Imhotep

(West Asian mythology)

One of the deified mortals of Egyptian religion. The architect of the step pyramid complex at Sakkarah, built for King Zoser, about 2650 BC, Imhotep later became a popular god of healing. He was portrayed as a priest with a shaven head, holding an open papyrus-roll on his knees. Also a patron of learning, especially medical science, he was identified by the Greeks with Asclepius.

Another deified mortal was Amenhotep, who had been a distinguished architect under Amenhotep III in the late fifteenth century BC. He too was credited with great wisdom and the power of healing.

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[b. near Memphis, Egypt, flourished 2650-2590 bce]

Imhotep is supposed to have designed the step pyramid built for Pharaoh Djoser, the first tomb in the shape of a pyramid, but he is also remembered as a great physician. According to some accounts he advised the pharaoh on how to appease the gods after a seven-year famine caused by failure of the Nile flood, a story similar to parts of Joseph's life as recounted in the Hebrew Bible. Imhotep is the first named person who might be considered a scientist in history.

( fl c. 2600 BC). Egyptian official and architect. Imhotep, who bore the title 'Greatest of Seers in Heliopolis' and served under the kings Djoser (reg c. 2630-c. 2611 BC) to Huni (c. 2600-c. 2575 BC), was traditionally the architect of the step-pyramid complex at SAQQARA. His name was inscribed on the base of a statue of the owner of that monument near the beginning of its entrance colonnade. Imhotep was probably the builder of another step-pyramid complex for Horus Sekhemkhet at Saqqara, where his name appears once more. By the Late Period (c. 750-332 BC) Imhotep had been deified, and there are numerous bronze statuettes dating from the Late and Greco-Roman periods (332 BC-AD 395) showing him seated and reading from a papyrus roll (see EGYPT, ANCIENT, fig. 41). He was worshipped at the temple of Karnak, Thebes, and an unfinished chapel at Philae was dedicated to his cult. He was traditionally also the builder of the temple at Edfu, and harpists sang about his wisdom, while scribes made a libation to him before they wrote.

See the Abbreviations for further details.

Imhotep (fl. c. 3000 B.C.) was one of world history's most versatile geniuses. Inventor of the pyramid, author of ancient wisdom, architect, high priest, physician, astronomer, and scribe, Imhotep's prodigious talents and vast acquired knowledge had such an effect on his Egyptian contemporaries that he became one of only a handful of individuals of nonroyal birth to be promoted to godhood.

Until the late-nineteenth century Egyptologists knew Imhotep, who lived around 3,000 B.C., as a demigod (a mortal with almost divine powers) and then a full deity (or god) of medicine, with numerous temples and a well-organized cult devoted to him between 525 B.C. and 550 A.D. His name was inscribed alongside such powerful deities as Isis and Thoth, but they were purely religious and legendary figures. Until the 1926 discovery at Sakkara of a statue base describing Imhotep as a sculptor and carpenter, a human contemporary of King Zoser of the Third Dynasty, scholars did not believe that a man could achieve such a powerful position among the Egyptian gods.

Second in a Long Line of Architects

Imhotep, or "he who cometh in peace," was born in Ankhtowe, a suburb of Memphis. The month and day of his birth are noted precisely as the sixteenth day of Epiphi, third month of the Egyptian harvest, (corresponding to May 31), but the year is not definitely recorded. It is known that Imhotep was a contemporary of the Pharaoh Zoser (a.k.a. Neterikhet) of the Third Dynasty, but estimates of the era of his reign vary by as much as 300 years, falling between 2980 and 2600 B.C. Imhotep's father, Kanofer, was a distinguished architect who later became known as the beginning of a long line of master builders who contributed to Egyptian works through the reign of King Darius the First in 490 B.C. His mother, Khreduonkh, who probably came from the province of Mendes, is known today for having been deified alongside her son in accordance with Egyptian custom.

Vizier under King Zoser

The office of the vizier in politics was literally described as "supervisor of everything in this entire land," and only the best educated and multifaceted citizen could handle the range of duties associated with serving the Pharaoh so closely. As vizier, Imhotep was chief counsel to Zoser in both religious and practical matters, and he controlled the departments of the Judiciary, Treasury, War, Interior, Agriculture, and the General Executive. The vizier was also believed to have powers beyond those of a mere political figure, and the office was also described as "supervisor of that which Heaven brings, the Earth creates and the Nile brings."

