Image Details

Professor Goedicke’s copy of the hieroglyphic inscription, as printed in The New York Times of May 4, 1981. In Column 41 near the top, are a semicircle (1) and a horned viper (1; ) which have been restored (printed here in blue). The restoration is indicated by the hatch marks over the two restored signs and by the brackets enclosing them (printed here in white). This pair of signs is also found once at the bottom of column 40 and twice at the top of line 41. Including the restored pair of signs there are four pairs, which mean literally “father of fathers.” The Washington Journalism Review accused Professor Goedicke of altering the text by restoring these signs. It failed to tell its readers that generations of scholars have made the same restoration and that the restoration was clearly indicated by hatch marks and brackets.