Limestone stela of Pasebakhaenniut (Psusennes)

From Abydos, Egypt
21st Dynasty, about 1069-945 BC

A priest worshipping the triad of Abydos

The carving of this stela is particularly fine. It shows the triad of Abydos, consisting of Osiris, Isis and Horus, their son, between them. The stela seems to have been set up in a tomb chapel of Pasebakhaenniut who, despite his Theban origin, seems to have been buried at Abydos; shabti-figures of his were also found here.

Pasebakhaenniut (Psusennes is the Greek form of his name) was a priest and military person who seems to have been responsible for the area between Abydos and Koptos. He was the son of Menkheperre, a high priest of Amun. During the Twenty-first Dynasty the high priests of Amun were in effective control in Thebes, though in practice they remained loyal to the kings at Tanis in the north. Menkheperre was one of three priests who even had their names placed in cartouches, a device normally restricted to royalty. This stela was probably put in Abydos by Menkheperre to ensure the family's control over this part of Upper Egypt.

S. Quirke, Ancient Egyptian religion (London, The British Museum Press, 1992)

E.R. Russmann, Eternal Egypt: masterworks of (University of California Press, 2001)

D. Randall-Maciver and A.C. Mace, El Amrah and Abydos 1899-1901 (London, Gilbert and Rivington, 1902)