Joseph as Chancellor of Egypt, Hemaka

by Damien F. Mackey And, perhaps most telling of all, Manetho's Usaphais, a virtually perfect Greek transliteration of the Semitic name, Yusef (=Usaph-), or Joseph. Introduction Established thus far: The biblical JOSEPH was the great Chancellor, or veritable sub-Pharaoh of Egypt, Den (d. 2995 BC, conventional dating), of Horus Djer, or Djet, of the First Dynasty. The biblical Joseph was the great Chancellor, or veritable sub-Pharaoh, Imhotep, that is, Khasekhemwy-Imhotep (c. 2890-2686 BC, conventional dating), of Horus Netjerikhet (wrongly called Djoser/Zoser), of the Third Dynasty. The biblical Joseph was the great Chancellor, or veritable sub-Pharaoh, Bebi, of Mentuhotep Neterihedjet (c. 2060–2009 BC, conventional dating), of the Eleventh Dynasty. That (c. 3000 BC – c. 2000 BC) is the same sort of ridiculous millennium time span within which the conventional system forces one to search, for Moses; for Ramses II ‘the Great’; and for certain major Mesopotamian kings. The above conclusions and others - some tentative - I reached in my article: Joseph, whose coat was of many colours, was a man of many names Joseph, whose coat was of many colours, was a man of many names Den is important, because his name ‘he who brings water’: Joseph also as Den, 'he who brings water' (13) Joseph also as Den, 'he who brings water' | Damien Mackey - Academia.edu describes exactly what Joseph did in advance for Egypt in preparation for the protracted Famine with his massive dams and canals, some of their usage being of very short duration. Den’s other names, too, may be relevant, especially Manetho’s Usaphais, in which the name Joseph (Yosef) may clearly be seen (Usaph-). Khasekhemwy (or Hetepsekhemwy) is important, because his name includes Imhetep (Imhotep) (Hotepsekhemoui), who was, according to the famous Famine Stela of Sehel, the Chancellor, Imhotep, who assisted Horus Netjerikhet in the face of a seven-year Famine. Khasekhemwy’s other name, Bebi, is also important as a Famine figure (Dr. D. Courville), and as the name of the Vizier of Mentuhotep II. And, in another variant of Khasekhemwy’s name, Sekhemkhet, we discover the name Djoser (-ti), with whom (Djoser/Zoser) Horus Netjerikhet has been confused. And possibly also, too, from the element, khet, in the name of Sekhemkhet, we get Mentuhotep II’s almost Pharaoh-like Vizier, Kheti. Manetho also gives Sekhemkhet as “Tyreis”, “Tyris” (the Tyrian), a common mistake by the Greeks to shift geographically northwards certain major biblical characters – e.g. Joseph of Egypt will become Thales of Miletus. Adding Hemaka Now, Den supposedly had a powerful Chancellor, Hemaka, who might likewise be seriously considered as a potential candidate for Joseph (Wikipedia, article "Hemaka". My emphasis): One of Hemaka's titles was that of "seal-bearer of the King of Lower Egypt" ... effectively identifying him as chancellor and second in power only to the king. .... The tomb of Hemaka is larger than the king's own tomb, and for years was mistakenly thought as belonging to Den. But not a mistake if Hemaka was Den! And Den's wife, Merneith, may be the same as Ahaneth, a name almost identical to that of Joseph's wife, Aseneth (Asenath/Ahaneth) (Cf. Genesis 41:45, 50; 46:20). But can the name Hemaka be plausibly connected to any name of one of our root sub-Pharaohs (above) as we have managed to do with the names, Djoser; Bebi; and Usaphais? Yes, I think so. Hemaka can easily be understood, I believe, as being a plausible hypocoristicon of Khasekhemwy’s abbreviated name, Khasekhem (or Sek-hem-Kha) = Hem[a]k[h]a. We read about this impressive Hemaka at: https://www.ancient-egypt.org/who-is-who/h/hemaka.html Hemaka …. Hemaka was a high official during the reign of the Horus Den of the 1st Dynasty. His career can be traced through the different titles he carried during his life. A year label from the reign of Den shows Hemaka’s title and name (second column from the left). It is preceded by the name of Den. Hemaka appears to have started out as an administrator and controller of a royal domain named Her-tepi-khet. Later, the more important domain Her-sekhenti-dju, which previously had been under the control of Amka and Sewadjka, was added to his responsibilities. He would keep control over both domains until the end of his life. The high office of royal sealbearer, sometimes also translated as chancellor, was added to his already impressive titulary somewhere during the reign of the Horus Den. As such, he stood at the head of the royal treasury and enjoyed the king's confidence. He is only one of the first people to have held such an important office, without being a member of the royal family. Hemaka was the owner of an impressive mastaba located in the northernmost part of Saqqara (nr. S3035), which is considered a masterpiece of architecture. The size alone of his tomb hints at the wealth of its owner. It contained a large number of objects, among them an unused papyrus-scroll, an ivory label and a circular object showing hunting dogs in pursuit of a gazelle (shown below). Source: Tiradriti, Egyptian Treasures, Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1999, p. 43 And, at: https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/1999/06/01/dynasty-i-jar-sealings/ Dynasty I Jar Sealings by Elaine A. Evans, Curator/Adjunct Assistant Professor, McClung Museum, University of Tennessee Introduction In 1994 the McClung Museum received two rare clay jar sealing