Hraf-hef See “he-who-looks-behind-himself ”
“Horus-in-the-Nest” This was a term used in all historical periods to designate the heirs or crown princes of each dynasty when they were proclaimed in public rituals as future rulers. The title attests to the potential of the heirs and to their pending ascent to the throne as representatives of the gods.
Hor-wen-nefer (fl. 3rd century b. c.e.) Native Egyptian who tried to establish an independent state at Thebes Hor-wen-nefer rebelled in 206 b. c.e. against the reign of PTOLEMY IV PHILOPATOR (221-205 B. C.E.). The Ptolemaic military confronted Hor-wen-nefer immediately, ending his attempts and routing confederates and allies.
See also rebels of Egypt.
Hrere (fl. 10th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twenty-first Dynasty (1070-945 b. c.e.)
She was the wife of one of the high priests of amun, who ruled at thebes, in Upper Egypt. Hrere married the high priest PIANKHI (2) and bore pinudjem (1). Piankhi had to put down rebels during his term of office. There is some evidence that Hrere possibly was a daughter of herihor.
Hu An Egyptian deity associated with the sensation of taste, the god was worshiped in early eras of the nation and was mentioned in a document in a temple of HELIOPOLIS, dating to the reign of senwosret i (1971-1926 B. C.E.). No cultic shrines dedicated to Hu have survived.
Hotepiriaket (fl. 23rd century b. c.e.) Fifth Dynasty priest noted for his tomb text
He served as a mortuary attendant in the temple of KAKAI (Neferirkare; r. 2446-2426 b. c.e.) at abusir. Hotepiri-aket’s tomb contained a remarkable text in which he implored visitors to donate mortuary gifts of bread, beer, clothing, ointments, grains, and other items “in great
Hua A mountain or high mound in the region of the NILE below the first cataract, Hua was a landmark used by the New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.) pharaohs in their campaigns in nubia (modern Sudan). The mountain was a navigational point for Egyptian ships and a southern measuring site for all expeditions.
See also gebel barkal.
Hudet A winged form of the god re, called “the Splendor,” the Hudet was also part of the cultic rituals in edfu, associated with the worship of horus. That deity became the winged disk in order to scout the horizons for Egypt’s enemies.
Hunefer Papyrus A copy of the book of the dead dating to the reign of seti i (1306-1290 b. c.e.) in the Nineteenth Dynasty, the text was either composed in that reign or copied from an earlier version. Beautifully illustrated, the Hunefer Papyrus is in the British Museum, London.
Huni (d. 2575 b. c.e.) Fifth and last ruler of the Third Dynasty, called “the Smiter”
He was the successor of kha’ba, reigning from 2599 b. c.e. until his death, but no relationship has been documented. He married merysankh (1), probably an heiress of the royal clan, and she bore him a son, snefru. He also had a daughter, hetepheres (1).
Huni built a pyramid at meidum, on the edge of the FAIYUM, using a square ground plan. Step styled, the pyramid was covered with Tureh limestone. Three steps remain, as the limestone covering collapsed. A burial chamber was carved out of the bedrock, and a causeway and temple were erected. He may have been buried in the site, which was completed by Snefru. mastaba tombs of courtiers and nobles were built around the pyramid. One such tomb, the resting place of neferma’at and his wife ATET, contained the famous relief paintings of geese. The statues of Prince rahotep (1) and nofret (1), his wife, were discovered in another mastaba.
Huni reportedly erected a brick pyramidal tomb in ABU ROWASH, south of saqqara. This layered tomb is badly damaged. A red granite head of Huni is in the British Museum. Huni is also credited with a fortress on the ELEPHANTINE Island in some records. During his reign, kagemni, the famous sage, served as his vizier.
Hurbeit A site in the Nile Delta, northeast of bubastis, where the remains of a temple were uncovered. The seals of RAMESSES II (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) were found on building blocks of the temple. Sacred bulls were buried at Hurbeit in some periods. The Greeks renamed the site Pharbaites.
