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19th Dynasty Emphasis on Seth & Amen-Ra

Posted By: Charles Pope
Date: Sunday, 10 November 2002, at 11:37 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Lineage of Ramses I and Horemheb (Oscar Calle)

It seems that the veneration of Seth and Ra by 19th Dynasty pharaohs derives from Nefrure, the daughter of Hatshepsut. Nefrure was also called Sityah, a composte of Seth and Yah (presumably Yah/Amen). Through Thutmose III, Nefrure-Sityah was the mother of Prince Amenemhet, and the likely grandmother of Webensenu. The Biblical name of Amenemhet was Merari, which would correspond not to the Egyptian name of Amenemhet, but to Mery-Re, "Beloved of Re." However, this name Mery-Re could also be perceived as a synonym of Seth, the favored "son of Re."

If you look at the Biblical blessing of Reuben, it is filled with word plays on Seth, Re and probably also Yah/Amen. I'll be exploring the blessings of all the sons of Jacob in Part II of the book.

WORD STUDY on the "Blessing of Reuben."

The formal Egyptian birthname of Reuben was Webensenu. Reuben bears a crude phonic semblance with Weben.

Wei - vital force, from Latin vis - violent, vehement, violate.
weapon, from Gemanic root wepnam and Old Norse wapn, wapentake.
webh - weave, move back and forth (quickly); figuratively turbulent, unstable, excitable. Cf Surname Weber? (ber/bar=ben?)

The Egyptian name Weben-senu means "man/son of shining." Webenu connotes the "first light over the water." Stephen Quirke, "The Cult of Ra: Sun Worship in Ancient Egypt," p 29. Webensenu could be freely translated "son of the beginining of the sun's strength." Compare the name Senenmut, "man/son of Mut/mother."

Genesis 49:3-4 (NIV)
"You are my first born, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the [boiling] waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it."

Genesis 49:3-4 (KJV)
"Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defilest thou it: he went up to my couch.

firstborn (1060) bekowr; first born, hence chief.
Becker was one Biblical name of the Sethian king Montuhotep III (a.k.a. Naphtali).

might (3581) koach/kowach, "force," in a good or bad sense

first sign/beginning (7225) reshiyth; the first, in place, time, order or rank (spec. a firstfruit). Cf reshiyth and Re-Seth.

excelling/excellency (3499) yether from (3498); prop. An overhanging, i.e. (by impl.) an excess, superiority, remainder; also a small rope (as hanging free) (Cf the name Ith-ra, "increase of Ra.")
excel (3498) yathar, "remain or be left"

strength (202) Heb. on, the same Hebrew word is used for the city of the sun-god, On, i.e., Heliopolis

honor/dignity (7613) se’eth, "an elevation (or leprous scab)" Cf Egyptian god Seth. The line of Reuben through Setre/Ramose, Ramses and Seti I particularly venerated Re of Heliopolis (On) and Seth.

power (5794) az, "strong, vehement, harsh"
(Uzziel was a psuedonym of Reuben. See geneaology of Exodus 6.)

unstable/turbulent (6349) pachaz "ebulliation," figuratively "lust" from (6448) "to bubble, boil, froth" (The phonic "az" is used again.)

water/waters (4325) mayim, mah’-yim; dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; fig. juice; by euphemism urine, semen:- +piss, wasting, water(-ing, -course, -flood, -spring).
(The half-brother of Webensenu was evidently the Chariot Commander May, Biblical Mahli. This might also associate Reuben as a chief among the important Libyan tribe of Ma/Meshwesh.)

went/wentest (5927) alah, aw-law’; to ascend, in trans. (be high) or act. (mount); Cf (5928) alah, al-aw’; a holocaust:- burnt offering
Cf (5930) o-law’; fem. act. part. Of 5927; a step or (collect. stairs, as ascending): usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke): ascent, burnt offering (sacrifice), go up to.
See also (5766) (Alah = Amen?)

bed (4904) mishkab, mish-kawb’; from (7901); a bed (fig. a bier); abstr. sleep; by emphemism carnal intercourse:- bed ([chamber]), couch, lieth (lying) with. (7901) shakab, shaw-kab’
(Cf mish and mushi. Another Biblical nickname of Reuben is Mushi, "sensitive," i.e., ebullient.)

defiled (2490) chalal, "to defile, wound, break, dissolve, bore"
couch (3326) yatsuwa, yaw-tsoo’-ah; pass. Part. of (3321) (yetseb, "to be firm, truth"); spread, i.e. a bed; (arch.) an extension, i.e. wing or lean-to. (Amen = "true")

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