Now that Ramesses had chosen his tomb site, I moved quickly. Before quarrying could commence, I considered an assessment of the limestone formation necessary as there was evidence of several unsuccessful tomb commencements in the necropolis. I would look rather foolish if the king’s now pristine hill was honeycombed with openings like a sand mouse burrow.
As a result of our recent tour of the royal valley, I was able to create a map showing the placement of earlier tombs and, as none were close to the chosen site, there was little risk of accidentally quarrying into one. My wife’s father told me of his horror, when he drove a cutting straight into the crypt of a princess in the Memphis necropolis. His face still reddened with embarrassment when recounting the tale of the ensuing furore. Though there were no plans of royal tombs at my disposal, I was acquainted with basic tomb design from my days as an apprentice and the recent visit to the three royal tombs augmented my knowledge. Still, I had many questions about the internal layout.
There was some concern in my mind about the suitability of the stone we would break into, as the majority of the existing tombs were clustered towards the southern part of the valley, whereas we would work at its extreme northern end and we would be working in an area of new, untested limestone. I noted, with some dismay, that the exposed slopes of the chosen site showed multiple fractures with no formation free of fault. However, my Master had taught me that you worked with the tools you were given and the king’s choice was irrevocable.
I sent for the foremen working the great limestone quarries on the eastern side of the Nile. These men, familiar as they were with with Theban hills, could bring to my attention the obstacles we might encounter. From them, I learnt the rock differed little throughout the entire plateau with both vertical and horizontal fractures present everywhere. They also warned me about the possibility of water flows from the terrace above the escarpment walls. This surprised me, as a thick layer of fine stone fragments lay all around, strongly suggestive of rain not having fallen in the ravine for many, many years.
When asked how they knew about the effects of rainwater, the leading quarryman merely said “Look about you. None of us have ever heard of rain anywhere near Thebes yet all the rock faces show signs of water erosion. Another matter. Be aware that beneath the limestone layer there is a broad band of shale. You do not want to get yourself mixed up with that rubbish. Don’t quarry down too deeply.”
“How deep is too deep?” I queried.
“I don’t know this part of the Hills well enough to answer. Unfortunately, there is little transition between the limestone and shale, so you can’t see it developing as you excavate. One day you are in solid limestone, the next you are in rock with the same consistency and strength of dried cow shit.” Not having made any comparative tests between dried dung and limestone, I took him at his word.
Satisfied the rock mass was suitable, I asked the high priest to consecrate the site. This involved a small ceremony. Masons dug four pits near the proposed entrance into which went models of builder’s tools, amulets, calcite and faience plaques, miniature vessels in alabaster and granite and some representative offerings of food. The priest offered up a benediction for the success of the construction and the protection of its builders.
Quarrying commenced with gangs clearing away sand and loose stone so they would not be troubled with material falling into the entrance. Starting at the bare bedrock, I designed a short, shallow rising slope leading to the entrance and the first descending flight of stairs with a central stone ramp that would be the pathway for the heavy sarcophagus and royal coffins when they were lowered into the tomb.
My plan was the outcome of the meeting with the high priest and Meketre. I brought with me a model maker, who carried a box containing moist clay, miniature bricks and small pieces of cedar wood, a scribe skilled in drawing and the foreman. This man,Wahibre, had worked under Meketre, who spoke highly of his ability to manage men under the difficult circumstances of tomb making. He was short, broad and muscular. His skin bore a close resemblance to sandal leather, his hands were badly scarred and his hair a closely fitted cap upon a ponderous head. The foreman carried himself with the terse manner of a man well used to having his orders obeyed.
For Wahibre, the honour of supervising the commission carried great prestige amongst his fellow villagers and an increase in his personal worth. That task was always an opportunity for some private enrichment if he could avoid the scrutiny of the scribes charged with the financial supervision of my works. Without doubt,Wahibre would pocket a benefit in some form or other from every man who worked on the mausoleum.
The commission would take years to complete and the work demanding. Though my clerical staff scrutinised accounts with a careful eye, I instructed them to allow a certain amount of informal payment to accrue to the foreman’s purse. Tomb making is hazardous and I expected the death of several men during the currency of the commission. Wahibre had to spend a considerable amount of time underground to ensure that the dimensions and alignment of the tomb were exactly as planned. One look at his hands told me he was not afraid to getting personally involved as this was not a job for a man who enjoyed sitting in the shade drinking cool wine.
