348 Royal Wadiand spiritual connotations. The titles were elaborately
designed with five elements that denoted the connection
of the pharaoh to the gods, to their divine purposes, and
to their roles in the nation. The royal names included the
following:
Horus name—the first one used, symbolizing the
role of the pharaoh as the representative of the god HORUS
on earth. The name was normally written in a SEREKHand
established the pharaoh’s right to rule the land.
Nebti name—called the Two Goddesses or Two
Ladies title and linking the pharaoh to the patronesses of
Upper and Lower Egypt, WADJETand NEKHEBET, the cobra
and the vulture. This was a sign of unification for Egypt.
The pharaohs also wore the URAEUS,the royal symbol of
the cobra and the VULTURE, the goddesses protecting the
Upper and Lower Kingdoms.
Golden Horus name—called the Bik nub,the depic-
tion of a hawk on a golden symbol, representing the con-
cept that the pharaoh was made of gold. His flesh was
actually “the gold of the gods,” the earthly manifestation
of the divine.
Nesut-Bitname—also called the Sedge and the Bee,
the Suten-Bat, a title symbolizing the unity of Upper and
Lower Egypt under the pharaoh’s rule. The north and
south combined to provide the pharaoh with a prenomen
or a cartouche name. This was the most important and
the most frequently used title. In some inscriptions the
appearance of this name alone designated the particular
pharaoh. The BEEwas the symbol of the Delta and Lower
Egypt, and the sedge represented Upper Egypt.
Son of Ré name—called the Si-Ré and depicted by
the hieroglyphs of the pintail duck and a disk, the duck
meaning “son” of the god RÉ, the disk. This was the
pharaoh’s actual birth name normally.
Royal Wadi This was the name given to the desert
road from ’AMARNA, the capital of AKHENATEN (r.
1353–1335 B.C.E.) to the TOMBSof royal family members
and court officials in the cliff areas of the region. These
tombs were ransacked following Akhenaten’s demise and
the abandonment of ’Amarna. The remains of the royal
family members were brought to THEBES, and parts of
their mortuary regalia were used in the tomb of
TUT’ANKHAMUN(r. 1333–1323 B.C.E.).
Ruaben(fl. 27th century B.C.E.) Noble of the Second
Dynasty
He served in the reign of NINETJER (c. 2680 B.C.E.).
Ruaben’s tomb was constructed in SAQQARA. Stone frag-
ments bearing his name were discovered in the massive
gravesite, and it is possible that Ruaben was buried in the
funerary complex of Ninetjer, whose remains and burial
chamber have not yet been found.Rudamon(d. c. 712 B.C.E.) Ruler of the Twenty-third
Dynasty
He reigned at LEONTOPOLIS from c. 747 B.C.E. until
defeated by PIANKHI(r. 750–712 B.C.E.) of the Twenty-
fifth Dynasty, the Nubian who invaded Egypt. Rudamon
was the son of OSORKON IIIand Queen TENTSAI. He suc-
ceeded TAKELOT III, his brother, and his heir was IUPUT II.
Rudamon built at KARNAKand MEDINET HABU. His daugh-
ter, IRBAST’UDJEFRU, married PEFTJAU’ABAST.
Rudamon joined the coalition of rulers that tried to
defend the land against the armies of Piankhi. The Egyp-
tians were routed by Piankhi’s Nubians and had to sur-
render. Rudamon was allowed to remain in Leontopolis
as a vassal governor.Rudjek (fl. 26th century B.C.E.)Royal mortuary official
of the Fourth Dynasty
Rudjek served KHUFU(Cheops; r. 2551–2528 B.C.E.) as
counselor and as the head of the priests who took care of
the royal mortuary complex in GIZA, the site of the Great
PYRAMIDof Khufu and those of his successors. Rudjek
described himself as a “friend” of Khufu.Ruia (fl. 14th century B.C.E.) Father-in-law of Seti I
Ruia was the father of Queen TUYA, the consort of SETI I
(r. 1306–1290 B.C.E.). Tuya, a commoner, had married
Seti I before his father, RAMESSES I, was designated by
HOREMHABas heir. Seti I thus became the second ruler of
the Nineteenth Dynasty. Ruia was a commander of CHARI-
OTS in the Egyptian army, a force strengthened by
Horemhab and expanded by Ramesses I and his succes-
sors. Ruia and his wife, Raia, were buried in THEBES.