DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22370#0023
THE LIFE AND FAMILY HISTORY OF REKHMARA
V.)
and always discerned clearly what was the right
thing to be done.1 He merely remonstrated
with those who offended against the law
through ignorance,2 but wilful wrongdoers he
imprisoned.3 He tells us that he kept a careful
eye4 upon the dictates of his conscience, and
set up truth as his guiding star. Educated in
the service of the goddess Ma at, it was his aim
" to raise up truth to the heights of heaven,
and to circulate her beauties over the breadth
of the earth."5 In order that the poor and
oppressed might have free access to him, it was
his ciistom to walk abroad in the early morning,
accompanied only by a few servants and
scribes, so that he might listen to their
grievances :6 no one who so approached him
was repulsed, and there were no tearful eyes
among his petitioners.7 " I judged the weak,"
he says, " with the strong, I protected those
who were weak, and I punished the evildoers
and violent persons. ... I encouraged the
tearful and helpless, I supported the widow
without a husband, and established the son in
the inheritance of his father."8
Besides his duties as Vezir of Upper Egypt,
Governor of Thebes, and Chief Justice,
Rekhmara had much other onerous work to
attend to. As mer per ne Amen, "Steward of
the Temple of Amen,"9 he had to supervise
and manage the vast estates and numerous
buildings belonging to the great Theban god.
It is curious that he does not appear to have
held any position connected with the priest-
hood10 of the temple ; he was only concerned
with the civil administration of its huge estates.
First, as hherp hat nebt ne Amen em Apet,
1 PI. vii., 1. 2. 2 PI. viii., 1. 33. » PI. viii., 1. 33.
4 PI. vii., 1. 10. 5 PL vii., 1. 19. 6 PL xv.
7 PI. iv., 11. 5, 6. 8 pi. vii.; 11. 20, 21. » PI. vii., 1. 3.
10 Vezirs of Upper Egypt were also often High Priests of
Amen, but curiously enough the only religious titles borne
by Rekhmara are connected with the cults of Ma'at and
Ptah. This is the more remarkable when we read that
" he made regulations for the priests and guided the Uab-
priests in their affairs." (PI. xvi., 11. 5, 6.)
" Regulator of all the work of Amen in
Karnak," he had to inspect the buildings and
the work of the sculptors, stone-masons, and
brickmakers.11 He had also to supervise the
work of the numerous artificers, such as that
of the metal workers, carpenters and wood
carvers, and even of the leather workers and
beadmakers.12 Not only had he to inspect all
this; he had also to give to each man his
instructions and to guide the unskilful.13 As
her sesheta, " Chief of the Secrets," it was his
duty to receive the grain, honey, wine, and other
stores for the Treasury of the temple,14 and to
see that the provisions, etc., for the priests and
officials were properly kept under seal.16
Another important duty that Rekhmara had
to perform was connected with the Stewardship
of Amen. During the foreign expeditions of
Thothmes III. many thousands of prisoners
were captured by the Egyptian commanders
and sent as slaves to work for the god at
Thebes. Here they were lodged in the State
prison, and a mutilated scene shows Rekhmara
inspectingthem and giving instructions concern-
ing their proper maintenance,19 The commoner
prisoners were forced to labour in the fields,
others were trained to attend to their Egyptian
masters' personal wants, while the women-folk
and children of the vassal princes were kept in
the ard attached to the temple, to serve as
hostages for the good behaviour of their fathers
or relatives. Occasionally the vassal princes
themselves paid a visit to the capital, in order
that they might present gifts to their powerful
conqueror, but they do not seem to have been
received by him in person. The Vezir was
deputed to receive them, and one of the most
11 Pis. xix.-xxi. 12 Pis; xvi.-xviii.
13 Pis. xvi. and xix. 14 Pis. xii.-xiv.
15 Pis. xii. and xxii. In PI. vii., 1. 3, he tells us that
he closed the doors of the Treasury and sealed them with
his signet ring.
16 This and other scenes alluded to below will be pub-
lished in the second volume on the Tomb of Rekhmara.