Quarrying was not for the faint hearted. Illumination, inadequate at the best of times, is provided by small pottery oil lamps, which made the air hot and foetid. Rock falls were frequent. The valley was home to scorpions, snakes, wasps and rock spiders so a foreman’s assistant was always busy treating poisonous bites, stings and injuries traditionally found in stone working. No matter how carefully I placed my feet when on building sites, some nasty little insect sooner or later found the prospect of inflicting pain on my body too tempting and I would make my way to the foreman’s pavilion to be treated for the excruciating distress caused by a beast’s sting.
Once, after being stung again by a scorpion, I belaboured the high priest with an anguished enquiry. Why, I asked, had Atum, the creator of all matter, seen the necessity of giving life to such a range of stinging and biting creatures? He merely smiled with inner wisdom and said ‘a little suffering was good for the soul’. My response had reddened his cheeks.
“Royal architect,” said Meketre as Nebwenenef and I sat down at the drafting table “I would like to offer my services for the duration of this commission, if this is agreeable to you? I know of your works in Pi-Ramess, you labour to complete the late king’s additions to the great temple and the vast extension at Luxor advances with determination. Ramesses’ mortuary temple grows immense by the day. Your responsibilities are already heavy so I speak for us both in saying we do not wish to hear of your premature demise. From personal experience, I know there is only so much one man can manage. Wahibre brings skills not available elsewhere in the kingdom and he is familiar with my ways. I have a number of noble’s tombs now in progress but as they are near the royal valley, I will be able to assist you in this task.”
Meketre was a man to admire. He was in his middle years, well regarded and a capable architect. I considered him strong enough to stand up to Ramesses where required for it was not unknown for a king to over-rule his architect and this had led to a few spectacular structural failures in the past. I extended my hand in warm assent to his generous offer.
“You have been sent with the blessings of Thoth himself. I must warn you though, the king is a demanding man and we can expect many royal visits to the site. If you are prepared to meet this challenge, I gladly welcome you back to the rigours of tomb construction.” Meketre took my hand with evident enthusiasm. “Sennefer, I worked under the taxing demands of Seti and he commanded an inscription of praise be carved onto my tomb in recognition of my labours. You bestow upon me the considerable honour of serving, under your guidance, his son.”
“Gentlemen, let us about our work. Nebwenenef, pray advise me about the design and religious aspects of a royal tomb. In your discourse, it is safe to assume I am a novice. My scribe will draft some rough outlines as we talk and the model maker will attempt to capture, with his materials, the result of the discussion.”
“Thank you, but first may I have a private moment with you and Meketre?”
Nebwenenef was attended by two priests carrying a wooden chest closed with leather thongs from which hung a clay seal bearing his insignia. He ordered the priests to place the chest on the table and withdraw. Then, he asked me to excuse the foreman, model maker and scribe for a moment. Once they were out of the room, he cut the thongs and took several rolled papyri from the box and spread them out on the table.
“No-one save I know of these documents. Meketre, you would have attended a similar meeting with my predecessor before you started the tomb of Seti?” Meketre nodded in agreement.
“I release you from the vow of silence demanded of you when you completed Seti’s tomb. You are at liberty to freely discuss certain matters with Sennefer but no other. At the temple, we have many responsibilities for the present and the future though we also officiate over the past to ensure the lives of earlier rulers are perpetuated. It is a closely guarded secret that a royal tomb was illegally entered in the recent past by those who showed scant regard to the sanctity of the tomb and its occupant. Happily, the reforms introduced by Horemheb have proved to be effective and the temple guards are vigilant in protecting the necropolis from sacrilegious scum.” A look I took to be one of horror briefly darkened the high priest’s face.
“Horemheb ordered the restoration of the tomb of Tuthmosis IV after its desecration by thieves,who may have illicitly entered it during the upheaval caused by Akhenaten’s reign. The punishment for breaching a royal tomb is to have the impious impaled upon a sharpened stake whilst he lives.” A trace of relish tinged his voice. “I ask you not to reveal this information to anyone on pain of eternal damnation.” At the time, the high priest’s admission that a tomb had been breached, was a matter of minor interest. Little did I know then what was in store for me in the future.
