Kingship and The Divine in Old Kingdom Egypt
Kingship and The Divine in Old Kingdom Egypt
Kingship and The Divine in Old Kingdom Egypt
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