Identification
| Title | Sarcophagus of Nakhtnebef |
| Type | Astronomical Representation |
| Decan List Family | AR3 |
| EAT3 Number and Name | 39 Nekhtnebef |
| EAT3 Pages and Plates | 53-54, Pl 25 |
| EAT3 Decan List Family | Seti I A B |
| Publications | Lepsius (1849); Brugsch (1883); Gundel (1936) |
| Location | In Berlin |
| Date | 30th dynasty or early Ptolemaic |
Content
| Registers | 2 |
| Circumpolar Group and Deities | Yes: 9 behind Hippo; 7 opposite. |
| Planets |
Superior: Jupiter, Saturn, Mars Inferior: Mercury, Venus |
| Decan Names | Yes |
| Decanal Stars | Yes |
| Personifications of the Decans | No |
| Cluster Numbers | Yes |
| Depictions of Decanal Constellations | Yes |
| Decanal Deity Names | Yes |
| Decanal Deity Figures | Yes |
| Lunar Months | No |
| Civil Months | No |
| Nut | No |
Notes
The arrangement is unusual in having the two registers share the same orientation, similar to the representation in the Tomb of Senenmut.
Schematic
| Legend for Schematic | |
|---|---|
| C | Circumpolar group of constellations |
| A | Circumpolar attendant deities |
| D | Decans |
| P | Planets |
 |
Location and orientation of the circumpolar hippo |
 |
Indicates the starting point and directionality of list or procession of figures |
Decan List
The list gives an approximate layout for how the decans, deities, cluster labels (x-nwt ẖt), and decanal figures (in bold) are arranged. However, the only way of perceiving the complete layout and orthography of the labels is by consulting photographs, drawings, or the original. For conventions and abbreviations, see below the table.
The deities are represented by figures, sometimes with characteristics of the deities, even when then name is not present. The wording of Neugebauer and Parker's decan list for this sarcophagus (EAT 3 p. 129 ff.) suggests that names of deities are not present but they are indeed present for many decans.
The list is notable for its large triangle area and its borrowings from other traditions: spellings, arrangement, and circumpolar style from Senmut, the decan tpy-ꜥ bꜣwy, and the depiction of many figures of deities from AR2. These features, plus the lack of Mercury and the separation in time from the other astronomical representations that are members of the Seti I A subgroup, caused Neugebauer and Parker to class this diagram in a monotypical subgroup B of the Seti I A family.
| 1 tpy-ꜥ knmt | ||
| 3 ẖry ḫpd knmt | ||
| 2 knmt | Children of Horus | |
| 4 ḥꜣ<t> ḏꜣt | Children of Horus | |
| 5 pḥ<wy> ḏꜣt | Children of Horus | |
| 6 ṯmꜣt ḥrt | Children of Horus | |
| 7 ṯmꜣt ẖrt | Duamutef | |
| 8a {b}šꜣtꞽ | Hapy | |
| 8b bkꜣṯꞽ | Hapy | |
| 9 sbꜣ<w> mḥ{t}w | Duamutef | |
| 10 tpy-ꜥ ḫnt<t> | Hapy | |
| 11 ḫntt ḥrt | Horus | |
| 12 ḫntt ẖrt | ||
| 13 ṯms <n> ḫnt<t> | Horus | |
| 14 s<ꜣ>ptꞽ ḫnwy |
Isis Nephthys |
Boat |
| 15 ḥry-ꞽb wꞽꜣ | ||
| 16 sšm[w] | ||
| 17 knmw | Children of Horus | |
| 18 tpy-ꜥ smd | Horus | |
| 19 smd | Hapy | |
| 20 srt | Isis, ẖt-nwt | Sheep |
| 21 sꜣwy srt | ||
| 22 ẖrt <ḫpd> srt | ||
| 23 tpy-ꜥ ꜣḫwy | ||
| 24 ꜣḫwy | ||
| tpy-ꜥ bꜣwy | Imseti | |
| 25 bꜣwy | Hapy | |
| 26 ḫnt<w> ḥr{t}<w> | Horus | |
| 27 ḥry-ꞽb ḫnt{t}<w> | Horus | |
| 28 ḫnt{t}<w> ẖrw | Horus | |
| 29 ḳd | Horus | |
| 30 sꜣwy ḳd |
Hapy Kebehsenuf |
|
| 31 ḫꜣw | Horus, ẖt | |
| 32 ꜥrt | Os<iris> | |
| <33 ꞽwn sꜣḥ> | Horus, Horus | Sahu |
| 34 rmn ḥr<y> sꜣḥ | Eye of Horus the Elder | |
| <35 msḏr sꜣḥ> | Eye of Horus Heset | |
| 36 rmn ẖr<y> n sꜣḥ | Eye of Horus of the Horizon | |
| 37 ꜥ sꜣḥ | Eye of Horus of the Flame | |
| 39 {ꜣs}-spdt | Isis | Sopdet |
| SP1 ḥr-wpštꜣ rn=f sbꜣ rsy n pt | Planet | |
| SP2 ḏꜣ=f rn=f ḥr-kꜣ-pt rn=f sbꜣ ꞽmnty rsy pt | Planet | |
| SP3 ḥr-ꜣḫty rn=f sbꜣ ꞽꜣbty pt sḳdd=f m ḫt<ḫt> |
Planet | |
| B sꞽꜣtw A štwy | Turtles | |
| C .bn | Imseti | |
| D hnhn | Hapy | |
| E kꜣkꜣ | Duamutef | |
| F nbꞽ wr | Kebehsenuf | |
| G nsr<w> | Imseti |
|
| H sšpt Eyes <of> | Horus | |
| J hp[ds] | Horus | |
| K ꜥbš<s> | Horus | |
| L {s}<nṯr> wꜣš | Duamutef | |
| IP2 bn<w> | Benu | |
The decan numbers and letters shown here are for the decan family AR3.
SP = superior planet
IP = inferior planet
Grey shading = damage
< > = omitted but understood
{ } = inserted
The number of star symbols accompanying the decans is also omitted here, as it is often impossible to tell to which decan the symbols refer. EAT3 deals with star symbols in some detail.