“Let me show you how the design of tombs has changed since the time of Amenhotep II.” He selected, from the unfurled rolls, drawings of the tombs of Amenhotep and Tuthmosis IV. Each showed, with minor variations, the entrance portal, stairs leading to a corridor, a second flight of stairs, another corridor ending at a deep shaft, then a pillared hall, more stairs, always descending and finally, a large pillared chamber with steps down into the burial chamber itself. A sarcophagus was positioned in the centre of the chamber, with several smaller rooms extending from the sides of the crypt.
The drawings indicated a task of increasing difficulty for the masons as the tombs always went deeper and grew larger as the architectural style matured. Neither of the tombs had been built in a straight line. When the first corridors, gates and stairs came to the shaft, the section following diverted ninety degrees to the right, and in the tomb of Tuthmosis, the burial chamber itself was at ninety degrees to the end of the corridor descending from the pillared chamber. Not the easiest of designs and from a functional point of view, unnecessarily complex. With a flourish, Nebwenenef then drew out of the box a much larger papyrus.
“This is the plan for the tomb of Seti. Not even Ramesses has seen this drawing. Seti consulted my predecessor, who had advised the architect commissioned to build the tomb of King Horemheb. Meketre knows of this plan. You will notice certain similarities? It is almost quarried along a straight line, although it is more elaborate than the tombs of their predecessors. The increased length permitted more decorative surfaces and the cutting of a greater number of chambers.”
The tomb had two long corridors down from the entrance, a shaft, a first pillared hall and then more stairways leading into three elaborate, pillared burial chambers. There was a suite of store rooms off the burial chamber behind which lay another set of chambers. Behind and below the crypt, lay a steep, narrow corridor ending at the edge of the roll.
“What is that?” I asked Nebwenenef, pointing to the corridor.
“Have patience, we shall come to it in due course. Please let me explain the meaning of the various sections, as each part has an important role in the pharaoh achieving his divine future. Perhaps, architect, we may break at this point for some refreshments. Would you ask the foreman and the others to re-join us?”
Whilst cool wine and fruit was served, the priest said “There is no greater service for me to provide than the preparation of a king for his passage to the Second Life. It has been the most sacred duty of every high priest to ensure each ruler is sent to the next life well prepared for the perils of the journey ahead of him.”
“The keys to unlocking the gates behind which hide the mysteries of death are contained in a set of sacred papyri held in the Amun Temple. The Books of Life, Gates, the Dead, Secret Chamber, the Heavens and, with The Litany of Re, chronicle the incantations necessary to ease the king’s path through the trials he must face before attaining the throne of Osiris. Should he pass these tests and successfully thread his way through the way stations on his voyage and his soul not found blemished by fault, he will be granted life eternal. All worshippers of Amun will receive eternal life if they faithfully observe the rituals of death but for a king, his passage from this life into the next is more onerous and, accordingly, his rewards are greater. We are all judged but the audit of the king is more intense as his responsibilities are greater than the sum of all his subjects.”
Whilst he spoke, he replaced the papyri in the chest leaving one drawing on the table just before the others rejoined us. The remaining scroll showed, in an amateurish hand, a long tomb, broken into its constituent sections with each section labelled in hieroglyphs.
“When it was announced that Pharaoh Seti had died, I made this drawing in my own awkward hand. You will forgive its poor quality as, unlike you, I have little skill in architectural drawings. However, for our purpose this clumsy sketch is a convenient aid.”
It was now obvious the high priests established the standards for tomb design and not the royal architects. Ramesses must sanction our final plans but, other than a king, it would be a brave man who challenged a high priest on such a matter. I assumed a king could only increase the size of his tomb and not vary its function, a decision providing the priests with a larger tableau on which to add more depictions from the sacred books. Horemheb must have been an iconoclast, as he radically departed from the disjointed style of his predecessors to the more lineal design used by him and his two successors. At his accession, the Theban priesthood was in need of a strong ruler committed to re-establishing their power and the high priest of the day may have been more willing to accommodate unorthodox changes to the practice of the past.
