High Priests of Amun

The god Amun in Karnak.

High Priest of Amun
Hm nTr tp n imn
in hieroglyphs

The High Priest of Amun or First Prophet of Amun (hem netjer en tepy) was the highest-ranking priest in the priesthood of the Ancient Egyptian god Amun.^[1] The first high priests of Amun appear in the New Kingdom, at the beginning of the Eighteenth Dynasty.

History

The priesthood of Amun rose in power during the early Eighteenth dynasty through significant tributes to the god Amun by ruler such as Hatshepsut and more importantly Thutmose III.^[2] The Amun priesthood in Thebes had four high-ranking priests:^[3]

The high priest of Amun at Karnak (hm netjer tepy en Amun), also referred to as the first prophet of Amun.
The second priest of Amun at Karnak (hm netjer sen-nu en Amun), also referred to as the second prophet of Amun.
The third priest of Amun at Karnak (hm netjer khemet-nu en Amun), also referred to as the third prophet of Amun.
The fourth priest of Amun at Karnak (hm netjer fed-nu en Amun), also referred to as the fourth prophet of Amun.

The power of the Amun priesthood was temporarily curtailed during the Amarna period. A high priest named Maya is recorded in year 4 of Akhenaten. Akhenaten has the name of Amun removed from monuments during his reign (as well as the names of several other deities). After Akhenaten's death Amun is restored to his place of prominence among the cults in Egypt. The young pharaoh Tutankhaten changes his name to Tutankhamen to signal the restoration of the old god to his former place of prominence.^[4]

The High Priest of Amun in Thebes was appointed by the King. It was not uncommon for the position to be held by dignitaries who held additional posts in the pharaoh's administration. Several of the high priests from the time of Ramesses II also served as Vizier.^[5]

At the end of the New Kingdom, the 20th dynasty priesthood of Amun is for a large part dominated by Ramessesnakht. His son Amenhotep eventually succeeded his father and found himself in conflict with the Vicreoy of Kush, Panehesy. Panehesy took his troops North and besieged Thebes. After this period generals by the name of Herihor and Pianchi served as High Priest.

Herihor

By the time Herihor was proclaimed as the first ruling High Priest of Amun in 1080 BC—in the 19th Year of Ramesses XI—the Amun priesthood exercised an effective stranglehold on Egypt's economy. The Amun priests owned two-thirds of all the temple lands in Egypt and 90 percent of her ships plus many other resources.^[6] Consequently, the Amun priests were as powerful as Pharaoh, if not more so. The High Priests of Amun at Thebes from the 21st dynasty were of such power and influence that they were effectively the rulers of Upper Egypt from 1080 to c. 943 BC. They are however not regarded as a ruling dynasty with pharaonic prerogatives, and after this period the influence of the Amun priesthood declined. One of the sons of the High Priest, Pinedjem I, would eventually assume the throne and rule Egypt for almost half-a-decade as pharaoh Psusennes I while the Theban High Priest Psusennes III would take the throne as king Psusennes II—the final ruler of the 21st Dynasty.

Notable High Priests of Amun from Thebes

Dynasties of Ancient Egypt

All years (rightmost column) are BC (BCE)

Early

First Dynasty	I	c. 3150–2890
Second Dynasty	II	2890–2686

Old Kingdom

Third Dynasty	III	2686–2613
Fourth Dynasty	IV	2613–2498
Fifth Dynasty	V	2498–2345
Sixth Dynasty	VI	2345–2181

First Intermediate

Seventh and Eighth Dynasties	VII/VIII	2181–2160
Ninth Dynasty	IX	2160–2130
Tenth Dynasty	X	2130–2040
Early Eleventh Dynasty	XI	2134–2061

Middle Kingdom

Late Eleventh Dynasty	XI	2061–1991
Twelfth Dynasty	XII	1991–1803
Thirteenth Dynasty	XIII	1803–1649
Fourteenth Dynasty	XIV	1705–1690

Second Intermediate

Fifteenth Dynasty	XV	1674–1535
Sixteenth Dynasty	XVI	1660–1600
Abydos Dynasty		1650–1600
Seventeenth Dynasty	XVII	1580–1549

New Kingdom

Eighteenth Dynasty	XVIII	1549–1292
Nineteenth Dynasty	XIX	1292–1189
Twentieth Dynasty	XX	1189–1077

Third Intermediate

Twenty-first Dynasty	XXI	1069–945
Twenty-second Dynasty	XXII	945–720
Twenty-third Dynasty	XXIII	837–728
Twenty-fourth Dynasty	XXIV	732–720
Twenty-fifth Dynasty	XXV	732–653

Late Period

Twenty-sixth Dynasty	XXVI	672–525
Twenty-seventh Dynasty (1st Persian Period)	XXVII	525–404
Twenty-eighth Dynasty	XXVIII	404–398
Twenty-ninth Dynasty	XXIX	398–380
Thirtieth Dynasty	XXX	380–343
Thirty-first Dynasty (2nd Persian Period)	XXXI	343–332

Ptolemaic (Hellenistic)

Argead Dynasty	332–305
Ptolemaic Kingdom	305–30

New Kingdom

**High Priest of Amun**
High Priests	Pharaoh	Dynasty
Thuty Minmontu	Ahmose I	18th Dynasty
Hapuseneb	Hatshepsut	18th Dynasty
Menkheperraseneb I Menkheperreseneb II	Thutmose III	18th Dynasty
Amenemhat Mery	Amenhotep II	18th Dynasty
Ptahmose Meryptah	Amenhotep III	18th Dynasty
Maya	Akhenaten	18th Dynasty
Parennefer called Wennefer	Tutankhamen Horemheb	18th Dynasty
Nebneteru Tenry	Sety I	19th Dynasty
Nebwenenef Hori Paser Bakenkhonsu	Ramesses II	19th Dynasty
Roma-Rui	Ramesses II, Merenptah and Seti II	19th Dynasty
Bakenkhons II	Sethnakht Ramesses III	20th Dynasty
Ramessesnakht	Ramesses IV - Ramesses IX	20th Dynasty
Amenhotep	Ramses IX - XI	20th Dynasty

21st dynasty and later

Pinudjem II as High Priest

25th Dynasty

Haremakhet, Son of Shabaka 704?-660 BC
Harkhebi, Son of Haremakhet, Grandson of Shabaka. Served as HPA until at least year 14 of Psamtik I. 660-644 BC

[ 2 unattested HPA or vacant? 644-595]

Ankhnesneferibre, The God's Wife of Amun also served as High Priest of Amun. 595-560 BC
Nitocris II, Daughter of Pharaoh Ahmose (II). 560-550?

References

↑ Dodson and Hilton: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, London 2004
↑ Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, vol. 2: The Eighteenth Dynasty
↑ Dodson, Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, 2004
↑ Aldred, Akhenaten: King of Egypt, Thames & Hudson (1991)
↑ Kitchen, Rammeside Inscriptions, Translated & Annotated, Translations, Volume III, Blackwell Publishers, 1996
↑ Peter Clayton, Chronicle of the Pharaohs, Thames & Hudson Ltd., 1994. p.175

Ancient Egyptian titulary

Royal titulary	Great Royal Wife Khenemetneferhedjet Pharaoh

Religious titulary	Divine Adoratrice of Amun God's Wife God's Wife of Amun High Priests of Amun High Priest of Osiris High Priest of Ptah High Priest of Ra Lector priest Servant in the Place of Truth Two Ladies

Courtly and administrative titulary	Haty-a High steward Iry-pat Khekeret-nisut Nomarch Overseer of the treasuries Treasurer Viceroy of Kush Vizier

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