Amenemope (2)(fl. 14th century B.C.E.)A sage of the
New Kingdom
He lived probably during the reign of AMENHOTEP III(r.
1391–1353 B.C.E.) and was the author of the Instructions
of Amenemope.This text was found in a papyrus now in
the British Museum in London. He was a resident of
AKHMIN, and described himself as an agricultural official
who set up the royal titles to land uncovered by the low-
ering of the Nile water each year. Amenemope, whose
wife was Twasoret, also served as the overseer for taxes
for the Akhmin area and administered the distribution of
crops locally.
He wrote his Instructionsfor his son, and this work
reflects the spirit of MA’AT,nurtured on the Nile over the
centuries. His work was composed of more than 80 sec-
tions and was written in short lines. Amenemope trans-
lated the ideals of Egypt into everyday tasks of a common
person’s life. The Maxims of Ptah-hotepis another example
of this type of literature. Such didactic LITERATUREwas
popular in the Nile Valley. Amenemope was buried in a
pyramid in Akhmin. Amenemope’s work was discovered
on various writing boards, on an OSTRAKA, and in a frag-
mentary papyrus.
Amenemopet A remarkable family of THEBES, serving
the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1550–1070 B.C.E.),
some held positions in the temple of AMUNat Thebes
and others headed bureaucratic offices. The third
prophet of Amun in the reign of RAMESSES III(1194–1163
B.C.E.) was a member of this family. Another individual
named Amenemope served as the viceroy of Kush or
NUBIA, the area south of Aswan in modern Sudan, for
SETI I (r. 1306–1290 B.C.E.). BAKENKHONSU, the high
priest of Amun in the reign of RAMESSES II(1290–1224
B.C.E.), was also a family member. These public servants
were aristocrats, or NOMARCHS, from a southern pro-
vince. Their efforts, and those of other large clans in-
volved in various bureaucratic offices, allowed the
government of Egypt to continue, decade after decade,
without interruption.
Amenhirkhopshef (1)(fl. 12th centuryB.C.E.) Prince
of the Twentieth Dynasty
Amenhirkhopshef was the son of RAMESSES III (r.
1194–1163 B.C.E.) and Queen ISET(2).The prince died at
the age of nine. Queen Iset is reported to have miscarried
a baby when she heard of Amenhirkhopshef’s death, and
the unborn infant was mummified and entombed in the
prince’s own crypt. In Amenhirkhopshef’s burial cham-
ber, Ramesses III is depicted leading his son to the god
ANUBIS, the jackal-headed deity associated with OSIRISand
funerary rituals. The prince served as a royal scribe dur-
ing his brief life. He was buried in the VALLEY OF THE
QUEENSon the western shore of the Nile at THEBES, the
site used for the tombs of princes in the New Kingdom
(1550–1070 B.C.E.). The walls of some chambers of this
tomb are exquisitely painted.Amenhirkhopshef (2)(fl. 13th century B.C.E.)Prince
of the Nineteenth Dynasty
The son of RAMESSES II(1290–1224 B.C.E.) and Queen
NEFERTARI MERYMUT, he was called Amenhirwonmef
(“Amun is at his right hand”) originally and then Amen-
hirkhopshef (“Amun wields his sword”). This prince is
shown in the procession of Ramessid royal heirs in LUXOR
Temple, and in ABU SIMBEL, the site of his father’s great
monument. He is also depicted in KV5, the recently
opened tomb of the sons of Ramesses II. This tomb, the
largest ever found in Egypt, was designed to house the
remains of more than 100 of Ramesses II’s sons in the val-
ley. There is another lavish tomb bearing his name in the
VALLEY OF THE QUEENSon the western shore of the Nile at
THEBES.
Amenhirkhopshef was the commanding general of
Egypt’s armies and heir apparent of the throne. He was
active in Ramesses II’s campaigns, punishing city-states
such as Moab that had accepted the protection of the HIT-
TITES, the enemies of Egypt at the time. When a treaty
was signed between the Hittites and the Egyptians,
Amenhirkhopshef was mentioned in royal correspon-
dence. The Hittite King HATTUSILIS IIIand his queen,
PEDUKHIPA, sent greetings to Nefertari Merymut and the
crown prince Amenhirkhopshef. He died in the 20th year
of Ramesses II’s reign. Eleven other brothers would pre-
cede their father in death. MERENPTAH, his eventual heir,
was 13th in the line of succession.Amenhotep I(Djeserkaré)(d. 1504 B.C.E.)Second
ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty
Amenhotep I was one of the most handsome and popular
of the ancient pharaohs, whose name meant “Amun is
Content.” He reigned from 1525 B.C.E. until his death and
was the son of ’AHMOSEand Queen ’AHMOSE-NEFERTARI,
who possibly served as regent at the start of Amenhotep
I’s reign. He was not the original heir. Records indicate
that he outlived two older brothers to inherit the throne
from ’Ahmose.
In his first regnal year, or perhaps during the time of
’Ahmose-Nefertari’s regency, Egypt faced an invasion and
had to defeat a confederation of Libyan tribes on the
nation’s western borders. A royal army, probably led by
Amenhotep I personally, went south to halt expansion of
the Nubians in the area below ASWAN, in modern Sudan.
Amenhotep restored and refurbished the FORTRESSESon
the Nile south of the first cataract, bastions dating in
some instances to the Middle Kingdom (2040–1640
B.C.E.). He also installed a governor for that region, a
noble named Turi, who was entrusted with the duties of
maintaining order, promoting trade, and gathering tribute
for the throne.Amenhotep I 2 9