The Pharaoh: Book 1 of The Giza Trilogy

The Pharaoh is the fictional account of life and times of Pharaoh Khufu who reigned from c.2589 B.C. to c.2566 B.C. Khufu was the second Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty in Old Kingdom Egypt (Kemet), later to become known as the Pyramid Age. Some readers will of course be more familiar with Khufu’s other name: Cheops, a Greek form of the name and most likely given to him when Greek scholars were formulating the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. To give the book greater accuracy I have kept to the name, Khufu.

Little is known about Pharaoh Khufu’s life. Whereas there are large granite and limestone monuments, statues and inscriptions of other later Pharaohs of the Pyramid Age, only a small 3 inch (7.62 centimetre) ivory figurine found at Abydos exists of Khufu seated on his royal throne. Nevertheless, there are clues to his life and these clues can be found in the lives of other Pharaohs of Old Kingdom Egypt. This Egypt of the Old Kingdom was one of great expansion – military expansion to the east and to the south, as well as trade; it was also one of consolidation i.e. consolidating the rule and the power of the Pharaoh. The Old Kingdom is perhaps best highlighted, however, by its many pyramids, tombs and temples built on a scale never before attempted or imagined.

Khufu is remembered for the construction of the Great Pyramid, the largest pyramid on the Giza plateau and the first to be built there. The Great Pyramid was the second true pyramid to be constructed – the first one being built by Khufu’s father, Snefru at Dahshur to the south of Giza. This first true pyramid is known as the Red Pyramid because of the colour of its stonework in the morning and evening light and had a slighter incline than Khufu’s Great Pyramid, being therefore slightly smaller.

Why were these pyramids built? How were they built? Who designed and built them? Though a work of fiction, I have tried to make The Pharaoh as authentic as possible through detailed research of not only the lives of the Pharaohs themselves, their religious beliefs, the lives of the nobles, priests, scribes and merchants, but also the lives of the lower classes – the farmers, craftsmen, peasants and soldiers. It should be noted, however, little is known about these lives and that in the 1,000 piece jigsaw of the Giza Plateau and the three Pharaohs who built their pyramids there; perhaps no more than a few dozen pieces are in place in the puzzle. The other pieces remain lost to us or are still to be found.

Some scholars may find criticism in the Pharaohs who appear in the Giza Trilogy, thinking the writer has given them too much freedom to come and go in their daily lives. It is true that the lives of the Pharaohs may have been more rigid and more controlled, but for the purposes of the trilogy, and in making these lives more lifelike, readable and enjoyable, I have used what is called ‘artistic license’ in making my Pharaohs more interesting and real rather than just mere flesh and blood images of silent and unthinking stone gods.

Now turn the pages of The Pharaoh, travel back to a different time and a different world – a world of gods and of men who believed they were gods...

SOME NAMES USED IN THE BOOK

Where known, I have kept to the Ancient Egyptian person and place names rather than using the more familiar Greek or Roman names. To help the reader, who may know the royal capital of Old Kingdom Egypt (Kemet) as Memphis rather than the Ancient Egyptian name of Ineb-hedj, I’ve listed below both the Egyptian names used in the book and some of the more familiar Greek or Roman names. These names are shown as follows: Egyptian - Greek/Roman - Meaning in Ancient Egyptian (or explanation):

ABEDJU - Abydos - Important religious centre.

INEB-HEDJ - Memphis - Royal city whose name means White Walls. This was most likely a reference to the plastered white walls of the royal palace.

IUNU - Heliopolis - Main religious centre which was dedicated to Ra.

KEMET - Egypt - The Black Land, a reference to the rich black soil deposited by the Nile after the yearly inundation.

KHUFU - Cheops - Son of Pharaoh Snefru. Khufu’s full name was Khnum Khufu which means Khnum Protects Me. The god Khnum was responsible for shaping the bodies of the gods and mankind on his potter’s wheel.

KIENGIR - Later known as Sumeria. A loose confederation of city-states located in what is now Iraq. Their sophistication in writing and architecture rivalled that of Old Kingdom Egypt.

KUSH - Nubia - The region in the far south of modern-day Egypt and in the north of the Sudan.

LIBU - Libya - The region to the west of modern-day Egypt.

SNEFRU - First Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty whose name means He Of Beauty. Snefru was the father of Khufu.

Great Sea - Mediterranean - The expanse of water between North Africa and Southern Europe.

WHITE ROCK - Giza Plateau - Plateau of white limestone where Khufu’s pyramid was built.

Special Note: The NILE was the focal point for the civilization of Ancient Kemet. They called the river, Aur (black). I have kept to the word, Nile (an English adaption of the Greek word, Nilus) as a focal word for the reader. There are already many other unfamiliar Kemet names in the book and the word Nile is one, which the readers will perhaps readily identify and feel more comfortable with.

MAIN AND SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

AHMOSE - Overseer of the Stone Cutters in the quarry on the White Rock (Giza Plateau).

DAKA - (King) Ruler of Kush and father of Maweshi.

HEMIUNU* - Older nephew to Khufu and Royal Architect on Khufu’s pyramid building project.

HENUTSEN* - (Queen) Second Favourite Wife of Khufu.

HETEPHERES* - (Queen) Wife of Pharaoh Snefru and mother of Pharaoh Khufu.

ISIS - (Queen) Niece of Menkah and a lesser wife of Pharaoh Khufu.

KEB - Royal Scribe on Menkah’s retirement and a friend of Pharaoh Khufu.

KHUFU* - (Pharaoh) Son of Pharaoh Snefru and successor to Snefru on his death in 2589 B.C.

MAWESHI - (Queen) Disgraced Third Favourite Wife of Khufu.

MENKAH - Royal Scribe to Pharaoh Snefru and Khufu.

MERITATES* - (Queen) First Favourite Wife of Khufu.

