432 WestptahDelta. The Western Waters irrigated an area noted for
vineyards and fine wines. In some historical periods the
rulers of Egypt built residences in this lush region.
Westptah (fl. 25th century B.C.E.) Beloved vizier of the
Fifth Dynasty
Westptah served in the reigns of SAHURÉ (2458–2446
B.C.E.) and KAKAI(Neferirkaré; 2446–2426 B.C.E.). He
began his career during the reign of Sahuré and later
became VIZIERof Egypt under Kakai. A noted architect
and the chief justice of the nation, Westptah fell ill while
attending the ruler. The court physician was summoned
but could not save the aged official. When Westptah died,
Kakai was supposedly inconsolable. He arranged for the
ritual purification of the body in his presence and then
commanded that an ebony coffin be made for Westptah.
The vizier’s son, Mernuterseteni, was ordered by the
pharaoh to bury his father with specific tomb endow-
ments and rituals. Westptah was given a grave site next to
the pyramid of Sahuré in return for his services to the
nation. The tomb contained a touching description of
these honors.
White Chapel A small but exquisite structure at KAR-
NAK in THEBES, erected by SENWOSRET I(r. 1971–1926
B.C.E.), the chapel has now been restored in Karnak and
is a masterpiece of Egyptian architecture of the Middle
Kingdom Period (2040–1640 B.C.E.), an era considered
by later generations of Egyptians as the golden age of the
nation. The carved wall reliefs depict Senwosret I being
embraced by PTAH, AMUN, ATUM, and HORUS, each god
placed at the cardinal points of the earth.
Wiay(fl. 11th century B.C.E.) Royal woman of the
Twenty-first Dynasty
Wiay was the second-ranked consort of PSUSENNES I(r.
1040–992 B.C.E.) after Queen MUTNODJMET(2). She was
the mother of ISTEMKHEBE(2), who married MENKHEPER-
RESENB(2), the high priest of AMUNin Thebes.
Widia(fl. 14th century B.C.E.)Prince of the city-state of
Ashkelon on the coastal plain of modern Israel
A vassal of Egypt, Prince Widia wrote to AKHENATEN(r.
1353–1335 B.C.E.) to express his loyalty. The Egyptian
imperial holdings were in a state of unrest during the
’AMARNAPeriod, and Widia’s city was relatively close to
the Egyptian command post at Gaza. Ashkelon revolted
and was retaken by RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.).
Wilbour Papyrus A long document dating to the
fourth year of the reign of RAMESSES V(1156–1151 B.C.E.),
this text concerns legal matters in a village named Neshi,
south of Memphis in the FAIYUMarea. Fields are listed in
this papyrus, depicting the dominance of the temple’s
holding in the region. The text also records types of grain
harvested. The Wilbour Papyrus is in the Brooklyn
Museum, New York.Window of Appearance An architectural innovation
popular in the New Kingdom Period (1550–1070 B.C.E.)
and made famous by AKHENATEN(r. 1353–1335 B.C.E.) at
’AMARNA, this window was actually a stage set into the
walls of the palace, where he could stand before the peo-
ple. From this elevated position the ruler dispensed hon-
ors to officials. Akhenaten and Queen NEFERTITIwere
depicted in the ’Amarna Window of Appearance, honor-
ing the faithful servants of their reign, including
HOREMHAB(r. 1319–1307 B.C.E.). The tomb of NEBWENEF
in Thebes depicts RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) and
Queen NEFERTARIat a Window of Appearance. The Win-
dow of Appearance symbolizes the HORIZON.Woman of Tell Halif(fl. 3300–3000 B.C.E.) Egyptian
woman buried in the Negev Desert, dating to the Early
Bronze IB Period
Part of the emerging Egyptian culture, the Woman of Tell
Halif and her gravesite represent an Egyptian presence in
the Negev region. A potsherd discovered in the grave is
ingrained with the SEREKH, or royal sign of NARMER, the
unifier of Upper and Lower Kingdoms on the Nile.
See also EGYPT.women’s role It was a social position varying over
the centuries and subject to the various nomes and
epochs. Some women achieved lasting fame, while the
majority served in positions related to their homes and
families. Royal women and those of nonroyal status sel-
dom had records attesting to their duties or rights, and
in almost every case (with the exception of the queen-
pharaohs) they were considered for the most part in
terms of their relationships to the surrounding males.
Even the mortuary stelae, the tablets erected for women
as gravesite commemoratives, equated them normally
with their husbands, fathers, or sons. In the tombs
women were portrayed in secondary positions if they
were shown at all. In some historical periods women
were portrayed the same size as their husbands, but in
most instances they were smaller and placed in a
peripheral area.
The royal women were the best documented, but
even they are only cursorily mentioned in dynastic
records. In the nomes, however, many women, such as
Princess NEBT, did maintain their own estates and hold
high ranks personally or as regents for their minor sons.
In times of building, for example, women were subject to
the corvée, the service given to the pharaoh at pyramid or
temple sites. Women went with the men to the building