Comparing Royal Name Hieroglyphics

Comparing Royal Name Hieroglyphics

As we showed already, Ramses II was known to the Hebrews and Greeks as Pharaoh Necho, Merenptah was Hophra/Apries and Ramses III was known to the Greeks as Nectanebo (I). In the same way Seti the Great was Psammetichus and Setnakht Acoris, even though our evidence for Setnakht/Acoris is not as solid as to the kings mentioned before owing to the sparcity of records.

Since the 20th and 30th Dynasty are composed of the same personalities, we shall compare some of their names to see what we might learn. In particular are we interested this time in Teos or Tacos/Tachos of the 30th Dynasty.

We want to compare the hieroglyphic signs of Teos/Tacos, actually `Djedhur', with those of Ramses IV, V and VI and note any similarities.
There is only one glyph between Ramses IV and only two glyphs between Ramses V and `Djedhur' which are the same. The hunkered down figure holding the ankh sign is seen on many other name shields. Its philological value is not always clear and there are many variations often referring to a god. The wavy line pattern stands for the `n' sound.

Ramses IV ........ Ramses V ............ Ramses VI

Cartouche for `Djedhor' `Irma-enre Djeho-setpenanhur'

The cartouche of Ramses IV is also found on the shoulder of a kneeling statue made of dark green schist located in the British Museum and here shown in the lower drawing of his name.

The Egyptian individual by the name of `Djedhur' or `Dj[ed]-he[r]-se[tep-en-Iniheret]' was chosen to represent `Teos/Tacos'. Partial glyphs of his name are shown on the left. We are interested to find out how `Djedhor' became `Teos' and a member of the 30th Dynasty. Was it on the strength of a vague similarity of the two names? As we already know, during Persian times it was not uncommon for influential officials to write their name in royal name circles or cartouches. In fact it was more often than not the chosen method of self-commemoration.
And so is it that we call `Akheperenre' `Thutmoses II. and one of the `Menkheperres' Thutmoses III (`born of the god Thoth'). These kings then are known today by their Greek names. Names which bear little or no resemplance to their Egyptian names.

When archaeologists and influential Egyptologists began to thumb through the names of Egyptian personalities in trying to find out who this `Tachos' or `Teos' known from the Greek sources could have been. They decided on `Djedhur'. There is no corroberation by independent means to conclude that `Djedhur' was `Tachos'. He could have been the overseer of some nome at some period of time not known to us. During Persian times, as overseer he would be the boss, the state governor so to speak if in fact he was an overseer. He could also have been some other state official of whom nothing further is known. The origin of the two partial name fragments are unknown but thought to be Qantir. But we really don't know where they came from and who `Djedhur' was.