342 Rehu-er-djersenbRehu-er-djersenb(fl. 20th century B.C.E.)Official of
the Twelfth Dynasty, famous for his tomb reliefs
He served AMENEMHET I(r. 1991–1962 B.C.E.) as chancel-
lor. He was buried in a large mastaba in el-LISHT, near
Amenemhet I’s pyramidal complex. The walls of Rehu-er-
djersenb’s tomb contain elaborate reliefs, including one
depicting him hunting in the Nile marshes. An ABYDOS
STELA lists Rehu-er-djesenb’s prominent family, 23 in
number. This stela was discovered in 1912.
rekhet A hieroglyph in the form of a lapwing bird,
sometimes listed as rekhyt,the hieroglyph symbolized an
entire caste of Egyptians in the era of unification (c. 3000
B.C.E.). This caste was depicted on the SCORPIONmace-
head and on other objects from the unification. The
rekhet caste revolted in the Delta during the reign of
DJOSER(2630–2611 B.C.E.) and had to be routed. Djoser is
depicted in the STEP PYRAMIDas crushing them as ene-
mies of a true Egypt. Rekhet birds were winged and
crested and used in temple rituals. With other symbols
they represented the power of the pharaohs. The bird is
depicted as a crested plover (Vanellus vanellus).
Rekhmiré(fl. 15th century B.C.E.)Vizier of the Eigh-
teenth Dynasty
He served TUTHMOSIS III(r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.). Rekhmiré
was the son of Neferuhen, a priest of Amun; the grandson
of A’AMETJU, the VIZIERfor HATSHEPSUT (r. 1473–1458
B.C.E.); and the nephew of Useramun, or Woser, who was
Tuthmosis III’s vizier in the early years of his reign. Tuth-
mosis III reportedly said of Rekhmiré: “There was noth-
ing he did not know.” After Tuthmosis III’s death,
Rekhmiré was also vizier for AMENHOTEP II(r. 1427–1401
B.C.E.) but fell out of favor.
Rekhmiré’s tomb, in the cliff areas of the western
shore of THEBES, was never used. The burial chamber was
incomplete and one wall was empty of reliefs. The figures
of Rekhmiré in other parts of the tomb were damaged.
The tomb, however, was decorated with illustrations of
the daily activities and offices of the vizier and recorded
the personal views of Tuthmosis III concerning the ideals
and aspirations that are appropriate to the office of vizier.
The depiction of the ceremonies for the installation of a
vizier is complete, and there are other scenes portraying
tributes, trade, and daily life, as well as funerary rites.
Rekhmiré’s wife, Meryt, is also depicted.
Rekh-nesu This was the term for the companion of the
pharaoh, also recorded as Rekh-neset.The Rekh-nesuwas
“One Whom the King Knows,” originally a title given to
counselors who conducted the affairs of state. In time it
was bestowed as an honor on an outstanding official. The
title gave such an individual rank, status, and supposed
free access to the pharaohs.
religion It was the cultic and spiritual system incorpo-
rated into Egyptian life over the centuries. The ancient
Egyptians had no word or single hieroglyph to denote
religion as it is viewed in the modern age. Their spiritual
ideals permeated every aspect of their lives to the point
that such traditions and practices were considered a natu-
ral element of existence. The Greeks and other visitors
described the Egyptians as the most religious people on
earth, but the concept of organized worship as it is
known today falls short of the devotion and ardor dis-
played on the Nile, in the midst of a vast pantheon of
competing deities and priestly factions.
Predynastic cultural sequences give evidence of one
of the earliest inclinations of Egyptian religion—the
belief in an afterlife. Animals were carefully buried along-
side humans in the prehistoric eras, and the color green,
representing resurrection and regeneration, figured
prominently in grave rites. Fertility goddesses from the
Nagada I and II cultural sequences attest to the rudi-
ments of cultic practices. A young male fertility god was
also evident, as were indications of the emerging rites of
various deities—NEITH, MIN, HORUS, among others.
AMULETS, slate palettes, block figures with religious asso-
ciations, and the Horus and SETsymbols were also found.
With the unification of Egypt in the Early Dynastic
Period, the various local deities assumed regional impor-
tance. Horus became the patron of the kings, alongside
Set, in the eastern Delta. PTAHbecame the principal deity
of MEMPHIS, the first capital, and the cult of RÉflourished
at HELIOPOLIS. SOKARwas evident in royal ceremonies,
according to the PALERMO STONEand other documents
from that era. NEKHEBETand WADJEThad already been
designated as the patrons of Upper and Lower Egypt.
WEPWAWET, THOTH, ANUBIS, and the APIS bull were
accepted as part of the Egyptian pantheon.
The royal cult was a special aspect of religion from
the early period, associated with Horus and OSIRIS. The
concept of the king as intermediary between the divine
and the human was firmly in place by the time of the Old
Kingdom (2575–2134 B.C.E.). From the Fifth Dynasty
pharaohs were addressed “the son of ‘RÉ.’” Dead rulers
were identified with Osiris.
FESTIVALSand rituals played a significant part in the
early cultic practices in Egypt. Every festival celebrated a
sacred or mythical time of cosmogonic importance (hon-
oring the SOULS OF PEand SOULS OF NEKHEN, for example)
and upheld religious teachings and time-honored beliefs.
Such festivals renewed the awareness of the divine and
symbolized the powers of renewal and the sense of the
“other” in human affairs.
From the Early Dynastic period a tendency to
henotheism is evident in Egypt, especially in hymns and
didactic literature. Creation was explained in complex
cosmogonic texts, and the presence of several, conflicting
explanations of how the world began did not present a
problem for Egyptians.