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Tomb of Horemheb

The General who became Pharaoh

Introduction
The tomb we see here is Horemheb private tomb which he built during his period as commander-in-chief.
As Pharaoh, Horemheb had a royal tomb fashioned in the valley of the king near modern-day Luxor (KV 57).

Horemheb was the commander-in-chief of the boy king Tutankhamun. After the death of Tutankhamun and the subsequent succession of Ay, he became the last pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ca. 1550-1292 BCE).

Location and Discovery
We are standing in the entrance of his personal Tomb, located to the south of the Unas causeway near the monastery of Apa Jeramias.

The tomb was rediscovered by the Anglo-Dutch excavation of the Egyptian Exploration Society and the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden (RMO) in 1975.

Together with the tombs in the vicinity, Horemheb’s tomb forms part of the New kingdom necropolis of Saqqara.
Work in this part of Saqqara is still going on, and the area around us is currently being excavated by the Dutch-Italian mission of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden and the Museo Egizio Torino.

The First Pylon
To the left and right we see two gate-towers, so-called pylons.These were made out of solid mudbrick, the entrance way is dressed with blocks of limestone.
The pylons imitate the impressive entrances of New Kingdom temples, making the tomb a temple for the deceased.

Although this tomb was never used for Horemheb’s burial, his wife Mutnodjet was buried here and the tomb became a cult centre for "The general who became Pharaoh".¹

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

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The Describing Egypt Team

¹ M.J. Raven, V. Verschoor, M. Vugts, and R. van Walsem (eds), The Memphite Tomb of Horemheb: Commander in Chief of Tutankhamun V (PALMA 6; Turnhout, 2011), 27.

Tomb of Horemheb

Forecourt

This is the forecourt of the tomb of Horemheb. This part of the tomb was a later addition together with the pylons behind us.
It probably served to elevate this tomb from a private tomb to a royal memorial monument.

The floor beneath us is a modern addition to protect the monument, but the floor was also originally dressed with limestone flagstones.

To the right we see the pylon of Tia and Tia’s tomb extending through the wall of the forecourt.
In a bid to save cost on materials, Tia used the wall of the forecourt as a wall of his own tomb.

If you turn around and take a look at the left pylon, you will see a row of strange holes.
These were left by the scaffolding used when building the pylon.
The entire pylon was coated with a mud plaster, so the holes would not have shown.
Several Late Period burials were found throughout the forecourt

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

The Second Pylon

In contrast to the first pylon, the second pylon was completely covered with limestone.
Originally standing over 5 meters in height, it must have been an impressive sight.

Like his neighbour, Horemheb was no stranger to cutting costs. Most of the limestone is taken from Old Kingdom monuments which were dismantled.

Part of the blocks can be traced back to the enclosure wall of the Step pyramid.²

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

² G.T. Martin The Memphite Tomb of Horemheb: Commander in Chief of Tutankhamun (London, 1989), 21.

Tomb of Horemheb

The First Courtyard

We are now standing in the first courtyard.
On the north and south side of the corner would have been two statues of the tomb owner in a shrine³.

The limestone covering of the walls still bears some traces of decoration.
It primarily shows scenes of Horemheb in the royal palace, being honoured by the king.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

³ G.T. Martin The Memphite Tomb of Horemheb: Commander in Chief of Tutankhamun (London, 1989), 22-23.

Tomb of Horemheb

The First Courtyard Detail

We are now standing in the first courtyard.
On the north and south side of the corner would have been two statues of the tomb owner in a shrine³.

The limestone covering of the walls still bears some traces of decoration.
It primarily shows scenes of Horemheb in the royal palace, being honoured by the king.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

³ G.T. Martin The Memphite Tomb of Horemheb: Commander in Chief of Tutankhamun (London, 1989), 22-23.

Tomb of Horemheb

Stela of Horemheb adoring Re-Horahty, Thoth and Ma’at

This stela shows Horemheb in adoration before the deities Re-horakhtye, Thoth, and Ma’at. Horemheb wears a long pleated garment, sandals and bracelets showing his importance and wealth.

