Ishemai

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Ishemai was an Ancient Egyptian official at the end of the Old Kingdom, around 2150 BC. He is mainly known from his rock cut tomb found at the Qubbet el-Hawa. Ishemai had several titles, including royal sealer, sole friend, lector priest and great overlord of the king. [1]

Ancient Egypt ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa

Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in the place that is now the country Egypt. Ancient Egyptian civilization followed prehistoric Egypt and coalesced around 3100 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under Menes. The history of ancient Egypt occurred as a series of stable kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods: the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age, the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age.

Qubbet el-Hawa

Qubbet el-Hawa is a site on the western bank of the Nile, opposite Aswan. The name is derived from the dome of the tomb of an Islamic sheikh, but archaeologically, it is usually understood as referring to the site of the tombs of the officials lined up on artificial terraces below the summit of the Nile bank upon which the Islamic tomb stands.

Lector priest

A lector priest was a priest in ancient Egypt who recited spells and hymns during temple rituals and official ceremonies. Such priests also sold their services to laymen, reciting texts during private apotropaic rituals or at funerals. As such, they were some of the most prominent practitioners of "magic" (heku) in ancient Egypt. In ancient Egyptian literature, lector priests are often portrayed as the keepers of secret knowledge and the performers of amazing magical feats.

His rock cut tomb at Qubbet el-Hawa consists of one bigger main cult chapel and several smaller rooms. The main chapel is supported by three rock cut pillars. On the walls of the chapel and on one of the pillars are four panels. They contain painted reliefs, showing Ishemai in front of servants and offering beares. The paint on the reliefs is today still very well preserved. [2]

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References

  1. Marco Chioffi, Giuliana Rigamonti: Qubbet el-Hawa, la tomba rupestre di Ishemai, Imola 2014, ISBN   978-88-7586-424-8, p. 41
  2. Marco Chioffi, Giuliana Rigamonti: Qubbet el-Hawa, la tomba rupestre di Ishemai, Imola 2014, ISBN   978-88-7586-424-8, p. 34-42