Ahmose, son of Abana

This is a wall of text in the tomb of Ahmose, son of Abana. The inscriptions were made a long time after the events, like a grandson is writing for his grandfather so it's a bit awkward sounding, "he says, I speak," then he says who he is and he relates the story that brought his family wealth by the king." The wall tells us who the narrator is. Unusually he identifies himself as son of his mother, not son of his father as expected. What went wrong there? Nobody knows. He has his whole biography right there on his tomb wall. And it's immensely useful to historians for it occurs during a crucial period.

He tells about joining the army after his father died who was in the navy, and being recognized for his bravery and rewarded with gold. He's quite vainglorious and advances steadily and is rewarded with gold again. He is recognized again and rewarded again. He comes into propinquity with the king, demonstrates his prowess again, is recognized again and rewarded again. He also takes booty at every turn.

For Ahmose son of Abana, war is enriching.

These gold rewards were necklaces, usually with three gold flies. For tenacity.

He is explaining how he became wealthy through the military and by protecting the king. Sufficiently wealthy to affect his whole family for generations. It is an impressive story, one full of gore.

He proves his worth and valor as soldiers do by presenting their king with the severed hand of their foes. Thus the story reads as exchange of gold and booty and slaves for hands of enemies of the king.

Ahmose son of Abana (or Ebana or Ibana) served under three kings; Ahmose I, Amenhotep I, and Thutmose I. It is the only written history that gives clues to how Hyksos were booted from power, conquered, and kicked out of the country to end the intermediary periods. He took spoils from the Hykos Egyptian capital at Avarice in north east of the Delta. He was part of the siege at Canaan that lasted three years, and he accompanied the king into Nubia. This places him in battle at the extreme points of the empire. He's seen it all. Eventually, after an ordeal through the cataracts with his king to Nubia, he was promoted to Admiral and followed Thutmose on campaign against Naharin to the Euphrates River.

What's odd about this wall apart from the damage done by bashing through it to get into the room, is the text clearly reads right to left because all the little birds and animals are looking to the right. They're read into their faces. While the vertical registers are read left to right. All the hieroglyphs are flipped for this exercise.

Following is what is scratched on his tomb's wall, and on a sidewall. It goes, hands, gold, hands, gold, hands, gold, seven times. Then oddly it lists the names of his slaves. Apparently his slaves were valuable to him as gold.

The registers are long. Most are broken into three horizontal lines to fit into blogger.

The first three lines (10 lines here) I show how I scan them by letting my eyes wash over and allow element to pop out. These form an initial impression that clarifies upon closer inspection. That takes too long to show so the rest is straight translation. The wall has already been translated quite a lot. It is used for instruction. The lessons are printed in books. A new study group is forming right now that will take nine months to complete the examination of this text line for line, word for word and discuss its structure and its grammar and its oddities. But I can do that in a few hours with Photoshop, and with this you can do it in a few minutes.

Almost.

in his land.  He says: I grew up 

in the town of Nekheb. My father

was a soldier of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Sequenenre, justified and was called Baba

Son of Rainet. Then I became a soldier 

In his place on the ship 'the Wild Bull,'

in the time of the lord of the Two Lands, Nebpehtire, justified.

I was a young man, before I had married 

and I slept in a hammock of net after I had established

a household I was taken

to the ship, "The Northern" because I was brave. Then I followed the soverign 

Life, prosperity, health, on foot after him riding

 his chariot. When we besieged  

the town of Avarice, I fought bravely on foot 

in the presence of his majesty. Then I was assigned

to the boat 'Rising in Memphis,' and there was

fighting on the water in Padjedku

of Avarice. Then I made a capture

and carried off a hand. When it was reported to the royal herald

the gold of valor was given to me. Then they fought

again in this place and I made another capture

there and carried off a hand, and again I was given

the gold of valor. Then there was

fighting in Egypt south of this town.

and I carried off a man as living captive. I went down into

the water for he was captured on the city side

and crossed the water carrying him. When it was reported to the royal herald

I was rewarded with gold once more.

