Before Horemheb ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ became the last pharaoh ๐๐ป of the 18th Dynasty, he was a general ๐๐ฆ under the pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฅ Tutankamun ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ and Ay ๐ณ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ช๐น๐๐. This large statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ (and a second similar one) would have been placed in a temple ๐๐๐ – either the temple of Ptah ๐ช๐๐๐ฑ at Memphis ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ด๐ or the temple of Amun-Ra ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ณ at Karnak.ย
It was standard for high officials to show themselves in a seated position with a papyrus scroll ๐ ๐๐๐ on their lap. In the Old Kingdom, the statues ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช usually showed the official reading, but in the New Kingdom, the statues usually showed the official writing ๐๐๐ฅ. Horemheb ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฑ is writing ๐๐๐ฅ a hymn to the god ๐น Thoth ๐ ค๐ญ(who is the god ๐น of writing ๐๐๐ฅ).ย
The hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช around the base of the statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ mention Horemhebโs ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ many titles. The hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช on the โpapyrusโ ๐ ๐๐๐ that is on Horemhebโs ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฑ lap can actually be read, but it was so difficult to get a picture ๐๐ ฑ๐/actually read them because I could not get close enough to the statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ!
It is really interesting to see a pharaoh ๐๐ป depicted in statuary before he became the pharaoh ๐๐ป. Most pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฅ were born into their role, but Horemheb ๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฑ ascended to the throne through his status as general ๐๐ฆ. What a way to end the 18th Dynasty!
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