Translations of Graffiti at Wadi el-Ḥôl Egypt (1500 BCE)
A pair of graffiti texts defending and then attacking the use of magic. These texts are in a variant of Minoan Linear A which was probably taught to these caravanners by the Minoans.
For translation methodology see: How to Translate Alphabetic Akkadian Texts
Wadi el-Ḥôl in Egypt
(Jan 15, 2023) This is the first translation of the two graffiti texts found at the exit of Wadi el-Ḥôl ("Wadi of Terror") in the Qena bend area of Egypt. These texts were found by John and Deborah Darnell during their 1993-94 excavation season (Darnell, and all 2005). Their location was the first night’s camping spot on a caravan route out of Luxor, the longtime Egyptian capital in the center of the country. At the time Luxor was re-establishing its power and would soon become the capital of a newly reunited Egypt in 1550 BCE. Its 18th dynasty rulers (1550-1295 BCE) would soon reunite Egypt by throwing out the Akkadian speaking rulers from the Levant known as the Hyksos (c. 1640-1550 BC). Based upon later Minoan buildings found in the Hyksos capital of Avaris, the Luxor Egyptians seem to formed an alliance with the Minoans who taught their writing to the Akkadian speakers of the Levant (the Israelites).
References
Darnell, J.C.; Dobbs-Allsopp, F.W.; Lundberg, M.J.; McCarter, P.K.; Zuckerman, B. (2005) Two Early Alphabetic Inscriptions from the Wadi el-Ḥôl. The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Volume 59. Boston. American School of Oriental Research. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/19066825/Two_Early_Alphabetic_Inscriptions_from_the_Wadi_el_H%C3%B4l_New_Evidence_for_the_Origin_of_the_Alphabet_from_the_Western_Desert_of_EgyptShaw, Ian -editor (2000) Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press
Photo from West Semitic Research Project, Photo by Bruce Zuckerman with scratched inscriptions inked for clarity by Marylin Lundberg 1999. Online at: https://dornsife.usc.edu/wsrp/
White letter assignments added by David Olmsted
The Horizontal Inscription at Wadi el-Ḥôl Is a Minoan Linear A Variant Which Defends Magic (1500 BCE)
(October 3, 2023) This graffiti text claims the ineffectiveness of magic crafters who attempt to manipulate the motion powers coming from the night sky is causing fertility fluids to slow down. Fertility fluids bring the divine life powers to earth via the life network.
The shapes of these letters are intermediate between the signs of the Phaistos Disk and Linear A indicating the author is not Minoan but someone else, probably an Akkadian speaking Phoenician because Phoenicians were always for magic.
Akkadian Translation (Sinai Text 1.2)
(read left to right. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold)- A Su MūBû Na
- ḪaMû Inu Ku Nu Mu
- Na Lu Bu Gu
(Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration)
English
- Those Su powers can mobilize the Revealer (Yahu),
- Paralysis of the Moon-Eyed-Ones (astrology magic-crafters) is involving the Revealer's fertility-fluids
- The Revealer is lacking energized nourishments
The Vertical Inscription at Wadi el-Ḥôl Is a Minoan Linear A Variant Which Attacks Magic (1500 BCE)
(May 30, 2023) The large Egyptian Ankh life sign (head, outstretched arms, body) indicates the text is about life powers. In this case the text is stating that the fertility fluids which flow through the life network are not being pushed enough, that is, they are not being energized. Blame is being placed on magic.
The shapes of these letters are intermediate between the signs of the Phaistos Disk and Linear A indicating the author is not Minoan but someone else, probably an Akkadian speaking Israelite because Israelites were always against magic.