My scribe laid out his ink palette, a fresh set of styli, measuring rule and a roll of the finest papyrus. This he unfurled and placed on his tightly stretched kilt which served as his table. Nebwenenef began, “The actual dimensions of a tomb are a matter between the king and his architect as there is no religious proscription on making any part of the tomb of greater or lesser magnitude.” Then, flexing his religious muscles, he said,
“However, it is important that the design and decorations follow what is prescribed. Religious inscriptions and blessings will be engraved on the sarcophagus, coffins, viscera chest, every shrine, statue and the very linen which enshrouds the king’s body and these must be approved by the temple. I, and my assistants, will instruct the artisans in what must be engraved on every object accompanying the king into the Afterlife. The king may wish to take with him many of his personal possessions but we need not trouble ourselves with these non religious items as they are of the earth and are of no interest to the priesthood.”
It was refreshing to see arrogance not limited to secular men. He continued, as if delivering a lecture to a body of apprentices.
“Sufficient wall space should be made available to record the life and deeds of the king. Sennefer, in this you will be guided by pharaoh himself. Of course, this presents certain problems for his architect. The tomb’s size is finite as it must be completed before the king’s death, whereas the duration of a king’s life is not known until it comes to an end. How you will incorporate the deeds of Ramesses will be determined by when he performed such deeds but limited to the span of his years and the size of his mausoleum.”
I made a notation of this matter. The priest moved on, pedantically describing in great detail the sections of a royal tomb. The scribe took careful notes and the model maker, consulting the scribe’s notes, worked on building a simple model in his crude materials. As the priest spoke, the scribe measured off scaled lengths on the papyrus, noted the dimensions given and what scenes from the Books of the Dead had to appear on the walls. Meketre said that the artists who specialised in wall inscriptions were familiar with the style of tomb decorations. If they needed guidance in a particular interpretation they sought advice from the Sem priest at the great temple where depictions of the deities’ manifestations, in approved styles, were kept in a series of sacrosanct volumes.
Pausing for more wine after a particularly long narrative, Nebwenenef commented “I apologise for this discourse taking so long but, as you will understand, the building and decorating of a king’s tomb is usually an event that takes place once in the lifetime of the high priest and royal architect and what we are about to undertake is recorded in its entirety but once. After the entombment, all documentation is destroyed.”
I now knew this to be untrue as one comprehensive record would be retained at the temple. The documents would be added to the collection within the sealed box which would only be re-opened after the accession of the next pharaoh and at the time he began to plan his tomb.
“No matter” said Meketre. “It is of importance we know in what manner we bring honour to our pharaoh.”
Meketre later told me that when Seti’s tomb was finished, the working notes and diagrams were burnt and the pottery pieces on which were graven field notes smashed and scattered. The last complete drawings he held were passed to Nebwenenef’s predecessor. He recalled reading a notation of the Royal Architect Ineni, employed by Tuthmosis I who had remarked, ‘I supervise the excavation of the cliff tomb of the His Majesty alone, no-one seeing, no-one hearing.’
“Pray, let me continue. A tomb can be considered to be of two parts. The section from the entrance to the first room of pillars facing the east is dedicated to Amun-Re. Onwards from that chamber, the lower section of the tomb is the province of The Foremost of the Westerners, the Lord Osiris. The well shaft also marks the point at which the transition from the light of Amun-Re to the darkness of Osiris begins. The room after the shaft is the first of the larger chambers and experience has taught us the ceiling of large rooms usually requires support offered by pillars. However, this is in your area of expertise.”
Said Meketre, “How I laboured on Seti’s burial chamber. I believe it to be the most rewarding work I ever undertook.”
“Your belief was vindicated. Seti visited the tomb just before he died and wept in the presence of so much grandeur. He confided he would find perpetual joy as he lay amidst so much beauty.”
This long recitation on the requirements of a tomb interested me greatly as I had little knowledge of the rituals involved in the transition of the royal spirit from the mortal world to the eternal. Thebes has an immense necropolis, replete with private tombs ranging from quite simple pits to more elaborate tombs of the nobility and members of the high priesthood. I knew from fellow architects, the practical implications of tomb construction and understood they were richly recompensed for their labours.
When apprenticed, my Master was commissioned by the vizier to construct administrative buildings in Thebes and Memphis, where I met Ipi, the woman who would become my wife. My training was tailored to a career in royal projects and I willingly accepted this as my manifest destiny. Curiosity drove me to investigate buildings of every type and function, including tombs. Egypt has large necropolises adjacent to our cities and every settlement has its dedicated burial ground. Ipi’s father was an architect and during one long sojourn in Memphis, he took me to Saqqara and introduced me to some of the finer points of private tomb construction.