fragments used on pottery jars. One is impressed with a Royal name of a king (Sealing 1) and one with the name of a high governmental official (Sealing 2). Both date to Dynasty I, circa 3200-2980 BC. As the inscribed material found contemporary with them is meager, the importance of sealings cannot be underestimated. What is known about the system of produce storage in terms of governmental organization of the Early Dynastic Period has been greatly aided by the study of inscribed seals and other types of labels. The idea of capping a container and impressing the cap with a seal in an attempt to discourage thieves was an early development. Seals proved essential, as attested by their use throughout Egyptian history well into the Roman period. The intent of this study is to establish what the newly acquired sealings can tell us about this early period, how they were made, their significance, and their provenance. King Djer And Chancellor Hemaka Figure 1. Horus Name Of King Djer. Dynasty I. Sealing 1 measures 12.5 cm long x 9 cm wide x 5.5 cm high, and bears in relief the name of King Djer, or Zer-Ta (Figure 1). Djer ruled a few decades after the unification of the two kingdoms of Egypt under one ruler. The chronological order of the first kings has been questioned …. In any event, Djer became the third king of Dynasty I, and reigned for about 50 years. Sealing 2 measures 12 cm long x 7 cm wide x 4.5 cm high, and is impressed with the name of the great noble, Chancellor Hemaka, who held the highest official position under King Den, or Den-Setui (Figure 2). Figure 2. Sealing Of Chancellor Hemaka. Dynasty I. King Den reigned possibly for 45 years as the fifth ruler of Dynasty I. The two kings were related—Djer was the grandfather [sic] of Den. Their long reigns seem to indicate that the throne was passed down from father to son, as has been documented for later periods. This period at the dawn of pharaonic rule in the Nile Valley was marked by progress and great advancement, as is evident from the production of such objects as fine pottery, stone dishes, stelae, and in the architectural sophistication of the temples and tombs. Almost life-size statues of wood date to Djer’s reign, indicating that the arts were doing well. Under Den, the arts and crafts flourished, as did a well organized state. It was in this environment that Hemaka in his post as chancellor wielded his influence and no doubt made important contributions. The titles of King Djer and Chancellor Hemaka (Note 1) on the Museum sealings reflect the establishment of a nation state and suggest the movement of goods under the royal seal of guarantee, verifying a structured governmental system already in place at the earliest part of the dynastic period. Part of these official operations included administrative business transactions, such as keeping track of the volume of sales and revenue by inventories, the dating and labeling of goods, and official jurisdiction over them. As an official seal of approval, sealings required a watchful bureaucracy under an all-powerful king. Therefore, in most governmental departments and in the religious bureaucracy, particular persons were chosen as “sealers.” Important officials were given titles such as “Divine Sealer” or “Sealer of the God.” One such official, whose responsibilities included the seal, was Chancellor Hemaka. In the tomb of Den at Abydos, for example, sealings were found with the name of “the royal seal-bearer, Hemaka.” Also, numerous jar sealings from Saqqara have Hemaka’s name in conjunction with the name of the same king. The Sealings The royal name of Djer, or Zer-Ta, on Sealing 1 is carried by three partial impressions of his serekh, placed next to each other in horizontal alignment along the top of one side with seven serekhs just below (Figure 1). The serekh was an emblem symbolizing the king as the god Horus, a very early falcon-god associated with the sun-god Re. It is composed of the facade paneling of a mastaba surmounted by a falcon, usually with a space for the king’s Horus name in hieroglyphs. This implies that the very first rulers of Egypt were considered divine, an idea expressed by their Horus-names. Djer was not the first king to use this device. It was favored for the names of all the kings of the Early Dynastic Period. The sign can be seen on a limestone mace-head found at Hierakonpolis belonging to a predecessor, King Narmer, who is believed the first to use it for his Horus name. At Abydos in 1900, the eminent Egyptologist Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie found sealings impressed with the serekh of Djer (Note 2), which parallel Sealing 1. Also, in a mastaba at Giza, Petrie uncovered a narrow, blue glazed pottery bracelet belonging to the king, with 13 plaques of building facades, each surmounted by a falcon. He found a similar bracelet at Abydos, composed of turquoise and gold plaques. These present another form of the serekh associated with this king. They may have been among gifts given by the king to officials to honor their service and to maintain loyalty. Sealing 2 shows balanced groupings of hieroglyphs (Figure 2). Their individual meanings are as follows: = The name of the owner as Hemaka = The title “Administrator of a District” = An honorary title, “Director Who is in the Midst” = A place name (unknown), encircled by the usual ovoid-shaped ring. On some other sealings the place name is encircled by a scalloped or crenellated frame, suggesting a walled enclosure.