OLD SCRIBE - Prince Khufu’s teacher in his younger years.

NEFERTIABET* - Believed to be a daughter of Pharaoh Khufu.

PSERUMAH - Assembler of Broken Tools on the White Rock (Giza Plateau).

RAKERSH - General of Kemet army and friend of Khufu.

SENOSTRIS - Worker hauling the stone blocks on the pyramid who rises up to become Overseer of the Sphinx.

SNEFRU* - (Pharaoh) Father of Khufu.

TA-RES - High Priest in the temple of Ra in Ineb-hedj.

THE OLD KING - Self-proclaimed ruler and tyrant of Kush who tries to overthrow King Daka.

* Denotes non-fictional character.

GODS AND GODDESSES MENTIONED

ANUBIS - Jackal God and Guardian of the Dead who was associated with the mummification process. Anubis was also Guardian of Tombs.

BES - Dwarf God and Protector of the Family. Bes was a popular god closely associated with childbirth and sexuality as well as music and happiness.

HAPY - Nile River God and God of the Annual Inundation (flooding) of the Nile. He wore a headdress of river plants and weeds.

HATHOR - Goddess of Love and wife of Horus. Hathor was also Goddess of Joy, Music, Dance and Fertility. She was often depicted as either a cow or a woman wearing a headdress with cow horns and solar disc.

HORUS - Hawk God who was the Symbol of Kingship, as the Pharaohs carried the royal title: Son of Horus. Horus was the son of Osiris, carrying out revenge for his father’s death at the hands of Seth. He was also the protector of Pharaoh in the mortal life.

ISIS - Goddess of Healing and Magic. Isis was wife to Osiris and mother of Horus.

KHNUM - God with the body of a man and the head of a ram. Khnum was the Creator of the Universe as well as the potter god, shaping unborn children from clay.

OSIRIS - God of Death and Resurrection represented as a man in mummified form. Osiris was one of the most important gods, standing in judgement of the dead in the Hall of Truth. He was husband of Isis, father of Horus and brother of Seth, his murderer.

PTAH - God of Craftsmen and Patron of Healers as well as Creation. Ptah was represented in the form of a mummified man. He was closely associated with the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, an important ceremony in the mummification process.

SETH - God of Chaos with the body of a man and the head of a mythical animal with a long nose and squared-off ears. Seth was both the brother and the murderer of Osiris.

RA - The Sun God who had the body of a man but the head of a falcon wearing a sun orb headdress. Ra was perhaps the most important of the gods and his name was also later incorporated into the official title of Pharaoh: Son of Ra.

THOTH - God of Writing and Wisdom who was depicted with the body of a man and the head of an ibis. Thoth was the Patron God of Scribes.

ANCIENT KEMET MEASUREMENTS

The scribes, priests, and builders in Ancient Kemet had their own system of measurements far different from our own. These measurements are used throughout the book (with equivalent and modern metric measurements shown in brackets beside them). Here are some of the measurements you will see during your journey through the land of Kemet.

River Measure = 20,000 cubits = c.10.5 km

Rod = 100 cubits = c.52.5 m

Royal Cubit = 7 palms = 28 fingers = c.52.5 cm

Standard Cubit = 6 palms = 24 fingers = c.45 cm

Remen = 5 palms = 20 fingers = c.37.5 cm

Djeser = 4 palms = 16 fingers = c.30 cm

Hand (large) = 1 hand = 3.5 palms = 14 fingers = c.25 cm

Hand (small) = 1 small hand = 3 palms = 12 fingers = c.22.5 cm

Palm = 1 palm = 4 fingers = c.7.5 cm

Finger = 1 finger = 1 quarter palm = c.1.875 cm

KHUFU’S KEMET

A Question and Answer Guide to the Giza Pyramid Builders

Who was Pharaoh Snefru?

Snefru was the son of Pharaoh Huni and Queen Meresankh. He was the first Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty and ruled from c.2613 B.C. to c.2589 B.C. Snefru built not one but two pyramids in his lifetime: the Bent Pyramid which received its name because of the change in the angle of the pyramid about halfway up; and the Red Pyramid, the first true pyramid to be constructed and the one in which it is believed Snefru was buried. Both pyramids were constructed at Dahshur, several kilometres to the south of Giza.

Who was Pharaoh Khufu?

Khufu whose full name was Khnum Khufu meaning Khnum Protects Me, (he was known as Cheops by the ancient Greeks), was the son of Pharaoh Snefru and Queen Hetepheres. He was born in c.2603 B.C. and ruled from c.2589 B.C. to c.2566 B.C. During his lifetime Khufu built one pyramid, his House of Eternity, the first pyramid to be built on the Giza Plateau – it was also the largest of all the pyramids constructed during the Pyramid Age, a period extending from c.2660 B.C. (Pharaoh Djoser’s step pyramid) through to c.1750 B.C. (Pharaoh Khendjer in the late Middle Kingdom). Khufu had two known favourite wives: Queen Meritates and Queen Henutsen as well as a number of lesser wives.

Where did Pharaoh Khufu rule from?

Khufu ruled from the city of Ineb-hedj, which translates to white walls, a name which was probably a reference to the white mudbrick walls of the royal palace. Ineb-hedj was later called Memphis by the ancient Greeks. The city was used as the royal capital throughout much of the Old Kingdom. Waset (Thebes) to the south became the royal capital in c.2100 B.C. Nothing remains of Khufu’s royal city – most of its public buildings and all its houses were made of mudbrick that disintegrated over time into the sands, or were built over by later Pharaohs. Ineb-hedj (Memphis) continued to be an important city up until the time of the Romans.

How was the Great Pyramid built?