There are no historical records of Imhotep's acts as a political figure, but his wisdom as a religious counsel was widely hailed for ending a terrible famine that afflicted Egypt during seven years of Zoser's reign. It was told that the king was failing in his responsibility to appease the god Khnum, and that his negligence was causing the Nile to fall short of a flood level sufficient to irrigate Egyptian farms. Imhotep, having a vast knowledge of the proper traditions and methods of worship, was able to counsel Zoser on placating the god of the cataract, allowing the Nile to return to its usual flood level. The image of Imhotep as the "bringer of the Nile inundation," found at his temple at Philae, relates directly to those at Memphis, where as a God of Medicine, Imhotep was especially known for the miracle of bringing fertility to the barren.

Architect of the Famous Pyramid at Sakkara

The Step Pyramid at Sakkara is the only of Imhotep's achievements that can still be seen and appreciated today, and its reputation is largely based on his accomplishments as the pyramid's inventor and builder. By far the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World, this first pyramid - actually only part of a large complex of buildings - was the first structure ever built of cut stone. It took 20 years to complete, and given the newness of the idea and the state of structural science in the Bronze Age, the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architecture concludes that its construction must have required "all of the initiative and courage of a genius."

The design of the pyramid was inspired by the Egyptian belief that the tomb should "allow the deceased to mingle with the circumpolar stars, thus fulfilling his stellar destiny." Imhotep wanted the tomb to accommodate the Pharaoh's ascent into the heavens. To do this, he planned to improve upon the flat, rectangular mastabas, or built-in benches, which were the traditional tombal structures. About 600 feet north of the original mastaba, where the inner organs of the mummy were kept, Imhotep began the pyramid with another mastaba structure twice the traditional size, approximately 350 feet on the north and south walls by 400 feet on the east and west. The pyramid was raised on top of this structure in five successively smaller steps, or accretion layers, with a passageway on the north side issuing upward within the structure from a sarcophagus chamber (where the stone coffin holding the mummy is kept) 75 feet below ground. The total height of the pyramid and base is just under 200 feet, unimaginably large for a single structure before Imhotep's design.

The project at Sakkara was designed in its entirety as a medium for the deceased to perform the rituals of the jubilee festival, or Hebsed. The complex consisted of many other buildings, as well as ornamental posts some 37 feet high sculpted into drooping leaves, blooms of papyrus, and sedge flower. These carved stone imitations of the images of Hebsed, which was traditionally carried out in buildings made of plant stems, were finished with a bright green ceramic to make them more colorful and lifelike. The Egyptians believed that a sufficient approximation of the real thing would respond by magic for the deceased to the various incantations of the festival.

The protection of the king and his endowment of burial gifts - about 36,000 vessels of alabaster, dolomite, aragonite, and other precious materials - was the other primary function of the burial site. The entire complex, about one-quarter by one-half mile in area, was enclosed within a stone wall about 35 feet high. Of 14 entrance towers projecting from the wall, the doors of 13 were carved imitations, complete with effects for door leaves and a lock. Only two of the buildings, the royal pavilion and the funerary temple where the spirit could perform the liturgies of Hebsed, were actually designed to be entered by the deceased. These were surrounded by dummy buildings filled with sand, gravel and other rubble, also included solely to confuse would-be invaders. As a final measure, the king's treasure was lowered through vertical shafts around the tomb into a long corridor 100 feet below ground. The digging of just this corridor without earth-moving machines of any kind is a phenomenal accomplishment by modern standards.

It is likely that Imhotep was the architect and master builder of many other projects completed during a 40-year period of the Third Dynasty, though none of them compare in size or stylistic influence to the burial site at Sakkara. A graffito, or ink-marking, in the unfinished temple of Zoser's successor, King Sekhemkhet, mentions the "seal-bearer of the king of Lower Egypt, Imhotep." The estimates of Imhotep's death date generally coincide with the fifth year of Sekhemkhet's reign, so it is possible that the abandonment of the project coincided with the death of the master builder. It would not be surprising that no other builder in Egypt could continue a work begun by the incomparable genius. Imhotep was also the author of an encyclopedia of architecture that was consulted by Egyptian builders for thousands of years after his death. A temple of Imhotep as god of medicine, constructed at Edfu under Ptolemy IX (r. 107-88 B.C.), was recorded to have been built "as specified by the Book of the Order of a Temple, which the chief lector priest Imhotep the Great, son of Ptah, had redacted."

Physician-Magician, God of Medicine

As a god of medicine, Imhotep was beloved as a mediator of everyday problems who could "provide remedies for all diseases," and "give sons to the childless." Members of the cult of Imhotep in the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Dynasties would pay tribute to the God at his temple just outside Memphis, which also contained halls devoted to the teaching of clinical methods, and to the preservation of the materia medica, papyri detailing the entirety of Egyptian medical knowledge which may actually have originated with Imhotep. His name was often grouped in with such powerful deities as Thoth, God of Wisdom; Isis, the wonder-worker; and Ptah, a healer and the ancient God of Memphis. Although other mortals were deified by the Egyptians, Imhotep is unique for being known by his own name as a god inferior in power only to the chief Sun-God, Re. Imhotep was also a member of the great triad of Memphis, with Ptah, Imhotep's father among the gods, and Sekhmet, a goddess associated with procreation and childbirth.

