Masaharta

The hieroglyphic
name of Masaharta

Masaharta or Masaherta was the Full Priest of Amun at Thebes between 1054 and 1045 BC. His father was Pinedjem I, who was the Theban upper Priest of Amun and de facto rule of Upper Egypt from 1070 BC, then express himself pharaoh in 1054 BC and Masaharta come after him as higher priest. His mother was belike Duathathor-Henuttawy, the girl of Ramses XI, last swayer of the 20th dynasty. His aunt Tentamun, another girl of Ramesses married Pharaoh Smendes I, who ruled Lower Egypt. One of Masaharta's brothers was Psusennes I, who was Smendes's successor, the passing Amenemnisu as pharaoh.

His wife is coming to have been the Singer of Amun Tayuheret, whose mummy was saw in the Deir el-Bahri cachette. It is manageable that he had a girl addressed Isetemkheb, since a lady by this name is addressed the girl of a higher priest on her funerary objects; it is also manageable, though, that she was Menkheperre's girl. The God's Wife of Amun in Masaharta's rule looks to have been his sister Maatkare.

The Mummy of Masaharta

Several of his letterings are knew from the Karnak temple of Amenhotep II, from ram-headed sphinxes as well in Karnak, and a important falcon statue.

Masaharta was trusted for the renovation of the mummy of Amenhotep I in the 16th regnal year of Smendes. He is besides named in Theban Graffito no. 1572, from a year 16, in concert with the King's Scribe in the Place of Truth (= Scribe of the Necropolis) Ankhefenamun, the son of King's Scribe Butehamun.

His highest old year is a year 18. It is sometimes gained from the combining of two letters found in el-Hiba, the first mentioning an untitled Masaharta praying for his health, and the second a letter of thanks to the localized god by the full Priest Menkheperre, that Masaharta died of malady at el-Hiba about the 24th regnal year of Smendes, but this is no more than an on trial hypothesis. In fact, it has been direct out that such a scenario ill suits the content of the missives. His mummy was saw in the Deir el-Bahri cache along with different family members; it is now in Luxor. It is often assumed that he was won as higher priest by his brother Djedkhonsuefankh, who served only for a close time and was was by another brother, Menkheperre. However, the position of Djedkhonsuefankh is not beyond dispute. full we really know of his being is the bare credit of his name on the coffin of his son (now lost). There it reads, checking to Torr: "[...]re, son of the first prophet of Amun, Djed-Khons-ef-ankh, son of the Lord of the Two Lands, Pinedjem, Favorite of Amun, first prophet of Amun", with the name Pinedjem introduced in a cartouche.

Djed khonsuefankh is suspicious to have been come as higher Priest by his brother Menkheperre, which seems to imply that his son "[...]re" either predeceased him, was too young to succeed or was simply passed over for other grounds. However, Andrzej Niwi ski  has evoked that Djedkhonsuefankh was not the son of Pinedjem I, but rather of Pinedjem II, and as untold the essential grandson of Pinedjem I Niwi?ski keys him with the main formal mentioned with the burials of Neskhons in year 5 of king Siamun and of Pinedjem II in year 10 of the very king. He postulates that Psusennes II (in this worthy his brother), who plausibly come after his father Pinedjem II as upper Priest and was in uniting this title with that of king had Djed-Khons-ef-ankh act as his surrogate in Thebes. The title of upper Priest on his coffin would then be given posthumously by his son "[...]re" Niwi?ski likewise heads out that theophoric names as Djed-Khons-ef-ankh mainly appear very late in the 21st Dynasty. If we discount the ephemeral Djedkhonsuefankh, it seems that Masaharta was won by his brother Menkheperre.

Recent Posts:


·        Kenbet
·        Marriage in Ancient Egypt
·        Love in Ancient Egypt
·        kenken-ur
·        Nebireyeraw
·        Avaris
·        Admonitions of Ipuwer
·        Keper