'War Cry' or War Atrocity? A Note on Sinuhe B 140. Issue 1 (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Morschauser, Scott
• Is Part Of: Journal of Egyptian archaeology. Volume 104:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 99
• Page End: 101
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Execration Texts -- Sinuhe B 140 -- išnn -- Tale of Sinuhe; Egypt -- Antiquities -- Periodicals; Antiquities; Egypt; Archäologie; Ägypten; Égypte -- Antiquités -- Périodiques; 6.140; Periodicals; Zeitschrift; Online-Publikation; Electronic journals; 932.005
• DOI: 10.1177/0307513319826863
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0307-5133

Abstract

Virtually all translators render wd.n=i išnn ḥr i3t=f in Sinuhe B 140 as 'I raised a/my war/victory cry ( išnn ) over the back' of the nḫtw of Retenu. The author argues instead that išnn is an imperfective participial form derived from the verb šni, 'to conspire/curse', with the verbal noun being a term of execration applied to the rebellious nḫtw . Sinuhe's action of 'putting' ( wdi ) the condemned conspirator ( išnn ) 'on his back' points to the victor's display of his disgraced opponent's corpse.