We were permitted to enter tombs under construction and Ipi’s father, Neskhons, a warm and loving man, who early detected signs of my interest in his daughter, patiently explained the styles of mortuary decorations and the different ways in which they could be used to depict deities and the life of the deceased.
In the larger tombs, owners caused the creation of elaborate paintings and stories concerning episodes in their life which they remembered with fondness or reflected past glories. None of the tombs commanded the grandeur and size of a royal tomb, though some for the nobility came very close. Neskhons was working on a tomb commissioned by the provincial governor and the quality of the paintings and inscriptions I observed would not have embarrassed a prince.
The esoteric subject of royal tombs was being unfolded in fulsome detail and the exposition allowed me to better comprehend some of the images I saw in Memphite tombs. As the royal architect, it was vital I attained a deeper comprehension of our religion and its iconography as I was being swiftly drawn into a world of symbols and images, the complex relationship between the people and their king and the greatest mystery of all, the kinship of the pharaoh with the gods and all their works. If I was to work intimately with Ramesses, be able to anticipate his reactions and satisfy his ambitions, my success would be greater and my path easier if I understood the spiritual concepts that motivated him as merely knowing how to build would not suffice. I thought it more prudent to seize this opportunity and expose my ignorance to a priest rather than to the king, so questions poured from my lips. My Master had advised ‘If you do not know, ask as it is always better to appear to be a fool by asking many questions than to actually be one by living in ignorance.’
The discourse had reached the burial chamber. The priest was enjoying himself. He had an attentive audience and as the heat of the day warmed the room, he asked a servant to replace the flask of wine more than once. Perhaps the red wine from the Delta made him loquacious? After a dry description of the burial chamber, Meketre commented,
“Sennefer, this room is the biggest challenge you and I are to meet. Of necessity, the location of the supporting pillars must allow the passage of the sarcophagus into the room. Moving it down into the House of Gold is not overly difficult as the stairway ramps allow for its manhandling with ropes and sleds. The confines of the crypt call for much delicate manoeuvring and there is the issue of the sarcophagus lid which has to be raised up off its sled and placed on top of the open sarcophagus without damaging either. Not an easy task as I know from my experience with the internment of Seti. The design must also allow room for the priests to erect shrines around the sarcophagus.”
“By that stage of the burial service the crypt had become humid and uncomfortable from the press of people and fumes from the numerous oil lamps had befouled the air. Several priests were uncertain in their movements and two actually collapsed. There is a lot of unavoidable but irreligious activity during the entombment. Untrained priests labour with the coffins and the placement of the lid and the noise associated with the erection of the shrines is less than holy. Nebwenenef, frankly I would recommend a pause before the ceremony reaches its final chapters if this is at all possible? Wahibre,you remember the difficult conditions in Seti’s tomb?”
The foreman had been silent so far as much of what we were discussing was already known to him.
“Excavating the burial chamber was only accomplished with much difficulty. I had to relieve the stone workers every two hours as the air was so hot they could not endure a longer period. It was worse for the painters – the chamber was so vast, they needed many oil lamps to provide sufficient illumination for them to adorn the walls accurately. The final stage of the entombment, when your priests laboured under the eye of the king and his entourage, must have been very troublesome for them.”
I looked directly at Wahibre and said sternly “Foreman, the health and welfare of artisans and priests are of small consequence to me and their concerns are but the buzz of flies about my ears. The tomb makers will toil for many years but the king must endure for thousands of lifetimes in the House of Gold we are honoured to build for him.”
I thought it necessary to let the foreman know who was in charge of this project. My experience on other building sites had taught me that foremen could cause immeasurable difficulties if they were allowed to put their workmen’s concerns before the importance of the task.
Wahibre looked at Meketre and me. “Lords, I did not mean to offend. You have my apology. I will build as you design without complaint.”
“I am glad we understand each other. Gentlemen, let me suggest we break now for refreshments. The scribe has been sitting for some time and he begins to look pained. My servants will prepare a meal for you in the courtyard. Nebwenenef, Meketre, you may wish to join me under the portico?” The model maker took his materials with him as it was evident his work would continue during the break. The sun had reached its zenith when we sat to lunch. My cook had prepared a meal of roasted venison the night before and we consumed this delicacy together with cold roasted wild fowl and a selection of fruit. A consignment of grapes had just reached Thebes from the Delta and I had purchased some of the new season’s offerings.
