Three Novels of Ancient Egypt Khufu's Wisdom

by Naguib Mahfouz

  The man hurriedly said, “My lord, I do not counsel delay out of dislike for war or fear of it. But let us complete the equipment of the army, which I hope will realize the goal of my lord's glorious family, which is the liberation of the Nile Valley from the Herdsmen's iron grip. Yet if Apophis truly should have his sights set on our freedom, then I will be the first to call for war.”

  Seqenenra looked into the faces of his men and said in a voice that spoke of resolve and strength, “Men of the South, I share your emotions and I believe that Apophis is picking a quarrel with us and seeks to rule us, either by fear or by war. But we are a people that do not surrender to fear and welcome war. The North has been the Herdsmen's prey for two hundred years. They have sucked up the wealth of its soil and humiliated its men. As for the South, for two hundred years it has struggled, never losing sight of its higher goal, which is the liberation of the whole of the valley. Is it to back down at the first threat, squander its right, and throw its freedom at the feet of that insatiable glutton for him to look after? No, men of the South! I shall refuse Apophis's demeaning demands and await his answer, however he may respond. If it be peace, then let it be peace, and if it be war, then let it be war!”

  The king rose to his feet and the men stood as one and bowed in respect. Then he slowly left the hall, Prince Kamose and the high chamberlain behind him.

  4

  The king made his way to Queen Ahotep's wing. As soon as the woman saw him coming toward her in his ceremonial dress, she realized that the envoy of the North had brought weighty business. Concern sketched itself upon her lovely, dark-complexioned face and she arose so that she might meet him with her tall, slender body, raising questioning eyes to him. Quietly he told her, ‘Ahotep, it seems to me that war is on the horizon.”

  Her black eyes showed consternation and she muttered in astonishment, “War, my lord?”

  He inclined his head to indicate assent, and related to her what the envoy Khayan had said, the opinion of his men, and what he had resolved to do. As he spoke, his eyes never left her face, in whose surface he read the pity, hope, and submission to the inevitable that burned within her.

  She told him, “You have chosen the only path that one such as yourself could choose.”

  He smiled and patted her shoulder. Then he said to her, “Let us go to our sacred mother.”

  They walked together side by side to the wing belonging to the queen mother, Tetisheri, -wife of the former king, Seneqnenra, and found her in her retiring chamber reading, as was her -wont.

  Queen Tetisheri -was in her sixties. Nobility, grandeur, and dignity distinguished her countenance. Her vivacity was irrepressible and her energy overcame her age, from whose effects she had suffered nothing but a few white hairs that wreathed her temples and a slight fading of her cheeks. Her eyes were as bright as ever and her body as charming and as slender. She shared with all members of the family of Thebes the protrusion of her upper teeth, that protrusion that the people of the South found so attractive and which they all adored. On the death of her husband, the queen had abandoned any role in governing, as the law required, leaving the reins of Thebes in the hands of her son and his spouse. Hers, however, was still the opinion to which recourse was had in times of difficulty, and the heart that inspired hope and struggle. In her retirement she had turned to reading, and constantly perused the Books of Khufu and Kagemni, the Books of the Dead, and the history of the glorious ages as immortalized in the proverbs of Mina, Khufu, and Amen-hotep. The queen mother was famed throughout the South, where there was not a man or a woman who did not know her and love her and swear by her dear name, for she had instilled in those around her, and foremost among them her son Seqenenra and her grandson Kamose, a love of Egypt both South and North and a hatred of the rapacious Herdsmen who had brought the days of glory to so evil an end. She had taught them all that the sublime goal to whose realization they must dedicate themselves was the liberation of the Nile Valley from the grip of the tyrannous Herdsmen, and she urged the priests of all classes, whether keepers of temples or teachers in the schools, to constantly remind the people of the ravaged North and their rapacious foe, and of the crimes by which they humiliated and enslaved the people and plundered their land, enriching themselves with their wealth and reducing them to the level of the animals that labored in the fields. If there was in the South a single ember of the sacred fire burning in their hearts and keeping hope alive, then hers was the credit for fanning it -with her patriotism and her wisdom. Thus, the -whole South thought of her as hallowed, calling her “Sacred Mother Tetisheri,” just as believers did Isis, and seeking refuge in her name from the evil of despair and defeat.

