Meryre (also Meryra[1] or Merire) (Ancient Egyptian: mrii-rˤ "the one loved by Re")[2] was an Egyptian noble and the only certain High Priest of the Aten. Amongst his other titles were Hereditary Noble and High Official and Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King[3] which emphasise his closeness to the king.[4]

Meryre (I)
High Priest of the Aten
Dynasty18th Dynasty
PharaohAkhenaten
BurialAmarna Tomb 4
N5
Z1
U6iiA51
Meryre
in hieroglyphs
Era: New Kingdom
(1550–1069 BC)

He had a tomb constructed at Amarna, Tomb 4, although his remains have never been identified. (See Tombs of the Nobles.)

It is possible that he is identical to an official known from a Memphite tomb. This official appears in his tomb with two names: Meryneith and Meryre. The latter name he was bearing in the Amarna period, while Meryneith was his name before this period and after. In his inscriptions Meryneith bears also the title of a high priest of Aton.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ de Garis Davies, N. (1903). The Rock Tombs Of El Amarna. Part I. The Tomb of Meryra. London: Egypt Exploration Fund.
  2. ^ Ranke, Hermann (1935). Die Ägyptischen Personennamen, Bd. 1: Verzeichnis der Namen (PDF). Glückstadt: J.J. Augustin. p. 160. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  3. ^ Breasted (1906) §988
  4. ^ "TOMB N°4, Amarna". Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  5. ^ René van Walsem, in: Maarten J. Raven, René van Walsem: The Tomb of Meryneith at Saqqara, Turnhout 2014, ISBN 978-2-503-54876-0, 41, 47

Literature

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  • J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Chicago 1906, Part Two, §§.982-988