Tary and political power on the upper Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and on the border of Anatolia (modern Turkey). Urkesh had an estimated population of 10,000 to 20,000 at its height. The capital was abandoned, however, c. 1500 because of climatic changes and failing water supplies.
The HITTITES admired the Hurrians and feared their military prowess. When the Hurrians approached Syria and Palestine, local city-states learned to appreciate their martial abilities. Egyptians respected the Hurrians as expert horsemen and used their talents during the New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.). The Hurrians also had access to metals and used stone effectively. They excelled at mining and trade.
Huy (1) (Amenhotep) (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Official and viceroy of the Eighteenth Dynasty He served tut’ankhamun (r. 1333-1323 b. c.e.) as the VICEROY of Nubia (modern Sudan). Huy, called Amenhotep in some records, was buried in qurnet murai, on the western shore of thebes. His tomb contained elaborate paintings depicting Tut’ankhamun receiving Nubian subjects and accepting tributes.
Huy (2) (Amenhotep) (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Governor of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 b. c.e.) as the governor of the BAHARIA oasis. He was also listed as Amenhotep in some records. Huy’s tomb at Baharia was discovered previously but not identified until 1986.
Huya (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Harem official of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served in the reign of amenhotep iii (1391-1353 b. c.e.) as a steward of Queen tiye (1) and the superintendent of the royal harem. He followed Queen Tiye to ’amarna after Amenhotep Ill’s death and served the entire royal family, including akhenaten and nefertiti.
Huya’s tomb in ’Amarna contains pillared chambers and an inner room with a burial shaft and a shrine. Reliefs depict him at a royal banquet, court ceremonies, and having honors bestowed upon him by Akhenaten. A statue of Huya, unfinished, was also recovered. Queen Tiye and Princess baketamun (Baketaten) are also depicted in the tomb.
Hurrians A people whose homeland was originally near Lake urmia, in northern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), in the reign of amenemhet iii (1844-1797 b. c.e.), the Hurrians invaded the lands east of the Tigris River. By 2200 b. c.e., they were thriving at their capital, Urkesh, and building the Temple of the Lion. They used the Hur-rian and Akkadian languages and worshiped a pantheon of gods. By 1780 b. c.e., the Hurrians had achieved mili-
Hyksos A nomadic group that swept over Syria, Palestine, and Egypt c. 1750 b. c.e., the earliest recorded Hyk-sos had canaanite names, associating them with the Amorites of the same period. A stela found at tanis states that they took the area of avaris c. 1640 b. c.e. From Avaris they moved into Memphis. These Asiatics, called the Hikau-Khoswet, Amu, A’am, or Setetyu by the Egyptians, were recorded by the Ptolemaic Period historian manetho as having suddenly appeared in the Nile Valley He wrote that they rode their horse-drawn chariots to establish a tyranny in the land. They did enter Egypt, but they did not appear suddenly, with what Manetho termed “a blast of God.” The Hyksos entered the Nile region gradually over a series of decades until the Egyptians realized the danger they posed in their midst. Most of the Asiatics came across Egypt’s borders without causing much of a stir. Some had distinguished themselves as leaders of vast trading caravans that kept Egypt’s economy secure. others were supposedly veterans of the various border police, started in the Middle Kingdom when amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 b. c.e.) constructed the WALL OF THE PRINCE, the series of fortresses that guarded the eastern and western borders of the land.
If there was a single factor that increased the Asiatic population in Egypt, it was slavery, introduced officially as an institution in the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 b. c.e.). Asiatics came either as captives or as immigrants eager for employment. As workers they were assimilated into Egyptian society During the Second Intermediate Period (1640-1550 b. c.e.), when several rival dynasties competed in the land, the Asiatics gained control of the eastern Delta. Moving steadily southward and making treaties with nomes or subjecting them with the aid of Egyptian allies, the Asiatics established themselves firmly. Only THEBES, the capital of the south, stood resolute against their expansion, and the Hyksos were denied most of Upper Egypt. Their hold on the western Delta is poorly documented. For a time the nome clan of XOIS stood independent. The Xois Dynasty, the Fourteenth Dynasty, was contemporaneous with the Fifteenth Dynasty (1640-1532 b. c.e.). While these rulers remained independent, the Asiatics moved around them and built their domain at avaris, a site in the eastern Delta, as their capital.