  Such was the woman to whom Seqenenra and Ahotep made their way. She was expecting their visit, for she had learned of the coming of the envoy of the king of the Herdsmen and she remembered the envoys that these had sent to her late husband, seeking gold, grain, and stone, which they demanded as tribute to be paid by the subject to his overlord. Her husband would send well-loaded ships to escape the power of those savage people and double his secret activities in forming the army that was his most precious bequest to his son Seqenenra and his descendants. She thought of these things as she waited for the king and when he arrived with his spouse, she opened her thin arms to them. They kissed her hands and the king seated himself on her right and the queen on her left. Then she asked her son, with a gentle smile, “What does Apophis want?”

  He answered her in accents full of rage, “He wants Thebes, Mother, and all that is of it. Nay, more than that, he would bargain with us this time for our honor.”

  She turned her head from one to the other, alarmed, and said in a voice that retained its calm despite everything, “His predecessors, for all their greed, were satisfied with granite and gold.”

  Queen Ahotep said, “But he, Mother, wants us to kill the sacred hippopotami, whose voices disturb his slumbers, and to erect a temple to his god Seth next to the temple of Amun, and that our lord take off the White Crown.”

  Seqenenra confirmed what Ahotep had said, and told his mother all the news of the envoy and his message. Disgust appeared on her venerable face and the twisting of her lips revealed her exasperation and annoyance. She asked the king, “What answer did you give, my son?”

  “I have yet to inform him of my answer.”

  “Have you come to a conclusion?”

  “Yes. To reject his demands completely.”

  “He -who makes these demands will not take no for an answer!”

  “And he -who is able to refuse them completely should not fear the consequences of his refusal.”

  “What if he declares war on you?”

  “I shall give him war for war.”

  The mention of war rang strangely in her ears, awakening ancient memories in her heart. She remembered times like these when her husband would not know which way to turn in his distress and he would complain to her of his sorrow and anxiety, yearning to own a strong army with which to repel his enemy's covetousness. Now her son could speak of war with courage, resolution, and confidence, for times had changed and hope had revived. She stole a glance at the queen's face and found it drawn, and she realized that she was confused, the hope of a queen and the apprehension of a wife pulling her mercilessly back and forth. She too was a queen, and a mother, but she could not find it within herself to say anything other than what the teacher of the people and their Sacred Mother must say. She asked him, “Are you ready for war, my lord?”

  Firmly he replied, “Yes, Mother. I have a valiant army.”

  “Can this army free Egypt from its shackles?”

  “At the least, it can drive back the aggression of the Herdsmen from the South.”

  Then he shrugged his shoulders contemptuously and said furiously, “Mother, we have humored these Herdsmen year after year, but this has not succeeded in putting an end to their greed and still they eye our kingdom covetously. Now destiny has intervened and I believe that courage has a better
claim on us than delaying tactics and appeasement. I shall take this step and see what follows.”

  At this Tetisheri smiled and said proudly, “Amun bless this high and lofty-minded soul!”

  “So what say you, Mother?”

  “I say, my son, ‘Follow your chosen path, and may the Lord protect you and my prayers bring you blessing!’ That is our goal, and that is what the youth whom Amun has chosen to realize Thebes’ immortal hopes must do!”

  Seqenenra was filled with joy and his face shone. He bent over the head of Tetisheri to kiss her brow and she kissed his left cheek and Ahotep's right and blessed them both and they returned, happy and rejoicing.

