Published Faience Ushabti of the Hebrew Ben-Azen, Considered a Historical Model of the Biblical Moses

Culture: Egyptian

Period: New Kingdom, 19th-20th Dynasty, ca. 1215-1160 B.C.

Material: Faience

Dimensions: 11.2 cm high

Price: 28 000 Euro

Ref: 1575

Provenance: Hirsch Auction 235, Munich 2004, lot 1377. Acquired there by the German Egyptologist Hermann A. Schlögl and published by him in: H. A. Schlögl, „Geschichte und Wege. Notizen zu ägyptischen Totenstatuetten und anderen Kleinfunden“, Berlin 2012, pp. 109.

Condition: Intact

Description: This ushabti is the only known example from the now-lost tomb of the Hebrew Ben-Azen, who was later raised in Egypt and took the name Ramses-em-per-Ra (“R‘mssw-m-pr-R‘”). He attained a high position at the court of Ramses II as first herald, fan-bearer to the king’s right and steward, and continued to serve under his successors Merenptah and Ramses III. Ben-Azen, who was born in the East-Jordanian Ziribašani, has been discussed since the 1970s as the historical model for the biblical Moses. The reason for this was not only his high position as a Hebrew at the Egyptian court, where he had direct access to the pharaoh and was subordinate only to him. A rock inscription in the Timna Valley, 30 kilometres north of Eilat, also caught researchers' attention. There, at a site of ancient copper mining, Ramses III is depicted making an offering to the goddess Hathor. Following his titulary, the inscription reads: “The coming of the steward R‘-msj-sw-m-pr-R‘.” At that time, the high official must already have reached what might be described as a “biblical age,” acting as a mediator between the Egyptian operators of the copper mines and the local Jewish workers. The spelling of his name with the abbreviated form “msj” (Moses) further strengthened the theory that he may represent the historical figure behind the biblical Moses. See: Manfred Görg „Ein asiatisch-ägyptischer Inspektor in Timna“ in: M. Görg, Beiträge zur Zeitgeschichte der Anfänge Israels, Ägypten und Altes Testament 2, Wiesbaden 1989, p. 175-179. As well as Stefan Jakob Wimmer „Die Schrift aus der Wüste“ in: Blätter Abrahams 8, 2009, p. 96. If Ben-Azen, under his Egyptian name Ramses-em-per-Ra, is indeed the historical model of the biblical Moses, then this ushabti is of historical significance that should not be underestimated. The German Egyptologist Hermann A. Schlögl suggests this connection in his publication on the piece. See for that: H. A. Schlögl „Geschichte und Wege. Notizen zu ägyptischen Totenstatuetten und anderen Kleinfunden“, Berlin 2012, pp. 109. The funerary figure itself is stylistically typical of the Ramesside period. The mummy-shaped figure wears a tripartite striated wig that leaves the ears exposed. The mouth and nose are modelled in relief, while the eyes and eyebrows are painted in black. The figure is wrapped in a mummy garment, from which the hands protrude in relief. Each hand holds a hand plough. Also depicted are a multi-strand broad neck collar and, on the back, a seed bag with decorative tassels, as well as various vessels held together by a cord. The hieroglyphic inscription, applied vertically, begins beneath the hands and extends down to the feet. The translation reads: “Osiris Ramses-em-per-Ra, begotten by Jupa-a” (“the Radiant One”).