In the beginning, Thebes and Avaris managed to conduct their affairs with a certain tolerance. The Hyksos sailed to the southern cataracts of the Nile to conduct trade without being hindered, and the Theban cattle barons grazed their herds in the Delta without incident. There were two separate royal lines of Hyksos in the Delta, the Fifteenth, called “the Great Hyksos,” and a contemporaneous Sixteenth Dynasty, ruling over minor holdings.
The Thebans were soon contesting the Asiatic control, and the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty (16401550 b. c.e.) began to harass their caravans and ships. APOPHIS (2), the Hyksos ruler who came to the throne in 1585 B. C.E., then sent an insult to Sekenenre ta’o ii of Thebes and found himself in the middle of a full scale war as a result. kamose took up the battle when Sekenenre-Ta’o died, using the desert oases as hiding places for his army The young Egyptian was in striking distance of Avaris when he died or was slain. Apophis died a short time before him. ’ahmose, the founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty and the father of the New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.), took up the battle of his father and brother and laid siege to Avaris. The city fell to him in c. 1532 b. c.e., and the Asiatics fled to Sharuhen in Palestine, with the Egyptians in hot pursuit. When Sharuhen fell to the same Egyptian armies, the Hyksos ran to Syria. Thus the Hyksos domination of Egypt was ended.
Building at Tell ed-Dab’a, or Lisht, the Hyksos founded Avaris as a fortified city with palaces and enclosed tombs. The population was mixed, and heavy trade in oil and wine flourished. A Minoan influence is evident at Avaris, and some 500 pieces of cyprian pottery, containing oils and perfumes, were discovered. Minoan inscriptions were also found on cypriot spindle-shaped bottles. Hyksos styled vessels called bilbils and poppyshaped as well as spindle style jugs held perfumes, HONEY, and opium.
As the Middle Kingdom declined and fell, the Hyksos rose at tell ed-dab’a, Tell Hiba, and tanis. Avaris flourished with fortified citadels, gardens, and vineyards. The paintings in the residences were Minoan in style. The Hyksos worshiped set, uniting him with the Canaanite Baal-Reshef. Several of the Hyksos rulers opened Egypt’s eastern borders, welcoming canaanites and other groups into the Nile Valley.
The Asiatics had come to the Nile to absorb the material benefits of Egyptian civilization. In turn, the Hyksos introduced the horse and chariot, the SHADUF (the irrigational implement that revolutionized the farming techniques), and military weapons that transformed the armies of the Nile into formidable forces. The Hyksos episode also brought an awareness to the Egyptians that they could not remain in isolation. That realization served as an impetus for later expansion. The Tuthmossid rulers would march in cycles of conquest to the Euphrates River areas as declared instruments of vengeance for the Asiatic dominance of Egypt for more than a century.
See also QUARREL OF APOPHIS AND sekenenrE (ta’o II).
Suggested Readings: Oren, Eliezer D. The Hyksos: New Historical and Archaeological Perspectives. University Museum Monograph 96. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997.
“Hymn of Rising” A ceremony conducted each morning in the palaces of ancient Egypt. Courtiers and priests wakened the pharaoh and the gods with songs and hymns of praise. The lyrics of the songs were dedicated to NEKHEBET and WADJET, the protectors of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Hypostyle hall A Greek term for a room or chamber that has many columns. The architectural innovation developed gradually in Egypt, starting with the first attached pillars placed by imhotep in the courtyard of the STEP PYRAMID of DJOSER (r. 2630-2611 B. C.E.) in SAQQARA. Such halls became a feature of Egyptian architecture, a reference to the reeds of the primordial marsh of creation or to the forests that had vanished on the Nile.