  5

  It was announced to the envoy Khayan that Seqenenra would receive him on the morning of the following day, and at the appointed time the king went to the reception hall followed by his senior chamberlains. There he found the chief minister, the high priest, and the commanders of the army and navy waiting for him about the throne. They rose to receive him and bowed before him and he took his seat upon the throne and gave them permission to sit. Then the chamberlain of the door shouted to announce the arrival of the envoy Khayan, who entered with his fat, short body and long beard, walking haughtily and asking himself, “What lies, I wonder, behind this council? Peace or war?” When he reached the throne, he bowed in greeting to the one seated there and the king returned the greeting and gave him permission to be seated, saying, “I hope you passed a pleasant night?”

  “It was a pleasant night, thanks to your generous hospitality.” He glanced quickly at the king's head and, seeing upon it the White Crown of Egypt, his heart sank and he blazed with fury, feeling that it was intolerable for the governor of the South to challenge him thus. The king, for his part, went to no lengths to be polite to the envoy, for he was not unaware of what his refusal of the demands meant. Wishing to state his opinion baldly, decisively, and straightforwardly, he said, “Envoy Khayan, I have studied the demands that you have so faithfully conveyed to us and I have consulted the men of my kingdom about them. It is the opinion of us all that we should refuse them.”

  Khayan had not been expecting this abrupt, frank refusal. He was struck dumb and overcome -with astonishment. He looked at Seqenenra in amazement and disbelief, and his face turned as red as coral. The king went on, “I find that these demands violate our beliefs and our honor, and we will permit no one to violate even a single belief of ours, or our honor.”

  Khayan recovered from his astonishment and said quietly and haughtily, as though he had not heard what the king had said, “If my lord asks me, ‘Why does the governor of the South refuse to construct a temple to Seth?’ what shall I say to him?”

  “Say to him that the people of the South worship Amun alone.”

  “And if he asks me, ‘Why do they not kill the hippopotami that rob me of my sleep?’ “

  “Tell him that the people of the South hold them sacred.”

  “Amazing! Is not Pharaoh more sacred than the hippopotami?”

  Seqenenra hung his head for a moment, as though thinking of a reply. Then he said in resolute tones, “Apophis is sacred to you. These hippopotami are sacred to us.”

  A wave of relief passed through the courtiers at this vehement reply. Khayan, on the other hand, was furious, though he did not allow his anger to get the better of him and held himself back, saying quietly, “Respected Governor, your father was governor of the South and did not wear this crown. Do you think that you have greater rights than your father claimed for himself?”

  “I inherited from him the South and this has been its crown from ancient times. It is my right to wear it as such.”

  “Yet in Memphis there is another man who wears the double crown of Egypt and calls himself Pharaoh of Egypt. What do you think of his claims?”

  “I think that he and his forebears have usurped the kingdom.”

  Khayan's patience was exhausted now and he said furiously and with contempt, “Governor, do not think that by wearing the crown you are raised to the rank of king. For a king is first and foremost strength and power. I find nothing in your words but contempt for the good relations that tied your fathers and your ancestors to our kings and a striving for a challenge whose results you cannot guarantee.”

  Anger appeared on the faces of the retinue but the king preserved his calm and said affably, “Envoy, we do not run officiously after evil. But should any man impugn our honor, we shall neither concede nor favor the safe course. It is one of our virtues that we do not exaggerate in evaluating our strength, so do not expect to hear me boast and vaunt. But know that my fathers and my forefathers preserved what they could of the independence of this kingdom and that I will never squander what the Lord and the people have undertaken to preserve.”

  A sarcastic smile spread over Khayan's thin lips, concealing his bitter hatred. In an insinuating tone he said, ‘As you wish, Governor. My role is merely that of messenger and it is you that shall bear the consequences of your words.”

  The king bowed his head and said nothing. Then he stood, signaling the end of the audience. All rose to do him honor and remained standing until he was hidden from their eyes by the door.

