Prestige and Disdain

Tomb owners, who may be assumed to be literate, hardly ever show themselves reading or writing in their tombs. The second chapter critically examines the two main prevailing answers in the Egyptological literature and offers a different angle to the problem. It collects the few men who did choose to portray themselves associated with reading and writing, and explores their emphasis on literacy in relation to group boundaries and self-representation. The chapter focuses in its analysis on the emphasis on images of literacy among individuals who, like Haremhab, were engaged with the military in their career.

Epilogue

The epilogue returns to some of the main themes discussed in this book through the analysis of a passage found on a stela from Haremhab’s tomb. In the inscription, Haremhab shows exceptional interest in languages when he praises the god Thoth as the creator of all languages. Haremhab’s interest is rare but not unique, and this example is used to reflect upon one of the main issues raised throughout the book—whether we can ascribe agency and exceptionality to past figures when our knowledge is fragmentary at best. Through this rare reference, the epilogue touches upon the relationships between patrons, objects, concepts—and our modern perceptions of them.

The Likeness of an Author

This chapter shifts to three-dimensional art and studies scribal statues. It traces back the history of this statuary motif through time, studying changes in the texts inscribed on the statue and the gesture of the right hand. Analyzing these elements, the chapter investigates the relationships between statue, patron, and text. A close inspection of this statuary motif reveals a growing emphasis on the act of writing and a reinterpretation of the literacy act. Focusing on the Eighteenth Dynasty patrons who commissioned such statues once again suggests that men of military background like Haremhab play a significant role in disseminating images of literacy through their self-representation.

Introduction

The introduction sets up the historical background and the methodological foundations of the book. It first describes the Eighteenth Dynasty in broad strokes and locates Haremhab, the main figure in this book, within this timeframe. Following the historical discussion, the introduction touches upon three main issues at the heart of the book’s methodology: literacy, self-representation, and group formation. Engaging with issues raised by scholars of New Literacy Studies, the book focuses on the social contexts in which literacy practices are used. Building on the works of Stephen Greenblatt and Bruno Latour, the chapter then begins to ask questions regarding the relationships between art, patron, and society.

Writing, Memory, and Violence in the Tomb

The first chapter opens with modern conceptions of literacy in order to suggest that a similar multitude of voices may be traced in ancient times. The chapter then surveys images of literacy and their corresponding connotations in five tombs of the Eighteenth Dynasty: the tombs of Puyemre, Rekhmire, and Tjanuni in the Theban necropolis; Meryre’s tomb in Amarna, and Haremhab’s in Saqqara. Each tomb shows a slightly different image of literacy, but shared among all are the association of writing with memory and violence, which are discussed in detail in this chapter.

Palette and Crown

The fourth chapter accompanies Haremhab as he ascends the throne, exploring his representation of literacy in the final stage of his career. Like most other kings, Haremhab avoids representing himself reading or writing visually. Textually, however, he refers to literacy and writing in a number of sources, which this chapter closely studies: his Coronation Text, an inscription in his temple in Gebel el-Silsila, and his code of laws. While other kings define literacy as relating to history and the cosmos, his new royal representation emphasizes accounting and literacy’s close relationship with the military. In his inscriptions, therefore, Haremhab continues to employ notions of literacy which were common in his pre-royal art.