26. The Elysian Fields
Tomb and Mortuary Chapel of the Theban Official Sen-Nezem.
This is a complete picture of the Egyptian Elysian Fields, or Paradise. The whole region is seen surrounded by water with two principal streams dividing it. Above is a picture of the Sun-God, in his morning boat, adored by two apes. The God, falcon-headed, is crowned with the sun disc, round which a snake is coiled: he holds an Ankh before him. The long island at the bottom is covered with flowering plants and shrubs of various kinds, so also is the broader island or tract of land. It is covered with fruit trees, among which date and dom plants are conspicuous. Above the fruit trees, we see Sen-Nezem ploughing with two cows, one black and one white, while his wife is behind him, sowing. On the left, the pair are shown pulling up flax by the roots. Beyond is a large field of yellow grain, which Sen-Nezem is reaping with a flint-hook, with serrated teeth, taking the ears only. His wife, behind him, is gleaning, and putting the ears into a basket. At the right end of the field of standing grain, Sen-Nezem is seated before a table of food and drink, and he is inhaling the fragrance of a lotus. Above the river of blue water of the Wheat and Barley Nome, there is another division of the Garden. To the left, Sen-Nezem and his wife, are adoring a group of five gods seated on a heap of yellow grain. To the right is Ra-hotep the son of Sen-Nezem, paddling in a papyrus boat.