Setju (official)

Setju in hieroglyphics
or	Setju Stjw
1st title	Wer-cherep-hemut Wr-ḫrp-ḥmwt Greatest head of craftsmen
2nd title	Hem-netjer-Sokar Ḥm-nṯr-Skr Servant of Sokar

Setju was an ancient Egyptian official and high priest of the Old Kingdom , his lifetime is unknown.

supporting documents

Setju's name appears on an ornate false door and on several groups of statues showing him together with his wife. Their name is unknown, only the last character remained. This at least allows the conclusion that her name ended with "... Ka" .

Term of office

Setju held several high offices, for example, as high priest of Ptah, he carried the title of "Greatest Head of Craftsmen" . He was also “Servant of Sokar ” and “Great of the Ten of Upper Egypt” . It is unclear under which king Setju officiated. A group of statues, today in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples , also mentions a certain “Setju”, but without the priestly title. The Egyptologist Charles Maystre thinks it is conceivable that Setju was an official colleague of the priest Ptahshepses ( 5th dynasty ). Then Setju would have been active under kings like Niuserre and Userkaf . It is also possible that Setju exercised his office before Ptahshepses, in which case he would still have officiated under Mykerinos in the 4th dynasty and would have been the earliest "worshiper of Ptah" in Egypt so far .

dig

Interestingly, there are two graves belonging to an official named "Setju", both are in Saqqara and were excavated by Auguste Mariette . One of them must have belonged to the priest. The steles and statues are now in various Egyptian museums.

See also

• Ancient Egyptian official and function titles

literature

• Gaston Maspero : Les mastabas de l'Ancien Empire - Fragment du dernier ouvrage de A. Mariette, publié d'après le manuscrit de l'auteur. F. Vieweg, librairie-éditeur, 1889
• Charles Maystre: Les grands prêtres de Ptah de Memphis . In: Livre suisse. Issues 1–12. Orbis biblicus orientalis - University Press, Freiburg 1992