See also art and architecture.
Hypostyle columns displayed in the temple of Luxor in the papyrus bundle design. (Courtesy Steve Beikirch.)
I
Ibhet A site near the second cataract of the Nile, located in nubia (modern Sudan), Ibhet contains a QUARRY of black granite. The Egyptians discovered the mine in the Sixth Dynasty Period (2323-2150 b. c.e.) or perhaps earlier. By the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B. C.E.) expeditions were active at the site. amenemhet iii (r. 1844-1797 b. c.e.) led a campaign against the local inhabitants of Ibhet in his first regnal year. The Egyptians prized the stone and maintained fortified operations in ibhet.
See also EGYPTIAN natural resources.
Ibi (fl. 22nd century b. c.e.) Official of the Sixth Dynasty He was the son of Djau, the brother of Queens ankhnes-MERY-RE (1) and ankhnesmery-re (2), and a cousin of PEPI II (r. 2246-2152 b. c.e.). Ibi was trained for government service and became the vizier of the southern region, Upper Egypt. He was buried in deir el-gebrawi near assiut, and in his tomb he promises to “pounce” on anyone who enters his tomb with evil intentions. Ibi married a nome heiress and served as nomarch of thinis for a time. His son, Djau (Zau) Shemai, succeeded him and in turn ruled as “the Keeper of the Door to the South,” an ELEPHANTINE Island noble position.
Ibis This bird was considered sacred to the Egyptian god of wisdom, thoth. The city of hermopolis magna was the cult center for ibises. Another shrine, called the Ikheum, was located north of the city. The mummified remains of ibises have been recovered in several areas.
Ibu The mortuary site where mummified corpses were purified and prepared for the journey into the Tuat or
Underworld. These were sometimes part of the royal pyramidal complexes, mainly the valley temples. In some records this mortuary site was called the PER NEFER, or House of Beauty
Ichneumon (Shet, Seshet) The mongoose deity of Egypt, called Khatru as an animal and Shet or Seshet as a god. The Greeks identified the deity as Ichneumon. Statues of the mongoose, standing erect, were attired in the sun disk. The Ichneumon, revered because it could slay evil serpents, was considered a theophany of the god ATUM of HELIOPOLIS. Because it ate crocodile eggs, it was associated with the god re. In some depictions the Ichneumon brandished weapons of war.
Idet (Itet) (fl. 12th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twentieth Dynasty
She was the daughter of ramesses vi (r. 1154-1143 b. c.e.) and Queen nubkhesed (2). In some records she was listed as Itet.
Idu (fl. 23rd century b. c.e.) Mortuary official of the Sixth Dynasty
He served pepi i (r. 2289-2255 b. c.e.) as a supervisor of mortuary priests and ceremonies at the pyramidal complexes of KHUFU (Cheops) and khafre (Chephren) at GIZA. Idu and others maintained daily mortuary rituals at such funerary sites, as the cults of the deceased pharaohs continued for decades. The number of cultic personnel involved normally led to the building of small cities alongside the pyramids and to the appointment of officials and urban service agencies.
Idut See SESHESHET.
Ihy (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Innovative courtier of the Twelfth Dynasty
He served amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 b. c.e.) as a mortuary ritual official. Ihy joined a coworker named Hetep in preparing a tomb as part of the mortuary complex of teti (2323-2291 b. c.e.). They were servants of the funerary cult of Teti’s PYRAMID complex in saqqara, erected during the Sixth Dynasty (2323-2150 b. c.e.), and they constructed twin tombs that had visible chapels on the outer boundaries of Teti’s pyramid.
However, the two courtiers tunneled 15 feet down and 21 feet across the pyramidal boundaries in order to build their actual burial chambers as part of Teti’s mortuary site. This, they believed, would entitle them to share in the pharaoh’s heavenly rewards. The tombs built at the end of the tunnels were small but insured a prosperous afterlife for both men.
