Minemhat

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Minemhat (Min is at the front) was the mayor of Koptos during the 17th Dynasty. Minemhat appears in three sources making him one of the best attested private individuals of the period and attesting that he was a highly influential person.

Contents

Attestations

Serving under Nubkheperre Intef

Minemhat appears on the Coptos Decree dates to Year 3 of King Nubkheperre Intef. This is a royal decree addressed to certain officials at Koptos with Minemhat appearing as the first one with the titles royal sealer and mayor of Koptos. The decree is about the removal of Teti, Son of Minhotep, from his position in the temple at Koptos.

Mining Expedition

At Gebel Zeit, several mining expeditions went to the galena mines, often departing from Coptos (Quft). There is evidence of Min worship indicating a relation to the Temple of Min at Coptos. The stela erected by Minemhat, a nomarch of Coptos, indicating his participation in a mining expedition during the 17th Dynasty. [1]

Associated with Seqenenre Djehuty-aa

Minemhat appears on a box in the burial of Hornakht, [2] showing that he had links to officials at Thebes. Other items in the burial of Hornakht also mentions Sobeknakht of Elkab and king Djehuty-aa.

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Hornakht was an ancient Egyptian official living at the end of the Second Intermediate Period. His title was royal acquaintance access. He is known in Egyptology because his burial was found undisturbed. It was discovered on 21 December 1862 by Luigi Vassalli who worked for Auguste Mariette in Dra' Abu el-Naga' at Thebes. Gaston Maspero published the tomb group in 1892. The burial contained the rishi coffin of Hornakht and a set of objects, some of them inscribed with the names of other officials some of these objects perhaps gifts to Hornakht. There was a throw stick with the name of king Seqenenre Djehuty-aa also inscribed with the name of the king's son Tjuiu. The object provides an idea of Hornakht's dating. A box bears the name of the mayor Minemhat and there was a cosmetic spoon inscribed with the name and title of the mayor of Hierakonpolis Sobeknakht. These people are all most likely contemporary with Hornakht. A vase bears the name of an Idi and dates most likely to the Old Kingdom. Other objects found in the tomb are scarabs, stone vessels, a pair of sandals, a headrest and a gaming board.

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The Coptos Decrees are 18 complete or fragmentary ancient Egyptian royal decrees ranging from the 6th Dynasty to the late 8th Dynasty. The decrees are numbered with letters of the Latin alphabet, starting with "Coptos Decree a" and ending with "Coptos Decree r". The earliest of the series were issued by Pepi I and Pepi II Neferkare to favor the clergy of the temple of Min, while the others are datable to the reign of various kings of the 8th Dynasty, and concern various favors granted to an important official from Coptos named Shemay and to his family members. The decrees reflect the waning of the power of the pharaoh in the early First Intermediate Period.

Shemay

Shemay was an ancient Egyptian official and later vizier toward the end of the 8th Dynasty during the First Intermediate Period, mainly known for being the beneficiary of most of the Coptos Decrees. His career has been interpreted as a glaring sign of the extreme weakness of the central power, forced to bestow great privileges to maintain the loyalty of powerful local governors. Shemay is buried in a mudbrick mastaba just south of Coptos.

Idy (vizier)

Idy was an important Ancient Egyptian official in the Eighth Dynasty known from several sources. He lived at the beginning of the First Intermediate Period and was the son of Shemay, who is also known from several monuments and decrees from Koptos. His mother was the king's daughter Nebet. Idy appears on many royal decrees found at Koptos. There he bears the important title of a vizier, but was also overseer of Upper Egypt and overseer of priest and count. The decrees are dated under king Neferkauhor and Neferirkare. One decree is addressed to Shemay and dates under Neferkauhor. It reports the appointment of Idy to the overseer of Upper Egypt. A second one mentions affairs in the temple of Min at Koptos. In a third decree Idy bears the titles of a vizier. In the decree, the king protects the statues and the funerary cult of Idy. The decree is dated under king Neferirkare, who was the successor of Neferkauhor. It seems that Idy took over many positions that his father hold before.

References

  1. G. Castel and G. Soukianssian: "Dépôt de stèles dans le sanctuaire du Nouvel Empire au Gebel Zeit", in: BIFAO 85 (1985), 285–93.
  2. A. Mariette: Monuments divers recueillis en Egypte et en Nubie par Auguste Mariette-Pacha. Ouvrage publie sous le auspices de S.A. Ismaile Paha Khedivve d'Egypte, Texte par G. Maspero, Paris 1892, pl. 51