Kingship and The Divine in Old Kingdom Egypt

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KingshipandtheDivineinOldKingdomEgypt

Cosmogonies=Crea8onAccounts

(KhepririsingfromNun)

TheHeliopolitanEnnead

PyramidText600andallusionstotheMemphiteTheology

AtumKheper,youhavecometobehighonthehill,youhavearisenonthe
BenbenstoneinthemansionoftheBenbeninHeliopolis,youspatoutShu,you
expectoratedTefnut,andyouputyourtwoarmsaroundthemasthearmsofaka
symbol,sothatyourkamightbeinthem.OAtum,placeyourarmsaroundthe
king,aroundthisedice,aroundthispyramidasthearmsofakasothattheKings
kamaybeinit,rmforeverandever.OAtum,placeyourprotec8onoverthis
king,overthispyramidofhis,overthisediceoftheking,sothatyoumayguard
againstanythinghappeningevillyagainsthimforeverandever,justasyour
protec8onwasplacedoverShuandTefnut.
OgreatEnneadwhichisinHeliopolisAtum,Shu,Tefnut,Geb,Nut,Osiris,Isis,
Seth,NephthyschildrenofAtum,extendhisheart(goodwill)tohischild(the
king)inyournameofNineBows.LethisbackbeturnedfromyoutowardsAtum,
sothathemayprotectthisking,sothathemayprotectthispyramidoftheking,
sothathemayprotectthisediceofhisfromallthegods[and]fromthedead,
andsothathemayguardagainstanythinghappeningevillyagainsthimforever
andever.
Atum(thecompleteone)ejacula8ngoutofhimselfShuandTefnut(airand
moisture).TheygivebirthtoGebandNut.Nextgenera8on,andtheconict
betweenHorusandSeth.

NepthysandIsismournOsiris

Khafre,4thDynasty,KingandHorus
StatuefromhispyramidcomplexatGiza

Excerptfromthe
early5thDynasty
sec8onofthe
PalermoStone

NebraorRaneb?
Stelaofa2ndDynasty
king,fromSaqqara

Importantadministra8ve8tlesoftheOldKingdom:

Vizier

OverseerofRoyalWorks

OverseerofTreasury(prhdjwhitehouseorprwyhdjtwowhitehouses)

OverseeroftheGranary

OverseerofUpperEgypt

GreatOverloardofNome(X)(hrytpaanX)

RankingTitlesoftheOldKingdom

Hereditarynoble(jrypat)

Count(hatya)

Hesira,reignofDjoser,3rdDynasty

headofroyalscribes(atreasury8tle)
greatestoftensofUpperEgypt
concernedwiththekingsproperty
fashionerofthecultimageofMehyt
greatoneofthe10sofUpperEgypt

FromthetombofMetjenatSaqqara(veryearly4thDynasty):

Totheoverseerofcommissionsofthe4th/5thand3rdnomesofLowerEgypt:
12founda8onsofMetjenhavebeenfoundedforhiminthe4th/5th,6thand2ndnomesof
LowerEgypt(alongwith)theirproductsforhiminthediningroom.Thesehavebeenbought
for20arourasoflandfrommanyroyalcolonists,(alongwith)100por8onsoffunerary
oeringswhichcomedailyfromthesoulchapeloftheroyalmotherNymaathap(Andwith)a
walledestate200cubitslongand200broad,setoutwithnetrees,andalargepoolmade
init;itwasplantedwithgtreesandvines.Itiswrimendowninaroyaldocument,andtheir
namesare(recordedlikewise)on(this)royaldocument.

ThepropertyofhisfatherthejudgeandscribeInpuemankhwasgiventohim,wihtoutwheat
andbarleyandthepropertyoftheestate,butwithdependentsandherdsofdonkeysand
pigs(?).
Hewaspromotedtotherstofthescribesoftheoceofprovisioningandoverseerof
provisioning;
Hewaspromotedtobethestrongofvoiceamongthoseinvolvedinagricultural
produc8onwhentheboundaryocialofthesixthnomeofLowerEgyptwasinchargeofthe
judgeandsupervisorsofreversionaryoeringsinthesixthnomeofLowerEgypt,whoshould
takethejobofjudgeandstrongofvoice,
Andhewaspromotedtobeoverseerofalllinenproductsoftheking

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