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Egyptian Artifacts

Statue of Horemheb Before He Was Pharaoh

Before Horemheb π“‡³π“‚¦π“†£π“Όπ“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– became the last pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 of the 18th Dynasty, he was a general π“€Žπ“¦ under the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯ Tutankamun π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“π“…±π“π“‹Ήπ“‹Ύπ“‰Ίπ“‡“ and Ay 𓇳𓆣𓆣π“ͺ𓁹𓐙𓏏. This large statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ (and a second similar one) would have been placed in a temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ – either the temple of Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± at Memphis π“ π“ˆ–π“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“‰΄π“Š– or the temple of Amun-Ra π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“Ίπ“‡³ at Karnak.Β 

Statue of Horemheb
Me with a Statue of Horemheb seated with a papyrus from before he was pharaoh.

It was standard for high officials to show themselves in a seated position with a papyrus scroll 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 on their lap. In the Old Kingdom, the statues π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺ usually showed the official reading, but in the New Kingdom, the statues usually showed the official writing π“Ÿπ“›π“₯. Horemheb π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŒΊπ“„Ώπ“‹”π“π“Ž± is writing π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ a hymn to the god π“ŠΉ Thoth π“…€π“€­(who is the god π“ŠΉ of writing π“Ÿπ“›π“₯).Β 

Statue of Horemheb
Statue of Horemheb seated with a papyrus from before he was pharaoh.

The hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ around the base of the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ mention Horemheb’s π“‡³π“‚¦π“†£π“Όπ“‡³π“‰π“ˆ– many titles. The hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ on the β€œpapyrus” 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 that is on Horemheb’s π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŒΊπ“„Ώπ“‹”π“π“Ž± lap can actually be read, but it was so difficult to get a picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏/actually read them because I could not get close enough to the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ!

It is really interesting to see a pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 depicted in statuary before he became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. Most pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯ were born into their role, but Horemheb π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“ŒΊπ“„Ώπ“‹”π“π“Ž± ascended to the throne through his status as general π“€Žπ“¦. What a way to end the 18th Dynasty!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.