Historical studies

ackground. 4 screens of flowers, 100 bouquets,
500 nosegays, 400 chains of blue flowers, and 20
strings of flowers, were tlie decoration of the great
day of the feast. Beside these there were 600
garlands on the great day and 50 daily, 60 great
bouquets on the great day and 20 daily, and 125
apt measures of w/-plant on the great day, and 48
measures daily. Flowers were far more abundant
in August than in March.
The offerings were daily one of each of the three
kinds of loaves, and of the great loaves 100 on the
great day and 40 each day. 20 jars of incense
were provided, 18 ordinary and 2 of white incense,
and with this were 15 bundles of papyrus for burn-
ing the incense. There was also a large quantity
of inferior incense, the numbers of which cannot be
separated. Of bread, meat, and rahusu cakes there
were 5 kotep tables.
6. The Priesthood and Nobles. The priesthood
probably numbered 120 as we have noticed ; receiv-
ing in this feast 120 leather sandals, and 360 papyrus
sandals. They fed upon '},o hotep tables of bread,
meat, and rahusu cakes, 1200 kunek loaves, 30 jars
of meal, 200 great loaves, 800 sweet loaves, and 100
inehint cakes, on the great day. Of other bread
there were 200 baat loaves and 20 persen loaves on
the great day, and 20 and 48 of these daily. 12
jars of strong beer on the great day and 3 daily.
Also there were provided 3 bins of sweet oil, 3 of
plain oil, i of red oil, 10 jars of honey, 3 jars of
olives, 2 jars of white fat, 10 apt measures of figs,
and 5 measures of cinnamon. Of course these sup-
plies provided not only for the priests, but for their
numerous families.
The nobles had 12 tables of meat, bread, and
rahusu, for the great day, and 4 a day as well.
With each table were 2 loaves of grain, 24 and
8 daily. Also four measures of rahusu cakes each
day. 10 jars of strong shedeli wine were provided.
Of fruit there were 10 weights of figs, 50 baskets
of semu, 2 measures of grapes, 10 jars of olives. Of
S. fruit 3 large measures, and 4 daily. Of khit-
hatta 10 large measures, and of cabbage 20 large
measures. 50 pottery jars were used in the feast,
and 8 daily as well. The 40 lotus flowers for the
hand, with 40 on each day, were also for the nobles.
The meat supply for the feast was rather more than
for the March festival : 50 oxen, and daily i cow
4 gazelles ; 4 geese, and 8 each day ; 10 large birds,
14 turpu geese, 2 cranes, 60 hatching-fowl, 800 water-
fowl, 700 quail, 160 pigeons and 50 each day, 40
;
THE AUGUST FEAST 3
sesha birds, and 48 doves with 6 each day. Of fish
there were 500 dressed fish, and 500 split fish.
7. The Populace. The populace was well provided,
apparently about 5000 being present on the great
day, and a few hundreds all through the feast. Of
bread there were 10,000 great loaves on the main
day, and 750 daily; 1500 pyramidal loaves; 1400
kolusla and 200 daily; 700 udenunt and 100 daily;
\ooo pat loaves ; of rahusu cakes 200 measures, and
of other cakes 50 measures on the great day and 50
daily. The drinks were 50 jars of the strong shedeli
wine ; 10 of ordinary wine and 40 daily ; lOO jars
of beer and 20 daily. Of fruit we find 240 measures
and 30 each day (or, if the reading be 78,550, then
90 on the great day and 80 each day) ; also of other
fruit 20 sacks and 20 measures. An fruit 1000
measures and 500 each day. Figs 500 measures.
Grapes 70 measures of different kinds. Dum palm
nuts were then in season and 1000 apt were pro-
vided, with 500 on each day. Of pomegranates 500
apt and 40 crates. 30 apt of a fruit called nebdu.
500 measures of dates on the great day and 40 each
day ; with 100 whole bunches of dates. Of vegetables
10,000 bundles on the great day, and 400 each day,
beside 70 measures, were provided. Of khithana,
which is unknown, there were 200 bunches.
The worshippers had 4800 bouquets of flowers at
first, and 1000 each day, beside the same numbers to
offer. 1500 flowers for the hand and 1000 ears of
corn for the hand. There were also on the great
day 1000 papyrus stems and 350 wz'-plants for the
hand, with 200 and 100 respectively on each day of
the feast. Of coarse salt there were 40 large
measures, and of fine salt 80 cakes on the great day
and 60 daily ; while of natron there were 280 cakes
and 60 daily. The use of 100 deben, or 20 lbs., of
wax is not clear ; possibly it was for candles before
the shrine.
We have now reached the basis of a picture
of a great festival,—the decoration of the hall with
branches and flowers, the flowers carried by every
worshipper and offered by each, the feasts provided
for the priesthood, the nobles, and some 5000 or
10,000 of the people. There was a far larger attend-
ance on the great day of the feast than subsequently.
8. Other Sections. Another section of the papyrus
recounts the offerings to Amen during 31 years (13^
to i6b). Here the multiples are of 31 in most cases,
so that we have the following amounts for each
year : silver rings 10, amulet cords 5, carnelian uza
eyes 6, lazuli uza eyes 7, jasper scarabs 2, lazuli