There is little evidence remaining as to how Khufu’s pyramid was constructed. The theory presented in The Pharaoh is that the core was constructed firstly as a step pyramid with small ramps on one side rising up to each level; the outer casing and finishing were then completed from the top down to form a true pyramid. Another theory is that a giant ramp of rubble was used which grew as the pyramid grew. There is one major drawback to this second and widely accepted theory which is that the rubble required for the ramp would, when the pyramid reached its full height, be nearly equal in volume to the pyramid itself. Why build two pyramids? What then became of this massive mountain of rubble afterwards?

The estimate for the work force varies too. Most scholars agree that the workforce would have been roughly 30,000 to 40,000 in number but I have kept my figures much lower than this. Some modern scholars think only 20,000 were employed building the pyramid and taking into account the efficiency of the workers and problems of logistics feeding such a large work force, I have kept to the much lower figures of between 20,000 and 30,000. The ancient Greek historian, Herodotus estimated 100,000 workers! The number of workers who could be spared in the construction depended on the population of Kemet at the time. Here again there are differences of opinion amongst scholars with some believing Khufu would have ruled over 300,000 and others putting the estimate as high as three million. In the book, I have used a population figure of 600,000. The three million would most likely have been the population around the time of Roman rule.

A few facts and figures on the Great Pyramid

Khufu’s Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure until the completion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889. It consists of more than 2,300,000 stone blocks each weighing between two and three tons. The base of the Great Pyramid measures 756 feet (230.33 metres) and its height is 481 feet (146.59 metres). The angle of slope is 51°52’. In addition to the pyramid, there were also constructed a large mortuary temple, a nearby and smaller valley temple with a stone causeway connecting it to the mortuary temple as well as four small satellite pyramids and seven boat pits.

Most of the pyramid’s outer casing and much of the stones used in the mortuary temple, valley temple and causeway were later removed in medieval times to build nearby Cairo.

Back! Thou messenger of any god!

Hast thou come to seize this

my heart of the living?

Then this my heart of the living

shall not be given to thee!

Book of the Dead

BOOK ONE

1. TWO OMENS AND A MESSAGE

MENKAH, THE ROYAL SCRIBE was greatly worried, having very good reason to be concerned and more than a little fearful. He had seen it happen three times in his long life. He remembered the widespread starvation and the horrible suffering of the people, the continual wailing rising up from the towns and villages along the length of the river. Many had died, including some of Menkah’s own close family... For with starvation had come plague and an even greater suffering, if this were possible.

Year Ten of Pharaoh Snefru’s reign (2603 B.C.) was, therefore, not a good year. This was because the annual inundation of the Nile was an extremely poor one. The inundation was when the river flooded the land with rich silt deposits carried up from the mountains in the south; this in turn allowed the farmers to grow their plentiful crops in the soil enriched by the flooding of the river – if this inundation failed then starvation could follow. The scribes whose job was to make sure the storehouses were at least partly full from the previous year’s grain harvest, thereby ensuring that no widespread famine would occur if the new crops failed, became suddenly worried. The storehouses were empty.

It was mighty Pharaoh’s decision, Ipoh, Overseer of Food complained to the sympathetic Royal Scribe, Menkah whose own job was to guarantee that all functions of government ran smoothly. I personally showed Pharaoh Snefru the status of the food bins in the royal storerooms, and when I showed him the inventory scrolls the bins were at least a quarter full. This was more than three months ago.

Nevertheless, they are now empty, replied Menkah, a tall and thin man with deeply searching eyes, eyes forever questioning.

Empty only because Snefru insisted the grain was to be used for the building of his pyramid, replied the concerned Ipoh. He has already built one pyramid and now he is building another. His pyramid workers eat like mice and they are as numerous as mice. Why is he building this second pyramid? Menkah sighed deeply as if in sympathy with the Overseer of Food.

Snefru will not be denied his final resting place – his pyramid, the Royal Scribe explained. The first pyramid was something of a disaster. This was because his architect did a poor job. The sides of the pyramid were supposed to be at a steep angle, reaching the point at its top as if they were the descending rays of the sun itself. The angle at the base was much too steep and if the builders had followed this angle, then the top of the pyramid would have been higher than the home of Ra himself – the sun! Halfway up, the builders had to invert the angle of the pyramid so that it was slighter and not so steep. It was said the gods were not happy, because small cracks soon began to appear in one of the sides of the pyramid and even in the burial chamber itself. Pharaoh Snefru was also displeased, but for other reasons. He was thinking the bent pyramid was ugly and not befitting the final resting place of a god.

Many will now go hungry.

"Perhaps – but they will not feel the hunger in their bellies for they will be too busy building Snefru’s second pyramid."

Ipoh, the Overseer of Food was thinking deeply about these words just said to him. How many more years before the second pyramid will be finished?

Snefru is now getting older and is, therefore, impatient, and though I am neither architect nor builder, I guess this cannot be more than five or six years. Ipoh suddenly laughed at Menkah’s words.

Another poor inundation and the pyramid will never be finished.

"The gods would not be so cruel as to deny Snefru his tomb and his people their food," Menkah was quick to reply. This time Ipoh did not laugh, but he did manage a painful smile.

It is recorded in the archives that during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser, the crops failed for three consecutive years. It is not beyond the gods to look unkindly on a Pharaoh, even one as great as Snefru.

Those three consecutive years of famine did not harm Djoser – his step pyramid is a most magnificent one, replied Menkah. The gods will also look kindly on Pharaoh Snefru. I am sure of this. The pyramid Snefru is building is greater than anything Pharaoh Djoser could have ever hoped to build. Ipoh glanced at the small statue in a niche in the corner of the room where they were talking. It was the statue of a god.

This failure of the inundation is a bad sign. As he said these words, Ipoh lifted up his right hand as if praying for forgiveness for what he was about to say next. "The gods have looked unkindly on both Snefru and Kemet – there will be worse to come. It is a warning. This morning I heard rumours that the priests in the temples will offer up prayers, both day and night, for the next two weeks to ask the gods to look kindlier on Pharaoh Snefru and those who serve him. The priests are very worried about this poor inundation. It is a warning," he repeated.

