Wennefer (30th Dynasty)

Wennefer (also Onnophris ; Greek Onuphrios , Ονούφριος) was during the 30th Dynasty one of Behbeit el-Hagar derived ancient Egyptian priest and physician. His sarcophagus was discovered in Saqqara and is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (No. 11.154.1) in New York .

background

He was the son of Painmu and was called, among other things, " Prophet of the falcon Nechethorheb " and "Head of the summoners of the Serket ". Wennefer was also the “priest of Isis ”. Hermann de Meulenaere suspects him to be the father of the vizier Harsiese. However, the relationship with Nechethorheb speaks against the fatherhood of Harsiese.

Wennefer wrote an autobiography similar to Udjahorresnet . In it he reports, 359 BC To have participated with speedometers in the campaign against the Persians in Phenicia . At first he was suspected of treason. However, Wennefer was later rehabilitated on the false allegations . As the inscription has only survived in part, the connections can not be interpreted with certainty by the Egyptologists . For example, it remains unclear whether Wennefer together with Tachos to Artaxerxes II. Or only later to Artaxerxes III. got. After his visit Wennefer returned to Egypt from the Persian great king. Since the reasons for Wennefer's trip to the Persian royal court could not be determined with certainty, no clear statement can be made in this regard either.

literature

F. Känel: Les mésaventures du conjurateur de Serket Onnophris et de son tombeau . In: Bulletin de la Société Française d'Egyptologie Paris (BSFE) 87 . Paris 1980, pp. 31-45.
Hermann de Meulenaere: Les monuments du culte des rois Nectanébo . In: Chronique d'Égypte (Bulletin périodique de la Fondation égyptologique reine Élisabeth) 35 . Musées royaux d'art et d'histoire, Bruxelles 1960, pp. 92-107.
John Ray: The Reflections of Osiris: Lives from Ancient Egypt (The Magician Pharaoh Nectanebo II, reigned 359 / 358-343 / 342 BC) . University Press, Oxford 2002, ISBN 0-19-515871-7 , pp. 113-129.
Toby Wilkinson : Who is who in ancient Egypt: rulers, courtiers, craftsmen (German version by Helmut Schareika) . von Zabern, Mainz 2008, ISBN 978-3-8053-3917-9 , pp. 308-310.
Werner Huss : Egyptian collaborators in Persian times. In: Tyche. Contributions to ancient history, papyrology and epigraphy . Volume 12, 1997, pp. 131-143, here p. 139.
Bertha Porter , Rosalind LB Moss : Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings. Volume III: Memphis. Part 2: Ṣaqqâra to Dahshûr. 2nd edition, revised and expanded by Jaromír Málek . Griffith Institute / Ashmolean Museum , Oxford 1981, ISBN 0-900416-23-8 , pp. 503-504, map XLVI, E-2 ( PDF file; 33.5 MB ); Retrieved from The Digital Topographical Bibliography .

Web links

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Sarcophagus of Wennefer
flickr: Metropolitan Museum of Art: Wennefer's Sarcophagus

Individual evidence

^ John Ray: The Reflections of Osiris . P. 117.

personal data
SURNAME	Wennefer
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Onnophris
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Egyptian civil servant, chief physician
DATE OF BIRTH	5th century BC BC or 4th century BC Chr.
PLACE OF BIRTH	Behbeit el-Hagar
DATE OF DEATH	after 359 BC Chr.

[1] John Ray: The Reflections of Osiris . P. 117.