Then Avarice was captured and I brought booty from there, one man,

three women, four people altogether. His majesty gave them to me as slaves.

Then Sharahen was besieged for three years and his majesty captured it.

I brought spoil from it, two women and a hand.

Then the gold of valor was given to me and the captives

given to me as slaves. After His Majesty had slain the Bedouin tribes of Asia,

he sailed south to Kent-hen-nefer.

to destroy the Nubian bowmen.

His majesty made a great slaughter among them.

Then I brought spoil from there. Two living men and three hands. I was

rewarded with gold again and two female slaves were given to me.

His majesty journeyed north, his heart rejoicing in valor 

and victory having conquered southerners and northerners. 

Then Aata came to the south 

his fate brought on his doom when the gods of Upper Egypt

grasped him. He was found by His Majesty at

Tent-taa. His Majesty brought him

away as living captive and all his people as booty.

I brought two young warriors as captives

from the ship of Aata.

Then I was given five persons and portions of land amounting

to five arura in my town. And for the crew

the same thing was done. Then that enemy

called Tetian came. He had gathered the rebels

to himself. His Majesty slew him.

and his troop was wiped out.  I was then given

three persons and five arura of land in my town.

Then I conveyed King Djeserkare, the justified, when

he sailed south to Kush. to expand

the borders of Egypt. Then His Majesty smote that Nubian

bowman in the midst of his army. They were carried off

bound. None were missing. The fleeing

were destroyed like they had never existed.  Now, I was

in the van of our army and I fought really well.

His Majesty saw my valor. I carried off two hands and presented

them to his majesty. Then his people and

his cattle were pursued. I brought back

His Majesty to Egypt in two days

from Upper Well and I was rewarded

with gold. I brought back two female slaves as booty

in addition to those I had presented

to his majesty. Then I was appointed to be warrior-of-the-ruler.

Then I conveyed the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Aakheperkare, justified

as he sailed southward to Khent-hen-nefer,

to crush rebellion throughout the lands and to drive off

intrusion from the desert region. I showed valor in

his presence at the cataract during the towing

of the boats through the cataracts. Then I was appointed

Naval commander. Then his majesty, life prosperity, health,

became enraged as a leopard

His majesty shot and his first arrow struck

the chest of the enemy. Then those [enemies turned to flee]

helpless before his uraeus. A slaughter

was made among them and their people were brought away as living captives.

His Majesty sailed northward all foreign lands in

his grasp. And that wretched Nubian Bowman

head downward from the prow of the Falcon-ship of His Majesty.  They landed



at Ipet-sut. Thereafter they proceeded to

Retienu to vent his fury throughout the lands. When His Majesty 

reached Nahrin,

His Majesty, life, prosperity, health, found that enemy

marshaling troops. Then His Majesty

made a great slaughter of them. Countless

were the living captives that His Majesty brought away from his victories.

Now,  I was in the van of our Army and His Majesty saw my valor.

I brought a chariot, its horse, and him who was on it as living captive.

When they were presented to His Majesty I was rewarded with gold once again.

I have grown old. I have reached advanced age favored like before

and loved [by my lord] I [rest] in the tomb that I myself made  ... ... ... ...

in Behi. Again, I was given by the king of Upper and Lower Egypt

Sixty arura in Hadjaa. Altogether ... arura.

List of names of the male and female slaves from the booty given to me.

male slave Pamejai

male slave Pajabdju

male slave Senebnebef

Male slave ...

male slave Qenpakheqa

male slave Djehutisenebu

mae slave Sobekmes

male slave Khariai

Male slave Paam

female slave Taa

female slave Sedjemesni

female slave Baket

female slave Ka ... isi

female slave Taametju

female slave Wabentasachmet

female slave Istarajumi

female slave Itnefer

female slave Hadetkush

female slave Amunherseseneb