The Vizier as Intermediary in the Popular Religion During the New Kingdom

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Guidance department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Helwan Universty, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

This article deals with a topic entitled "The Vizier as Intermediary in the Popular Religion during the New Kingdom". The paper aims to shed the light on the various responsibilities of the vizier during the New Kingdom such as the managing director of the royal palace, the head of the civil administration and deputy of the king based on the famous text "Duties of the Vizier" in the tomb of Rekhemre at Western Thebes. As deputy of the King, it was the duty of the vizier to discuss the petitions of the people and to act as an intermediary between the King and his subjects. The paper will also discuss a number of the New Kingdom documents (votive and rock-carving stelae) with full transcription, transliteration and translation to prove that some of the New Kingdom viziers played the role of the intermediary on behalf of the people in the so-called popular religion. The best example of those viziers were Paser and Parahotep II from the reign of King Ramesses II, Panehsy from the reign of king Merenptah and Tao the vizier of King Ramesses III. The paper will use a descriptive historical method through analysing the cited data to come out with conclusions. 

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