Book Reviews

Abstract

SOME two or three months ago we called the attention of readers of NATURE to the first part of Mr. Newberry's work on the rock-hewn Xl1th dynasty tombs at Beni Hasan in Upper Egypt, and we have now the pleasure to record the appearance of the second and concluding portion of this valuable book. We have already described the general scope of the publication, and the plan upon which it has been carried out, and it therefore only remains for us to state the contents of the part before us. Employing the same method of arrangement, Mr. Newberry describes tombs Nos. 15–39, and he gives lists of all the members of the households of the Egyptian noblemen who were buried at Beni Hasan; the general remarks which he makes upon them are interesting and to the point. Too much praise cannot be given to the thirty-seven plates which illustrate the text, for they give the reader an accurate idea of the general appearance of the scenes painted upon the walls of the tombs. Mr. G. W. Fraser's “Report” (pp. 71–85) is also a very useful addition to the book, and the copies of Greek and Coptic graffti on pp. 65–68 will be welcome for several reasons. We are glad to see that the system of transliteration of Egyptian texts has been much modified, especially as the non-expert will now be able to gain some idea of its meaning and use. It is a great pity, however, that the system as represented in Dr. Birch's “Egyptian Texts” was not wholly adopted.