Menkah remained silent. In his mind, there were also lingering doubts. A short time later, he departed the empty granaries and walked back to his office in the royal palace, thinking carefully over all that Ipoh, Overseer of Food had said to him. Signs from the gods foretold the future and if these were bad signs, then the future would be bad too…

▲

The First Omen: Two days later, Menkah the Royal Scribe made his way south by boat from the royal city of Ineb-hedj to Dahshur. He was determined to see for himself the progress of this second pyramid Snefru was building. He had not visited the construction site for several months, finding the desert far more disagreeable than the cooler mudbrick rooms and comfortable gardens of the royal palace beside the Nile.

I am thinking we will be finished our work in five years, the Overseer of Construction informed the Royal Scribe. They were standing on top of a wooden observation tower on the small hill some distance from the half-completed pyramid. The overseer placed the papyrus scroll on the nearby table and proceeded to unroll it. It was a plan of the pyramid, revealing everything, with the exception of the secret passageways and the location of the royal burial chamber. Menkah was not interested in seeing the plans or in visiting the construction site. He had now heard what he had wanted to hear.

Five years? The Overseer of Construction nodded. I will tell Pharaoh this, continued Menkah. He will be pleased. The Royal Scribe was suddenly thinking of omens. There had already been one bad omen with the failure of the inundation – perhaps there would be others.

All is going well with the construction? he enquired. There have been no unexpected problems?

The gods have looked favourably upon us, replied the overseer. The work is progressing very quickly, much more efficiently than on the first pyramid.

Have there been omens?

"There have been several omens, Royal Scribe. There was an omen only the other night – an excellent omen."

Menkah was suddenly excited. What is this omen?

I will show you. The Overseer of Construction turned and climbed down the rickety ladder of the observation tower. Menkah followed him. When they were standing on the desert sand the overseer pointed to the right of the pyramid, before motioning for Menkah to follow him as he hurried off in the direction in which he had pointed.

The omen first appeared three nights ago and then again, last night, said the eager overseer.

What was this omen? Menkah enquired.

I will show you, laughed the overseer. You can then tell Pharaoh. It will please him greatly.

It was early afternoon and the day was an extremely warm one. There was a slight wind blowing from the desert and this made Menkah even more uncomfortable – his heavy linen robes, the status of high office were better suited for the cooler corridors of the palace beside the Nile rather than desert travel. He wished suddenly that he had brought his servants with him to provide shade against the sun and to carry water jugs to satisfy his thirst. He had only intended on speaking with the Overseer of Construction, not to go wandering about in the desert. They had walked for perhaps twenty rods (one kilometre) before the overseer stopped suddenly. He pointed to a small gully hidden in shadows.

We first saw it down there, Royal Scribe. It sleeps during the day but comes out at night to hunt. I have heard it these past nights near our construction camp. I immediately ordered fires to be lit and guards placed near where the workers were sleeping. Menkah peered into the gully but it was hidden by the shadows. He was wondering what this it was.

It is a lion, continued the overseer. "It is a magnificent lion with a beautiful mane and long tail – an omen from the gods. It appeared suddenly and unannounced. There are no lions in Dahshur because they were all killed or driven away when the first pyramid, the bent pyramid was being constructed. He was thinking carefully. I have not seen a lion in this desert for nearly ten years."

You have been here for ten years?

I came here as a young man, explained the Overseer of Construction, his eyes suddenly distant. It was shortly before the structural problems were encountered with the first pyramid. Pharaoh Snefru was furious because it delayed the building of his pyramid. The architect and overseers were fed to the crocodiles, or so it was whispered, for one day the soldiers came from Ineb-hedj and marched them away. Menkah was listening but his attention remained below in the gully.

I must see this magnificent lion, he said in a voice filled with curiosity. He then looked from the hidden gully to where the overseer was standing beside him. This, of course, will be arranged immediately?

We will kill and skin the lion so that you can give the skin to Pharaoh Snefru, wise Royal Scribe Menkah, who is second only to Pharaoh himself.

I want the lion unharmed until I can see it for myself.

Late afternoon will be the best time, the overseer replied. There are many caves in the gully where the lion can hide. It is better to wait for the lion to come to us. The overseer wiped the sweat from his face with his dirty linen robe. Besides, it will be much cooler in the early evening. A worrying thought now came to Menkah.

Twilight will be dangerous. There was nervousness in the Royal Scribe’s voice. The lion could remain hidden in shadows. They hunt at night. I do not particularly want to be a meal for your lion.

We will bring some soldiers with us, suggested the overseer. We have one hundred soldiers in the camp to keep the jackals and hyenas away, as well as making sure the workers do not steal the tools. The tools are counted at the end of each day. The overseer seemed proud of this. The tools are made of copper and are, therefore, very valuable. I think we will only need five soldiers to protect us from this phantom lion.

Menkah nodded his agreement. He remained peering into the shadows of the gully. Something seemed to be moving in the shadows. Was he mistaken? Was he imagining what he saw or to be more precise, what he did not see but could somehow sense? There was a faint noise in the gully directly below followed by a second noise only a short distance away. He looked nervously towards the construction camp sitting more than twenty rods (one kilometre) across the open desert.

We should leave this place. The heat is extremely uncomfortable. It was not the heat, however, that worried the Royal Scribe – it was the whatever that lay hidden in the nearby shadows of the gully, which made him feel uncomfortable and more than a little frightened.

It was a few hours later, when the small procession made its way from the camp back to the nearby gully. The Overseer of Construction led the way followed by Menkah and four workers armed with nets and poles. These would be used to trap the lion and to carry its carcass; bringing up the rear of the procession were five soldiers armed with long spears and protected by equally long shields made of cowhide. When the procession reached the edge of the gully the overseer signalled for them to halt.