Horemheb is described as hereditary prince, fanbearer of the right of the king, and generalissimo. The first two are high honorific titles underlining Horemheb’s involvement in court life and closeness to the king.
The latter is his actual function title.

The main part of the inscription reads:

Adoring Re, satisfying hm when he rises. The hereditary prince Horemheb, he says: ‘Hail to you, who are beneficial ad effective, Atum-Harakhty. When you have appeared in the horizon of the sky, praises

(2) to you are in the mouth(s) of everyone, for you are beautiful and rejuvenated as the disk in the embrace of your mother Hathor. Appear everywhere, your heart being glad forever! The two Conclaves come to you

(3) bowing, they give adoration to you rising. How beautiful is your rising in the horizon of the sky, you have bestrewn the Two Lands (with) turquoise. It is Re-Horakhty, that divine

(4) youth, heir of eternity, who begat himself and gave birth to himself, king of heaven and earth, ruer of the Netherworld, chief of the necropolis, the realm of the dead, [who came forth]

(5) from the water and pulled himself out of Nun, who brought himself up while hallowing his (re)births, mighty king, appearing (in) the horizon. The Ennead is in jubilation

(6) at your rising, every eye is in exultation, rejoicing at your appearance fort hem, august god who is in his shrine, lord of everlasting who is in the midst of

(7) his barque. The inhabitants of the horizon row you, the inhabitants of the night-barque sail you, the souls of the East invoke you,

(8) the souls of the West exult at you, good god, shining of splendours, spreading electro over the Two lands, adorned youth, lord of love, great of strength, who does not get tired,

(9) swift of course, far trading, he who rises on the eastern horizon and dispels darkness from the whole earth. Every eye that showed fear(?) gives

(10) adoration at your rising. They look at the primeval god in jubilation, your followers are kissing

(11) the earth. He who sets in the western horizon spreads darkness over the whole earth. The dawn comes into being when you come forth, and the earth becomes dark when you set

(12) in your mansion. Beautiful youth, created by Ptah, distinct in appearance from the (other) gods, who came forth as a falcon, wearing a fillet at

(13) the brow, the two uraei being associated at your head, ruler of eternity, sovereign of the gods of perpetuity. You are a king, lord of the atef-crown; your eyes,

(14) they illuminate the lands. You are Re, complete of forms. All living beings come too you.

(15) Your mother Nut lifts you, and she places the fear of you in the hearts of the Two Lands so that they stand up to double [your offerings], Primeval one who guards the secrets of eternity, eldest of the end of

(16) everlasting, who crosses the sky in the night-barque, great of appearance in the day-barque.’ The hereditary prince Horemheb, he says: ‘I ado

(17)re you, since your beauty is in my eyes and your rays shine upon my breast. I present Truth

(18) to your majesty daily. Adoration to you Thoth, lord of Hermopolis, who brought himself into being, unique god, leader of the Netherworld,

(19) who gives instructions to the Westerners who are in the following of Re, who distinguishes the tongue of every foreign country; may you cause the royal scribe

(20) Horemheb to stand firmly by the side of the sovereign, as you were at the side of the lord of the universe, as you fostered him when he came forth from the womb. Adoration

(21) to you, Ma’at, lady of the north wind, who opens the nostrils of the living ones and gives breath to hi who is in his barque; may you cause

(22) the hereditary prince Horemheb to breathe the winds that are brought forth by the sky, as the lady of Punt breathes her scent from the lake of myrrh. May you cause

(23) an entering and leaving in the Fields of Rushes, that I may be united there with the Field of Offerings, a receiving of offerings daily from the offering table

(24) of the lords of Heliopolis, that my heart may cross in the water procession of the necropolis tot he pure islands of the Fields of Rushes. May you open for me the pleasant road, and may you clear

(25) my way, that you may place (me) in the following of Sokar in Rostau, for the ka of the hereditary prince, sole companion, generalissimo, the revered one with Osiris, Horemheb, true of voice, possessor of reverence.

for extra clearity: G.T. Martin The Memphite Tomb of Horemheb: Commander in Chief of Tutankhamun , pl 22.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

Entrance to the statue room, jambs

We are standing in front of the entrance to the statue room. To the left and right of the courtyard are two doors.
These lead to magazines in which were used to store foodstuff and other commodities used in the funerary cult.

