The Role of the Lector (Xry-Hbt) in Ancient Egyptian Society A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Life Sciences 2013 Dr Roger Forshaw 2 “ … lector priest coming to this tomb of eternity to do his things … … lector priest doing the preparation according to … he will do everything useful, august … of invocation offerings lord of life upon both feet, as is done for a dignitary …” Tomb of Nyhetep-ptah at Giza (Tomb G 2430) (Badawy 1978: 17) 3 4 List of Contents Contents 5 List of Figures 11 List of Tables 24 List of Appendices 25 Abstract 27 Chronology 28 Abbreviations 29 The Author 30 Acknowledgements 33 Declaration 34 Copyright Statement 35 Chapter 1 Introduction, Literary Review & Methodology 37 1.1 Introduction 37 1.2 Literature Review 37 1.2.1 General 37 1.2.2 Magic 38 1.2.3 Priesthood 39 1.2.4 Funerary Ceremonies 43 1.2.5 Healing 45 1.2.6 Temple and Royal Ritual 46 1.2.7 Miscellaneous 47 1.3 Methodology 48 Chapter 2 Recognition, Origin & Hieroglyphic Representation 53 2.1 Recognition 53 2.1.1 Attire 53 2.1.2 Iconography and Gestures 55 2.1.3 hnw-gesture 57 2.1.4 Chief Lector 58 2.2 Origin and Evolution of the Role of the Lector 59 2.2.1 Early Evidence 59 2.2.2 Old Kingdom 61 2.2.3 Middle Kingdom 64 2.2.4 New Kingdom 65 2.2.5 Late Period 65 5 2.2.6 Ptolemaic Period 66 2.2.7 Evolution of the Title of ‘Chief Lector’ 66 2.2.8 Conclusion 68 2.3 Hieroglyphs 68 2.3.1 Greatest of Chief lectors 69 2.3.2 Senior/Elder Lector 69 2.3.3 Senior Lector of the Robing-Room 71 2.3.4 Lector of the Funerary Workshop 72 2.3.5 Lector of the Funerary Estate 72 2.3.6 Lector of his Father/Chief Lector of his Father 72 2.3.7 Lector of a King 73 2.3.8 Ordinary Lector 73 2.3.9 Lector of Amun 73 2.3.10 Lector who is in his Year 74 2.3.11 Lectors associated with Deities 74 2.3.12 Lectors associated with Temples 75 2.3.13 Lectors associated with Localities 76 2.3.14 Miscellaneous Lectors 77 Chapter 3 Magic and Performance 79 3.1 Magic 79 3.1.1 Definition 79 3.1.2 Heka 79 3.2 Word, ‘Spell’ 80 3.3 Performance 83 3.3.1 Introduction 83 3.3.2 Ritual Performances 85 3.3.3 Execration Rituals 86 3.3.3.1 Definition and History 86 3.3.3.2 Breaking the Red Pots 87 3.3.3.3 Purification Rites 91 3.3.3.4 Rites of Encircling 91 3.3.3.5 Rites of Protection 94 3.3.3.6 Miscellaneous Rites 95 3.3.4 Spitting, Licking and Swallowing 96 Chapter 4 Equipment of the Lector 99 4.1 Old Kingdom Inscriptional Evidence 99 4.2 The Burial Assemblage of Tomb No. 5 at the Ramesseum 106 6 4.2.1 Introduction 106 4.2.2 Objects 110 4.2.2.1 Apotropaic Animal Statuettes/Amulets 110 4.2.2.2 Apotropaic Wands 112 4.2.2.3 Wooden Figurine 115 4.2.2.4 Serpent Wand 117 4.2.2.5 Female Fertility Figurines 122 4.2.2.6 Ivory Dwarf 125 4.2.2.7 Model Food and Vessels 127 4.2.2.8 Ivory Clappers 129 4.2.2.9 Magical Rod or Wand 131 4.2.2.10 Beads 133 4.2.2.11 Ivory Djed Column 133 4.2.2.12 Burnisher 134 4.2.2.13 Seeds 136 4.2.3 Papyri 137 4.2.4 Comparable Burial Assemblages 139 4.2.5 Interpretation 141 Chapter 5 Remuneration 147 5.1 Introduction 147 5.2 Old Kingdom 147 5.3 Middle Kingdom 150 5.4 New Kingdom 152 5.5 Late and Ptolemaic Periods 152 5.6 Conclusion 154 Chapter 6 The Evidence 155 A Temple and Festival Ritual 157 A.1 Introduction 157 A.1.1 Ritual 157 A.1.2 Purification 157 A.2 Temple Ritual 163 A.2.1 Daily Temple Ritual 163 A.2.2 Other Temple Ceremonies 167 A.2.3 Lector in the Foundation of the Egyptian Temple 168 A.2.3.1 Stretching the Cord 168 A.2.3.2 Consecration of the Temple 170 A.2.4 House of Books 171 7 A.2.5 Sacred Drama 172 A.2.6 Summary and Conclusion of Temple Evidence 174 A.3 Festival Rituals 175 A.3.1 Introduction 175 A.3.2 Festival of Sokar 177 A.3.3 Opet Festival and Beautiful Feast of the