Amenhotep (son of Hapu)
Amenophis, son of Hapu ( Egyptian : Amenhotepsahapu , [ Imen hotep sa Hapu ], in transcription Jmn ḥtp s3 Ḥ3p.w ), lived at the time of the 18th dynasty (14th century BC) and came from Athribis in the Nile Delta . He was an architect , priest , scribe and civil servant under Amenhotep III. and probably died in the 35th year of that king's reign.
Family and origin
Amenhotep was a son of Hapu and his wife Itu. He was in the reign of Thutmose III. born and raised in Athribis. As a boy, Amenhotep visited the "House of Life" attached to the temple. It is believed that he learned to read and write in the library and scriptorium there.
His career
Little is known of the time before his entry into the civil service as a recruit writer at the advanced age of almost 50. In his function as a recruit writer, he directed the construction work on Gebel el-Ahmar , a quarry near Heliopolis . As Amenhotep III. celebrated his first Sed festival in his 30th year in reign , Amenophis participated in this. For his cultic work, especially in the area of temple buildings, he received the title of Sem priest in the gold house .
After the Sed festival, Amenhotep was likely retired from civil servant status and appointed as the asset manager of the Princess Sitamun . Furthermore, at the same time he was the bearer of the fronds on the right of the king , as well as the cattle chief of Amun in Upper and Lower Egypt . The plans of the Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Amenhotep III. originate from him, and the plans of the hypostyle hall in the temple of Karnak , later completed by Ramses II, are ascribed to him. His influence must have been enormous during his lifetime.
In his work On the Originality of Judaism, Flavius Josephus reports on the circumstances that led to the alleged suicide of Amenophis. This report by Flavius Josephus is a later added addendum by an unknown scribe who linked that comment with Manetho ; obviously, to certify Manetho and the Egyptians an anti-Jewish attitude:
“But the other Amenhotep, the wise and clairvoyant, feared the wrath of the gods for himself ... if it should become evident that they (sick) were forced to work ... and he (Amenhotep) did not dared to say this to the king, but took his life leaving a record of all these things ... "
His mortuary temple
Amenhotep was the hill of Qurnet Murai own mortuary temple , which is just west of millions of years the house stood the ruler. This brick complex, excavated in 1934/35, was 45 × 110 m in size and had three sanctuaries . In the middle of the first courtyard was a 25 × 26 m large and very deep water basin, which was fed by the groundwater of the Nile . Twenty trees were planted in pits around the pool. The temple front at the rear of the courtyard was adorned by a pillar portico , the temple itself was slightly elevated on a terrace.
Later worship
Ptolemy IV built a temple over the tomb of Amenophis, which is believed to be in Deir el-Medina . Here, in addition to Amenhotep, Imhotep was revered like a god until the 2nd century AD, both as gods of the healing arts, but Amenhotep is always represented as human. The main cult centers were in Qasr el Aguz, Deir el-Bahari , Deir el-Medina and in Karnak.
literature
- Clément Robichon, Alexandre Varille: Le temple du scribe royal Amenhotep, fils de Hapou . In: Fouilles de l'Institut français d'Archéologie Orientale du Caire. No. 11, Institut français d'archéologie orientale, Le Caire 1936, ISSN 0768-4703 (excavation report of his mortuary temple).
- Alexandre Varille: Inscriptions concernant l'architects Amenhotep, fils de Hapou. Institut français d'archéologie orientale, Le Caire 1968.
- Toby Wilkinson : Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. von Zabern, Mainz 2008, ISBN 978-3-8053-3917-9 , pp. 184-187.
Individual evidence
- ^ Toby Wilkinson: Who is who in Ancient Egypt. Mainz 2008, p. 184.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Amenhotep |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Amenhotepsahapu (Egyptian) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Vizier under Amenhotep III. and son of Hapu |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 15th century BC Chr. |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Athribis, Nile Delta |
| DATE OF DEATH | 14th century BC Chr. |