In front is the entrance to the statue room, the jambs of the entrance to the statue room bears a formulaic inscription in which the deceased gains different favours of the gods through a boon which the king gives.⁴

The text reads:

(1) A boon which the King gives to Atum, lord of Heliopolis, Khepri, who came into being of himself May you cause (me) to receive offeringsfrom the storehouse… of Heliopolis, to be united with the herb-bundles of the Field of Rushes, for the hereditary prince, deputy of His Majesty, the Osiris Horemheb, true of voice.

(2) A boon which the King gives to Thoth, who presides over the Enead, lord of Hermopolis, who administers justice. May you cuase me to rest in the court of Ge [and to be in the foll]owing of the lord of eternity, Osiris, foremost of the necropolis, ruler of eternity, for the hereditary prince, high steward, the Osiris Horemheb, true of voice

(3) A boon which the king gives (to) Osiris, foremost of the West, the august god of the first occasion. May you cause (me) to be at your august staircase in the presence of [the great god], that my summoning may be heard in Abydos, that I may be announced in Ro-peker, for the hereditary prince, overseer of the generals of the Lord of the Two Lands, the Osiris Horemheb, true of voice.

(4) A boon which the king gives (to) Ptah in the land of Truth in which he rests. May you cause me to be in the midst of the august spirits in the presence of those who sit in the booth of He-who-is-upon-his-mountain (i.e. Anubis), for the hereditary prince of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Osiris Horemheb, true of voice.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

⁴ G.T. Martin The Memphite Tomb of Horemheb: Commander in Chief of Tutankhamun , 32.

Tomb of Horemheb

Vestibule of the statue room

This entrance leads to the statue room. The south wall shows an impressive relief of Horemheb seated behind an offering table.

Horemheb wears his long pleated garment, and holds a Kherep-sceptre and a piece of cloth in his left hand. Around his neck is a string of the gold of honour, a special gift from the king to valued subjects.

Pieces of the original paint have been preserved on his arms and legs, as well as on the legs of the chair.

The offering table is laden with pieces of bread. Under the table are two flower bouquets. On the other side of the table is an Iunmutef priest.
The text refers to the Opening of the mouth ceremony. This ceremony made sure the deceased could use all his senses in the Netherworld. Interestingly, behind Horemheb is a scribe called Ramose. He must have been an important man to Horemheb that he is depicted here.

Below this scene is a scene of two men leading a calf and an onyx for sacrifice. In front of them is an enormous amount of foodstuff.

From left to right: a carrier full of fruit; grapes, pomegranats, figs and dates, a amphora on a stand decorated with a lotus flower, a bouquet of flowers, a pile of offerings; bread, a leg of ox, a head of an ox, another amphora followed by another bouquet and a last amphora.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

The Statue Room

This room was originally roofed, but the roof caved in. It is likely that the walls were first plastered, and then decorated in the manner we know from Deir el-Medina tombs.

The inside of the entrance is decorated with two limestone jambs showing Horemheb before an offering table facing inwards.

The text is an extended version of his titularly:

[Hereditary prince, count], seal-bearer [ of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt], sole companion, King’s envoy at the head of his expedition to the southern and northern (foreign) land, for the ka of the generalissimo Horemheb, true of voice.

(2) [Hereditary prince, count], seal-bearer of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt], sole companion, elected by the king above the Two Lands to carry out the government of the Two Banks, overseer of generals of the Lord of the Two Lands, for the ka of the true royal scribe, his beloved Horemheb, tue of voice.

(3) [Hereditary prince, count], seal-bearer of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt], sole companion, mouth who makes peace in the entire land, master of the secrets of the palace, the unique one, who counts the troops, for the ka of the high steward Horemheb, true of voice.