Valley 184 A.3.3.1 Opet Festival 184 A.3.3.2 Beautiful Feast of the Valley 186 A.3.4 Summary and Conclusion of Festival Evidence 191 B Royal Involvement 193 B.1 Introduction 193 B.2 The Lector in the Royal Palace 193 B.3 The King and the Sons of the King acting as Lector 193 B.4 Role in establishing the Royal Titulary 194 B.5 The Sed -Festival 195 B.5.1 Introduction 195 B.5.2 Definition 195 B.5.3 History 196 B.5.4 Sources 196 B.5.4.1 Niuserre 197 B.5.4.2 Amenhotep III 200 B.5.4.3 Amenhotep IV 208 B.5.4.4 Osorkon II 211 B.5.4.3.1 Walls A and D 212 B.5.4.3.2 Walls B and C 215 B.5.4.3.3 Walls E and F 215 B.5.5 Summary of the Role of the Lector at the Hb-sd 219 B.5.5.1 Niuserre 219 B.5.5.2 Amenhotep III 219 B.5.5.3 Amenhotep IV 219 B.5.5.4 Osorkon II 219 B.5.6 Interpretation and Conclusion 220 The Sed-Festival Reliefs of Osorkon II 222 C Funerary Ritual and Provisioning the Dead 231 C.1 Introduction 231 C.2 Old Kingdom 231 C.2.1 Transition from Home to the River 232 C.2.2 Crossing the Water 235 8 C.2.3 Embalming Ritual 240 C.2.4 Night before the Funeral 242 C.2.5 Journey to the Tomb 243 C.2.6 Services at the Tomb 243 C.2.6.1 Arrival 243 C.2.6.2 Opening of the Mouth 244 C.2.6.3 Offering Ritual 245 C.2.7 Closure of the Tomb 253 C.3 Role of the Lector in Funerary Ritual in the Middle Kingdom 255 C.4 Role of the Lector in Funerary Ritual in the New Kingdom 259 C.4.1 Rekhmire 260 C.4.2 Amenemhat 262 C.4.3 Amarna Period 266 C.5 Post-New Kingdom 267 C.6 Transfiguration and the Nature of Texts used by the Lector 267 C.7 Interpretation and Conclusion 269 D The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony 273 D.1 Introduction 273 D.2 History and Development of the Ritual 274 D.3 New Kingdom Version of ‘Opening of the Mouth’ 275 D.4 Actors/Officiants 279 D.5 Ritual Implements 279 D.6 Choice of Scenes in Stelae and in Tomb Depictions 280 D.7 Case Study 280 D.7.1 Opening of the Mouth in the Tomb of Rekhmire 280 D.7.2 Analysis of the Rekhmire Scenes 286 D.8 Opening of the Mouth in other Tomb Scenes 288 D.9 Conclusion 290 E The Involvement of the Lector in Healing 291 E.1 Introduction 291 E.2 Medical Papyri 292 E.3 Temple Evidence 295 E.4 Documentary Evidence 304 E.5 Literary Evidence 308 E.6 Summary and Conclusion 309 F Presence of the Lector on Mining Expeditions 311 F.1 Introduction 311 F.2 Sinai 313 9 F.3 Hatnub 314 F.4 Wadi Hammamat 316 F.5 Wadi el-Hudi 317 F.6 Interpretation 318 G The Lector and the Law 323 G.1 Introduction to the Ancient Egyptian Legal System 323 G.2 The Role of the Lector on Temple Councils 325 G.3 As a Judge 328 G.4 The Harem Conspiracy 330 ` G.5 The Lector as a Witness 335 G.6 ‘Great Tomb-Robberies of the 20th Dynasty’ 336 G.7 Summary and Conclusion 337 H Literary Evidence 339 H.1 Introduction 339 H.2 Papyrus Westcar 339 H.3 Papyrus St. Petersburg (the prophecies of Neferty) 341 H.4 Papyrus Vandier (the tale of Meryre) 342 H.5 Papyri Cairo 30646 & BM 604 (Setna Khaemwase Cycle) 343 H.5.1 Written Spells and Magical Books 343 H.5.2 Recitation of Spells 344 H.5.3 Performance of Magic 344 H.5.4 ‘Consumption of Magic’ 344 H.6 Papyrus Chester Beatty 345 7 Summary and Conclusion 347 Appendices 351 Bibliography 367 Word Count 79,950 10 Figures 2.1 Wilkinson’s depiction of a procession of priests with the 54 lector or chief lector at the front depicted with two feathers on his head (Wilkinson 1878: II, fig. 436) 2.2 Scenes from the front of the coffin of Mutirdies 55 (Wieczorek & Rosendahl 2013: fig. 11b) 2.3 Representations of lectors 55 2.4 Scene from the Middle Kingdom tomb-chapel of Ukh-hotep 56 (son of Ukh-hotep and Heny-hery-ib, Tomb C, no. 1) depicting lectors and a chief lector before the tomb owner (Blackman & Apted 1953: pl.