Ankhkherednefer

Anchcherednefer (also Anchrenepnefer or Anchscherinefer ) was in the reign of Osorkon II ( 880-851 BC) an ancient Egyptian high positioned official who is busy on a statue in the British Museum in London (BM 1007), in 1883 by Édouard Naville was found at Tell el- Maschuta. The statue shows him with a naos with Osiris between his legs.

Statue of Anchcherednefer

Both sides of the figure of the Anchcherednefer were flanked with the triads gods Amun -Re, courage and Khonsu and Harmachis, Shu and Tefnut:

" Amun -Re grant courage and Khonsu, that the name Anchcherednefer, the good notes writer of Atum, Lord of Tura, may last forever. Harmachis, Shu and Tefnut grant that the name of great inspector of the palace, ... good notes writer of the area of Atum, Lord of Tura, will remain forever. "

On the face between his two hands, the figure of a child takes place (also to read " chered " ) carved. It keeps a Nefer and an ankh - sign in the hands and provides a playful name Anchcherednefer represents a biographical inscription on the statue reads:

"I was one who moved freely moving [ in ] secluded palace. I was pleasantly for my Lord, because I was ( well ) educated. [ I ] went in with him to the top of the courtiers and the Thirty Council by I the voice of Horus asked for (?) To what has been said. I came out and dispel and reassuring utterances of the quarrel with his command, the distress. My mouth was persistent in [ the sell the lie? I was like ... ... ] his ( the king's ) son when he obeys and does good for his father [in] Pithom. The reward was a Sed - festival for the king, the Horus, the heir to the Re ( Osorkon, beloved of Amun, son of Bastet ). I found my way ... "

Historical Significance

Édouard Naville suspected because of the texts and other evidence shows that the site of Tell el - Maschuta with the biblical " Pithom / Pithom " could be equated with Ex 1.11 EU. In the past, therefore, made ​​controversial debate on the question of whether Tell el- Maschuta is to be identified with " Pithom / Pithom " or Sukkot. However, further archaeological investigations were able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Tell el- Maschuta was founded as a "new Pitom / Pithom " only under Pharaoh Necho II around 610 BC, after the place since the end of the second Intermediate Period ( about 1550 BC AD) remained uninhabited because of the Kamose and Ahmose I. successful expulsion of the Hyksos.

With the founding of Tell el- Maschuta the fortified town of Tell - Retaba he was likely to leave at the same time by the residents. The strata show that he Tell - Retaba from about 600 BC to at least 400 BC remained without colonization. Since the statue of Anchcherednefer in the time 880-851 BC dated, as the original site is now Tell - Retaba he believed that was continuously inhabited during the Ramesside and Late Period. After the founding of Tell el- Maschuta the statue of Anchcherednefer had been transported there. The statue of Anchcherednefer is with respect to issues of biblical tradition of the exodus from Egypt, therefore, in the context of the original site is an important chronological evidence, as Tell el- Maschuta as " place of the exodus from Egypt," or as " ramessidisches " Pithom / Pithom " in near Pi -Ramesses ' retires.