Seal of the King

Seal of the king in hieroglyphics
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The seal of the king (or seal of the lower Egyptian king ) was a particularly important and special title in ancient Egypt . It was reserved for people of particularly high standing. In the later course of history, the title, along with its modifications, experienced a lively change in its meaning. There were dynasties in which the “king's sealer” was just a mere denomination of rank without any real executive function. In other dynasties, however, the title was only allowed to be worn by the highest officials in the immediate vicinity of the king.

supporting documents

The title has been attested since the 1st dynasty . During this time it was only given to princes , which shows the initial peculiarity of the title. A well-known title holder of the 1st Dynasty was Hemaka under King Hor-Den . Hemaka is so far the first ancient Egyptian official to whom this title can be proven. The title is documented throughout ancient Egyptian history up to the late period.

reading

There are several variants of the reading of the Egyptian title of “Seal of the King”. There are two characters for the Egyptian word “seal” ( Gardiner list : S19 and S20 ) with which the word “sealer” (or “seal bearer”) could be written. Both characters were probably read and used identically. The reading of these seal signs within official titles causes difficulties, however, since these signs were never combined with other phonetic signs, especially in titles , while three readings are attested outside the title: "Chetem" ( Ḫtm ), "Sedjau" ( Sḏ3w ) and "Djebau" ( Ḏbʾw ). The editors of the dictionary of the Egyptian language therefore classified all titles with the “seal” symbol in the last volume (volume V) under “illegible” (pp. 636–639). Due to a text passage on a stele of the Middle Kingdom , the reading "Sedjau" was later preferred for the seal within a title. In recent years, however, concerns have been raised about this reading, which is why the reading “Chetem” is currently more widespread.

In Egyptological literature there are also two readings of the end of the word in the title "Siegler", on the one hand circumscribed with a nominal w- ending ( Ḫtmw ; Chetemu ), other Egyptologists prefer the ending tj ( Ḫtmtj ; Chetemti ). Henry George Fischer has examined the reading of the title and has drawn attention to the fact that the title in the plural uses the Siegler ( Ḫtmtjw ; Chetemtiu ) the ending tjw , which the reading Chetemti seems to prove. The spelling of the feminine form of the title points in the same direction. Ḫtmtt ( Chetemtet ; "Sieglerin") is usually written in hieroglyphics with two t symbols. The last t is the feminine ending of the word, the other, preceding t must therefore belong to the actual word.

Interestingly, is the Chetemti-BITj no Chetemti- nesu over, although this by Jochem Kahl , Ludwig David Morenz and Eberhard Otto would be expected, since official title with the Annex nesu especially in the early and the Old Kingdom more frequently were in use, as the title on biti ended. This expectation is based on the fact that King Hor-Den ( 1st Dynasty ) had introduced the title biti ("King of Lower Egypt") as a complementary counterpart to nesut ("King of Upper Egypt"). Both titles referred to the king as such to the same extent. The fact that Chetemti-biti ends with biti therefore has no geographical meaning and was read and understood almost exclusively as the “sealer of the king” without “from Lower Egypt”.

Under the kings Seth-Peribsen and Sechemib-Perenmaat in the 2nd Dynasty , the meaning of Chetemti-biti changed temporarily without changing the spelling. Instead of the usual reading and interpretation as "sealer of the king", the reading and interpretation to "sealer of the king of Lower Egypt" was expanded. This became necessary after the title Chetemti-schemau ("Seal of the King of Upper Egypt", see below) was introduced under Peribsen and Sechemib during the 2nd dynasty . It is noteworthy that, instead of the expected override Chetemti-nesu the spelling Chetemti- schemau was chosen. The reason for this is unknown, but it could be based on the fact that Schemau, as a heraldic coat of arms, has always been more geographically associated with the term “Upper Egypt” than nesu (which was more closely associated with the term “King”).

function

The winner of the title "Siegler of the King" enjoyed in the early days of the Prestige , trade goods , exchange objects and any kind of royal property to be designated as such and seal. He thus represented the royal authority and was fully responsible for the daily management and structuring of special administrative institutions that were directly subordinate to the king. There were also variations of the title that indicated a special area of responsibility of the sealer, for example the “sealer of the daily meat rations”.

In the course of the Old Kingdom , "Chetemti-biti" became a mere rank, which indicated a high social rank at court, but no function. Only a small circle of high officials at court and a few officials in the province were allowed to carry the title. As a rank it followed in title rows after " Iri-pat " ("Member of the elite") and Hatia ("foremost in action"), but before Semer-wati ("only friend"). In the First Intermediate Period , the title lost its exclusive meaning and almost every courtier boasted of being a “royal sealer”. At the beginning of the Middle Kingdom , for example from King Mentuhotep II , the title was only awarded to the highest officials. Especially in the late Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period , the title was the most important and only rank at court and signaled that an official belonged to the narrowest circle of highest advisors to the ruler. In addition to the official title, it was the only other title that high officials held alongside the king at this time. The title is still attested in the New Kingdom and in the late period , but other titles such as "King's scribe" seem to have been more important to prove a high court position.

