Hello, I do not want to get into any arguments again (don't have the time & health for it either) but i need to sort this darn argument about ra-hotep versus hotep-ra once and for all. Once again I am having argument with a scholar about ra-hotep as we did on here year or so ago. They seem to imply that the name is read ra-hotep not hotep-ra just like people on here asserted before. However i have done a study of hieroglyphics and i just can't see how it is more likely to read ra-hotep than hotep-ra (but rather is more likely read the latter way than former). According to the almost always consitent practice the names are indeed written with ra/re first, but they are almost always read/spoken with the ra/re last eg written ra-khaf but read/spoken khaf-re/chephren (all throne names read with re/ra last). Either there is something more that egyptologists know that i don't know, or else they are confusing the issue? The only way i can see that i am wrong is maybe honourific transposition of ra/re is only for cartouche names? or maybe honourific transposition of ra/re is only from djedefre (4th dyn) and after not before?

[I know the upper over the lower and the reverse way to animals facing. I have seen photo of 3rd/4th dyn "ra-hotep" glyphs and 17th dyn "ra-hotep" glyphs (as well as other ra/re names and other hotep/hetep names). I know way written. The issue is way read. I know rameses is read with ra/re first same as written (while most other pharaoh names have the re/ra last in the reading.]


The other argument is whether it is hetep/hotep or hoptu/hept. In this instance i accept that it does look like i am wrong according to almost always consistent writings & readings. However it depends solely on the "rule/law" that hieroglyphs are always read reverse direction to way animals/etc are facing. Does anyone know of any possible exceptions to this rule/law? (Not just in Egyptian either. Is it possible Hebrew could have read it reverse?) (I have limited resources, health, time etc so i am not able to do a indepth study of photographs of hieroglyphs of many dynasties.) There is one S.I.P. pharaoh name with the arm glyph (same arm glyph as in the 3rd/4th dyn "ra-hotep" glyphs) in opposite direction to others but i don't know if that is just a mis-drawing by the source since is only a drawing/horizontal not a photo/vertical.

(Does anyone know a good web site with modern egyptian (&/or ethiopian) "baby" names? I thought a possibility might be to see if any confirmation which way in names between 25th/26th dyn and present, since is no ancient foreign mention of "rahotep".)

Another uncertainty i if "ra-hotep" had a daughter named asenath. Source/s do/es list a daughter Sethtet but not sure if that can/can't be Asenath or Sen-nebty. Some sources said a son Achethotep but other source/s not list.

(I am so sure that poti-phera is "ra-hotep" but i can't seem to find the proof and i have to admit that it does look like i could possibly be wrong even though to me it seems that the only case against it is negative "can't be because of direction read rules".)

(Please just answer on ra-hotep glyphs readings. I can cope with people just posting their opinions/knowledge on "ra-hotep" reading rules/laws / impossibilities/possibilities but i don't want any negative about me and my methods/scholarship /theory /etc. It may also be ok to give opinions/knowledge on Poti-pherah (&/or Potiphar) linguistics since either/both names may or may not be possibly connected.)


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