Stele in the Name of Tutankhamun

ca. 1327 BCE

This arched stele is partly covered with a long inscription in hieroglyphs that promulgates a royal decree in the name of Tutankhamun (1336–1327 BCE), in which a certain Raya, a high priest in the Temple of Osiris in Abydos, is assured protection. At the top of the stele, the low-relief decoration includes a surprising instance of twin representation: Tutankhamun appears twice. As the only mediator between earth and the gods, the pharaoh is first shown giving offerings and prayers to the great god Osiris, the Lord of the Underworld, before taking his place and in turn receiving offerings from the high-ranking official Pa-en-nesit.