DIANA PATCH: This limestone stela is one of the finest from Middle Kingdom Egypt. It was carved by order of King Senwosret I for the steward Mentuweser. It was probably set up at Abydos, one of Egypt's holiest sites and the burial ground for the kings of the earliest dynasties. Nearby, or so the Egyptians believed, was the tomb of Osiris—the legendary god-king who died by his brother's hand but was resurrected by his wife, Isis to become the ruler of the netherworld. The legend was so compelling that Abydos became an important destination for pilgrims.

The sixteen vertical columns of text above the figure of Mentuweser summarize his career and draw particular attention to his honesty and generosity. The inscription makes a distinction between people who actually read the text and those who listen to it while someone else reads it. It reminds us that a lot of people in ancient Egypt were illiterate.

The stela was carved in Senwosret’s seventeenth year, about 1955 B.C. You see that date written at the right end of the uppermost line of text. Though we mark time in relation to distant events, such as the birth of Christ, the Egyptians reckoned years according to the ruling Pharaoh.

DOROTHEA ARNOLD: From a purely artistic point of view it is remarkable how well balanced this relief is. The inscription occupies considerably more than half of the space. And the figurative panel, by being the lower, is clearly subordinate to the text, although the figures draw the attention of the viewer because of their fine modeling, and their varied gestures and their even spacing. Note how closely the figures fill their allotted space. This man and his family and attendants feel totally comfortable with their role and existence. They live in an ordered, and to them, meaningful system.