Ikhernofret (fl. 19th century b. c.e.) Mining official and treasurer of the Twelfth Dynasty
He served senwosret iii (r. 1878-1841 b. c.e.) and was part of the campaigns to conquer nubia (modern Sudan). Ikhernofret was sent to abydos to adorn the temple of the god OSIRIS there. An official named sisatet accompanied Ikhernofret to Abydos, where both men erected commemorative stelae. A supervisor of mining operations and the chief royal artisan, ikhernofret prepared a portable shrine for osiris and refurbished the Abydos temple complexes. His stela at Abydos lists these royal assignments as well as details of Senwosret iii’s campaigns in his 19th regnal year. ikhernofret also performed treasury duties in Nubia.
Ikudidy (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Expeditionary official of the Twelfth Dynasty
He served senwosret i (r. 1971-1926 b. c.e.) as a leader of expeditions in the western or Libyan desert. These military probes were momentous because the western desert regions had not been explored. ikudidy mapped the OASES and the natural resources of the territory He was buried in abydos after long and faithful service to the throne. A stela erected in Abydos provided biographical data about his exploits.
Imhotep (fl. 27th century b. c.e.) Priest-physician, vizier, and designer of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara Imhotep was an official of the Third Dynasty who served four pharaohs of Egypt, but he was best known as the vizier and high priest of ptah in the reign of djoser (2630-2611 b. c.e.). Imhotep designed and supervised the building of the step pyramid at saqqara as Djoser’s mortuary complex. He was a commoner by birth, born to
Kaneferu and Ankh-Kherdu. Both parents are listed in an inscription found at wadi hammamat.
Rising through the ranks in the court and in the temple, Imhotep became treasurer of Lower Egypt, “the First After the King” of Upper Egypt, the administrator of the Great Palace, the high priest of ptah (called “the Son of Ptah”), the ruler’s chief architect, and “the wise counselor” as listed in the TURIN canon. He was a renowned poet and priest-physician, equated with Asclepios by the Greeks.
The greatest achievement of Imhotep, the one that stands as a living monument to his genius and his faith in eternity, was the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. He built the complex as a mortuary shrine for Djoser, but it became a stage and an architectural model for the spiritual ideals of the Egyptian people. The Step Pyramid was not just a single pyramidal tomb but a collection of temples, chapels, pavilions, corridors, storerooms, and halls. Fluted columns engaged, or attached to, the limestone walls or emerged from the stone walls according to his plan. Yet he made the walls of the complex conform to those of the palace of Djoser, according to ancient styles of architecture, thus preserving a link to the past.
Imhotep’s didactic texts were well known in later times, as were his medical writings. The Greeks honored him, and during the Roman Period the emperors Tiberius and Claudius inscribed their praises of Imhotep on the walls of Egyptian temples. He was deified with amen-HOTEP, SON OF HAPU, a rare occurrence in Egypt, as commoners were normally not eligible for such honors. Shrines and clinics were erected throughout the Nile Valley in his memory, and he was worshiped as far south as kalabsha in nubia (modern Sudan). A temple of his cult was erected in philae. Imhotep reportedly lived to the end of the reign of huni (2599-2575 b. c.e.). He was buried in Saqqara, but his tomb has not been identified.
Imi (Yem) (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Eleventh Dynasty
She was the consort of montuhotep iii (r. 2010-1998 b. c.e.) but not the Great Wife or ranking queen. Imi was the mother of montuhotep iv. An inscription in wadi HAMMAMAT praises her as a royal mother.
Imsety He was one of the four “Sons of horus” associated with the mortuary rituals of Egypt. The Sons of Horus assisted with the mummification process and served as patrons of the deceased as the guardians of the CANOPIC JARS used to store the vital organs removed from the mummified remains. Imsety was the guardian of the liver. The stoppers on his canopic vessels were carved to portray a human head.
Imu (Kom el-Hisn) This was a site in the western Delta of Egypt, south of naukratis, modern Kom el-Hisn.
A temple that was dedicated to the cults of the deities SEKHMET and HATHOR was erected at Imu by senwosret i (r. 1971-1926 b. c.e.). A rectangular structure, the temple also contained statues of amenemhet iii (r. 1844-1797 b. c.e.) and ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.), installed in later dynasties. Imu became the capital of the third nome of Lower Egypt. The necropolis associated with the site contains tombs from the First Intermediate Period (2134-2040 b. c.e.) to the New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.).
Inaros (fl. fifth century b. c.e.) Egyptian rebel in the Persian Period
Inaros was from the southwestern Delta, possibly the son of a commoner named Psammetichus. He is also listed as a prince of Heliopolis, the son of psammetichus iii. Inaros established his headquarters near modern Alexandria and rebelled against the rule of artaxerxes i (r. 465-424 b. c.e.), a Persian of the royal Achaemenid line. He clashed with Persian forces at Papremis, a site in the northwestern Delta. Achaemenes, a prince and the brother of the Persian king, xerxes i, was slain in the battle, and the Persians were forced to retreat to Memphis.
The Persian general megabyzus was sent to put down the revolt as a result of this defeat, and Inaros and his companions were driven to an island in the Nile marshes. inaros was betrayed by a fellow rebel and was captured. The queen mother, Amastris, of Persia demanded his crucifixion, despite the arguments from General Megabyzus, who had given Inaros a pledge of safety Inaros was crucified in 454 b. c.e. His ally, however, an Egyptian named amyrtaios (1), remained undefeated in the Delta. Another amyrtaios (2) founded the Twenty-eighth Dynasty in 404 b. c.e.
(1473-1458 b. c.e.). He may have entered service at the court of THEBES, in the reign of Amenhotep I (1524-1504 b. c.e.). Ineni was one of the most revered architects of his age, supervising various projects at karnak.
He built the original tombs, one large, one small, of Tuthmosis I and transported and erected obelisks for that ruler. As overseer of the Granary of amun, Ineni erected a protective wall around the deity’s Theban shrine. pylons were added, as well as doors made of copper and gold. Ineni also designed flagstaffs, called senut by the Egyptians, at Karnak. These flagstaffs were fashioned out of cedar and electrum.
An aristocrat of his nome, Ineni was buried in an elaborate tomb at khokha on the western shore of thebes with his wife, Ah’hotep. This tomb contained paintings and vivid reliefs of funerary rituals and everyday life. Statues of Ineni and his family are in the tomb. He is believed to have died during the reign of tuthmosis iii (1479-1425 b. c.e.).
Inhapi (fl. 21st century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Eleventh Dynasty
She was a lesser consort of montuhotep ii (r. 2061-2010 b. c.e.) who was buried in a shaft at the southern end of DEIR el-bahri in the great complex on the western shore of THEBES. Queen Inhapi’s tomb is listed in some accounts as containing the cache of royal mummies that was transferred there when their original tombs were found plundered. The royal remains discovered on the site in 1881 include those of Sekenenre ta’o ii, ’ahmose, tuthmosis i, II, and III, SETI I, RAMESSES II, III, and IX, pinudjem i and ii, and SIAMUN (1). This collection is called the Deir el-Bahri cache.
See also mummy caches.
Incense An important material for religious and royal rites in Egypt, called senetjer, several types of incense were used in rituals in the temples and at royal cult celebrations. Myrrh, a red form of incense imported from PUNT, was considered the most sacred and was used for the most solemn of rituals. Frankincense, or olibanum, was also favored. Incense was a purifying element in all of the Egyptian observances and was the substance used to bestow honor upon the gods and the dead or living rulers. Myrrh incense was offered in the temples at noon. At sunset the compound called kyphi was used. The pellets of the chosen resins were put in a bronze censer pan with a long wooden handle. A pottery bowl heated with charcoal was used to burn the incense and the sanctuary was perfumed.
Ineni (fl. 15th century b. c.e.) Overseer of the granary of Amun and an architect of the Eighteenth Dynasty Ineni served tuthmosis i (r. 1504-1492 b. c.e.) and continued in the court through the reign of hatshepsut
Ini See shepseskare.
Installation of the Vizier A text discovered in the tomb of rekhmire, serving tuthmosis iii (r. 1479-1425 b. c.e.), another version was found in the tomb of User-man, Rekhmire’s uncle, and yet another in the chambers of the tomb of Hepu, who served tuthmosis iv (r. 1401-1391 b. c.e.). Other viziers, such as paser (2) serving RAMESSES II (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.), used parts of the text for their own mortuary reliefs.
In each text, the vizier was admonished sternly by the ruler that he had served to perform the prescribed duties with honor. The ceremony probably dates to the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 b. c.e.), possibly in the reign of Senwosret III (1878-1841 b. c.e.).
A similar text, the Duties of the Vizier, was also displayed in Rekhmire’s tomb, a detailed itemization of protocol, attitudes, and demands on viziers. All such officials were deemed responsible for the agents and representatives conducting government affairs in their terms of
I8o Instructions for Merikare
Office, and the vizier had to be responsive to requests and the needs of individual citizens.
Instructions for Merikare A didactic text that dates to the First Intermediate Period and is believed to be the work of KHETY III (r. c. 2100 B. C.E.), designed as a moral treatise for his son, merikare, who succeeded on the throne at hierakonpolis, the Instructions offer a remarkable documentation of that historical period, a time of rival kingdoms.
In the Instructions Khety III cites a raid on thinis conducted by his allies from assiut. That assault ravaged Thinis and desecrated the graves in the local necropolis, resulting in a general outrage in the land and a Theban military campaign that led to the ruin of the Khety line. The text clearly outlines the duties of a wise ruler as well and echoes the moral precepts of earlier dynasties on the Nile. Khety III bade his son and heir to imitate the great pharaohs of the past and to promote equal justice, compassion, and prudence in military campaigns, expressing regret that such a devastation of Thinis had come about in his name. The text is included in a papyrus in st. petersburg, Russia, and dates in its surviving form to the New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.) when it was obviously copied by a scribe.
Instructions of Amenemhet I A classic text that is reportedly from the reign of amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 B. C.E.) serving as a last testament for his son and heir, senwosret i (r. 1971-1926 b. c.e.), the actual text was probably composed by a scribe named Aktoy, who served Senwosret I. The Instructions warn against trusting anyone while holding royal powers. senwosret I was coregent when Amenemhet I was assassinated by a harem revolt. Amenemhet I was speaking posthumously, in this text, describing his ordeal and listing his accomplishments. There are some 70 copies of the Instructions of Amenemhet surviving, particularly in the Milligen papyrus and the papyrus sallier II.
Instructions of Prince Djedefhor This is a text probably dating to the Fourth Dynasty. Djedefhor was the son of KHUFU (Cheops; r. 2551-2528 b. c.e.) and one of the most respected sages of the old Kingdom. This document is the earliest recorded “Instruction” from Egyptian literature. only part of the original has survived on a wooden tablet and ostraca. Djedefhor wrote the Instruction for his son, Awibre. In it he urges Awibre to marry and “raise a stout son.” He also states that “the house of death is for life. . .” a spiritual admonition concerning eternal anticipations.
Instructions of Ptah-hotep See maxims of ptah-hotep.
Instructions to the Vizier Rekhmire A text on the wall of rekhmire’s tomb at thebes, the vizier of tuthmo-sis III (r. 1479-1425 b. c.e.), the Instructions reiterate the commands given to Rekhmire and clearly define the obligations of the vizier, who is called “the First Man,” the commoner who was to serve as an intermediary between the god-king and the people of Egypt. The text reiterates the traditions and ideals of Egypt, in operation since “the time of the gods,” the beginning of all things, when Re emerged out of the chaos on the primeval mound.
Intef I-IV See INYOTEF
Intef (1) (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Priest and mining expedition leader of the Twelfth Dynasty
He served amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 b. c.e.) as a prophet of the god min (1) and as a leader of expeditions for the crown. Intef led expeditions to wadi hammamat and other desert sites, seeking quarries and mines. The Egyptians were expanding their control of natural resources in the Middle Kingdom Period (2040-1640
B. C.E.).
Intef (2) (fl. 15th century b. c.e.) Governor and military official of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served tuthmosis iii (1479-1425 b. c.e.) as a military aide. Originally from thinis, Intef accompanied Tuthmosis III on military campaigns as a personal attendant. In time, Intef became the royal herald and governor of the OASES in the western or LIBYAN desert. His biographical account is on a stela in the Louvre in Paris.
Intefoker (Inyotefoker) (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Vizier of the Twelfth Dynasty
He served amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 b. c.e.) as vizier. He was buried with his wife, Senet, at el-LiSHT, the royal necropolis. sometimes listed as Inyotefoker, he also served senwosret i as the governor of the pyramidal complex of Amenemhet I. His tomb was a long corridor dug into the hillside, and it contained a shaft leading to a burial chamber. Senet, who outlived Intefoker, was buried farther up the hill. There is a possibility that Intefoker was considered a suspect in the murder of Amenemhet I. His tomb was mutilated, and his portrait was removed from the painted scenes of paradise on the walls.
Intiu An Egyptian word used to designate the inhabitants of the Nile valley in the predynastic period (before 3,000 b. c.e.), the name was one of reverence, translated as “pillar people.” Ancestor veneration prompted such esteem for the pioneering groups of Egypt in every generation.
Ipsus i8i
Inuet A minor goddess of Egypt, considered a consort of the deity montu of erment. A statue of Inuet is on display in modern Luxor.
Inventory Stela A commemorative tablet discovered in an excavation of the Great sphinx at giza, actually found in a temple of ISIS on the site, the stela was dedicated to Isis as “the Mistress of the Pyramid.” The Inventory Stela identifies a building once beside the Great Sphinx as the temple of Isis in Rosta. This edifice served as a portal to the causeway of khafre (Chephren; r. 2520-2494 b. c.e.). The stela indicates that the Isis temple, east of the Great Pyramid of khufu (Cheops; r. 2551-2528 b. c.e.), was on the Giza plateau before the pyramids were constructed. References to the Great Sphinx are equally enigmatic.
Inyotef I (Sehertawy) (d. 2118 b. c.e.) Founder of the Eleventh Dynasty
Called the Elder, he reigned from 2134 b. c.e. until his death. Inyotef I was the son of montuhotep i, inheriting military problems in a time of unrest. With his capital at THEBES, Inyotef I began to attack neighboring nomes and the cities of koptos, dendereh, and herakleopolis, the holdings of rival clans. Uniting the nomes of Upper Egypt, he remained independent of the Ninth and Tenth Dynasties, contemporaries that held limited realms in the north. Inyotef I was buried at dra-abu el-naga, Saff el-Dawaba, in Thebes. His mortuary cult was conducted by his successors.
Inyotef II (Wah’ankh) (d. 2069 b. c.e.) Second ruler of the Theban Eleventh Dynasty
He was the brother of inyotef i, whom he succeeded, and ruled from 2118 b. c.e. until his death. Inyotef II was militarily active, leading an army against Herakleopolis’s allies at assiut. The army of Assiut attacked the city of THINIS, desecrating the tombs in the local necropolis, bringing shame upon the northerners, and motivating the Theban clans to assault them.
Inyotef II also faced a famine in upper Egypt and had to import produce and regulate the distribution of needed rations. He erected temples for satet and khnum on the ELEPHANTINE Island for famine relief. His queen was NEFERU-KHAYET (1), the mother of his heir, inyotef iii. Inyotef II was depicted on a tomb stela with his five dogs. That monument was found at el-TARiF and is now in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. He is mentioned as well in the westcar papyrus. Inyotef was buried at Saff el-Kisiya, el-Tarif, at Thebes.
World History
