Soleb

Soleb is an ancient town in Nubia, in present-day Sudan. The site is located north of the third cataract of the Nile, on the western side of the Nile. It was discovered and described by Karl Richard Lepsius in 1844. The temple was built during the reign of Amenhotep III and dedicated to Amun, but after Akhenaten assumed power, it was rededicated to Aten.

Necropolis
Soleb is also the location of a vast necropolis with small tomb chapels decorated with pyramids. The earliest royal tombs date to the 18th dynasty, whereas some belong to the Ramesside and Meroitic periods.

Amarna Period


During the Amarna Period (Mid 18th Dynasty), several pharaohs attended to Soleb, such as Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ay.

Amenhotep III
A large temple made of sandstone was founded here by Amenhotep III. It is the southernmost temple currently known to have been built by this pharaoh. The temple was consecrated to the deity Amun Re and to the pharaoh depicted deified with ram-horns. The architect may have been Amenhotep, son of Hapu.

At Sedeinga, a companion temple was built by Amenhotep III to Queen Tiye as a manifestation of the Eye of Ra.

The so-called Prudhoe Lions originally stood as guardian figures at this temple inscribed with the name of Amenhotep III. They depict a lioness, as symbols of Sekhmet, a major deity who protected the pharaohs.

Akhenaten
During the reign of Akhenaten, he initially is shown worshipping his father and Amen at the temple. But later, he re-dedicates the temple to Aten.

Tutankhamen
During the reign of Tutankhamen, the religious reforms of his father (Akhenaten) were reversed and re-dedicated the temple to Amen-Ra. He finished the second granite lion and inscribed his name on the Prudhoe Lions.

Ay
During the reign of Ay, he also inscribed his name on the Prudhoe Lions.

List of imprisoned peoples


Major Felix in 1829 realiced a expedition of the site and recognized the inscriptions of prisoners on visible columns commemorated the victories of Amenhotep III. However, sector IV of the hypostyle hall was in ruins, demolished and partially covered by sand, and was discovered centuries later. In the 1957-1963 excavation expedition led by Michela Schiff Giorgini, other parts of the temple, including the remaining inscriptions of the prisoners, were reconstructed with the identified pieces.

On the columns of the hypostyle hall, there is a list of the peoples that the Egyptians had conquered. A total of three lists are preserved with the names of foreign places and surviving people. Each list depicts the figure of a prisoner soldier with his arms tied, and with his shield. On each shield there is an inscription describing to which town and place the soldier belongs.


 * Lists


 * 1) t3 š3sw T-r-b-r
 * 2) t3 š3sw Y-h-w
 * 3) t3 š3sw S-m-t
 * 4) destroyed


 * Column N4


 * 1) B-t-'-n/f?[...]
 * 2) destroyed


 * Lists of Amarah-West (50 km north of Soleb)


 * 1) t3 š3sw S-'-r-r
 * 2) t3 š3sw R-b-n
 * 3) t3 š3sw P-y-s-P-y-s
 * 4) t3 š3sw S-m-t
 * 5) t3 š3sw Y-h-w
 * 6) t3 š3sw -r-b-r

Land of the Shasu, those of Yhwh
The transcription of one of the conquered people is t3 š3-sw-w y-h-w3-w, translated as "land of the Shasu, those of Yhwh", and "land of the nomads of yhw3". According to Kennedy, "exactly what the name yhw3 refers to has been a matter of debate". Fleming reports the location of the Shasu land in present-day Palestine and Syria. Kennedy concludes:

"Since the only ancient people known to have worshipped a deity named yhw3 (Yahweh) in ancient times were the Hebrews or Israelites, it also logically follows that these particular š3sw nomads associated with yhw3 could be identified with the early Israelites before they became a sedentary population in Canaan, and that the Egyptians had familiarity with this group and this deity during the 18th dynasty and the end of the 15th century bce."

Thomas Schneider vocalizes the word 𓄿𓍯𓉔𓇋𓇋 (y-h-w3) as Yahwah, but also Yehua have been proposed.