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Horemheb
- The General who became Pharaoh after Tutankhamun and Ay
Horemheb was the last Pharaoh of Ancient
Egypt's 18th Dynasty.
He was probably not of royal birth. |
| Portrait
by
Winifred Brunton |
Horemheb came from Herakleopolis Magna near the entrance
to the Fayum. His parentage is unknown. Horemheb's birth name and epithet
was Horemheb Meryamun, meaning "Horus is in Jubilation, Beloved of Amun".
His name is sometimes spelled Horemhab or Haremhab.
He became commander of the army, and advisor to the pharaoh. He was one
of the most influential advisors to Tutankhamun,
who died while still a teenager and was succeeded by Ay. Ay died after
a brief reign, and Horemheb became ruler. His throne name was Djeserkheperure
Setepenre, meaning "Holy are the Manifestations of Re, Chosen of Re"
Because of the way that he came to the throne, Horemheb
had 2 tombs constructed for him, one when he was a mere noble (at Saqqara
near Memphis), and the other in the Valley of the Kings, in Thebes, tomb
KV57.
An incident during Horemheb's reign may have relevance to the Biblical
King of Israel, Solomon. The lady 'Sharelli' of the pharaoh's court was
married to one of the more powerful city-state rulers of Western Asia.
A noblewoman marrying outside Egypt at this time may give credence to
the biblical record of Solomon marrying an Egyptian princess, for whom
he built a palace outside Jerusalem.
He chose Paramesse to succeed him, who assumed the name Ramses I
and founded the 19th Dynasty.
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