Pharaonic Tales (6) The Adventures of Sanehat (The Finali) AS mentioned last week, the tale of Sanehat (or Senohy) took place at the time of King Amenemhat I, the founder of the 12th dynasty, Middle Kingdom. After the King's death, Sanehat was afraid that his elder brother Senusert might see him as a rival and try to slay him; so Sanehat fled to Syria where he was always longing to return to Egypt. He then submitted a petition to the King and got his permission to return to Egypt to live at the palace with his children, who loved him to the extent that they made a song to support him in front of the King. After hearing this song, the King responded: “Let him not fear, let him be freed from terror. He shall be a royal friend amongst the nobles; he shall be put within the circle of the courtiers. Go ye to the chamber of praise to seek wealth for him.” Then Senohy was admitted to the palace. In the following part, we give his description of his life in the palace, as translated by the famous British Egyptologist Flinders Petrie: “When I went out from the palace, the royal children offered their hands to me; we walked afterwards to the Great Gates. I was placed in a house of a King's son, in which were delicate things, a place of coolness, fruit of granary, treasures of the White House, clothes of the King's guard robe, frankincense, the finest perfumes of the King and the nobles whom he loves, in every chamber. All the servitors were in their several offices. Years were removed from my limbs: I was shaved, and polled my locks of hair; the foulness was cast to the desert with the garments of the Nemau-Sha. I clothed myself in fine linen, and anointed myself with the fine oil of Egypt; I laid myself on a bed. I gave up the sand to those who lie on it; the oil of wood to him who would anoint himself therewith. There was given to me the mansion of a lord of serfs, which had belonged to a royal friend. There many excellent things were in its buildings; all its wood was renewed. There were brought to me portions from the palace, thrice and four times each day; besides the gifts of the royal children, always, without ceasing. There was built for myself a pyramid of stone amongst the pyramids. The overseer of the architects measured its ground; the chief treasurer wrote it, the sacred masons cut the well; the chief of the labourers on the tombs brought the bricks; all things used to make a strong building were there used. There were given to me peasants; there were made for me a garden, and fields in it before my mansion, as is done for the chief royal friend. My statue was inlayed with gold, its girdle of pale gold; his majesty caused it to be made. Such is not made for a man of low degree. May I be in the favour of the King until the day shall come of my death.” Then the scribe ends his story by an interesting statement:
