Segerseni (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Rebel from Nubia (modern Sudan) who opposed the Twelfth Dynasty He opposed amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 b. c.e.) when he founded that royal line upon the death of montuhotep IV Segerseni wanted to stop Amenemhet I and fought repeated, intense campaigns before he was defeated. Later, Segerseni’s allies fought the armies of Egypt on elephantine Island before being routed.
Sehel Island A site between the first and second cataracts of the Nile, south of ASWAN, ancient fortifications, a canal, and inscriptions were discovered there. The canal dates to the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B. C.E.) or perhaps earlier, and tuthmosis i (r. 1504-1492 B. C.E.) cleared the waterway for his Nubian campaigns. The FAMINE STELA, erected on Sehel Island in the Ptolemaic Period (304-30 b. c.e.), commemorates a visit by DJOSER (r. 2630-2611 b. c.e.) to the shrine of khnum.
Sehetepibre (Sehetepibre-ankh) (fl. 19th century B. C.E.) Financial official and esteemed sage of the Twelfth Dynasty
He served senwosret iii (r. 1878-1841 b. c.e.) and amenemhet III (r. 1844-1797 b. c.e.) as a court treasurer. Sehetepibre is famous for his Loyalist Instruction, in which he advised his fellow Egyptians to obey the pharaoh in all things. Such behavior, he suggested, led to high offices and honors. The Loyalist Instruction was inscribed on an ABYDOS stela and is now in the Louvre in Paris, having been inscribed with a poem dedicated to Amenemhet III.
This official had to take tours of the natural resource sites to tally potential assets of the various regions. Sehetepibre and his father, Tay, who also served as treasurer, left an inscription on a rock at ASWAN. The relief that records their presence on the scene was carved onto a cliff across from the elephantine Island.
See also Egyptian natural resources.
Seila This was a site bordering the faiyum territory of Egypt, south of el-LiSHT. A pyramid was erected on a desert spur at Seila. This pyramid, probably built by huni (r. 2599-2575 b. c.e.), was constructed out of limestone blocks. The pyramid was designed with four steps and was 99 square feet at the base.
Seker See sokar.
Displayed the double powers of the rulers of the Two Kingdoms, Upper and Lower Egypt.
Sekhem (4) They were the magical powers involved in the MORTUARY RITUALS. Such powers were infused into the mummy of the deceased through rituals and incantations. The BOOKS OF THE DEAD was a repository of sekhem, and mortuary priests were initiated into the ceremonies that imparted such powers to the deceased. This form of sekhem involved overcoming the obstacles facing the dead in the journey to the paradise beyond the grave.
See also HEKA; magic; priests.
Sekhem-kha (fl. 28th century b. c.e.) Nobleman whose Saqqara tomb became famous
Sekhem-kha’s tomb was designated at one time as the resting place of djet of the First Dynasty (2920-2770 b. c.e.). The tomb contains a burial chamber in which 300 bulls’ heads, fashioned out of clay and equipped with actual horns, are on display. A symbol of royalty, such a tomb decoration is unusual for a nobleman. Sekhem-kha probably served Djet or den, Djet’s successor.
Seker Boat See sokar boat.
Sekhaen-Re (d. c. 1520 b. c.e.) Fifth ruler of the lesser Hyksos Sixteenth Dynasty
This dynasty was contemporary with the Great hyksos of the Fifteenth Dynasty at avaris. No monuments survive from the reign of Sekhaen-Re.
Sekhem (1) This was the Egyptian term for the vital force of a human being that serves as a companion in eternity but is distinct from the KA and the BA. The term translates literally as “to have mastery over something.”
Sekhem (2) This was the Egyptian term for the powers of a deity, normally written with additives. osiris was described as sekhem-o, having great power. Osiris’s sekhem scepter was kept in the god’s shrine at abydos to demonstrate his magical attributes. This scepter had a golden face at the top. Two crown feathers and two cobras protected the face. The scepter was inlaid with blue faience or with stones and was beribboned.
Sekhem (3) This was the Egyptian term for royal acts that aided or restored MA’at in the land. These were physical acts in comparison to HEKA, ritual symbols. The military campaigns of the pharaohs and the establishment of just laws and traditions were all acts of sekhem, because they insured the security and honor of Egypt. Each PHARAOH declared that he was commanded by the gods to restore ma’at. The double crown of Egypt, called pschent by the Greeks, was originally named pa-sekhemty as it
Sekhemkhare (fl. 25th century b. c.e.) Princely vizier of the Fourth Dynasty
A royal prince, he was the son of khafre (Chephren; r. 2520-2494 b. c.e.). He did not inherit the throne but served as vizier for the pharaohs of his royal line. Sekhemkhare also counseled the early rulers of the Fifth Dynasty (2465-2323 b. c.e.). In that dynasty the royal power was maintained by a policy of allowing only members of the royal family to hold the highest offices, and outsiders were relegated to minor roles in the court or government.
Sekhemkhet (Djoserti) (d. 2061 b. c.e.) Third ruler of the Third Dynasty
He reigned from 2611 b. c.e. until his death. His name meant “Powerful in Body” Sekhemkhet was the successor of DJOSER. His name was inscribed on a cliff near wadi MAGHARA, indicating some military or expeditionary campaigns for the natural resources of the territory, the turquoise mines of the sinai.
Sekhemkhet built a pyramid at saqqara, southwest of the STEP PYRAMID. This tomb was designed by imhotep, the architect of the Step Pyramid, but was never completed. The masonry wall of the tomb was 27 feet deep, and the platform was 1700 feet on the north-south axis and 600 feet wide. An unused single black sarcophagus of alabaster was discovered in the pyramid, and a wooden coffin was also found. The sarcophagus was T-shaped and sealed but empty A cache of funerary regalia was also discovered in the pyramid. This treasure trove held amulets, bracelets, a golden tube, and seals honoring Sekhemkhet’s name.
Sekhemre-Wahkhau Rahotep (fl. c. 1640 b. c.e.) Reportedly the founder of the Seventeenth Dynasty He ruled from 1640-? b. c.e., at Thebes, and he maintained peaceful relations with the hyksos, who ruled the Delta at the same time. Sekhemre-Wahkhau Rehotep’s territory included the southern nomes of Egypt.
Sekhet-A’aru This was a mystical island of the dead, a paradise awaiting the Egyptians found worthy of eternal bliss. The isle was believed to have existed in the Delta or at KHARGA, the southernmost oasis of Egypt.
Sekhmet she was a powerful war goddess of Egypt, the destroyer of pharaoh’s enemies, called “She Who Is Powerful.” Sekhmet was a lioness deity, the consort of ptah and the mother of nefertem and Imhotep in Memphis. A daughter of the god re, Sekhmet struck at evildoers and spread plagues. She also healed the righteous. Her clergymen were physicians and magicians.
Sekhmet had a popular role among the rulers of Egypt, as she was believed to bring about the conception of the pharaohs. In the form of a cobra she was called mehen, and she possibly came from nubia (modern Sudan) in the early eras. She was also called the “eye OF re.”
Her statues normally depicted her as a woman with a lion’s head, and at times she wore a sun disk on her head. In this form she was a warrior manifestation of the sun, causing flames to devour the enemies of Egypt. In some eras, the gates of Sekhmet’s temples were opened as a signal of the onset of a military campaign. amenemhet iii (r. 1844-1797 b. c.e.) included 700 statues of Sekhmet in his mortuary temple in dashur. She was also portrayed on the wall of the temple of sahure (r. 2458-2446 b. c.e.) at ABUSIR. This portrait acquired a widespread reputation for its miraculous cures.
Seleucus I Nicator (d. c. 281 b. c.e.) General and ally of Egypt
He had been a governor in the service of Alexander iii THE GREAT (r. 332-323 b. c.e.) and took control of Babylon when Alexander died. Seleucus I Nicator allied himself with PTOLEMY I SOTER (r. 304-284 b. c.e.) to defeat Antigonus at Ipsus and to secure their holdings. He proved an unreliable agent of Ptolemy I, however, and was murdered.
Selket (Serqset) The scorpion goddess of Egypt associated with the osiris-isis-horus cult, Selket was worshiped as early as the First Dynasty (2920-2770 b. c.e.), possibly even earlier. She was originally part of the cult of NUN, the deity of the dark water abyss. In the pyramid TEXTS, Selket was invoked in the mortuary rituals and was declared the protectoress of qebehsennuf, the guardian of the canopic jars holding human intestines. She also guarded the royal coffin and the canopic chests. A strikingly beautiful statue of Selket, fashioned out of gold and depicting a young woman with a scorpion on her head, was discovered in the tomb of tut’ankhamun (r. 1333-1323 b. c.e.). Selket also protected the goddess ISIS and the child horus, and her spells cured stings and bites.
Sem See PRIESTS.
Sema An ancient Egyptian amulet designed to protect the lungs and windpipes, the name was translated as “to join.” The amulet was worn by the living and was placed in the wrappings of mummies during the mortuary
RITUALS.
Semerkhet (Semempses) (fl. c. 2700 b. c.e.) Sixth ruler of the First Dynasty
His actual date of reign is undocumented. His name meant “Thoughtful Friend.” manetho, the Ptolemaic Period (304-30 b. c.e.) historian, listed Semerkhet as Semempses. He was mentioned in the Palermo stone but not on the Saqqara king list. Possibly a usurper, he erased the name of his predecessor on jubilee vases. Many disasters apparently took place during his reign.
He was buried in abydos, but no Saqqara tomb has been discovered. A stela of black quartz with ivory labels was found in his tomb. An ebony plaque of the sokar BOAT was also found in his tomb. In some lists he is identified as the son of ’adjib and Queen tarset. Semerkhet’s son and heir was qa’a.
Semktet It was a sacred vessel used in ceremonies of the cult of the god re in Egyptian temples. The semktet was the symbol of the evening boat used by Re in his solar journeys each day See also mandet.
Semna This was an important military site at the second cataract in nubia (modern Sudan), where the Egyptians erected a fortress and a temple complex. Semna marked the southern border of Egypt throughout much of the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 b. c.e.). A stela made of red granite discovered on the site records that SENWOSRET III (r. 1878-1841 b. c.e.) made the original foundation of the fortress of Semna. This fortress had served as a trading settlement in previous eras. A second stela, discovered in the temple complex, dedicated the shrine to the Nubian god dedun. khnum was also venerated at Semna.
Semna’s fortress overlooked the Semna Gorge and was opposite the fortress of Kemna. In time another fortress, called Semna South, was erected in the region.
Yet another fortress, uronarti, was also built nearby. Detailed reports were sent to thebes, called the Semna Dispatches, about tracking operations. The medjay, some of whom were in the service of the Egyptians as Nubian mercenaries, were in the territory Senwosret III campaigned at Semna in his 12th regnal year. This region of Nubia had been conquered by senwosret i (r. 1971-1926 B. C.E.) earlier in the dynasty
Se’n Ba Stela A commemorative monument discovered in abydos in a chamber adjoining the cenotaph of DJER (r. c. 2900 B. C.E.), the second ruler of the First Dynasty, the stela demonstrates the prolonged use of writing in Egypt, starting at an earlier time than previously believed. Considered one of the most beautiful stone monuments of the period, the Se’n Ba Stela set the standard for later hieroglyphic commemoratives.
Sendjemib This was a clan dating to the Old Kingdom Period of Egypt and known for faithful service to the rulers of the nation. Inti Sendjemib served IZEZI (r. 2388-2356 b. c.e.) as an administrator. He also had a lake drained and formed for Izezi’s personal use. Inti Send-jemib’s son, Mehi, built a tomb at giza for his father and carried on the tradition of courtly service.
Sendji (Sened) (fl. c. 2750 b. c.e.) Ruler of the Second Dynasty
His name meant “the Fearful One.” Sendji was included in some king lists, and a Fourth Dynasty (2575-2465 B. C.E.) noble named Shery inscribed a document in his tomb stating that he was the overseer of the ka of Sendji’s tomb. It is believed that Sendji was buried under one of the galleries of the step-pyramid at saqqara.
No monuments have been discovered from Sendji’s reign, but his cult was observed for many centuries. A bronze statue was made of him in the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664-525 b. c.e.). His name was also found on a stone fragment in the mortuary temple of khafre (Che-phren; r. 2520-2494 b. c.e.) in Giza.
Senebsen (fl. 18th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Thirteenth Dynasty
She was the consort of neferhotep i (r. c. 1741-1730 B. C.E.) and was depicted with symbols of her rank on an ABYDOS stela. Senebsen was not the mother of the heir.
Senebtisy (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twelfth Dynasty
She was possibly the consort of amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 B. C.E.). Her tomb at el-LiSHT was one of many vandalized and robbed by local thieves of the era. Her mummified remains, however, had been interred in three gilded coffins and were untouched. Senebtisy’s remains were adorned with fine jewelry pieces that were recovered. in some records Senebtisy is listed as the daughter of the VIZIER Senuseret, serving possibly as a lesser-ranked wife of Amenemhet i.
Senedjim (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Artisan official of the Nineteenth Dynasty
He served ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) as a supervisor of the workers in the tombs of the valley of the KINGS. These were the servants of the place of truth, who lived in deir el-medina. Senedjim resided in Deir el-Medina and was buried there, as these workers were allowed to fashion elaborate tombs for themselves and their families.
Senenmen (Sen Men, Sonimen) (fl. 15th century B. C.E.) Expeditionary official of the Eighteenth Dynasty He served tuthmosis ii (r. 1492-1479 b. c.e.) and was originally identified as the brother of senenmut but now is considered an unrelated fellow official of the powerful favorite. Senenmen was the leader of an expedition to punt, accompanied by Senenmut, Nehesy, and thuity, all ranking officials of the court.
Senenmut (fl. 15th century b. c.e.) Favorite court official of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served as a chief counselor of hatshepsut (r. 1473-1458 B. C.E.) and as tutor to Princess neferu-re. Ten surviving statues depict him with Neferu-Re. He also provided needed support and counsel to the queen-pharaoh. Senenmut came from erment, possibly, and he was the son of Ramose and Hatnofer. His sisters were ‘A’ Ahotep and Nofrethor. His brothers were also active in the court, including a Senenmen, Minhotep, and Hatnufer.
Senenmut started his career in an earlier era and earned many titles in the temple of amun by the reign of TUTHMOSIS II (1492-1479 b. c.e.). He was the Prophet of the Bark of Amun; Overseer of the Prophets of montu in Erment; Chief Steward of Amun, Overseer of the Granaries, Storehouses, Fields, Cattle, and Slaves; Controller of the Hall of Amun; overseer of the works of Amun; and overseer of All of the works of the King in the Temple of Amun. Senenmut was also honored for his architectural skills. He was involved in the various building projects of Hatshepsut, including the temple of deir el-bahri on the western shore of the Nile at Thebes and the karnak temple. A statue depicts him as a master architect.
He amassed more than 80 titles as an official and administrator in the royal court and worked with HAPUSENEB and other supporters of Hatshepsut’s reign. Many legends concerning Senenmut have arisen over the years. The many titles and favors bestowed upon him have given rise to much speculation. what is known is the fact that Senenmut dared to attempt to link his own tomb with that of the queen-pharaoh. This or some other transgression brought about his fall from power. He never occupied the tomb that he constructed and never used the red quartzite sarcophagus prepared for him. A statue in the shrine of Tuthmosis III (r. 1479-1425 b. c.e.) at Deir el-Bahri, however, called Djeser-Akhet, reportedly was given to Senenmut. A shrine at gebel el-silsileh depicts Senenmut making offerings to the local deity and an ASWAN inscription also credits him with quarrying OBELISKS for Hatshepsut.
His sudden death or disappearance in the 19th year of Hatshepsut’s reign left the queen-pharaoh vulnerable. A mummified horse was discovered in Senenmut’s tomb. He had fashioned two tombs actually, one in sheikh abd’ EL-QURNA and the uncompleted one at Deir el-Bahri.
Senheb (fl. 24th century b. c.e.) Dwarf textile official of the Sixth Dynasty
He was a dwarf who supervised the royal textile works and was honored for his skills and knowledge. Senheb married a princess and raised two normal sized children. Buried in giza, Senheb was honored with a statue depicting him, his wife, and their two children.
Senisonbe (Seniseb) (fl. 15th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Eighteenth Dynasty
She was the mother of tuthmosis i (r. 1504-1492 b. c.e.), having royal lineage from a collateral side of the royal family of ’ahmose (r. 1550-1525 b. c.e.). She was probably married to another royal personage. Senisonbe received many honors in Tuthmosis I’s reign.
Sennacherib (d. 681 b. c.e.) Assyrian king and enemy of Egypt
He ruled from c. 704 b. c.e. until his death and was a contemporary of SHABAKA (r. 712-698 b. c.e.). A series of confrontations between the Egyptians and the Assyrians took place in Palestine. In 701 b. c.e., Sennacherib met the Egyptian army and was defeated, ending his plans for occupying Egypt.
See also Assyrians.
Sennufer (fl. 15th century b. c.e.) Nome prince and official of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served amenhotep ii (r. 1427-1401 b. c.e.) as mayor of THEBES. He probably held the rank of “Royal Seal Bearer” for tuthmosis iii (r. 1479-1425 b. c.e.), and he was also the supervisor of the gardens of amun’s temple. Sennufer was a hereditary prince of his NOME.
Sennufer’s tomb at sheikh abd’ el-qurna on the western bank of the Nile at Thebes is elaborately painted with scenes depicting his career. His wife, Senetney, was listed as “the King’s nurse.” There is some indication that Sennufer’s tomb was originally prepared for tuthmosis ii (r. 1492-1479 b. c.e.) but was abandoned by the ruler.
CANOPIC JARS and other funerary regalia were discovered in the tomb. The antechamber depicts an arbor of vines and grapes and religious scenes. Family portraits also decorate the walls. The actual burial chamber was subterranean.
Sennuwy (Sennuity) (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twelfth Dynasty, known for her beautiful portrait statue
She was the wife of Prince hepzefa, in the reign of sen-WOSRET I (1971-1926 b. c.e.). Her statue was discovered in the fortress of kermeh at the third cataract of the Nile in NUBIA (modern Sudan). Prince Hepzefa was perhaps commander of the fort territory. The statue of Sennuwy depicts a beautiful young woman and is considered one of the finest examples of Egyptian sculpture from the Middle Kingdom.
See also art and architecture.
Sentseneb (Sent-Senbet, Sent-senbes) (fl. 19th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twelfth Dynasty She was a daughter of senwosret iii (r. 1878-1841 b. c.e.) and was buried in the royal necropolis of dashur.
Senut This was the Egyptian name for flagstaffs positioned on the facades of temples. Such flagstaffs were important elements of temple entrances, displaying royal pennants when the pharaoh was in residence and serving as stations for the emblems of the gods.
Senwosret I (Kheperkare) (d. 1926 b. c.e.) Second ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty
He reigned from 1971 b. c.e. until his death. The son of AMENEMHET I and Queen nefru-totenen, he served as coregent with his father for 10 years before ascending the throne. As a prince, Senwosret I began his Nubian and Libyan campaigns. Amenemhet I was assassinated while Senwosret I was campaigning in Libya, beyond the wadi NATRUN. The event is an element of the popular tale known as SINUHE THE SAILOR, as the character Sinuhe was supposedly a servant of Senwosret I’s consort, Queen NEFRUSHERI, daughter of Amenemhet I. Senwosret I raced back to Egypt to crush the harem conspiracy responsible for the murder and to punish the intended usurpers. The capital at the time was at itj-tawy, a site on the border between Upper and Lower Egypt.
Militarily active, Senwosret I campaigned in nubia (modern Sudan) all the way to the third cataract and also founded the great fortress of buhen. He used quarries and mines and controlled the oases of the LIBYAN desert and the resources in the sinai. He built kermeh fortress in Nubia and regulated operations at the mines of wadi HALFA as well as regional diorite quarries. Copper was mined in Wadi Hudi, and red granite was taken from a quarry south of ASWAN.
A column from the White Chapel, built at Karnak by Senwosret I of the Twelfth Dynasty. The hieroglyphs depict the pharaoh honoring the god Min with battle treasures. (Courtesy Thierry Ailleret.)
Senwosret I was not interested in wholesale conquest and limited his campaigns to the defense of Egypt’s borders and to the exploitation of available resources. He also promoted trade with Crete and other Aegean isles and with Palestine and Syria. Within Egypt, he was a prolific builder, refurbishing the temple of RE-Atum in HELIOPOLIS. The famed white chapel dates to his reign, and he is credited with establishing the core of the karnak complex itself. He also erected two obelisks there.
Senwosret I was active in restoring the faiyum region, adding to the irrigational monuments there. He founded a temple to SEKHMET-Hathor at IMU, now called Kom el-Hisn, the Mound of the Fort, in the Delta. The temple was rectangular and contained a bark chapel and pillars. He is also credited with building 35 separate religious structures from the Faiyum to the Delta.
A stone stela made for a temple in Heliopolis and dating to Senwosret I’s reign was copied by a scribe serving AMENHOTEP iii (r. 1391-1353 B. C.E.). Five hundred years old when copied, the stela vanished. The copy indicates a text in the form of a poem, actually serving as a temple inscription commemorating an addition built by Senwosret I, given with other elaborate donations.
The INSTRUCTIONS OF AMENEMHET I date also to his reign. His father was supposed to have dictated the instructions, a text that warns of the perils of a weak monarch. This work is also called Amenemhet’s Instructions or the Testament of Amenemhet.
Senwosret I’s son and heir was amenemhet ii, who served as his coregent. His daughters were itekuyet, NEFRU-SOBEK (2), NEFERU-PTAH (2), and Nenseddjedet. They were buried with Senwosret I and Queen nefrush-ERI in el-LiSHT, where a pyramidal complex was constructed. The pyramid was filled with rubble with a limestone covering. Smaller pyramids served as gravesites for the family members. The great pyramid was called “Senwosret Surveys the Two Lands.”
Senwosret II (Kha’kheperre) (d. 1878 b. c.e.) Fourth ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty
He reigned from 1897 b. c.e. until his death. Senwosret II was the son of amenemhet ii and probably Queen meryet (2). He served as coregent before his father died, and he married nefert. Senwosret II was the patron of the FAIYUM territory of Egypt, starting a vast reclamation of the region and restoring thousands of acres of marshlands. He also campaigned in nubia (modern Sudan), making that domain a province of Egypt. He constructed a series of fortresses on the Nile and built an 80-foot wall at ELKAB and another wall at aniba. Senwosret II, seeing the growing independent minds of the nomarchs, the landed nobility of Egypt, broke their power with stern measures and taxes. He received tribute from Syria and other lands and maintained a strong military presence at mines and quarries.
His son and heir was senwosret iii, born to Queen WERERET. He also married Queen neferhent (1). His daughters were sit-hathor, sit-hathor yunet, Itkayt, and Neferet. Senwosret II was one of Egypt’s tallest pharaohs, standing six feet, six inches tall and depicted in reliefs and statues. He was buried in a pyramid complex (kahun) at LAHUN called “Contented Is Senwosret,” or Het-Hotep-Senwosret, “the House of Peace of Senwosret.” This complex was erected on a rocky spur at Lahun, at the mouth of the Faiyum. The pyramid was surrounded by family mastaba tombs and was covered in limestone. RAMESSES II (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) plundered the complex to use the materials for his own projects.
Senwosret III (Kha’kaure) (d. 1841 b. c.e.) Fifth ruler of the Twelfth Dynasty
He reigned from 1878 b. c.e. until his death and was the son of SENWOSRET II and Queen wereret. His Queens were neferhent (2), meresger (2), meryet (1), nofret,
Khemetnefer-Sheri, sobek-shedty-neferu, sit-weret, and possibly SIT-HATHOR YUNET.
Senwosret III is one of the most famous pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom, a warrior and an astute administrator. He started his Nubian campaigns in his sixth regnal year and reopened the first cataract at sehel island in order to facilitate the movement of Egyptian units to the Nubian (modern Sudanese) sites. The records at Sehel state that he erected a chapel to the goddess Anuket there. The fortresses in the territory were strengthened, and new defensive structures were added, including SEMNA, URONARTI, MIRGISSA, and Askut. The Sehel canal was called “Beautiful Are the Ways of Kha’kaure.”
Senwosret III went as far south as Semna, campaigning in his 19th year of reign. A nilometer at dal island, some 60 miles south of Semna, dates to his 10th regnal year. He became the patron deity of Nubia after his death, having erected a fortress at Uronarti in his 10th regnal year.
Senwosret Ill’s campaigns in Palestine were also vigorous, and he could claim to be “Egypt’s shield” and “the
An oil portrait of Senwosret III, the great Middle Kingdom Period warrior pharaoh, displaying the sacred scarab.
Throat-slitter of the Asiatics.” He was much loved for his monuments and temple donations as well, erecting statues in biga and elephantine Island, as well as hierakon-POLIS. At ERMENT he added to the temple of montu and refurbished that deity’s shrine at medamud. He also added to the temple of OSIRIS in abydos. Senwosret III erected six statues and a stela at deir el-bahri. Records also indicate that he brought great treasures of semiprecious stones to Egypt from the sinai, and he founded the Royal Cemetery in Abydos.
As an administrator, Senwosret III regulated the nome hereditary aristocrats and instituted a new court system. He divided the government into three vizierates, Upper and Lower Egypt and Nubia. He also removed the nome governors who had amassed hereditary powers.
His son and heir was amenemhet iii, born to Queen NEFERHENT. His daughters were Menut, sentseneb, Meryt, and Sihathor. Amenemhet III served as coregent before Senwosret III died. dashur was the site of Senwosret Ill’s burial complex, and another Abydos complex has also been discovered. The Dashur burial site contained a pyramid that was made out of mud brick, lined with limestone. The burial chamber within the pyramid was lined with red granite, with a sarcophagus of the same vivid stone. Seven mastabas surround the ruined monument. A cache of jewelry was recovered from this complex, and three cedar boats also were found. The queens and family members were buried in subterranean levels. The Abydos tomb had cult rituals celebrated there for two centuries.
Suggested Readings: Arnold, Dieter, and Adela Oppen-heim. The Pyramid Complex of Senwosret III and Dashur: Architectural Studies. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2001.
Senwosret-ankh (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Royal building official for rulers of the Twelfth Dynasty He served amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 b. c.e.) and senwosret I (r. 1971-1926 b. c.e.) as the high priest of ptah at MEMPHIS. He was also the royal builder for the pharaohs. Senwosret-ankh’s mastaba at el-LiSHT is ruined, but the original burial was at the end of a deep shaft. Having a starred ceiling, the chamber is decorated with the PYRAMID TEXTS. His sarcophagus was fashioned out of stone blocks set into a floor cavity.
Sepat This was the Egyptian name for a NOME or province, used as well to describe the symbols of such entities. These symbols, normally representing a local deity or animal theophany, were carried on poles and served as totems. The sepat was always placed just below the totem and was formed by a depiction of a plot, crossed and semi-crossed by the lines of canals. Below the sepat was another titular figure associated with the nome.
Sept He was a deity of the 20th nome of Egypt, called “the Lord of the East,” “the Smiter of the Mentiu,” or “Sept of the Tusks.” He became horus the Elder, Per-Sept, in the Eastern Desert regions, especially in the wadi tim-ULAT, modern Saft al-Hannah.
Serabit el-Khadim This was a mining territory in the SINAI, operated by the Egyptians from the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 b. c.e.) to the Ptolemaic Period (304-30 B. C.E.). The Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1783 b. c.e.) especially exploited the natural resources in the area. Those pharaohs designated Serabit el-Khadim as “the Eyes Are in Festival.” Copper was sought there, as well as semiprecious stones. A rock-cut chapel dedicated to hathor, “the Lady of Turquoise,” dates to the Twelfth Dynasty at Serabit el-Khadim. Expeditions to the region included the escorts of army units.
See also Egyptian natural resources.
Serapeum (1) It was a necropolis erected for the burials of the sacred apis bulls in saqqara. Also called the “House of Oserapis,” the term Serapeum refers to the ground-level part of the structure, and great vaults, corridors, and chapels were part of the design. serapis was a deity formed in the reign of ptolemy i soter (304-284 b. c.e.) as an effort to link Greek traditions to the older Egyptian cultic ceremonies. The name Serapeum dates to the Ptolemaic Period also, as the Greek rulers wanted to cement the cult of Serapis and to unite both Greeks and native Egyptians in worship.
The Apis bull cult was started probably by aha (Menes) in c. 2900 b. c.e., and it is mentioned in the PALERMO STONE. The bulls were buried in the temple of PTAH near MIT rahinah originally In the New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.), the monumental interment of the bulls was standardized, and more than 60 mummified Apis have been recovered.
Kha’emweset (1), the son of ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.), was involved in establishing the original bull burial site that became the Serapeum in Saqqara. The lower chamber walls of the monument were then covered in gold leaf. Other pharaohs, including psam-METICHUS I (r. 664-610 b. c.e.), added galleries. Priests danced at the funerals of the Apis bulls, and immense CANOPIC JARS were part of the mortuary regalia. In time a transverse gallery was added with vaults. A pink granite sarcophagus with black markings was found there. In the Ramessid gallery, founded by Ramesses II, an untouched Apis bull and human remains were discovered. Some 24 monolithic sarcophagi, measuring from 10 to 13 feet in height and from 13 to 16 feet in length, were recovered.
Serapeum (2) It was a second necropolis for apis bulls, dedicated to serapis and erected in ALEXANDRIA, the capital founded by ALEXANDER [III] the great (r. 332-323 b. c.e.). PTOLEMY I SOTER (r. 304-284 b. c.e.) fostered the cult of Serapis and chose the Greek Parmeniscus to design a proper temple for the site. Serapis was worshiped in this temple and burial site as late as 391 C. E.
Serapis A deity introduced into Egypt in the reign of PTOLEMY I SOTER (r. 304-284 b. c.e.), a Greek version of Osiris-Hapi, the god became the patron of the Ptolemies. He was usually depicted as an old man, with a cerberus at his side. His name was given to the necropolis of the apis bulls in SAQQARA, but his cult was popular only in ALEXANDRIA and MEMPHIS. In some ceremonies Serapis formed a trinity with the gods ISIS and horus. A statue dating to Roman times shows Serapis as a father deity.
Serdab A chamber in Egyptian tombs designed to hold statues of the deceased, the word is Arabic for “cellar.” Large statues of prominent dead Egyptians were positioned in the serdab so that the deceased could witness the ritual ceremonies being conducted as part of the ongoing cultic observances. Each serdab was connected to the rituals conducted in the mortuary-offering chamber by a small window, or slits constructed at the eye level of the statues. The serdab and window thus provided the dead with access to the ceremonies being held for their repose. The slits or small windows of the serdab were called “the Eyes of the ka House.” Some tombs of the royal deceased contained four serdab chambers, each containing a portrait sculpture.
Serekh (1) This was a large building erected in the Early Dynastic Period (2920-2575 b. c.e.), having an elaborate paneled facade, with two square towers and intricately recessed doorways. constructed of costly wooden materials, the serekh served as the royal residence, the PERO or palace. The royal tombs in abydos and the STEP PYRAMID in SAQQARA used the serekh design.
Serekh (2) This was an Egyptian symbol serving the names of the earliest rulers. djet, or Wadj, the third pharaoh of the First Dynasty (2920-2770 b. c.e.), adopted the serekh design as his personal symbol of power. The serekh appears on a stela from his reign and denotes his royal status. The ruler’s name was inscribed above the serekh symbol in a rectangle, topped by the Horus sign. This device was the first cartouche form.
Serpent’s head It was an ancient amulet, originally phallic in nature, used to protect the wearer from snakebites. When part of the mortuary rituals, the amulet was believed to protect the deceased from attacks by worms or serpents at the gravesite.
Serqset See selket.
Servants of the Place of Truth Also called the Servitors of the Place of Truth, the name assumed by workers who labored in the necropolis of the valley of the kings at THEBES, these artisans and workmen lived in deir el-MEDINA, which dates to the reign of amenhotep i (1525-1504 B. C.E.). The servants designed, constructed, and decorated the royal tombs. They were provided with residences and monthly rations.
During the reign of ramesses iii (1194-1163 b. c.e.), 60 such servants were supervised by a man named Ame-nakht, who complained that rations were not being delivered to Deir el-Medina. The workers assembled at the mortuary temple of tuthmosis iii of a previous dynasty and started a strike. They marched on the ramesseum, and violence ensued until vizier Ta put a halt to the affair. These protests took place in the year of the Hyena.
The servants were allowed to fashion tombs for themselves and their families, and many exquisite examples of these tombs have survived. The affairs of the workers at Deir el-Medina worsened as the last Ramessid Dynasty declined after the death of Ramesses III in 1163
B. C.E.
Seshat (Sefkhet-Abut) She was a goddess of Egypt serving as the patroness of learning, called “the Lady of Books.” The patroness of writing also, Seshat was a consort of the god THoTH and she was associated with the PERSEA TREE. This unique symbol, and “the Tree of Heaven,” were the receptacles of historical records. Seshat wrote the name of each ruler upon the Persea’s leaves when he was crowned. Seshat also served as “the Keeper of Memories,” inscribing human and divine deeds on other leaves of the Persea Tree.
Also called Sefkhet-Abut, Seshat was “the Mistress of Architects.” hatshepsut (r. 1473-1458 b. c.e.) offered Seshat tallies of the goods brought from punt to Egypt. The goddess was normally depicted as a woman wearing a leopard skin and carrying writing reeds, a scribe’s palette, or plumes. in time, Seshat became a protectoress of the LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA in the Ptolemaic Dynasty (304-30 B. C.E.).
See also gods and goddesses.
Sesheshet (Idut, Hor-watet-khet) (fl. 23rd century B. C.E.) Royal woman of the Sixth Dynasty She was a daughter of teti (r. 2323-2291 b. c.e.). Sesheshet married mereruka, a prominent vizier of the time, and she was commemorated with a statue, depicting her as a KA, entering the world through a false door. Mereruka’s tomb at Saqqara is well known for its elaborate reliefs and statues. There are 32 chambers in this tomb. Sesheshet bore a son, Meri-Teti.
Seshi (Mayebre) (d. c. 1635 b. c.e.) Ruler of the Asiatic Fifteenth Dynasty, the Great Hyksos
He ruled from the hyksos capital of avaris and was a contemporary of the Seventeenth Dynasty of Thebes. His throne name meant “Just in the Heart of Re.” Seshi’s seals and SCARABS were found throughout Lower Egypt and as far south as the third cataract of the Nile in nubia (modern Sudan). He was the successor of salitis, the founder of the dynasty.
Set (Seth, Sutekh) An Egyptian deity, also recorded as Seth, which meant “instigator of confusion,” he was the son of geb and nut and the brother of OSIRIS, ISIS, and NEPHTHYS. The Greeks associated him with Typhon, and Set was regarded as both good and bad.
First recorded in nagada, Set was worshiped in the Predynastic Period, before 3000 b. c.e. In the Osirian tradition he murdered OSIRIS, fought horus, and was judged by the other deities. Set was exiled to the outer perimeters of the universe. He was a defender of re, however, and he became the patron of the hyksos of avaris.
KOM OMBO was a major cult center of Set as he was given Upper Egypt by geb and then lost it to horus. In the PYRAMID TEXTS he is called both evil and good, becoming evil during the Third intermediate Period (1070-712 B. C.E.). In some eras he was associated with the slaying of apophis, the wicked serpent that made nightly attempts to destroy the god Re. During the Ramessid Period (1307-1070 b. c.e.) he was viewed as the god of foreign lands and was supposedly married to the goddess Nephthys. As a love god he was often invoked by the use of chants, amulets, and charms.
He is best known, however, for his part in the Osirian cult. Set murdered Osiris and set his coffin adrift. When Isis found the body and restored it, Set cut the flesh to pieces and hid them. Isis found all of Osiris except for his phallus and brought about his resurrection. Horus, the son of Osiris, then set about seeking revenge and Osiris pleaded a case against Set before the gods.
Cult centers for Set were located along caravan routes and in the western oases. He was elevated to a national god when ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) honored him at the new capital, per-ramesses, in the eastern Delta. In time, the dominant Osirian cult led to the decline of the Set cult. Set had his own following, a group that fought mock battles with the Followers of Horus at festivals. The Set advocates always lost.
See also followers of set.
Set Amentet (Seti-Amenti) it was an eternal paradise of Egyptian mortuary traditions, an edenic site in the west where the deceased renewed their existence. The term was also used in some eras to describe necropolis areas.
Set Animal See typhonean animal.
Setau (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Viceroyal official of the Nineteenth Dynasty
He served ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) as the governor of NUBIA, the region below ASWAN (modern Sudan). A mortuary stela commemorates Setau’s career and honors. He began his service to the crown as a scribe and then became a steward of the temple of amun and ultimately the viceroy of Nubia. Setau was the official who rebuilt part of the Ramessid temple in ABU simbel after the earthquake that took place in the 31st year of Ramesses Il’s reign.
Sethirkhopshef (1) (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Prince of the Nineteenth Dynasty
He was an heir of ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) who died before taking the throne. He signed a letter to hat-TUSILIS III, the ruler of the hittites, congratulating him on the peace treaty forged between the Hittites and Egypt. Sethirkhopshef was buried in the valley of the QUEENS. He died in Ramesses Il’s 21st regnal year. There is some indication that he was originally named Amen-hirkhopshef.
Sethirkhopshef (2) (fl. 12th century b. c.e.) Princely victim of smallpox in the Twentieth Dynasty A son of RAMESSES III (r. 1194-1163 b. c.e.), he was a charioteer of the royal stables but died during a smallpox epidemic. Sethirkhopshef was buried in thebes. His tomb has corridors leading to a square chamber and a burial site. Ramesses III is depicted in the reliefs of the tomb as introducing Sethirkhopshef to the deities of Egypt’s world beyond the grave. Sethirkhopshef was buried in the valley OF THE QUEENS.
Sethnakhte (Userkha’ure’meryamun) (d. 1194 b. c.e.) Founder of the Twentieth Dynasty
He ruled from 1196 b. c.e. until his death. Little is known of his background but it is possible that he was a grandson of RAMESSES II (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.). Sethnakhte was elderly when he founded the dynasty. He was married to TIYE-MERENISET and had a son, ramesses iii.
Sethnakhte took the throne of Egypt “to clear the land of traitors,” a reference to the reign of twosret (1198-1196 b. c.e.), the queen who usurped power at the close of the Nineteenth Dynasty with the help of an official named bay, also called Irsu. He was assuming the throne to welcome back “the ready faces which had been turned away.” These were officials and servants who had fled the court during Twosret’s reign.
Restoring order, Sethnakhte opened temples and started his own tomb. He was unable to complete it, however, and was placed in the usurped tomb of Twosret. Some scenes and reliefs were altered for his burial while Twosret’s cartouches were covered with plaster. Seth-nakhte’s coffin was found in the mummy cache in the tomb of AMENHOTEP II at Thebes. The unidentified mummy discovered in Sethnakhte’s tomb may be his royal remains. A granite sarcophagus was found there in ruins.
Seti (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Prince of the Nineteenth Dynasty
He was a son of ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.), the ninth heir to the throne. His mother was Queen nefer-TARI-Merymut. He served as a court priest and as a military commander. Temple reliefs at luxor temple show him leading prisoners to his father in the Battle of KADESH. Seti died before he could inherit the throne.
Seti I (Menma’atre, Meryen-Ptah) (d. 1290 b. c.e.) Second ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty He reigned from 1306 b. c.e. until his death. Seti I’s reign was heralded as a “Repeating of Births,” a term denoting divine inspiration and used originally in the Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1783 b. c.e.). He was the son of ramesses i and Queen sitre.
A commoner at birth, Seti I was raised in the military commands of Egypt and came to the throne as a tough campaigner bent on restoring Egypt’s empire. He marched out of Tjel, a border fortress, with three divisions and overran Palestine, Syria, and the surrounding territories. Seti I reoccupied strategic forts and garrisons on the Mediterranean coast and returned to Egypt with prisoners and treasures. In the karnak temple at thebes (modern Luxor), Seti I had reliefs inscribed on the entire north wall to commemorate this campaign. He is depicted marching to Palestine and conducting battles. In subsequent campaigns he advanced on the Amorite coastlands, captured the region of the orontes River, and confronted the HITTITES. He received the whole of Palestine and the Syrian coastal regions as a result of his military efforts.
Seti I also met a Libyan invasion of the Delta with equal vigor, and he fought two battles to rid the northern area of the invaders. He led campaigns in nubia (modern Sudan), founding amara and shaat-er-reqal between the second and third cataracts. A site on sal island, Shatt became the administrative base for the viceroy of Nubia, an individual named Amenemope. The Nubian campaigns were conducted by Seti I to put down a revolt by the Irem people. Seti I plundered the region as a result.
In Egypt he restarted reclamation of the natural resources, digging wells in strategic places to benefit miners and quarry workers. He administered the land from MEMPHIS, AVARIS, and THEBES and restored temples damaged in the ’amarna Period. At Karnak, Seti I completed his father’s plan to convert the area between the second and third pylons into a vast hypostyle hall. His son, RAMESSES II, was coruler at the time, and he aided his father in the Karnak building. The vast hall arose with the roof supported by 134 sandstone columns, inscribed
The mummified head of Seti I, the second ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty, noted as a handsome warrior pharaoh. (Hulton Archive.)
With reliefs. Seti I also built a temple in abydos, called “the House of Millions of Years of Menma’atre, Joyful in the Heart of Abydos.” He died before completing the cenotaph, now called the osireion, and Ramesses II finished the temple, endowing it for continued rituals.
Seti I’s tomb in the valley of the kings at Thebes is the largest one constructed there, dug some 300 feet into the cliffs. passages and elaborate columns were designed with painted reliefs, some using “the sun and shadow” style. An alabaster coffin was inscribed with the text of the Book of the Gates. An astronomical ceiling and more than 700 SHABTIS figures, made of stone, wood, and faience, were discovered in the tomb.
Seti I’s mummified remains were found in the cache at DEIR EL-BAHRI in 1881. He was a handsome elderly man, with good teeth and his heart still in his body. His wife was Queen tuya, and he had two sons. The eldest died young, leaving the throne to Ramesses II. His daughters, HENUTMIRE and TIA (1), survived him.
Seti II (Userkheprure’setepenre) (d. 1204 b. c.e.) Fifth ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty
He reigned from 1214 b. c.e. until his death. Seti II was the son of merenptah and Queen isetnofret (2) and he married takhat (1), a daughter of ramesses ii. He also married twosret and possibly Tia’a. Seti II was the victim of a court plot and his throne was usurped temporarily by a relative, amenmesses, who ruled only a brief time. Seti II regained the throne and began building at KARNAK. He erected a sandstone station of the gods and colossal statues before he died. He had two sons, Seti-Merenptah, who predeceased him, and Ramesses-Siptah.
Seti Il’s tomb in the valley of the kings contained short passageways and a burial chamber with four pillars. He was buried in a red granite sarcophagus but was moved to the tomb of amenhotep ii, where he was discovered in the cache of royal mummies. His remains displayed cropped hair, good teeth, and an arthritic hip.
Setka (fl. 26th century b. c.e.) Prince of the Fourth Dynasty
He was the son of ra’djedef (r. 2528-2520 b. c.e.) and probably Queen khentetka. Presumably the heir to Ra’ djedef’s throne, Setka was put aside for khafre, who was crowned as the successor. Setka belonged to one side of KHUFU’s family and was possibly viewed as a usurper. Nothing is known of Setka after Ra’djedef’s death. A statue of the prince, seated as a scribe, was found in Ra’ djedef’s pyramid in ABU rowash.
Setna Khamwas (1) (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Prince of the Nineteenth Dynasty
He was a son of rameses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.). Setna Khamwas was the high priest of ptah and not the heir to the throne.
Setna Khamwas (2) He was a remarkable fictional character obviously based on the son of ramesses ii, SETNA KHAMWAS (1), a prince of the Nineteenth Dynasty This fictional prince was the hero of an Egyptian ghost story discovered in a papyrus dating to the ptolemaic Period (340-30 b. c.e.). He supposedly sought the “Book of Thoth,” the legendary repository of occult knowledge, and found it in the tomb of another fictional character, Prince Neferkaptah, in the Memphis necropolis.
When the book was recovered, Neferkaptah appeared to Setna Khamwas with his wife and son, Ihwey Setna had to play a board game with Neferkaptah in order to earn ownership of the book. Defeated three times and pounded into the ground, Setna was freed by spells uttered by his brother, Inaros. Setna dreamed of a female demon named Tabubna as a result.
He and prince Neferkaptah held lengthy discussions about the “Book of Thoth.” Neferkaptah had hunted for it during his lifetime and had found it at the bottom of the Nile near koptos. The text was in separate boxes, guarded by reptiles. Setna realized that such knowledge was dangerous and better left hidden.
Set-Qesu He was an ancient Egyptian demon depicted in scenes of the judgment halls of osiris in mortuary works. Called “the crusher of bones,” Set-Qesu carried out any punishments decreed by osiris and his fellow judges against the unworthy deceased.
See also forty-two judges.
Seven Hathors Divine beings who played the role of the Greek Fates in Egypt, they could tell the future and knew the moment of death for each Egyptian. Because a person’s destiny depended upon the hour of his or her birth or death and the luck or ill-fortune connected with it, the Seven Hathors were believed to exchange any prince born under unfavorable auspices with a more fortunate child, thus protecting the dynasty and the nation. The Egyptians were greatly concerned with the lucky or unlucky fate of individuals.
See also tree of heaven.
Sewew The Egyptian name for the coastal area on the Red Sea, Sewew was opposite koptos on the wadi gasus and was the region of kuser, the active expeditionary port. The Egyptians used the regional resources of Sewew to maintain elaborate shipbuilding programs for expeditions to PUNT and other trade enterprises.
Sha’at-er-Reqal It was a site on sal island in Nubia (modern Sudan), where seti i (r. 1306-1290 b. c.e.) fought the irem people and founded a new administrative base for the viceroy of Nubia. Amenemope, the viceroy in that era, erected two stelae to commemorate seti i’s victory. It contains rock inscriptions dating to the reign of MONTUHOTEP II (2061-2010 b. c.e.). The inscriptions concern Montuhotep II and his mother, Queen aoh, the consort of INYOTEF III of Thebes. The Shaat-er-Reqal text commemorates the campaign conducted by the pharaoh against wawat, a northern region of Nubia.
Shabaka (Neferkare) (d. 698 b. c.e.) Founder of the Nubian Twenty-Fifth Dynasty, which ruled all of Egypt and Nubia
He reigned from 712 b. c.e. until his death. Shabaka was the son of the Nubian ruler kashta and Queen pebatma and was originally called Sabacon. He ruled all of Egypt and NUBIA, succeeding piankhi (1). In his first years he had to put down rebels in Nubia and in the Delta. Shabaka captured bakenrenef (r. 717-712 b. c.e.) of the Twenty-fourth Dynasty at SAIS and burned him to death.
He ruled in Memphis, making that ancient site the capital again, and restored the serapeum in saqqara.
Shebaka built at karnak and medinet habu. He also aided the temple sites in thebes, Memphis, abydos, den-DERAH, ESNA, and edfu. Shabaka encouraged the Palestinians in their revolt against Syria. He urged the Egyptians to return to the worship of amun and the other deities.
He had two daughters and two sons, Haremakhet and Tanutamun. Haremakhet was made high priest of Amun in Thebes. Shabaka was buried at el-Kurru, south of GEBEL BARKAL between the third and fourth cataracts of the Nile in Nubia. He was succeeded on the throne of Egypt by shebitku, the son of Piankhi.
Shabaka Stone This was a religious monument also called the Stela of Memphis, one of the most important religious texts of the Late Period. The stone dates to the reign of shabaka (712-698 b. c.e.). He found a sacred papyrus concerning spiritual and creation themes being eaten by worms in a Memphis temple and had the text transferred to a basalt slab. The stone represents the doctrines of the temple of ptah. With the decline of Egypt, the shabaka stone was eventually lost, becoming a farmer’s millstone. It was recovered in the area of the former capital.
Shabtis (shawabtis, ushabtis) The ancient miniature tomb figures of Egypt, called “the Answerer,” these figures were part of the mortuary regalia, placed in tombs to act as proxies or substitutes for the deceased in tuat, the land beyond the grave. It was believed that the shabtis would perform any and all labors demanded of the deceased in the afterlife. seti i (r. 1306-1290 b. c.e.) had 700 shabtis in his tomb sites.
These mortuary substitute figures were fashioned out of wood and then out of faience, metals, clay, or stone. Nobles and royals kept one figure in the tomb for each
The shabtis discovered in the burial chamber of King Tut'ankhamun and now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. (S. M. Bunson.)
Day of the year, plus one overseer shabti. The figures were usually inscribed with prayers urging the shabtis to assume all obligations assigned to the deceased. There is an undocumented connection between the persea tree and the shabti in Egyptian traditions. The tree was called a shawab. In some eras, the shabtis were buried in individual boxes with vaulted lids. Scribe shabtis were found in some tombs.
Shaduf An ancient Egyptian irrigation device still in use on the Nile, introduced into the land by the HYK-SOS, or Asiatic, invaders of the Second Intermediate Period (1640-1550 B. C.E.), the shaduf is a simple wooden instrument consisting of a pole with a bucket on one end and a weight on the other. The shaduf enabled a farmer, working alone, to raise water from the Nile and to deposit it in the appropriate canal or irrigation ditch. The use of the device after the Hyksos period increased Egypt’s agricultural output. Scholars estimate that the shaduf increased cultivation by 10 percent. The device was just one of the many contributions made by the Hyksos during their occupation of the eastern Delta.
Shai She was an Egyptian goddess who determined the fate of individuals and events, associated with mortuary rituals and the judgment halls of osiris. Shai was part of the cult of renenet, the goddess of fortune. Shai had powers over the living and the dead, and her name is translated as “what is ordained.” Considered the guardian of shay, fate, Shai was one of the attendants of the scales upon which the goddess ma’at weighed the hearts of the deceased Egyptians in judgment.
Shalmaneser III (d. c. 828 b. c.e.) Assyrian ruler who tried to conquer Egypt
He made attempts to begin an assault on the Nile Valley in the reigns of osorkon ii (883-855 b. c.e.) and takelot ii (860-835 B. C.E.). The son of Ashurnasirpal, Shalmaneser III reigned over the Assyrian empire from 858 b. c.e. until his death. He was militarily active and faced Egyptian cohorts on several occasions, as the Egyptians were part of confederations of Mediterranean countries determined to halt Assyrian advances. Shalmaneser III was victorious at the battle of Qarqar on the Orontes River but was delayed as a result and died before he could enter the Nile Valley
Shat en Sebau This was the ancient text called The Book of the Pylons, a mortuary work that was a version of THE BOOK OF THE DEAD. The journey through tuat, the underworld, was the central theme of this mortuary text.
See also tomb texts.
Shawab See persea tree.
Shebitku (Djedkaure) (d. 690 b. c.e.) Ruler of the Nubian Twenty-fifth Dynasty
He was the successor of his uncle, shabaka, and reigned 698-690 B. C.E. He was the son of piankhi (1) and Queen PEKASSATER. Shebitku married amenirdis (1), a god’s WIFE OF AMUN, or Divine Adoratrice of Amun, who retired from that office. His sister, shepenwepet (2), took her place as the God’s Wife at Thebes.
Shebitku sided with the Palestinians and Phoenicians (modern Lebanese) in their revolt against the Assyrians. He faced the Assyrian King Sennacherib (r. 704-681 B. C.E.) in battle as a result but kept Egypt secure. He left no major monuments but did build at medinet habu. When he died, his remains were taken to Napata, in NUBIA (modern Sudan). He was followed on the throne by his brother, taharqa.
Shebyu This was a collar worn as an insignia of honor. Originally the collar was associated with the cult of osiris as a symbol of union with re and transformation in the afterlife. The pharaohs wore a shebyu of intricate design, and others wore modified versions. The collar was fashioned out of solid gold rings strung on five or more cords, with a clasp covered in gold and bearing the cartouche of the royal hieroglyphs or a spiritual admonition. Smaller gold beads were strung on 14 smaller cords, sometimes tipped with metal bell-shaped ornaments. The dead pharaohs were depicted wearing the shebyu, although some wore it in life.
See also amulets; mortuary rituals.
Shed (Hor-Shed) He was an Egyptian deity called “the Savior,” the patron of deserts and the hunt. His cult originated in thinis, and he was depicted as a young prince, wearing the lock of youth. Shed hunted serpents, scorpions, and crocodiles, thus serving as a pest controller. The god often appeared in a chariot drawn by two horses. He was sometimes called Hor-Shed, “the lord of deserts and heaven.”
See also gods and goddesses.
Shedet See crocodilopolis.
She-dou (fl. c. 23rd century b. c.e.) Priest of the Old Kingdom
She-dou’s tomb was discovered on the giza plateau. He described himself as a “servant of the goddess neith.” Four painted statues of She-dou were found in his tomb near the pyramids. He is depicted as wearing a white kilt and a wide collar with blue, yellow, and white stones.
Shedsunefertum (fl. 10th century b. c.e.) Official of the Twenty-second Dynasty
He served shoshenq i (r. 945-924 b. c.e.) as high priest of PTAH. Shedsunefertum was married to a princess of the Twenty-first Dynasty. The cult of Ptah, one of the earliest in Egypt, was popular throughout the historical periods of Egypt, and the priests of Ptah exerted considerable influence in the court.
Shemay served as the vizier for Upper Egypt. His son, idy, was the governor of the seven southernmost nomes. The father and son had to deal with the rising Ninth Dynasty and the inyotef line in Thebes.
Shemay probably served neferku-hor, listed in some records as the 14th ruler of the dynasty (date unknown). He married nebyet, a daughter of Neferku-Hor, and became a governor and then vizier.
Sheikh Abd’ el-Qurna (Quru) It was a site on the western bank of the Nile at thebes, used as a necropolis area. Actually a long hill, Sheikh Abd’ el-Qurna contained Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 b. c.e.) and New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.) tombs. The largest Theban necropolis, the site is northwest of the ramesseum and is divided into three sections. The most famous tombs belonged to dynastic officials, including nakht (2), a steward for TUTHMOSIS IV (r. 1401-1391 b. c.e.). Nakht was also an astronomer of amun. His small tomb has a painted vestibule and a famous relief of a banquet scene, including the figure of a blind harpist.
The tomb of ’Amethu, the vizier of tuthmosis iii (r. 1479-1425 b. c.e.) is also on this site, designed as a T-shaped enclosure halfway up the cliff. The tomb has a portico and a corridor. The tomb of Ramose is the burial site of the vizier serving amenhotep iii (r. 1391-1353 b. c.e.) and akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 b. c.e.). The tomb combines the traditional and ’amarna styles and depicts Akhenaten and Queen nefertiti in reliefs. Unfinished, the site has a hypostyle hall with 32 columns and an inner hall with eight columns and a shrine. seti i (r. 1306-1290 b. c.e.) erected a temple on the site, honoring his father and several deities. A colonnaded court and solar cult chambers were part of this shrine, with a vestibule, sanctuary, and a bark o
World History
