Hierdie studie fokus op ‘n interpretasie van die Beni Hasanmuurskildery en meegaande inskripsie wat in Graf BH3 in Egipte ontdek is. Die skildery dateer uit ongeveer 1892 v.C. en kom voor in die graftombe van die provinsiale goewerneur van die Oryxprovinsie – Khnum-hotep II. Met die muurskildery en inskripsie deur die koninklike hofskrywer Neferhotep as vertrekpunt en teoretiese raamwerk, word daar ‘n kwalitatiewe ondersoek gedoen na die herkoms, identiteit en rol van die handelaars en ander items, veral oogverf, wat in die skildery uitgebeeld word. Benewens die interpretasie van die Beni Hasanmuurskildery, steun die studie ook op beskikbare inligting in eietydse teologiese- en argeologiese publikasies.
Deur ‘n multi-dissiplinêre benadering te volg, word daar gepoog om meer inligting te bekom oor die geografiese ligging en argitektuur van Graf BH3, die belangrikheid van graf-outobiografie, die identiteit van die handelaars en die doel van hulle besoek. Dit blyk dat die muurskildery ‘n belangrike gebeurtenis in Egipte en die Semitiese wêreld van die pre-monargale tydperk uitbeeld, en meer spesifiek die tyd en konteks waarin verhale van die sogenaamde ‘aartsvaders’, soos hulle in die Hebreeuse Bybel beskryf word, afgespeel het. Aangesien daar ‘n gebrek aan argeologiese en geskrewe (Bybelse en buite-Bybelse) bronne oor die proto-Israelitiese samelewing bestaan, hoop die studie om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot navorsing oor die tydperk, en veral die verhouding tussen die Semiete en Egiptenare.
Spesiale aandag word gegee aan die uiterlike voorkoms van die handelaars en goewerneur, en aan die aard en funksie van elke gebruiksartikel wat in die skildery uitgebeeld word, soos die kleredrag, donkies, wapens en musiek-instrumente. Omdat daar in die inskripsie spesifiek melding gemaak word van oogverf, word die belangrikheid van oogverf ten opsigte van magies-religieuse, kultiese, mediese, begrafnis-, ekonomiese (handels-) en kosmetiese gebruike, asook die vervaardiging en samestelling daarvan, breedvoerig ondersoek
This study focuses on an interpretation of the Beni Hasan mural and accompanying inscription discovered in Tomb BH3 in Egypt. The painting dates back to about 1892 BC and is found in the tomb of the provincial governor of the Oryx province - Khnum-hotep II. With the mural and inscription by the royal court writer Neferhotep as point of departure and theoretical framework, a qualitative inquiry is made into the provenance, identity and role of the merchants and other items, especially eye painting, depicted in the painting. In addition to interpreting the Beni Hasan mural, the study also relies on available information in contemporary theological and archaeological publications.
By following a multi-disciplinary approach, an attempt is made to obtain more information about the geographical location and architecture of Tomb BH3, the importance of tomb autobiography, the identity of the merchants and the purpose of their visit. It appears that the mural depicts an important event in Egypt and the Semitic world of the pre-monarchic period, and more specifically the time and context in which stories of the so-called 'patriarchs', as described in the Hebrew Bible, played. As there is a lack of archaeological and written (biblical and extra-biblical) sources on proto-Israelite society, the study hopes to contribute to research on the period, and especially the relationship between the Semites and Egyptians.
Special attention is paid to the external appearance of the merchants and the governor, and to the nature and function of each commodity depicted in the painting, such as the dress, donkeys, weapons and musical instruments. Because the inscription specifically mentions eye makeup, the importance of eye makeup with regard to magical-religious, cultural, medical, economic (trade) and cosmetic uses, as well as the manufacture and composition thereof, is extensively investigated.