Special forms

Sealer of the King of Upper Egypt

Under the kings Seth-Peribsen and Sechemib, the title Chetemti-Schemau is documented in numerous clay seal impressions. He represents the counterpart to Chetemti-biti . The only official to whom this title can be proven is Nebhetep . Under King Chasechemui , the title "Chetemti-schemau" was given up again.

God seal

In the Old Kingdom , Chetemu-netjer was the name of the priestly embalmer and is documented as a secondary title for the priesthoods “ High Priest of Osiris ” and “High Priest of Sameref ”. However, it remains uncertain whether “God” meant the king himself or a certain deity.

literature

Sir Alan Henderson Gardiner : Egyptian grammar: being an introduction to the study of hieroglyphs. 3rd reprint, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1957, ISBN 0-900416-35-1 .
Wolfram Grajetzki: The use of rank titles in the provincial administration of the 1st Intermediate Period and the early Middle Kingdom. In: Caris-Beatrice Arnst, Ingelore Hafemann, Angelika Lohwasser (eds.): Encounters - Ancient Cultures in the Nile Valley. Festival ceremony for Erika Endesfelder , Karl-Heinz Priese, Walter Friedrich Reineke and Steffen Wenig. Wodtke & Stegbauer, Leipzig 2001, ISBN 3-934374-02-6 .
Rainer Hanning : Large concise dictionary of Egyptian-German. 2nd edition, von Zabern, Mainz 1997, ISBN 3-8053-1771-9 .
Wolfgang Helck : Rank. In: Wolfgang Helck, Eberhard Otto (Hrsg.): Lexikon der Ägyptologie. Volume 5: Building a pyramid - stone vessels. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1984, ISBN 3-447-02489-5 .
Wolfgang Helck: Investigations into the thinite age. (= Egyptological treatises. Vol. 45). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987, ISBN 3-447-02677-4 .
Jochem Kahl : Nsw and bit: the beginnings. In: Evamaria Engel, Vera Müller, Ulrich Hartung: Signs from the sand: Streiflichter from Egypt's history in honor of Günter Dreyer . (= Menes: Studies on the culture and language of early Egyptian times and the Old Kingdom. Volume 5). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2008, ISBN 3-447-05816-1 ( online ).
Mouhamadou-Nissire Sarr: Funérailles et représentations dans les tombes de l'ancien et du moyen empires Egyptiens - Cas de comparaison avec les civilizations actuelles de l'Afrique noire. Lit, London 2001, ISBN 3-8258-5825-1 .
Elka Windus-Staginsky: The Egyptian King in the Old Kingdom: Terminology and Phraseology. (= Philippika - Marburg antiquity treatises. Volume 14). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2006, ISBN 3-447-05395-X .
William A. Ward : Index of Egyptian Administrative and Religious Titles of the Middle Kingdom: with a glossary of words and phrases used. American University of Beirut, Beirut 1982, ISBN 978-0-8156-6065-1 , Comment No. 1472.
Toby AH Wilkinson : Early Dynastic Egypt. Routledge, London et al. 1999, ISBN 0-415-18633-1 .

Individual evidence

^ Toby AH Wilkinson: Early Dynastic Egypt. London 1999, p. 147.
↑ ^a ^b A. H. Gardiner: Egyptian Grammar. Oxford 1957, p. 506.
↑ Detlef Franke : Problems of working with ancient Egyptian titles from the Middle Kingdom. In: Göttinger Miscellen . (GM) No. 83, 1984, pp. 112-114.
^ Henry George Fischer: Inscriptions from the Coptite nome: dynasties VI-XI (= Analecta orientalia. Vol. 40). Pontificium Institutum Biblicum, Rome 1964, p. 136 and Appendix B.
^ William A. Ward: Index of Egyptian Administrative and Religious Titles of the Middle Kingdom ... Beirut 1982, p. 169.
↑ Jochem Kahl: Nsw and bit: the beginnings. Wiesbaden 2008, pp. 329-330.
↑ Elka Windus-Staginsky: The Egyptian King in the Old Kingdom. Wiesbaden 2006, pp. 47-51.
^ ^A ^b ^c Toby Wilkinson: Early Dynastic Egypt. London 1999, pp. 130-132 and 147.
↑ Jean-Pierre Pätznick: The seal impressions and cylinder seals of the city of Elephantine in the 3rd millennium BC. Securing evidence of an archaeological artifact (= Breasted, Ancient Records. [BAR] International Series. Bd. 1339). Archaeopress, Oxford 2005, ISBN 1-84171-685-5 , pp. 211-213; see also: Jean-Pierre Pätznick: City and Temple of Elephantine - 25th / 26th / 27th excavation report. In: Communications from the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo Department. (MDAIK). Vol. 55, Berlin 1999, ISSN 0342-1279 , pp. 90-92.
↑ ^a ^b Wolfgang Helck: Investigations on the thinite age. Wiesbaden 1987, p. 215.
↑ Wolfgang Helck: Rank. In: Wolfgang Helck, Eberhard Otto (Hrsg.): Lexikon der Ägyptologie. Volume 5: Building a pyramid - stone vessels. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1984, ISBN 3-447-02489-5 , p. 146.
↑ Wolfram Grajetzki: The use of rank titles in the provincial administration of the 1st Intermediate Period and the early Middle Kingdom. In: Caris-Beatrice Arnst, Ingelore Hafemann, Angelika Lohwasser (eds.): Encounters - Ancient Cultures in the Nile Valley. Festival ceremony for Erika Endesfelder, Karl-Heinz Priese, Walter Friedrich Reineke and Steffen Wenig. Wodtke & Stegbauer, Leipzig 2001, ISBN 3-934374-02-6 , pp. 161–170.
↑ Stephen Quirke: The Regular Titles of the Late Middle Kingdom. In: Revue d 'Egyptologie. Vol. 37, 1986, ISSN 0035-1849 , pp. 107-130.
↑ Jean-Pierre Pätznick in: MDIAK . No. 55, Berlin 1999, pp. 90-92.
^ Christian E. Schulz: Writing implements and scribes in the 0th to 3rd dynasty. [Seminar paper]. GRIN, Munich / Ravensburg 2001, ISBN 978-3-638-63909-5 , pp. 9-15.
^ Alan Henderson Gardiner , Thomas Eric Peet, Jaroslav Černý : The Inscriptions of Sinai Volume 1: Introduction and plates (= Memoir of the Egypt Exploration Fund. Vol. 45, ISSN 0307-5109 ). 2nd edition, revised and augmented by Jaroslav Černý, Egypt Exploration Society, London 1955, pp. 14-15.