Science historians do not have the surviving examples of Egyptian medical practices that the pyramids provide the student of architecture. It is a matter of debate today how much of Imhotep's reputation as a curer of disease stems from medical prowess and how much comes from his sage's command of magic and healing rituals. The renowned writer and historian of science, Isaac Asimov, referred to Imhotep as "the first historic equivalent, known by name, of what we would today call a scientist," while the Oxford Companion to Medicine takes the more conservative position that "there is no contemporary evidence of his being a physician." Unfortunately, the papyri of the materia medica have not been recovered, but other medical documents such as the Ebers refer to them as a rich source of scientific knowledge.

Further Reading

Breasted, James Henry, A History of Egypt from the Earliest Times to the Persian Conquest, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1912.

Placzek, Adolf K., Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects, Macmillan, 1982, pp. 454-464.

Hurry, Jamieson Boyd, Imhotep, the Vizier and Physician of King Zoser, and Afterwards the Egyptian God of Medicine, AMS Press, 1928, 1978.

Walton, John, Paul B. Beeson, and Ronald M. Scott, eds., The Oxford Companion to Medicine, Oxford University Press, 1986.

Asimov, Isaac, Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, Doubleday, 1982, p. 1.

Great Engineers and Pioneers in Technology, St. Martin's Press, 1981, pp. 9-10.

Ancient Egyptian courtier, priest, and architect to King Zoser (Djoser). He was deified later as Architect of the Universe, and one of the Trinity, with Horus and Isis. He was ‘son of Ptah’, and identified with Asclepius. As designer of the huge and sophisticated step-pyramid and complex at Saqqara, he must be regarded as one of the greatest architects of all time, and an important innovator in the development of masonry construction.

Bibliography

• J. Curl (2002, 2005)
• Hurry (1928)
• Sethe (1902)
• W.S. Smith (1998)
• Wildung (1977)

The full bibliography for this book is available to download as a pdf file.
Download the bibliography for A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (PDF: 1.2MB)

(Also spelled "Imhetep.") An ancient Egyptian deity, son of Ptah and Nut, to whom great powers of exorcism were attributed. Imhotep was often appealed to in cases of demonic possession.

Sources:

Doumato, Lamia. Imhotep. Monticello, Ill.: Vance Bibliographies, 1981.

Shorter, Alan W. The Egyptian Gods. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1937. Reprint. 1981.

This article is about the ancient Egyptian official. For other uses, see Imhotep (disambiguation).

Imhotep in hieroglyphs
Imhotep Jj m ḥtp He who comes in peace
Jj m ḥtp
Jj m ḥtp
Greek Manetho variants:	Africanus: Imouthes Eusebius: missing Eusebius,  AV:  missing

Statuette of Imhotep in the Louvre

Another image of the same statue

Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Im-hotep, or Ii-em-Hotep; called Imuthes (Ἰμούθης) by the Greeks), fl. 27th century BC (circa 2650-2600 BC) (Egyptian ỉỉ-m-ḥtp *jā-im-ḥātap meaning "the one who comes in peace, is with peace") was an Egyptian polymath,^[1] who served under the Third Dynasty king Djoser as chancellor to the pharaoh and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis. He is considered to be the first architect^[2] and engineer^[3] and physician in early history^[4] though two other good physicians, Hesy-Ra and Merit-Ptah lived around the same time. The full list of his titles is:

Chancellor of the King of Egypt, Doctor, First in line after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary nobleman, High Priest of Heliopolis, Builder, Chief Carpenter, Chief Sculptor, and Maker of Vases in Chief.

Imhotep was one of very few mortals to be depicted as part of a pharaoh's statue. He was one of only a few commoners ever to be accorded divine status after death. The center of his cult was Memphis. From the First Intermediate Period onward Imhotep was also revered as a poet and philosopher. His sayings were famously referred to in poems: "I have heard the words of Imhotep and Hordedef with whose discourses men speak so much."^[5]

The location of Imhotep's self-constructed tomb was well hidden from the beginning and it remains unknown, despite efforts to find it.^[6] The consensus is that it is hidden somewhere at Saqqara. Imhotep's historicity is confirmed by two contemporary inscriptions made during his lifetime on the base or pedestal of one of Djoser's statues (Cairo JE 49889) and also by a graffito on the enclosure wall surrounding Sekhemkhet's unfinished step-pyramid.^[7][8] The latter inscription suggests that Imhotep outlived Djoser by a few years and went on to serve in the construction of king Sekhemkhet's pyramid which was abandoned due to this ruler's brief reign.^[9]

