Editing Meretseger (section)

=== Stela of Neferabu ===
[[File:By ovedc - Egyptian Museum (Cairo) - 099.jpg|thumb|[[Black granite]] statue of Meretsger protecting Pharaoh [[Amenhotep II]] (1427–1401 BC).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/cachette5.htm|title=The Courtyard of the Cachette in the Temple of Amun at Karnak in Luxor (Ancient Thebes), Egypt, Part II: Statue of Amenhotep II with Meretseger|website=www.touregypt.net|language=ru|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref>]]
It was believed that Meretseger punished the workers who committed a [[sacrilege]] (by stealing something from the royal graves or the building sites — [[copper]] instruments were particularly precious — as well as those who failed in an oath) [[poisoning]] them with her [[Snakebite|bite]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/meretseger.html|title=Gods of Ancient Egypt: Meretseger|website=www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-05-09}}</ref> But she was also considered generous in forgiving those who repented to her and, in this case, would heal him from physical evil.<ref name=":6" /> This is the case of the draftsman Neferabu, who would have been cured of [[Visual impairment|blindness]] after having begged Meretseger, as he himself was able to attest on a [[limestone]] stela ([[Museo Egizio|Museo egizio]], [[Turin]]) dedicated to her:<ref name=":1">[[Miriam Lichtheim|Lichtheim, Miriam]] (1976). Ancient Egyptian Literature. Volume II: The New Kingdom, Los Angeles: University of California Press, {{ISBN|978-0520036154}}. pp. 107–9.</ref>{{Quote|text=Giving praise to the '''Peak of the West''', kissing the ground to her [[Ancient Egyptian concept of the soul|''ka'']], I give praise, hear (my) call, I was a truthful man on earth! Made by the servant of the Place-of-Truth, Neferabu, [[Maa Kheru|justified]]. (I was) an ignorant man and foolish, who knew not good from evil, I did the transgression against the '''Peak''', and she taught a lesson to me. I was in her hand by night as by day, I sat on bricks like the woman on labor, I called to the wind, it came not to me, I libated to the '''Peak''' of the West, great of strength, and to every god and goddess. Behold, I will say to the great and small, who are in the troop: beware the '''Peak'''! For there is a lion within her! The '''Peak''' strikes with the stroke of a savage lion, she is after him who offends her! I called upon my Mistress, I found her coming to me as a sweet breeze; she was merciful to me, having made me see her hand. She returned to me appeased, she made my malady forgotten; for the '''Peak of the West''' is appeased, if one calls upon her. So says Neferabu, justified. He says: Behold, let hear every ear, that lives upon earth: beware the '''Peak of the West'''!|sign=|source=stela of Neferabu}}In relation to the Egyptians with their divinities, the concepts of [[sin]], [[repentance]] and [[forgiveness]] were very unusual; these characteristics of Meretseger's cult appear to be a ''unicum''.<ref name=":6" />