The shadows of early evening were now creeping across the nearby desert while to the west, the descending sun was reaching the level of the horizon. It would be dark within a few minutes. The overseer commanded the workers to light some torches. We will wait here, he ordered. The slope below us is the only way out of the gully for the lion. The soldiers took up positions at the top of the gully, their spears at the ready, while the workers sought safety some distance away round the light from the torches. Menkah and the overseer stood near the soldiers; this offered them far better protection than a few flimsy torches and a handful of untrustworthy workers who would quickly flee at the appearance of the lion.

An hour passed in silence. The overseer had ordered all to be quiet. Menkah was becoming impatient – he had neither seen nor heard the roar of this lion and was wondering if it existed at all. In the distance and across the emptiness of the nearby desert, he could clearly hear the hyenas and jackals stirring in the early night. Had the overseer foolishly mistaken a large hyena for his phantom lion?

Listen, said the overseer finally. Can you hear it?

I hear nothing but hyenas and jackals. Menkah was becoming impatient with the silly waiting game. However, the overseer would not be denied.

Listen more closely, Royal Scribe. Turn your ears to the gully.

Menkah strained his ears and eyes in the direction of the nearby gully. There was only complete blackness, but in this darkness he could hear movement, a very slight movement at first, which suddenly stopped and was immediately followed by a low growling sound. He instructed the torchbearers to move closer, but not too close to frighten the beast away. The Royal Scribe wished to catch a glimpse of the lion before deciding if it should be captured or killed. This would be difficult in the darkness and the decision would have to be made quickly.

The waiting game resumed...

A short time later, a moving shadow was seen slowly coming up the slope from the gully. The nearby soldiers were growing impatient, fiddling with their spears and eager to prove their bravery by slaying the phantom lion. The workers armed with their nets, poles and torches began to wander nervously towards the safety of the distant camp. The overseer beckoned furiously to them not to wander too far away but in the darkness, they either did not see his signals or simply chose to ignore them.

We have no choice, whispered the frustrated overseer. Without the nets and poles, we will be unable to capture the lion. Menkah was infuriated by this.

He had now caught sight of the shadowy outline of the beast, an enormous male lion with a magnificent full mane, the largest lion he had ever seen. Pharaoh will be angry, he whispered to the overseer. He would have wished the beast captured so that it could be displayed in the royal palace as a symbol of his power. The overseer was suddenly frightened of offending his Pharaoh.

I have done my best. It is not my fault that those who were supposed to capture the lion are cowards and chose to run away. He gently held Menkah’s arm as if this would bring him closer to the Royal Scribe and show his own humility and loyalty. You will not tell Pharaoh of our failure to capture the lion? Menkah reluctantly nodded his head.

Perhaps it was not meant to be – perhaps it was the gods who ordained that the lion should die. Its skin will still sit proudly on the walls of Snefru’s throne room. Menkah now motioned with his hand for the five soldiers to move forward, which they did in a semi-circle, carefully hiding behind their shields so that the lion would not see them. The lion seemed curiously amused by these approaching shields and took a few paces forward, its head held high as it sniffed the air. The soldiers, however, had carefully placed themselves downwind and there was no scent.

The soldiers marched twenty paces and then stopped. The lion continued to watch and to sniff the air. One of the soldiers, the man whose duty it was to slay the lion moved cautiously forward. He was a large and powerful man who expected the lion to attack his shield so that he could thrust his spear into its side or deep into its belly. One hole only in the lion’s precious hide could be carefully patched. Five holes patched would be too obvious and too messy when the hide of the magnificent lion was finally displayed on the wall behind Snefru’s gold throne.

The lion let out a loud roar and was suddenly running forward. The soldier immediately lifted his cowhide shield to take its weight as the lion leapt at him. Within a second, the spear thrust deeply into the lion’s side. The lion let out a final roar, falling hard on its side in pain as the other soldiers hurried forward. Menkah strained his eyes in the darkness to see what was happening but as he watched, there was something else which caught his attention. It was another shape moving up the slope from the shadows of the gully.

How many roars did you hear the previous night?

I think only one, the overseer replied.

Are you sure of this? Menkah pointed to the nearby darkness. There was movement – hurried movement, and it was coming in a rush in the direction where they were standing. The overseer turned and was suddenly fleeing towards the soldiers, leaving Menkah to his fate. A roar echoed through the blackness of the night, and in the darkness, Menkah could see the shadowy outline of a second lion. The soldiers had also heard the roar and were running to the assistance of the Royal Scribe. Menkah did not intend on waiting for help. He grabbed the copper knife from beneath his linen robes. It was a knife used by high officers in Pharaoh’s army. Menkah, however, used it only to peel and cut fruit – now it was to be used once again for killing. If he could cut the main artery in the lion’s throat, it may give him a slim chance of survival. In the seconds it would take the lion to weaken and die, Menkah knew he would most likely be dead too. Then a strange thing happened... As the Royal Scribe was waiting for his approaching and horrible death, it seemed as if the gods themselves had intervened.

The soldiers a short distance away began calling out and to beat their shields loudly with their spears. The approaching lion, far smaller than the first, suddenly stopped and hesitated, looking nervously at Menkah and then at the soldiers hurrying forward once more. There was a whimper of loud pain as one of the soldiers now flung his spear, deeply grazing the flank of the lion. Within seconds, completely confused by the unexpected change in the situation and in great pain, the lion scampered away into the night. Menkah caught a brief glimpse of it and saw that it was a lioness.

We must gather up the body of the lion and be away from this place, said the cowardly overseer who had now returned to the side of the Royal Scribe. He glanced towards the fires and the safety of the camp twenty rods away. He was sure there were other lions nearby. Where are those workers? he was cursing loudly. They were nowhere to be seen.

