Family Ties at Changing Times: The Vizier and the High Priest of Re during the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties

<p dir="ltr">The roles of <i>t</i><i>3</i><i>jtj s</i><i>3</i><i>b T</i><i>3</i><i>tj </i>‘he of the curtain, chief justice and vizier’ and <i>wr-m</i><i>3</i><i>w (Jwnw) </i>‘Greatest of Seers (of Heliopolis)’ were two of the most important positions during the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties of Egypt (2543 BCE–2306 BCE). While the vizier was responsible for implementing the orders of the king and overseeing the administration, the Greatest of Seers was the highest priesthood in the Re cult, who became the supreme god during this time. Given the magnitude of these positions, the loyalty and support of the men in these offices was undoubtedly crucial for the strength and stability of both the reigning king and the Egyptian state. While the significance of these roles has long been understood from an administrative standpoint, the officials as individuals are far more ambiguous. Who were the viziers and the High Priests of Re, and what was their background? How did they come to be appointed to some of the highest positions in the Old Kingdom administration? This thesis will seek to understand more about the men employed in the <i>t</i><i>3</i><i>jtj s</i><i>3</i><i>b T</i><i>3</i><i>tj </i>and <i>wr-m</i><i>3</i><i>w (Jwnw) </i>offices, why they may have been selected for these positions, and the implications of this on both the monarchy and the Egyptian state more broadly.</p>