The high priest asked about the temple under construction at Abu Simbel, an isolated area some 650 kilometres south of Thebes. When Ramesses first mentioned the project, I sought permission to investigate progress at the site.
“It would be very useful for you to see what is being executed there. Note carefully all that is unfolding at the place as this will give you further insight into my thinking about my other commissions. Having your observant eye on the construction from time to time will be a valuable reminder to the builder in charge that the king is watching even at a distance. When you are free, take one of the royal barges and make passage down the river to this modest temple I designed when an unbearded youth.”
I detected no sense of irony in his voice and fully expected to find an insignificant monument. What I saw, sailing towards the building site, left me almost breathless. On arriving at the quay I was greeted by Ashahebsed, the builder Seti had put in charge of the project who, I learned, began his career as the son of the foreman in the granite quarry at Aswan long famed for the production of colossal statues and obelisks.
As a young prince, Ramesses had accompanied his father on a punitive campaign to Nubia in the eighth year of Seti’s reign. On the voyage south, Ramesses noted the prominence of two long sanctified hills, Meha and Ibshek, which overlooked the river as it swept past Abu Simbel. Other than low hills and sand dunes, there was nothing of note in either direction. What Ramesses conceived was stupendous and all the more remarkable for he was only fifteen when he described his vision of the temples to an indulgent father. Over refreshments, Ashahebsed admitted that he happily accepted he would be engaged on the commission for the remainder of his working life. Fortunately, Abu Simbel is at a beautiful part of the river valley and, although a considerable distance from Thebes, it certainly was a better place to live and work than in the heat blasted granite quarry down river at Aswan. He now managed a small township with administration offices, a temple for religious observance, store rooms, a granary, slaughter houses, workshops for the masons and artisans and buildings to accommodate some thousand men and their families.
He had already laboured for nine years and the general outline of the monuments was emerging. The structure is crafted in the Nubian manner, with the temples and images cut directly into the sacred hills. I appreciated the wisdom of Seti’s choice of builder as the task was a grandiose version of fashioning granite objects. Creating the façade and the colossi involved carving away thousands of tonnes of limestone, thereby allowing the figures and temples to evolve from the stone. The sanctuaries were to be quarried deep within the hills in a manner similar to tomb construction but this is the only similarity between my work and what was being carved out of the hills at Abu Simbel.
The architect, as yet uncertain of my sense of self-importance and the threat I could pose to his position – I was, after all, the royal architect on an unannounced visit at the behest of the king - endeavoured to ensure I was suitably feted for the duration of my visit. He invited me to a banquet in my honour that evening but as I was tired from the long voyage, I had to decline. We agreed to an early meeting next morning and, not to appear imperious, I accepted his offer to dine with him and the village notables the following night.
Over a breakfast of fried fish of a very delicate texture, figs, dates and a beverage new to me made from soured goat’s milk, I learnt more of the commission which Ashahebsed said would take at least another twenty years to complete. The temples are built in veneration of the gods Re of Heliopolis, Amun of Thebes and Ptah of Memphis in the main edifice carved into Meha with the second temple, cut into Ibshek, dedicated to Hathor and Ramesses’ wife, Nefertari
I was a little surprised by the inclusion of the king’s wife because, when the project commenced, the king was only a princeling and years away from being married. Ashahebsed explained Prince Ramesses had provided drawings of the temples but left the face of his future wife a blank tablet. After his marriage, a statue in the likeness of the queen was shipped down to Abu Simbel to serve as a model for the sculptors.
We rose from the breakfast table and the builder escorted me into his main office. Watching me closely, he removed a cloth from models of the facades and then unrolled a papyrus with drawings of the temples. Upon entering his office, I noticed clay heads of the pharaoh, bearing the double crown and nemes headdress, and two life sized statutes of Ramesses and Nefertari. What I was not prepared for was the final appearance of the facades. I looked at the models and the drawings, then at the builder and back at the models. He seemed amused at my reaction. “When were you presented with these models and drawings?”
“Royal architect, they were here when I first arrived.”
“And Ramesses was how old when you arrived?”