If we abandon the dead lion and go back to the camp to get more workers, the hyenas will make short work of Pharaoh’s lion, said Menkah. He moved closer in the darkness to examine the body of the large and magnificent beast.

Perhaps we can send some of the soldiers to get these workers, suggested the nervous overseer. Menkah could see little sense in this.

They are a military unit of five and will insist on going together; there is still danger from the wounded lion and any others still hiding in the gully or nearby desert. We will leave the soldiers here to guard the fallen beast and go back to the camp ourselves. I have a copper knife which will protect us and we can borrow one of the spears from the soldiers. Menkah was determined to prove his own bravery and to punish the overseer.

I do not think this will be enough, said the cowardly overseer. He could see a torch burning on the ground nearby, which one of the fleeing workers had dropped. The torch will provide us with light for another two or three hours before it burns out. We should stay here and wait for morning – there is, after all, safety in numbers. Menkah nodded his head in reluctant agreement. The idea seemed a good one.

We will wait then.

The night was extremely cold and the nearby noises from the hyenas and jackals made sleeping impossible. When the first splashes of light touched the eastern sky, Menkah allowed the overseer, accompanied by two of the soldiers, to walk to the nearby camp to get workers to carry the body of the magnificent lion so that it could be skinned and prepared. While he was doing this, Menkah went for a short walk along the top of the gully, careful to stay close to where the other soldiers were sitting and now singing songs. The light of the new day had given them new courage against the possible presence of the other lions.

The Second Omen: Menkah was a short distance away and looking down into the gully when he noticed something unusual. A small rock appeared to be moving. He strained his eyes in the darkness still filling the gully and saw the rock continued to move as if it were rolling down the slope. The Royal Scribe was now curious, picking up a pebble and aiming it in the direction of the moving rock – the moving rock quickly stopped.

What madness is this? the inquisitive Menkah whispered to himself. He continued to strain his eyes, mapping out the position of the rock in his mind before hurrying back to the singing soldiers. One of the soldiers was quickly ordered to follow him into the gully. However, when they reached where the moving rock had been seen, it was gone. Menkah’s eyes carefully searched the surrounding gully.

The light of the new day was spilling over the rim of the gully and this growing light was slowly etching out the hidden features׃ the rock strewn floor, the jagged and steep sides, and the black shapes of shallow caves that lay concealed under the overhanging edges of the gully roof. One of these black shapes was larger and more distinct than the others and was located nearer where the moving rock had been seen. Menkah walked towards the cave and then knelt down to examine the ground nearby.

"There!" The soldier accompanying the Royal Scribe was suddenly pointing excitedly to something among the large boulders on the floor of the gully. It was a hyena and in its mouth there was an object – another hyena followed the first and it was also carrying something. The soldier hurried after the hyenas but they quickly scampered away, still carrying the mysterious objects they held in their mouths. Menkah turned his attention back to the ground he had started to examine before the interruption.

Several tracks could be seen in the dust – larger hyena tracks and another set of smaller tracks. Menkah stood up and began to follow the smaller tracks that led him up beneath a large overhanging rock still hidden in shadows. He motioned the soldier to follow him. The bones lay scattered amongst the nearby rocks and the horrible and putrid smell of rotting flesh revealed the hidden lair of the lions. There were no lions and the lair was empty.

It must have been lion cubs the hyenas were carrying, Royal Scribe, the soldier suggested. Menkah nodded his agreement. His mind was still on the moving rock he had seen a short time before, which had been moving away from the lair. Again, his eyes searched the surrounding ground until he found a pair of single tiny paw prints, which he then followed. The paw prints ended a short distance away with a whimper from behind a fallen boulder and the scattering of two or three waiting hyenas. Menkah could see the remains of the female lion nearby. The hyenas and jackals had feasted well during the night, but it was the continued whimpering which continued to fill his curiosity.

A tiny lion cub lay wrapped in the branches of a thorn bush where it had desperately sought escape from the hyenas. It was little more than a red bloodied ball of fur crying in pain as it foolishly tried to struggle to get free from the thorns. Menkah immediately ordered the soldier to cut it free while he tore off some linen from his robe to wrap the lion cub. Menkah judged the cub to be no more than four weeks old. When this was done, the lion cub was cradled on the soldier’s shield and carried to the top of the gully. The Overseer of Construction was waiting for them with several workers, four of whom had already hoisted the body of the dead lion on poles for transporting back to the camp where it would then be skinned.

We will take the lion cub and remove all the thorns from it, ordered Menkah. "It must then be bathed in ointments and attended to carefully. The lions of Dahshur will be a special gift for Pharaoh Snefru. The skin of the mature male lion will become a symbol of Pharaoh’s power, while the lion cub will be a symbol of Pharaoh’s kindness – both are good omens." As he said these words, the Royal Scribe was still thinking of the other omen, the bad omen of the poor inundation of the river, foretelling hunger and starvation. A lion could please the people, but it could not feed them…

▲

Later that same day, Menkah sent a message to Pharaoh Snefru saying his return to Ineb-hedj would be delayed. However, he did not tell Snefru why because he wanted the lion cub to be a pleasant surprise. The injured cub would have to recover from its terrible and painful ordeal. The workers on Snefru’s nearby pyramid quickly took the cub into their hearts. The priests bathed and anointed the cub each morning with beautiful and expensive perfumes used only to wash the statues of the gods. The craftsmen built a cage in which the cub could be transported back to Ineb-hedj, a cage with wooden bars carved in the ornate shape of papyrus reeds. Other craftsmen etched a symbol of a lion on a piece of stone near the workers camp and a shrine was quickly set up to the lion cub; all believing the cub to have magical powers. The children of the pyramid workers played with and spoiled the cub.

