PYLON (=An=) _Heliopolis_. The sacred city of the sun must have been a city of obelisks, temples, and pylons, or colossal gateways. The latter must have formed a conspicuous feature of the place, inasmuch as the massive masonry of the gateways would tower high above the other buildings. This being so, it is not surprising that a pylon with a flagstaff should be the usual symbol for Heliopolis.
The hieroglyphs following the cartouche mean, "Beloved of Haremakhu," etc., and have already been explained.
It ought to be observed that on three sides of the obelisk Thothmes' columns of hieroglyphs ended alike, namely: face one, now almost obliterated in this part; face two, still distinct; and face four, more complete in its termination than any other side.
"Horus, powerful Bull, beloved of Ra, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ra-men-Kheper. His father Tum has set up for him a great name, with increase of royalty, in the precincts of Heliopolis, giving him the throne of Seb, the dignity of Kheper, Son of the Sun, Thothmes, the Holy, the Just, beloved of the Bennu of An, ever-living."
The first part of the inscription, namely, "Horus, powerful bull, beloved of Ra, king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Ra-men-Kheper," is the same as in the first and second side, the only new idea occurring in the lower part of the palatial title, namely, "beloved of Ra."
FIGURE (=Ra=) _sun-god_. The seated figure has a hawk's head, surmounted by the aten or solar disk. Ra being the supreme solar deity, the "beloved of Ra" was one of the favourite epithets of the king.
[Illustration: "His father Tum set up for him a great name, with increase of royalty."]
ZIGZAG (=en=) _has_. After zigzag appears a thick line, which Dr. Birch thinks to be a papyrus roll, the usual sign of possession.
SEMICIRCLE (=t=) with cerastes (_ef_) make up (_tef_) _father_.
SEMICIRCLE (=t=) phonetic consonantal complement of _t_ in _Tum_.
SLEDGE (=tm=) _Tum_. The setting sun, worshipped at Heliopolis, probably same as Atum. The god Tum appears on the four sides of the pyramidion, and some therefore think that the obelisk stood with its companion in front of the temple of Tum at Heliopolis.
ZIGZAG (=n=) } } The two form (_nef_) _him_. CERASTES (=ef=)}