, beneath most of them is an associated hieroglyphic sign designating " thousands ".
Under this scene, nine sons and daughters of Kem, including " her son, who makes their name live, the nomarch of Nekheb, Paheri ".

Paheri, grandson of the prestigious , doesn't fail to ensure the connection, as in the tomb of this famous ancestor (). For it was he who engraved the inscription in his grandfather's tomb, as can be seen before the figure which represents him, there at the feet of Ahmose : " By the son of his daughter, the head of works in this tomb, perpetuating the name of his mother's father; the scribe of Amon, Paheri, justified.".