A week later, Menkah made arrangements to return home by boat. The month old lion cub had now quickly recovered – it was a playful cub showing little fear and a lot of curiosity, a fitting gift for Pharaoh Snefru. The boat sailed with the currents of the Nile, taking less than a day to reach Ineb-hedj. When it arrived there, Menkah sent a runner to the royal palace to let Pharaoh know the special gifts for him had arrived – a good omen, foretelling many wonderful and beautiful things for Snefru.

Servants were immediately dispatched to the wharf to bring the special gifts to the royal palace. There were twenty of these servants, with four of them carrying the royal litter in which the presents were to be delivered to Pharaoh. Another ten servants chanted prayers of thanks to the gods for the beautiful presents, while six other servants went ahead of the litter and these servants ordered the people crowding the streets to make way, telling them that Pharaoh was impatient to receive his special gifts. Menkah, of course, marched proudly in front of the procession carrying the skin of the male lion, determined to receive some recognition for the gift that had nearly cost him his own life.

The walk from the wharf was a short walk because the royal palace, consisting of an impressive single storey mudbrick building painted bright red and enclosed by a mudbrick whitewashed wall sat on a high hill overlooking the river and the city. The building was the administrative centre and throne room from where Snefru ran his empire. The palace also housed the living quarters for Pharaoh Snefru and his family, while adjoining the palace was the quarters of the high officials and the modest accommodation for the palace servants. The red palace was shaded by elegant gardens and groves of palm trees amongst open courtyards that were used for ceremonies and gatherings.

When the procession finally reached the gate to the royal palace they were stopped by the guards who had hurried from their barracks at the base of the hill, (for the gate was rarely guarded). The gifts were examined by one of the officers who then ushered the procession inside the mudbrick palace wall where an excited crowd had already assembled, word having travelled quickly throughout the palace and the city of the special presents Menkah was bringing for his Pharaoh.

A drum sounded across the courtyard and the crowd quietly parted, allowing the passage of Menkah and his gifts. At the end of this pathway sat Snefru himself, excited and curious, sitting on a wooden throne decorated with gilt gold that seemingly reflected the light from the midday sun. A shade cloth had also been erected above the throne, while around the throne stood Snefru’s close family, his brothers and half-brothers, cousins and uncles, all of whom held high office in the royal court. (It should be noted that Menkah himself, Royal Scribe to Pharaoh was a half-brother to Snefru).

Greetings, Royal Scribe, cried Ramant, Chief Steward of Pharaoh’s Household. We wait in anticipation the gifts you bring to the divine god, the Son of Horus, our beloved god-king, Pharaoh Snefru. At these words those assembled in the courtyard, some six hundred members of Snefru’s family, as well as servants and trusted followers began chanting a prayer to Horus, the god and protector of the pharaohs. The prayer rose up high above the white mudbrick walls, before drifting out over the nearby city. Menkah also sang the words of the prayer, his eyes closely watching Snefru.

Menkah could see that Snefru was smiling and seemed pleased. The two men had always been close and each trusted the other fully with his own life – it had been that way since their first memories of childhood. Menkah knew this was the reason he had been chosen as Royal Scribe, second only to Pharaoh Snefru himself, for Menkah was not an ambitious man and wished only to serve the brother whom he loved so dearly. They were close friends first and brothers second.

I know you will not disappoint me, Royal Scribe, said Snefru after the prayer singing had ended. At these words from the god-king, there was a hushed and complete silence in the crowded courtyard.

It is more than gifts which I bring you, mighty Pharaoh, Menkah replied. It is an omen – a good omen.

What does this omen foretell, Royal Scribe?

"It foretells great wealth and power for Pharaoh Snefru. You are blessed with kindness and this kindness will be repaid tenfold. It came to me in a dream from Horus himself – and in this dream, I was told to travel to Dahshur where your immortal home is being prepared. I went to Dahshur, and there the gifts were waiting for me, waiting for me to bring them to Pharaoh. As I have said, it was Horus who gave me the dream and it is from Horus that these gifts come."

Then let me see these gifts which you bring from Horus, Royal Scribe, said the curious Snefru.

Menkah carefully laid out the magnificent lion skin on the ground before him, before motioning with his hand towards the gate; it was outside this gate that the special gift from Horus was waiting. The servants quickly carried the litter into the courtyard but as a surprise, Menkah had placed a linen sheet over the litter to hide the special gift within. The occupant of the ornate cage, with its wooden bars shaped into the likeness of papyrus reeds lovingly made by the craftsmen in Dahshur, purred quietly from behind the linen veil.

The litter was carefully placed behind a black line drawn across the floor of the courtyard. Ramant, Chief Steward of Pharaoh’s Household now hurried forward. It was important to place the gift behind the black line that had been drawn exactly fifty paces from where Snefru’s throne was located, for this distance of fifty paces would ensure Snefru would not be harmed if the gift had somehow been contaminated by evil magic. Ramant reached out and carefully took hold of the linen sheet, removing it slowly, but allowing himself to be the first to look at Pharaoh’s gift.

It is a lion cub, Pharaoh Snefru, said Ramant.

It is a lion cub, repeated the excited Menkah, standing beside Ramant. "And it is a special lion cub, for it is white!" This was true. After the blood from the wounds caused by the thorn bush had been washed away, the cub was found to be white. Pharaoh Snefru stood up and took a few steps forward.

"I must see this for myself. Is it really a white lion-cub?"

The Message: A runner suddenly appeared at the gate of the royal palace. The man seemed exhausted and was struggling for breath. I have an important message for Pharaoh Snefru. I have been sent from the temple of Hathor. At these words, Snefru suddenly turned his attention from the cub.

Speak, he commanded. The exhausted man knelt down and stopped to breathe more deeply.

I have been told to give you the following message from the priests of the temple. You have a son, great god-king, mighty Pharaoh Snefru. Your wife, Hetepheres, has given birth to a boy. Snefru was suddenly glancing towards the white lion cub and his mind was thinking over these last words spoken by the servant. He was greatly excited. Hetepheres had already given him five daughters, but no sons. He turned to Menkah still standing beside the cage.

