Hesy-Ra

Hesy-Ra (also read Hesy-Re and Hesire) was an Ancient Egyptian high official during the early 3rd dynasty. He is famous for his tomb paintings and his cedar wood panels.

Thanks to several clay seal impressions found in Hesy-Ra's tomb, it is today known that this high official lived and worked during the reign of king (pharaoh) Djoser and maybe also under king Sekhemkhet.

Hesy-Ra's name is of some interest to Egyptologists and Historians alike, because it is linked to the sun god Re. Hesy-Ra, alongside a few high officials at this time, belongs to the first high officials that were allowed to link their names to Re. However, they were not allowed to use the sun disk hieroglyph to write Re's name. This was permitted to the king only.

Titles

As a high-ranking official and priest, Hesy-Ra bore several elite and pious titularies:

• Confidant of the king (Egyptian: Rekh-neswt).
• Great one of the "ten of Upper Egypt" (Egyptian: Wer-medi-shemaw).
• Great one of Peh (Egyptian: Wer-Peh).
• Great one of the dentists (Egyptian: Wer-ibeh-senjw).
• Elder of the "Qed-hetep" (Egyptian: Semsw-qed-hetep).
• Chief of the scribes (Egyptian: Medjeh-seschjw).
• Brother of Min (Egyptian: Sen-Min).
• Magician of Mehit (Egyptian: Hem-heka-Mehit).

Career

Hesy-Ra is well known for certain, unique titles. The most discussed title is Wer-ibeh-senjw, which can be translated in many ways. Ibeh can be translated as "dentition" and/or "ivory" as well. Senjw is a plural for "arrows", "cutters" and/or "physicians" alike. Thus, the full title Wer-ibeh-senjw can either be translated as "Great one of the ivory cutters" or as "Great one of the dentists". If the former translation was correct, Hesy-Ra was a professional ivory-cutter and artist - a profession that was fairly common and already attested in early dynastic inscriptions. If the latter translation was correct, Hesy-Ra would be the very first person in Egyptian history to be officially entitled as an occupational dentist.

Hesy-Ra is also well known for his richly decorated cedar wood panels found in his tomb. On these panels, Hesy-Ra is depicted in several stages of age. Indeed, the panels close to the entrance show Hesy-Ra as a pretty young man at the start of his career. Closer to the remembrance chapel, Hesy-Ra is depicted as a mid-age man at the hayday of his career. Finally, in the remembrance chapel, he is depicted as an old man, sitting on an offering table and being stuffed in a tight gown. The artist of the panels even accentuated facial mannerisms of age: Hesy-Ra's face change from pretty smooth to wrinkled and saggy, depending on the stage of age that was meant to be depicted.

Furthermore, Hesy-Ra is known for the colorful wall paintings discovered inside and outside his tomb. Colors such as black, white, yellow, green and red were used. The ornaments include rhomboids, stripes and a green-yellowish reed mat imitation. The paintings were in such good state when found, that the excavators decided to fill the painted corridors with high quality rubble in attempt to preserve the colors. Close-by reliefs depict daily life goods and even game accessories, such as Mehen game boards and a Senet play set.

Possible contemporary office partners included Netjeraperef, Akhetaa, Khabawsokar, Pehernefer and Metjen, who were also holding office under Huni and Sneferu. All their tomb inscriptions reveal that the time of both kings must have been a very prosperous one and economy and office administration flourished.

Archaeological excavation at the Mastaba of Hesy-Ra in November 2010

Hesy-Ra's tomb, mastaba S-2405, is situated in Saqqara; it was discovered in 1861 by French archaeologists Auguste Mariette and Jacques de Morgan. Excavations started in 1910 and ended in 1912, organized and performed by British archaeologist James Edward Quibell. Hesy-Ra's tomb is squeezed in between dozens of others, approximately 260 m north-east of king Djoser's pyramid complex. In its original state, the mastaba was 43 m long, 22 m wide and 5 m high. It was made of hardened mud bricks. Inner and outer walls were once completely and smoothly covered with white limestone. The inner room structure consisted of a long, niched corridor and several rooms and chapels.