Throughout the book, I sometimes use terms an ancient Egyptian would have used, rather than employ more classical or recent word choices that may be familiar to today’s readers. The glossary below should shed light on some of the less familiar terms used generously in the book.
Aaru: The heavenly “Field of Reeds” is ruled by Osiris. If one’s heart is found light enough for the scales to balance, they may begin their journey to Aaru where they might enjoy a peaceful afterlife.
Djeser-Djeseru: Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple on the west bank, across from the modern-day city of Luxor. Djeser-Djeseru translates as “Holy of Holies.”
Heka Khasut: These “rulers of foreign lands” are more commonly referred to as the Hyksos. The Fifteenth Dynasty kings ruled part of Egypt from Avaris in the delta until they were defeated by Ahmose, founder of the Eighteen Dynasty, in which our story is set.
Iteru: We call it the Nile, but they called it Iteru, “the great river.”
Kemet: Meaning “the black lands,” Kemet is a colloquial way ancient Egyptians referred to Egypt.
Kush: Nubia, known as Kush for much of antiquity, lies south of the first cataract. It was home to a rich culture and was the gateway for luxury products such as ebony, ivory, and incense.
Men-nefer: Hellenized as Memphis, this is one name ancient Egyptians used for this sometimes capital near modern Cairo. It translates as “enduring in beauty” and is adapted from the name of the nearby Sixth Dynasty pyramid of Pepi. During the Eighteenth Dynasty, Men-nefer functioned as a kind of second capital and was home to the important temple of Ptah.
Shedeh: This popular drink was probably made from red grapes and first appears in texts during the Amarna period, just after our story takes place.
Ta-sekhet-ma’at: Generally translated as “the Great Field,” the Valley of the Kings on the west bank, across from the modern city of Luxor, was home to royal burials throughout the Eighteenth Dynasty.
Wadj-wer: “The Great Greenery” is both a fertility god and the personification of bodies of water. It has long been read, as in our story, to refer to the Mediterranean, although some scholars suggest it would be more properly read as the Nile delta and/or the Red Sea.
Waset: Modern-day Luxor is more commonly referred to as Thebes from the Greek Thebai. The ancient Egyptians called the Eighteenth Dynasty capital Waset, “city of the was scepter,” the scepter of the pharaoh. It is home to the temples of Karnak and Luxor on the east bank, and the west bank hosts cemeteries and funerary complexes.