It is indeed a good omen you have brought me, Royal Scribe. My son, born this day, will grow up to be a mighty lion, a lion who will rule over all of Kemet on the day when the gods finally call me to join them.

A great cheer rose up from the courtyard. Menkah also joined in. He knew the boy would be something special – just like the white lion. Shortly before Menkah’s departure to Dahshur to inspect the pyramid more than a week before, Snefru had confided to his half-brother the possible name of the child. He had told Menkah: "If it is a boy, I will call him, Khufu."

2. THE YOUNG PRINCE

They were hiding in ambush and ready to attack. They were waiting eagerly for the signal to be given to them by their magnificent and fearless leader, the slayer of a hundred lions and conqueror of a hundred nations. Three of them had carefully taken up position behind a large statue of Snefru inside the main gate leading to the royal palace; another was acting as decoy to trick the invaders into entering the courtyard; while the remaining five, including the young Khufu himself lay hidden on top of the mudbrick wall – ready to spring the ambush.

The eight-year-old Prince Khufu, or Pharaoh as his friends called him when they were playing these games of ambush had organised his troops well. There will be no escape for the invaders. We will take only one of them prisoner, Khufu informed his brothers and half-brothers. When he is captured we must torture the prisoner so that he will tell us where the enemy army is camped.

They had played this game many times and the servants in the royal palace lived in constant fear of the young Prince Khufu and his army. Even the soldiers themselves, those who guarded the palace at night had fallen victim on occasion to these ambushes. Only two people were safe from these attacks. Pharaoh Snefru, and Menkah who always carried his snake-shaped walking stick that he used to remind others of his importance as Royal Scribe, were the only exceptions. The young Prince Khufu knew well how the Royal Scribe could use his walking stick, because on the only occasion when Menkah had been ambushed, the stick had come down hard on Khufu’s behind as he tried to escape with his army from the anger of the Royal Scribe. Since then, the Royal Scribe had been reluctantly accepted by Khufu as an ally and was immune from attack.

The two fishmongers always came to the palace three times a week with fresh fish from the river. They arrived early in the morning prior to the sun rising and, therefore, had been immune from attack by Khufu’s sleeping army. On this particular morning, however, they were running a few hours late. The ambushers, alert to this were now lying in wait for them. There was one problem. The fishmongers never entered the courtyard; instead, they placed their freshly caught fish in a large wicker basket beside the main gate. Servants would then come to collect it and take the basket to the kitchen. Khufu now arranged for his decoy to lure the two unsuspecting fishmongers into the courtyard.

They are coming up the hill, the decoy called to his fellow conspirators. The two fishmongers were struggling up the hill with their load of fish carried between them on a long wooden board like a stretcher. It was a hot day and the board was extremely heavy.

A few minutes later as the fishmongers approached the gate the decoy suddenly pounced from where he had been hiding, pushing the wooden board over so that the fish spilled on to the ground. He then immediately hurried inside the courtyard and was immediately followed by the angry fishmongers. The trap had been sprung, and now the battle began.

Archers attack! commanded the young prince.

Khufu and his fellow conspirators began to pelt the two men with small pebbles from their position high on top of the wall. When the fishmongers began their retreat to the gate to escape the shower of rocks, those hiding behind the statue of Snefru also joined in the attack with still more pebbles. Within seconds, and with much loud cursing, the two fishmongers abandoned their load of spilled fish and fled down the hill. It was then that the real trap was sprung, with the attackers becoming the attacked. Khufu and his army were standing beside the gate, laughing and shouting, celebrating their victory. A group of palace servants armed with long sticks and assisted by several soldiers unexpectedly appeared from behind some nearby trees beside the gate. They had had enough of the foolish games and now sought their revenge.

The surprised Khufu immediately ordered a retreat as the servants and soldiers hurried to the gate, which after entering the courtyard; they quickly closed and locked behind them. Still other servants magically appeared in the doorways of the buildings leading into the courtyard and these doors were also shut and locked. There was no escape. The courtyard had become a trap for the ambushers. There was nowhere for them to hide.

Disperse! Disperse! cried Khufu who had chosen a tall palm tree in which to make his escape. He was sure the servants would not wish to get their linen tunics dirty and that the soldiers would be too lazy to follow after him. The tree was not tall enough, however, and it gave an opportunity for those who had been the victims to the numerous ambushes in the palace to become the attackers. The servants and soldiers began to pelt Khufu with pebbles that struck hard against his young body. I order you to stop, he cried out desperately to those below him, but they merely laughed at his words and continued to pelt the young prince. Eventually, the attack came to a stop.

Khufu’s legs, feet, and much of his lower body were bruised and sore, with some blood trickling down his right leg. The others in his army were equally sore and sorry. A familiar voice was suddenly calling up to him from beneath the tree. It was the Royal Scribe, Menkah.

You can come down from your throne, Prince Khufu. The young prince quickly scampered down the tree and stood before the Royal Scribe, determined for revenge. He was shaking his small fist and his young face, filled with pain, was contorted into a growing anger.

Scribe Menkah, you must punish those who attacked me. I command this of you, said the eight-year-old boy as if he were Pharaoh himself. He was surprised when the Royal Scribe merely stood before him in silence, folding his arms in a show of defiance. The young prince was now still more furious than before.

My father is Pharaoh Snefru – you will be in trouble if you do not obey the wishes of the Pharaoh’s favourite son. Menkah remained motionless but this time he was smiling.

You have been beaten fairly in battle, young Prince Khufu, Menkah informed the boy. I hope you have learned your lesson well.

"You will punish them, shouted Khufu. They must be punished. They must be held responsible for their actions."

"Then you must punish their general – the one who planned the attack and then had the servants and soldiers carry out this attack on Pharaoh Snefru’s favourite