“He had seen sixteen summers and still wore the side lock of a prince”.
I was amazed. Without thinking, I remarked “I thought this was a temple in honour of the three principal gods of the kingdom?”
“But, of course, you are correct. Let me show you the interiors of the temples in the next set of drawings.”
He unrolled another papyrus showing the first hall of the larger temple with its eight pillars, each twenty metres tall, carved in the mummiform figure of the Lord of the Underworld, Osiris. The face of the god was, unmistakeably, that of Ramesses. At the end of the sanctuary were to sit, side by side, four statues – Re-Harakhty, Amun-Re, Ptah and the deified Ramesses. Whilst it was not uncommon to feature a king in the company of the gods, it was customary to show him in a subservient role. A king’s statue or image was, without exception, slightly smaller than a representation of a principal god. The drawings did not show Ramesses in any way inferior or his statue any smaller than the three gods.
What beggared belief were the four colossi guarding the entrance to the temple. Each statue, twenty five metres tall, was of a powerfully built Ramesses seated upon a throne, looking straight at the dawn horizon, his hands resting along his thighs and wearing the double crown, nemes cloth and uraeus with the beard of kingship upon his chin. Carved into the legs of the thrones would be diminutive representations of his mother, Queen Ta’ay, his wife, Nefertari and six of his children. The colossi sat, four abreast, carved deep into the side of the limestone hill. Nowhere in the kingdom would one find statues that equal the size and brooding dominance of the quartet.
“Am I to believe Ramesses commissioned these temples whilst his father was still on the throne, when he was not married and children would have been no more than a gleam in his eye? They show him as pharaoh and as a deified god.” I said, disbelief evident in my voice.
The builder responded, still smiling “It is well recorded Seti loved Ramesses deeply and expected him to be a mighty ruler. Who are we to understand the feelings of a father to a son, especially when the father is pharaoh and the son the heir apparent?”
We were alone in the room and I detected no mockery or censure in Ashahebsed’s voice. “Lord Sennefer, my family and I are secure for life and Pharaoh Seti promised me a tomb in the Theban necropolis as a reward for my service. I am content and this job daily tests my skills. Is there something more I need to know about what passes through the minds of our rulers?”
“A wise observation and I respect your dedication to the king. We are both employed by a truly unique man. May he rule forever.” I acknowledged with traditional etiquette.
I reviewed the drawings of the smaller temple. The façade of the more diminutive temple has Ramesses and Nefertari sculpted in a row of upright statutes recessed in alternating bays hewn into the hillside. Some portions of the interior walls in both temples were left blank on the drawings and Ashahebsed confided that these areas would later be inscribed in celebration of the epic events in the king’s life as they unfolded. It was on these blank panels I would later cause a spectacular rendition of the Battle of Qadesh be incised.
We spent the day inspecting the sites and I commended the builder on his command of the project. That evening at the banquet I saw, with approval, that Ashahebsed was popular and held in high regard by his community. He radiated good humour, was generous in his praise of all those working with him and related interesting tales of life in Upper Egypt and Nubia. Unhappily, as much as I was enjoying my sojourn and thought to stay a while longer, my duties in Thebes beckoned. I bade him thanks and farewell with a promise to visit him yearly and assured him of a welcome in Thebes.
I reported favourably and warmly to the king upon my return. Naturally, my own thoughts about the unsubtle self-importance of the king manifested at Abu Simbel were kept to myself when I told the high priest and Meketre about the new monument. It is wise never to offer disparaging remarks about a king as palace intrigues were part of our land’s history and many monuments show the image of a royal favourite defaced after his fall from grace.
Thinking back on this whole exercise in self-promotion as I sailed down to Thebes, I recalled one feature on the facial models of the king. In each, he had his familiar slight smile clearly engraved on the figures. What attitude was Ramesses trying to convey by means of this enigmatic characteristic? Benevolence, humour, irony or self-deprecation? During my meeting with Ramesses after my return, he made no attempt to question me about my opinions on the scale of the project or the proclamation of his divinity so clearly evident. Matching this unusual display of humility, I chose to confine my observations to the quality of management amply demonstrated by Ashahebsed. At the conclusion of my report, Ramesses looked at me closely, the same smile playing on his lips.