[1] Toby AH Wilkinson: Early Dynastic Egypt. London 1999, p. 147.

[AHG-2] A. H. Gardiner: Egyptian Grammar. Oxford 1957, p. 506.

[3] Detlef Franke : Problems of working with ancient Egyptian titles from the Middle Kingdom. In: Göttinger Miscellen . (GM) No. 83, 1984, pp. 112-114.

[4] Henry George Fischer: Inscriptions from the Coptite nome: dynasties VI-XI (= Analecta orientalia. Vol. 40). Pontificium Institutum Biblicum, Rome 1964, p. 136 and Appendix B.

[5] William A. Ward: Index of Egyptian Administrative and Religious Titles of the Middle Kingdom ... Beirut 1982, p. 169.

[6] Jochem Kahl: Nsw and bit: the beginnings. Wiesbaden 2008, pp. 329-330.

[7] Elka Windus-Staginsky: The Egyptian King in the Old Kingdom. Wiesbaden 2006, pp. 47-51.

[ToWi-8] A ^b ^c Toby Wilkinson: Early Dynastic Egypt. London 1999, pp. 130-132 and 147.

[JPP_S211-213-9] Jean-Pierre Pätznick: The seal impressions and cylinder seals of the city of Elephantine in the 3rd millennium BC. Securing evidence of an archaeological artifact (= Breasted, Ancient Records. [BAR] International Series. Bd. 1339). Archaeopress, Oxford 2005, ISBN 1-84171-685-5 , pp. 211-213; see also: Jean-Pierre Pätznick: City and Temple of Elephantine - 25th / 26th / 27th excavation report. In: Communications from the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo Department. (MDAIK). Vol. 55, Berlin 1999, ISSN 0342-1279 , pp. 90-92.

[WoHe-10] Wolfgang Helck: Investigations on the thinite age. Wiesbaden 1987, p. 215.

[11] Wolfgang Helck: Rank. In: Wolfgang Helck, Eberhard Otto (Hrsg.): Lexikon der Ägyptologie. Volume 5: Building a pyramid - stone vessels. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1984, ISBN 3-447-02489-5 , p. 146.

[12] Wolfram Grajetzki: The use of rank titles in the provincial administration of the 1st Intermediate Period and the early Middle Kingdom. In: Caris-Beatrice Arnst, Ingelore Hafemann, Angelika Lohwasser (eds.): Encounters - Ancient Cultures in the Nile Valley. Festival ceremony for Erika Endesfelder, Karl-Heinz Priese, Walter Friedrich Reineke and Steffen Wenig. Wodtke & Stegbauer, Leipzig 2001, ISBN 3-934374-02-6 , pp. 161–170.

[13] Stephen Quirke: The Regular Titles of the Late Middle Kingdom. In: Revue d 'Egyptologie. Vol. 37, 1986, ISSN 0035-1849 , pp. 107-130.

[JPP_S90-92-14] Jean-Pierre Pätznick in: MDIAK . No. 55, Berlin 1999, pp. 90-92.

[15] Christian E. Schulz: Writing implements and scribes in the 0th to 3rd dynasty. [Seminar paper]. GRIN, Munich / Ravensburg 2001, ISBN 978-3-638-63909-5 , pp. 9-15.

[16] Alan Henderson Gardiner , Thomas Eric Peet, Jaroslav Černý : The Inscriptions of Sinai Volume 1: Introduction and plates (= Memoir of the Egypt Exploration Fund. Vol. 45, ISSN 0307-5109 ). 2nd edition, revised and augmented by Jaroslav Černý, Egypt Exploration Society, London 1955, pp. 14-15.