Pharaonic prophecy raises fears of drought in Egypt
In light of the ongoing Nile dam crisis, Egypt fears long periods of drought as happened during the era of King Djoser, as depicted in a granite slab with inscriptions written in hieroglyphic script.
CAIRO — An ancient pharaonic granite slab from the time of the ancient Egyptian King Djoser, which was discovered years ago, has recently resurfaced amid the crisis over the Ethiopian dam on the Nile River, raising the fears of Egyptians over a stone-carved inscription about the drying up of the Nile River.
The stone tells the story of a drought that occurred during King Djoser’s era that lasted for seven years, during which the Nile ceased flooding during its usual season.
In this context, Abdel Rahim Rihan, general director of the Department of Research, Archaeological Studies and Academic Publication in South Sinai of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, said, “There is a carved stone in the Seheil Island in Aswan, with an inscription mentioning seven years of drought and famine under King Djoser. In the upper part of the stone, Djoser is depicted making offerings to three Egyptian deities — Khnum, Satis and Anuket — during the era of Ptolemies, who ruled Egypt from 332 to 31 B.C.”
“The stone is a granite one cut in a rectangular shape. The inscription is written in hieroglyphic script with 42 columns. The upper part of the stone depicts three Egyptian deities, Khnum, Satis and Anuket, with Djoser holding offerings in his outstretched hands. A deep crack, which was already there when the inscriptions were made, cuts the stone in half. Some parts of it are damaged, rendering some passages of the text unreadable,” Rihan told Al-Monitor via phone.
