Meryatum
Meryatum | |
---|---|
High Priest of Ra in Heliopolis | |
19th Dynasty | |
Pharaoh | Ramesses II |
Father | Ramesses II |
Mother | Nefertari |
Burial | KV5 |
| |||||
Meryatum in hieroglyphs | |||||
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Era: New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC) | |||||
Meryatum (“Beloved of
.He is shown as 16th on the processions of princes, and is likely to have been the last child born to Ramesses and Nefertari (after Amun-her-khepeshef, Pareherwenemef, Meritamen, Henuttawy and Meryre).[1] He is depicted in the Smaller Abu Simbel temple, dedicated to Nefertari. Inscriptions at Karnak and elsewhere show Nefertari was his mother.[2]
He visited
Heliopolis
, a position he held for the next twenty years.
Two of his statues are now in
ostrakon mentions work on his tomb and that of Isetnofret; it implies he was buried in the area of the Valley of the Queens, though it is also possible he was buried in KV5, the tomb built for the sons of Ramesses, since a fragment of one of his canopic jars
was found there.
Inscriptions
Meryatum is known from several inscriptions.[2]
- Inscription at Serabit el-Khadim depicting Prince Meryatum with the Troop-commander and Royal Cupbearer Ashahebsed and Troop-commander Amenemope.
- Façade of the Small Temple at Abu Simbel; two of the colossal statues of the King are flanked by small statues of the King’s Son Meryatum and the King’s Son Meryre (the other two are flanked by Amun-her-khepeshef and Prehirwenemef)
- Inscription at the Temple of Mut at Karnak; The inscription names Meryatum and Queen Nefertari: Text made by the King’s Son Ramesses-Meryatum, born of Queen Nefertari-Meryetmut, may she live forever! (Kitchen)
- Statue of Queen Nefertari with a depiction of Prince Meryatum at the left side (Brussels E.2459)
- Stela of Subordinate Akhpet from Qantir (justified.
- A statue with Standards (Berlin 19716) mentions on the Dorsal Pillar: Hereditary Prince and Count, Chief of Secrets in the Mansion of the Bennu bird, bodily King’s son, beloved of him, Chief of Seers, Mery-Atum. (Kitchen [2])
- The dorsal pillar of a statue in Berlin (Berlin 7347). On the left side the inscription reads: "[…in] the Great Mansion, Setem priest in the Horizon of Eternity, Eyes of the King at the head of his Both Lands, Nefertari Meryetmut." (Kitchen) While the main text says: "Hereditary Prince, Royal princeling, Judge(?) of the people, born of the Great Royal Wife, Chief of Seers, pure of hands in the house of Re, Meryatum." (Kitchen [2])
- An ostracon in Cairo (JdE 72460) mentions “work-in-progress of the Chief of Seers, Meryatum”. Probably refers to work on the tomb of Meryatum (i.e. KV5)
- In the
See also
References
- ^ Dodson, Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, 2004, pp. 167-168, 172.
- ^ a b c d e Kitchen, K.A., Ramesside Inscriptions, Translated & Annotated, Translations, Volume II, Blackwell Publishers, 1996
- ^ Weeks, K., KV5: A Preliminary Report on the Excavation of the Tomb of the Sons of Ramesses II in the Valley of the Kings.