(4) [Hereditary prince, count, seal]bearer [of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt], sole companion, one in attendance on his lord upon the battlefield on this day of smiting the Asiatics, for the ka of the generalissimo Horemheb, true of voice.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

Shrines of the West Wall

Next to the entrance to the second court in the west wall are two shrines with statue bases which gave this room its name.

The shrines are located on either side of the doorway. The feet of the statues are still in situ.
The text on the shrines are several variations of a standard offering formula.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

Vestibule to Second Courtyard

On the left wall of this small room one still finds pieces of the original decoration showing Horemheb adoring a seated Osiris.

The lower part of the relief , with the feet of Horemheb and the throne of Osiris, is still in situ.

Many people do not notice this part of the relief, but the colours have been beautifully preserved. Of the upper part of the relief only part of the text, and the face of Osiris have been preserved, again with traces of colour.

The text is a hymn to Osiris which is unique to this tomb. Of the original 27 columns, only about eight lines have been found.

The hymn seems to talk about the unification of Ra and Osiris.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

The Second Courtyard

The second courtyard is the last part of the tomb which is accessible for visitors. Adjacent to the courtyard are three shrines which formed the focal point of the cult.
The decoration in the chapels was largely robbed away in antiquity.

The metal roster on the floor covers the tomb shaft leading to a complex series of hallways and rooms meant for the tomb owner’s burial, and later used for the burial of his wife.

Next to the left chapel is a shrine which originally held a statue of the tomb owner.
The text is a prayer to Ptah-Sokar, Hathor lady of the Sycamore, and Anubis: three funerary deities.
The large block which extends between the two columns is presumably a base for a second statue shrine.

To the right , near the north-west corner is another shrine. At least five statues must have been placed in this courtyard, including three of Horemheb together with his wife.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

East wall, Relief of Submission of Foreign People

This walls shows Horemheb, larger than life, to the right receiving submission of conquered people.
Only the leg of Horemheb is still visible. One of the men is led towards him , while scribes record everything.

The four men in elaborate clothing, with the wavy hairdo are Egyptian officers. The scene seems to have been taken from the life of Horemheb, rather than being a generic scene.

Among the long lines of subjugated people we can distinguish Kushites, Lybians, and Levantine people.
Although they are all depicted in a stereotypical manner, there is variety between all the figures.

The Kushites are depicted as stereotypical Africans. The Lybians have pointed beards, a long lock of hair over their shoulder, and a cape draped around their shoulder.
The Levantine people also have beards but wear kilts and head cloths. Both old and younger men are depicted.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

South wall, Relief of the Gold of Honour

This relief follows the relief on the east wall in time. Prisoners of war and war booty was taken in the field and a report of the campaign was written up by the army scribes.

Some of the prisoners and war booty is now presented to the king and queen. Horemheb is shown in front of the royal dais, being awarded with the gold of honour.

His victory over different foreign people may have been the direct reason for awarding the prestigious necklaces to him. An ureus was added to his brow after he ascended the throne.

He is surrounded by attendants presenting more golden necklaces, and a cone like Horemheb is wearing on his head.
Above Horemheb, we can still make out the bottom part of his peers who are bowing before the king.

The noticeable difference in colour is due to the fact that the top of this relief is a replica.
The original is in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, who bought it in 1828.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.

Tomb of Horemheb

West wall, Relief of an envoy of Asiatics and Lybians.

Horemheb is shown with a large number of golden necklaces, holding a ceremonial fan.
Possibly this refers to his position of fanbearer of the right of the king.
Again an ureus was added to his brow after his ascension to the throne.

Horemheb is respectfully bowed before the king and queen , who are standing in a dais.
He acts as an intermediary between the king and queen and an envoy of Asiatics and Lybians. The envoys are in positions of prostration and subservience.

Behind the envoys are some servants holding horses by the reigns.
Their hairdo and dress marks them as Lybians.

Again this relief is a replica. The original pieces are in Vienna, Berlin and Leiden.

Funds, support and information about this tomb was provided with the help from our friends at Friends of Saqqara Foundation please check out their amazing work at the Saqqara necropolis.