  6

  The king, aware of the danger of the situation, wished to visit the temple of Amun to pray to the Lord and to announce the struggle in its sacred courtyard. He made his wish known to his minister and courtiers, and these set off in their groups, ministers, commanders, chamberlains, and high officials, to the temple of Amun to be ready to receive the king. Thebes, unknowing, took note of what was going on behind its proud palace walls, many whispering to one another that the envoy of the North had arrived in high state and departed in anger. Word spread among the Thebans that Seqenenra was to visit the temple of Amun to seek His guidance and ask Him for help. Large crowds of men, women, and children went to the temple, where they were joined by yet more, who surrounded it and spilled out into the streets that led to it. With solemn, worried, and curious faces they questioned one another in eager tones, each interpreting the matter as he saw fit. The royal escort arrived, preceded by a squadron of guards and followed by the king's chariot and by others bearing the queen and the princes and princesses of the royal house. As a wave of excitement and joy swept over the people, they waved to their sovereign, cheering and exulting. Seqenenra smiled at them and waved to them with his scepter. It escaped no one's notice that the king was wearing his battle dress with its shining shield, and the people's eagerness to hear the news grew. The king entered the courtyard of the temple, the men and women of his family walking behind him. The priests of the temple, the ministers, and the commanders received them prostrate, while Nofer-Amun cried out in a loud voice, “God keep the king's life forever and preserve the kingdom of Thebes!” the people enthusiastically repeating his cry over and over and the king greeting them with a gesture of his hand to his head and a smile from his broad mouth. Then the whole group moved into the Hall of the Altar, where the soldiers immediately offered an ox as a sacrifice to the Lord. All then circumambulated the altar and the Hall of the Columns, where they formed two lines and the king gave his scepter to crown prince Kamose and proceeded to the sacred stairway, which he ascended to the Holy of Holies, crossing the sacred threshold with submissive steps and closing the door behind him. Twilight seemed to envelop him and he bowed his head, removed his crown out of reverence for the purity of the place, and advanced, on legs trembling in awe, toward the niche in which resided the Lord God. There he prostrated himself at His feet, kissed them, and was silent for a while until his agitated breathing could quiet itself. Then he said in a low voice, as though in intimate conversation, “Lord God, Lord of glorious Thebes, Lord of the lords of the Nile, grant me your mercy and strength, for today I face a grave responsibility, before which, without your aid, I shall find myself helpless! It is the defense of Thebes and the fight against your enemy and ours, that enemy who fell upon us from the deserts of the north in savage bands that laid waste to our h
ouses, humiliated our people, closed the doors of your temples, and usurped our throne. Grant me your aid in repelling their armies, driving out their divisions, and cleansing the valley of their brutal power, so that none may rule there but your brown-skinned sons and no name be mentioned there but yours!”

  The king fell silent, waited for a moment, then plunged once more into an ardent and lengthy prayer, his brow resting upon the statue's feet. Then he raised his head in holy dread until he was looking at the god's noble face, enshrouded in majesty and silence, as though it -were the curtain of the future behind -which Fate lay hidden.

  The king, who had replaced the White Crown on his sweat-banded forehead, emerged before his people, who prostrated themselves to him as one. Prince Kamose presented him -with his scepter and, taking it in his right hand, he said in a stentorian voice: “Men of glorious Thebes! It may be that our enemy is assembling his army on the borders of our kingdom as I speak, to invade our lands. Prepare yourselves then for the struggle! Let each one's battle cry be to expend his greatest efforts in his work, that our army be strengthened for steadfastness and combat. I have prayed to the Lord and sought His aid and the Lord will not forget His country and His people!”

  With a voice that shook the walls of the temple, all cried out, “God aid our king Seqenenra!” and the king turned to leave. However, the high priest of Amun approached and said, “Can my lord wait a little so that I may present him with a small gift?”

  The king replied, smiling, “As Your Holiness wishes.”

  The high priest made a sign to two other priests, who went to the treasure chamber and returned carrying a small box of gold, to which all eyes turned. Nofer-Amun approached them and opened the box carefully and gently. The watchers beheld inside a royal crown - the double crown of Egypt. Eyes widened in astonishment and glances were exchanged. Nofer-Amun bowed his head to his lord and said in a voice that shook, “This, my lord, is the crown of King Timayus!”