providing the required daily offerings and commemora-
tions. This task was assumed by the family and fulfilled
until the close of the Middle Kingdom Period with gener-
ations of caretakers and mortuary priests involved. The
mayoral residence provided for Nakht was vast, with a
columned hall, chambers, a courtyard, and a granary.
Large towns developed at the mortuary structures of the
rulers in order to sustain the vast number of priests and
servants committed to the continuation of service in the
royal cults.
See also MORTUARY RITUALS.
Nakht (2)(fl. 15th century B.C.E.)Priestly official and
court astronomer of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served TUTHMOSIS IV(r. 1401–1391 B.C.E.) as a priest-
astronomer and as the chief steward of the royal granaries
and vineyards. Nakht charted astronomical changes that
related to the agricultural seasons on the Nile. Such
astronomical observances were vital to the inundation
preparations each year, as the flooding Nile inundated
entire regions of the valley and displaced countless num-
bers of Egyptians.
His tomb at SHEIKH ABD’EL-QURNAin THEBESis noted
for its paintings, although the structure is small. Tawi,
Nakht’s wife, was a chantress in the temple of AMUN, and
she shared Nakht’s tomb. The painting of the “Blind
Harper” makes Nakht’s tomb noteworthy. Other paintings
depict banquets and daily routines. The eyes of Nakht in
such portraits were scratched out, an act that the Egyp-
tians believed would render him blind in the realms
beyond the grave. This vandalism indicates Nakht’s fall
from power or the presence of a powerful enemy in the
region.
Nakhthoreb(d. c. 343 B.C.E.)Probably the last ruler of
the Thirtieth Dynasty
He was slain or deposed by the Persians, who started
their second period of occupation on the Nile in 343
B.C.E. A magnificent SARCOPHAGUS intended for
Nakhthoreb’s burial was discovered in ALEXANDRIA. Dur-
ing his reign he erected a temple honoring OSIRISand
served APISin the SERAPEUMterritory at SAQQARA. The
Persians ended this royal line but were fated to meet
ALEXANDER III THE GREAT(r. 332–323 B.C.E.) and to lose
Egypt and their other imperial domains forever.
See also EGYPT.
Nakhtmin (1)(fl. 14th century B.C.E.) Military officer
and possible prince of the Eighteenth Dynasty
Nakhtmin may have been the son of AYA (2) (r.
1323–1319 B.C.E.) and Queen TEY. Aya, the successor of
TUT’ANKHAMUN, married ANKHESENAMON, the young
widow of Tut’ankhamun, but she disappeared soon after,
and Tey, a commoner, assumed the role of Great Wife. Tey
was married to Aya before his ascension.
Nakhtmin was a military general and was chosen by
Aya as his heir but did not succeed him. He was put aside
by HOREMHABand not allowed to inherit the throne.
Horemhab became the last pharaoh of the dynasty. A
beautiful statue of a woman, dating to this period, has
been identified as the wife of General Nakhtmin, presum-
ably this official.Nakhtmin (2)(fl. 13th century B.C.E.) Military official
of the Nineteenth Dynasty
Serving RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.), he was a noble
of ABUSIR. Nakhtmin was the chief of military chariots
and an ad hoc foreign ambassador. His TOMB, located in a
cliff necropolis dating to the fifth century, is near Abusir.
This tomb was designed as a multileveled gravesite. The
structure had a large courtyard with nine roof supports
and a limestone floor. Four small chambers were also dis-
covered near the main hall. The walls were painted blue
and green and depicted scenes from the Book of the Gates,
a mortuary document.names An aspect of Egyptian life with magical implica-
tions in all periods of the nation’s history, names were
essential to continued existence on the earth or beyond.
Anyone without a name did not survive. The recitation of
a name provided continued existence, especially to the
dead. Thus, many annual festivals were held to honor
ancestors and to recite their names aloud in rituals.
Priests were also contracted to perform rituals at the
tomb sites that included the recitation of the names,
ranks, and honors of the deceased. This reliance upon
continued recognition on the earth for eternal survival
was especially true for the royal Egyptians, who had a
series of ROYAL NAMESwith mystical powers.
See also VALLEY FESTIVAL.Nanefer-ka-Ptah(fl. 13th century B.C.E.) Royal prince
of the Nineteenth Dynasty
A son of MERENPTAH(r. 1224–1214 B.C.E.), Nanefer-ka-
Ptah was made famous by an Egyptian magical tale con-
cerning the prince’s discovery of the magical book of the
god THOTH. He made a copy of the book, washed off the
ink with beer, and then drank the brew. This allowed him
to absorb the wisdom of the erased words. The Book of
Thoth was supposedly a repository of vast amounts of
occult and magical texts, revered by the priests. Nanefer-
ka-Ptah’s wife was Princess Ahura, and his son was
Merab. The family was buried in KOPTOS.
See also MAGIC.naos This was a Greek word that denoted a small shrine
or sanctuary intended to house the image or symbols of a
particular deity. In Egypt such shrines were made out of
stone or wood and were not open to general worshipers. A
naoswas normally rectangular in shape and could be usednaos 261