Akkadian Translation (Sinai Text 1.1)
(read top to bottom. Large letters on items, small letters are inferred inner vowels. Verb in italic bold)- Mu WA Tu Gu
- Ḫu Pu Qu
- Tu Ya
- WA Ri Lu
English
- Fertility-fluids are energized by fate-curses of magic
- Hu (Sun god representing the life network) is opening the threads
- Don't make magic
- Fate-curses cause a lack of eagle-vulture-powers
Comment
Eagle-Vultures edit the connections of the life threads (channels)
Wadi el-Hol Inscription Site
Boxes Show Locations of Wadi el-Hol Inscriptions
Minoans in Egypt
Minoan Fresco from Tell El-Dab'a / Avaris (c1450 BCE)
(Image taken at Heraklion Archaeological Museum by Martin Dürrschnabel via Wikimedia commons. Online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reconstructed_Minoan_Fresco_Avaris.jpg
Map of Nile Delta showing Hyksos Capital City of Avaris
Minoan's (Those of the Reed-Boat, Those of the Goddess) in Egypt
(November 10, 2023) Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut came to power shortly after her half-brother and husband, Thutmoses II (1492-1479) died. She was the one who consolidated the new Egyptian empire and made an accommodation with the natives of the southern Levant who were mostly Israelites. Hatshepsut had the following statement posted on a wall in her mortuary temple at Deir-el Bahari and it mentions the "Asiatics" as miners in the Sinai:
[I am a] good [heir] …. One to whom the kingship of the Black Land (the Nile delta lands of upper Egypt) and the Red Land (lower Egypt) was given, all foreign land being beneath my feet. My southern frontier is on the shores of Pwenet (Punt) … My eastern frontier is on the marshes of Asia (Jordan River valley) and the Montiu of Asia are in my grip. My western frontier is at Manu-mountain (the mythical mountain across the western desert) and I rule ….. and my power overwhelms them that are across the sand all together. As grain is shipped, so is myrrh of Pwenet (Punt) brought to me … and all the marvels of this foreign land – they are directed to my palace as a single item. The Asiatics (those of the Reed-Boat) provide … of turquoise from the land of Roshayt (Sinai), they bring me the choicest products of Negev, namely cedar and juniper (?) and mrw-wood …. All the fine woods of God’s (Alu's) land … (translated by Redford 1992 p 151 although not to any declared standard so its accuracy is uncertain)The word "Asiatics" in the above translation is a mistranslation of an Akkadian compound word sounded out in hieroglyphics. This Akkadian word a.amu (chapter 8 in Shaw, 2000). It means “those of the Reed-Boat.” The “Reed-Boat” is an epithet for the goddess Ayu who corresponds to the crescent moon and is the connective life power goddess of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm. Because Minoan traders were operating the turquoise mine at Serabit el-Khadim, the “people of the Reed-Boat” must refer to them.
The crescent moon is the symbol of the Goddess in modern Paganism and is also one of the main symbols of Islam.
The word "Alu" in the above text is another Akkadian word for a deity, in this case the life source deity. It is translated as "God" in the Hebrew scriptures of the Bible. Alu's land is literally the land of Israel coming from the Akkadian compound word "Išeru.Alu" meaning either the "Righteous of Alu" or "Straight-Ones of Alu."
Photo from Wikimedia Commons at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merenptah_Israel_Stele_Cairo.jpg
Merneptah Stele May or May not Mention "Israel." In Either Case the Entity is an Egyptian Ally and not an Enemy
(August 1, 2022) The Merneptah Stele is an inscription by Commisioned by Egyptian Pharaoh Merneptah (1213–1203 BCE). It was discovered by Flinders Petrie at Thebes in 1896 and it is now housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The stele is mostly a description of his successful war against the Libyans but Merneptah also went against their Libyan's allies up the coast in the Levant. The traditional translation (not done to any standard so accuracy uncertain) of its last three lines divided into sentences is:
- The princes are prostrate, saying, "Peace!"
- Not one is raising his head among the Nine Bows.
- Now that Tehenu (Libya) has come to ruin,
- Hatti is pacified;
- (new paragraph starting the Levant list)
- The Canaan has been plundered into every sort of woe:
- Ashkelon has been overcome;
- Gezer has been captured;
- Yano'am is made non-existent.
- Israel is laid waste and his seed is not;
- (end of paragraph should be here)
- Hurru is become a widow because of Egypt. (Hurru or Hurrians are not in the Levant but are located in northern Mesopotamia)
The traditional translation of line 9 is wrong given that "Israel" is an Akkadian word. The sound of its Egyptian hieroglyphic is:
ysr[?] or isr[?]
While the sound of the first part is suggestive of the word "Israel" the sound of the last part of the word is uncertain because the images which represent it are seemingly unknown from other texts. Most Egyptian translators think is a word suffix is Egyptian meaning "people" but that is just a guess. If so the word would mix Akkadian with Egyptian which is unlikely.
In any case the traditional translation of the sentence is wrong as shown below:
isr[ ] fk.t bn pr.t =f
Israel waste [negation] seed/grain his/its
It should be (assuming isr[ ] means Israel :
Israel has not wasted its seed.
A negation is always applied to the verb ahead of it. This correct translation shows that Israel was not an enemy but was an ally of Egypt which Egypt is helping to defend.