“I suspect you understand me well and this is good. My father chose wisely and his hand was guided by Thoth when he appointed you royal architect. Our work together will bring great satisfaction to us both.” As I turned to leave he said, the slightest touch of embarrassment in his voice “Do you think the images overly large?”I paused, as his simple question was replete with complex nuances. Considering my reply with the care it demanded I replied, “Those who would think so do not understand you and are of no consequence. I believe the statues capture your essence precisely.” At that moment, the bond between us strengthened immeasurably.
My reverie and the luncheon finished, I sent my manservant to call the artisans from their repast and we reconvened to resume our discussion. When the scribe indicated he was ready, the high priest took up his subject. The model had been worked upon and now looked quite impressive. The priest now waxed lyrical, the flow of his discourse eased by yet another beaker of wine.
“The burial chamber is the summation of the king’s life. Not only is it the perpetual dwelling for the king’s remains, it is the place from whence his spiritual presence, borne by the gilded ba bird, travels between the transience of our ephemeral world and its abode on the oar banks of the celestial barque where the king rows, perpetually ablaze in the glorious luminescence of Amun-Re.” I could easily imagine Nebwenenef presiding over temple services so orotund were his utterances.
“Let us briefly consider the king’s body. After the seventy days required to preserve his earthly husk, the body, now swathed in the finest linen and anointed in fragrant oils, is placed within several golden coffins. At the entombment, the coffins are laid within the sarcophagus which is itself enshrined in gilded and inlaid timber. The visceral vessels, holding his organs, are placed into a stone chest and also enshrined. The coffins, sarcophagus and shrines are each graven with images of the king in unity with Osiris and Isis. The ritual incantations on the shrines interrelate with the inscriptions throughout the tomb. The wings of the protecting goddesses, Selket, Neith, Isis and Nephthys, enfold the corners of his sarcophagus, coffins, viscera chest and the shrines in their vigilant embrace.”
Perhaps realising he was becoming oratorical, his manner changed.
“Architect, you may wish to discuss with the king the creation of an additional room dedicated to the visceral shrine. It was the command of the last three kings to have a separate chamber for their sacred organs.” The scribe made another notation on his papyrus. Then the priest stopped, drained by the effort of conveying the significance of a royal tomb and the fog induced by too much wine.
We were all mentally dulled as Nebwenenef had given us much dry information to digest. The scribe massaged his wrists, his white kilt marred by blotches of black ink and the floor around him littered with spent styli. Wahibre, who had early shown signs of boredom as much of the exposition was of no special importance to a simple man, bestirred himself. I had followed the priest’s discourse with close interest as all I learnt sharpened my understanding of the structure on which we would labour.
“I know Re will soon sail behind the western mountains but can you explain the corridor at the back of Seti’s burial crypt?” I asked of the priest. A look passed between Meketre and the priest, one I could not interpret.
“Sennefer, can I delay my answer to another time? I must return to the temple before night fall as the morrow marks the celebration of the Festival of Nut and there are some preparatory matters to attend to tonight before I retire.”
“It is of small importance and I thank you for bringing to us your wisdom and guidance to these very intricate matters. Meketre and I will meet again to finalise the drawings of the tomb though I am sure we will return again and again to you for further advice. Your chariot will be brought to the entrance portico. May I wish you a safe journey back to your temple and again, my deepest thanks.” We made our farewells to the priest and he left us. The scribe, model maker and foreman withdrew, leaving Meketre and me alone. “Perhaps you will dine with me tonight?” I asked.
He apologised “Sennefer, I am also fatigued. These aging bones ache from the evening chill and I look forward to the comfort of my wife and the warmth of our hearth as the nights lengthen. As you know, I live several leagues inland from the eastern river bank and must take my leave before darkness engulfs the city. Shall we meet tomorrow morning two hours after Re’s barque begins its ascent into the sky?”
“My friend, my wife would also like to see my face whilst the sun is still upon the face of the earth. She complains I leave our private quarters whilst Atum still rules the night and only return when Nut has swallowed the sun. I bid you a safe journey back to the bosom of your family.”
I saw Meketre to his chariot and watched as he and his driver headed towards the barque awaiting them at the river’s edge. The heavens were darkening and the first stars glimmered in the eastern sky. I too looked forward to an early evening with my wife. Tomorrow, Meketre and I would need to be fresh of mind and body.