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Updated: May 12, 2025
"Today I have called you to help me to summon that assembly of the orders, and this is my command to you: "Thou, worthy Sem, wilt select for me thirteen priests and thirteen nomarchs. Thou, pious Pentuer, will bring to me from various provinces thirteen land-tillers and thirteen artisans.
The nomarchs and their scribes," continued the priest, "are like decurions in an army; each one knows his ten men and reports on them. Each commands those under him. But the decurion knows not the general plan made by leaders of the army. The nomarchs and the scribes write down everything that happens in their province, and lay those reports at the feet of the pharaoh.
Were it not for the worthy daughter of the holy Amenhotep, our position today would not be what it is." "Well, but I have not sworn," replied Mefres, and he left the hall. "What does he wish?" asked one of the nomarchs. "He is an old man grown childish," replied Herhor, shrugging his shoulders.
At this intelligence the nomarchs, the nobility, the army, the people, and the foreigners were wild with delight, but the sacred order of priests mourned the more zealously the dead pharaoh.
On the estates of nobles and nomarchs, but especially of the pharaoh, flax was unpulled, clover uncut; there was no one to gather in grapes. The common people did nothing but prowl about in bands; they sang, ate, drank, and threatened either priests or Phoenicians.
Their reports were monotonous to weariness: The high priests and some of the nomarchs, under the leadership of Herhor and Mefres, had shut themselves up in the temple of Ptah. The army was full of hope, and the people excited. All were blessing the pharaoh, and waiting the order to move on the temple. When the fourth courier came about nine, and repeated the same words, the pharaoh was frowning.
It was of wonderfully short duration, just as if the result had been arranged previously. "High priests, nomarchs, and leaders," began Herhor. "We have assembled here on sad and important business. With the death of the eternally living Ramses XIII, whose short and stormy reign ended in a manner so unfortunate "Here Herhor sighed.
But I must remind thee, holiness, that today people attacked Phoenician houses in Memphis." "Oho! That was not needed." "It seems to me, too," continued Tutmosis, "that since Thou hast commanded Pentuer to investigate the condition of earth-tillers and laborers the priests are exciting the nomarchs and nobles. They say that it is thy wish to ruin the nobility for the sake of the people."
On the benches of the delegates approbation was heard now a second time. "Thy advice is keen, O holy man," replied the pharaoh, "but full of danger. Were my treasurer, the worthy nomarchs, and the nobles, to erase what the state owes to creditors, they might omit one day to pay Phoenicians, the next day they might forget to pay sums due the temples and the pharaoh.
"I thought," said he, "that I despised the robberies of scribes, the deceit of nomarchs, that I hated the cunning and ambition of priests; I felt repulsion for Jews, and I feared the Phoenicians; but I convinced myself to-night that those were all amusements. I know now, for the first time, what hate is, after I have seen and heard Assyrians.
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