Ramessesnakht

{{Infobox Egyptian dignitary

| Name= Ramessesnakht

| Style = High Priest of Amun

| Image =Ramessesnakht Theban Triad Statue 2012.jpg

|Caption=Statue of Ramessesnakht holding the Theban Triad. Cairo, JE 37186.

| ImageSize=

| Predecessor=

| Successor= Amenhotep

| Dynasty= 20th Dynasty

| Pharaoh= Ramesses IV, Ramesses V, Ramesses VI, Ramesses VII, Ramesses VIII, Ramesses IX

| Father= Meribastet, Chief Steward of the Lord of the Two Lands

| Mother=

| Wife= Adjedet-Aat

| Children= sons Nesamun and Amenhotep; daughter Tamerit

| Burial= TT 293

}}

{{hiero|RamessesnakhtHermann Ranke: Die ägyptische Persönennamen. Verlag von J. J. Augustin in Glückstadt, 1935, p.219|ra:Z1-ms*s:z-n:xt:x*t-D40:t*Z7|align=right|era=nk}}

Ramessesnakht was High Priest of Amun during many years in the 20th Dynasty. He was appointed as the High Priest at Thebes under Ramesses IV. He served in office until the reign of Ramesses IX. It was during Ramessesnakht's tenure that the power and importance of the Amun priesthood grew over Egypt while the Pharaoh's power began to noticeably decline.

Biography

He was the son of Meribastet, steward to the pharaoh. Ramessesnakht was married to Adjedet-Aat, the daughter of Setau, High Priest of Nekhbet, and had at least two sons: Amenhotep and Nesamun and a daughter Tamerit.{{Cite web |url=http://euler.slu.edu/Dept/Faculty/bart/egyptianhtml/kings%20and%20Queens/High_Priests_of_Amun.html |title=The High Priests of Amun |access-date=2007-08-24 |archive-date=2008-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324234346/http://euler.slu.edu/Dept/Faculty/bart/egyptianhtml/kings%20and%20Queens/High_Priests_of_Amun.html |url-status=dead }} His son Amenhotep would succeed him in office and there is evidence that, at least for a while, his son, the Second Prophet of Amun Nesamun also acted as High Priest of Amun.A. Thijs, The Second Prophet Nesamun and his claim to the High-Priesthood, in: SAK 38 (2009), 343-353 His daughter Tamerit married Amenemopet, Third Prophet of Amun, making the family related through marriage to another important priestly family, that of Bakenkhonsu who served as High Priest of Amun under Ramesses II. (Amenemopet was Bakenkhonsu's grandson through his daughter Nefertari.) Ramessesnakht is depicted in his father-in-law Setau's tomb in El-Kab.[http://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/el_kab/setaou/e_setaou.htm Osirisnet page] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717132336/http://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/el_kab/setaou/e_setaou.htm |date=2011-07-17 }}

While in office, the High Priest Ramessesnakht personally led a massive mining expedition to the rock quarries of Wadi Hammamat in Year 3 of Ramesses IV which consisted of 8,368 men alone including 5,000 soldiers, 2,000 personnel of the Amun temples, 800 Apiru and 130 stonemasons and quarrymen.KRI, VI, 12-14 This was recorded on a rock cut stela.W. C. Hayes , The Scepter of Egypt II, pg.371 He secured gold and galena (for eye paint) under Ramesses VII and IX.A. J. Peden, Egyptian Historical Inscriptions of the Twentieth Dynasty, Chapter 2

Theban graffito 1860a

For a time it was believed that there might have been two High Priests of Amun called Ramessesnakht.M. Bierbrier, JEA 58 (1972), 195-199.

This was based on an incorrect reading of Theban graffito 1860a. This graffito was dated to an anonymous year 8 and seemed to mention, besides Ramessesnakht, a royal butler and the mayor of Thebes Amenmose, a Chief Workman of the Necropolis called Amennakht. Bierbrier suggested to identify this Amennakht with the Chief Workman of that name who was active in year 3 of Ramesses X.M. Bierbrier, JEA 58 (1972), 197

This would make the Ramessesnakht of the graffito into the second High Priest of this name. However, Bierbrier's hypothesis would also imply that Ramesses X reached a hitherto unattested year 8. At the time this seemed to be confirmed by a theory of Richard Parker who, on solely astronomical grounds had postulated a year 9 for Ramesses X.M. Bierbrier, JEA 61 (1975), 251R.A. Parker, Rev. d’Ég. 11 (1951), 163-164

Parker’s theory has since been abandoned, and Lanny Bell has shown that the graffito actually mentioned a certain “Pamose, son of the Chief Workman Amennakht” and not the workman himself.L. Bell, Serapis 6 (1980), 7-16 Bell suggested that Theban graffito 1860a actually belonged to year 8 of the reign of Ramesses VI. Although his hypothesis introduces a hitherto unknown Chief Workman Amennakht, this is a far more economical solution than having to postulate a second High Priest Ramessesnakht, a new Mayor Amenmose and some five otherwise unattested years for Ramesses X.Bell, Serapis 6 (1980), 8

Death and burial

File:TT293.jpg

Ramessesnakht was buried in TT293. Surrounding the date of his death and burial there is some controversy. The highest attested date for Ramessesnakht so far stems from year 2 of Ramesses IX.Helck, JARCE 6 (1967), 135-151 In a text stemming from the reign of Ramesses XI,E. Wente, JNES 25 (1966), 73-87Polz, SAK 25 (1998), 283 the High Priest of Amun, Amenhotep, refers to the burial of his father “in year ..... [year lost] of Pharaoh”.E. Wente, JNES 25 (1966), 78 This is problematical, since during this period, in official texts the term “Pharaoh” was normally used only to refer to the living king.Wente, JNES 25 (1966), 82 Still, the fact that his son, Amenhotep, is first attested in office in year 9 of Ramesses IXHelck, CDÉ 59 (1984), 245 clearly shows that Ramessesnakht must have died under this king and not under Ramesses XI.

Ramessesnakht

Biography

Theban graffito 1860a

Death and burial

References

Further reading