V.)
and always discerned clearly what was the right
thing to be done.1 He merely remonstrated
with those who offended against the law
through ignorance,2 but wilful wrongdoers he
imprisoned.3 He tells us that he kept a careful
eye4 upon the dictates of his conscience, and
set up truth as his guiding star. Educated in
the service of the goddess Ma at, it was his aim
" to raise up truth to the heights of heaven,
and to circulate her beauties over the breadth
of the earth."5 In order that the poor and
oppressed might have free access to him, it was
his ciistom to walk abroad in the early morning,
accompanied only by a few servants and
scribes, so that he might listen to their
grievances :6 no one who so approached him
was repulsed, and there were no tearful eyes
among his petitioners.7 " I judged the weak,"
he says, " with the strong, I protected those
who were weak, and I punished the evildoers
and violent persons. ... I encouraged the
tearful and helpless, I supported the widow
without a husband, and established the son in
the inheritance of his father."8
Besides his duties as Vezir of Upper Egypt,
Governor of Thebes, and Chief Justice,
Rekhmara had much other onerous work to
attend to. As mer per ne Amen, "Steward of
the Temple of Amen,"9 he had to supervise
and manage the vast estates and numerous
buildings belonging to the great Theban god.
It is curious that he does not appear to have
held any position connected with the priest-
hood10 of the temple ; he was only concerned
with the civil administration of its huge estates.
First, as hherp hat nebt ne Amen em Apet,
1 PI. vii., 1. 2. 2 PI. viii., 1. 33. » PI. viii., 1. 33.
4 PI. vii., 1. 10. 5 PL vii., 1. 19. 6 PL xv.
7 PI. iv., 11. 5, 6. 8 pi. vii.; 11. 20, 21. » PI. vii., 1. 3.
10 Vezirs of Upper Egypt were also often High Priests of
Amen, but curiously enough the only religious titles borne
by Rekhmara are connected with the cults of Ma'at and
Ptah. This is the more remarkable when we read that
" he made regulations for the priests and guided the Uab-
priests in their affairs." (PI. xvi., 11. 5, 6.)
" Regulator of all the work of Amen in
Karnak," he had to inspect the buildings and
the work of the sculptors, stone-masons, and
brickmakers.11 He had also to supervise the
work of the numerous artificers, such as that
of the metal workers, carpenters and wood
carvers, and even of the leather workers and
beadmakers.12 Not only had he to inspect all
this; he had also to give to each man his
instructions and to guide the unskilful.13 As
her sesheta, " Chief of the Secrets," it was his
duty to receive the grain, honey, wine, and other
stores for the Treasury of the temple,14 and to
see that the provisions, etc., for the priests and
officials were properly kept under seal.16
Another important duty that Rekhmara had
to perform was connected with the Stewardship
of Amen. During the foreign expeditions of
Thothmes III. many thousands of prisoners
were captured by the Egyptian commanders
and sent as slaves to work for the god at
Thebes. Here they were lodged in the State
prison, and a mutilated scene shows Rekhmara
inspectingthem and giving instructions concern-
ing their proper maintenance,19 The commoner
prisoners were forced to labour in the fields,
others were trained to attend to their Egyptian
masters' personal wants, while the women-folk
and children of the vassal princes were kept in
the ard attached to the temple, to serve as
hostages for the good behaviour of their fathers
or relatives. Occasionally the vassal princes
themselves paid a visit to the capital, in order
that they might present gifts to their powerful
conqueror, but they do not seem to have been
received by him in person. The Vezir was
deputed to receive them, and one of the most
11 Pis. xix.-xxi. 12 Pis; xvi.-xviii.
13 Pis. xvi. and xix. 14 Pis. xii.-xiv.
15 Pis. xii. and xxii. In PI. vii., 1. 3, he tells us that
he closed the doors of the Treasury and sealed them with
his signet ring.
16 This and other scenes alluded to below will be pub-
lished in the second volume on the Tomb of Rekhmara.