Today, let’s talk about some of the stories that surround Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 – including his mother! Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was a real man that lived during Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 third dynasty (around 2700 B.C.E.) during the reign 𓋾𓈎𓏏 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Djoser 𓂦𓂋. While Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 is best known for being the architect of Djoser’s Step Pyramid (and Egypt’s first ever pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴), he was also a high priest 𓊹𓍛 of Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛! After his death, Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 became one of the few non-royal Egyptians to be deified.
There is not much that is known about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 as a person while he was alive; most of what we know about Imhotep was written at the earliest 1,200 years after his death! Referred to as “Sebayt 𓋴𓃀𓇼𓄿𓇌𓏏𓏛” in Middle Egyptian, these “instructions” or “teachings” refer to Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 as a great physician and a writer! One text from the 20th Dynasty called “Eulogy of Dead Writers” even states “Is there another like Imhotep?”
Most statues of Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 are made of bronze and are dated to the Ptolemaic Period, because that was when Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 was widely worshipped. Imhotep’s 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 mother, Khereduankh, even had statues made of her (she is on the right in my picture). Khereduankh is usually depicted as a seated woman wearing a short wig and the feathered crown with two Uraei 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗𓏪.
There are even stories written about Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪, Khereduankh, Renpetneferet (his sister or wife depending on the story), and Djoser 𓂦𓂋! This story was written in Demotic on papyrus, and even includes Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 battling an Assyrian sorceress! Imhotep 𓇍𓅓𓊵𓏏𓊪 really could do everything!
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