Contents 1 Attribution of achievements and inventions 1.1 Architecture and engineering 1.2 Medicine 2 Birth myths 3 Deification 4 Legacy 5 Imhotep's dreams 6 In popular culture 7 See also 8 Notes 9 Further reading 10 External links

Attribution of achievements and inventions

James Henry Breasted says of Imhotep:

In priestly wisdom, in magic, in the formulation of wise proverbs; in medicine and architecture; this remarkable figure of Zoser's reign left so notable a reputation that his name is not forgotten to this day. He was the patron spirit of the later scribes, to whom they regularly poured out a libation from the water-jug of their writing outfit before beginning their work.

Architecture and engineering

As one of the officials of the Pharaoh Djoser, he designed the Pyramid of Djoser (the Step Pyramid) at Saqqara in Egypt in 2630 – 2611 BC.^[10] He may have been responsible for the first known use of columns in architecture. As an instigator of Egyptian culture, Imhotep's idealized image lasted well into the Ptolemaic period. The Egyptian historian Manetho credited him with inventing the method of a stone-dressed building during Djoser's reign, though he was not the first to actually build with stone. Stone walling, flooring, lintels, and jambs had appeared sporadically during the Archaic Period, though it is true that a building of the Step Pyramid's size and made entirely out of stone had never before been constructed. Before Djoser, pharaohs were buried in mastaba tombs.

Medicine

Imhotep is credited with being the founder of medicine and with being the author of a medical treatise remarkable for being devoid of magical thinking; the so-called Edwin Smith papyrus containing anatomical observations, ailments, and cures.^[11][12] The surviving papyrus was probably written around 1700 BC but may be a copy of texts a thousand years older. However, this attribution of authorship is speculative. The Papyrus can be viewed at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, New York City. The 48 cases contained within the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus concern:

• 27 head injuries (cases #1-27)
• 6 throat and neck injuries (cases #28-33)
• 2 injuries to the clavicle (collarbone) (cases #34-35)
• 3 injuries to the arm (cases #36-38)
• 8 injuries to the sternum (breastbone) and ribs (cases #39-44)
• 1 tumour and 1 abscess of the breast (cases #45-46)
• 1 injury to the shoulder(case #47)
• 1 injury to the spine (case #48) ^[13]

Descriptions of Imhotep by James Henry Breasted et al. :

"In priestly wisdom, in magic, in the formulation of wise proverbs; in medicine and architecture; this remarkable figure of Zoser's reign left so notable a reputation that his name was never forgotten. He was the patron spirit of the later scribes, to whom they regularly poured out a libation from the water-jug of their writing outfit before beginning their work." '

'Imhotep extracted medicine from plants.'

'Imhotep was portrayed as a priest with a shaven head, seated and holding a papyrus roll. Occasionally he was shown clothed in the archaic costume of a priest.'

'Of the details of his life, very little has survived though numerous statues and statuettes of him have been found. Some show him as an ordinary man who is dressed in plain attire. Others show him as a sage who is seated on a chair with a roll of papyrus on his knees or under his arm. Later, his statuettes show him with a god like beard, standing, and carrying the ankh and a scepter.'

'He is represented seated with a papyrus scroll across his knees, wearing a skullcap and a long linen kilt. We can interpret the papyrus as suggesting the sources of knowledge kept by scribes in the "House of Life". The headgear identifies Imhotep with Ptah, and his priestly linen garment symbolizes his religious purity.'

Birth myths

According to myth, Imhotep's mother was a mortal named Kheredu-ankh, elevated later to semi-divine status by claims that she was the daughter of Banebdjedet.^[14] Conversely, since Imhotep was known as the "Son of Ptah,"^[15] his mother was sometimes claimed to be Sekhmet, the patron of Upper Egypt whose consort was Ptah.

Deification

As Imhotep was considered the founder of medicine as a discipline, he was sometimes said to be the one who held up the goddess Nut (the deification of the sky), as the separation of Nut and Geb (the deification of the earth) was said to be what held back chaos. Due to the position this would have placed him in, he was also sometimes said to be Nut's son. In artwork he is also linked with the great goddess, Hathor, who eventually became identified as the wife of Ra. Imhotep was also associated with Ma'at, the goddess who personified the concept of truth, cosmic order, and justice — having created order out of chaos and being responsible for maintaining that order.

Two thousand years after his death, Imhotep's status was raised to that of a deity. He became the god of medicine and healing. He later was linked to Asclepius by the Greeks. He was associated with Amenhotep son of Hapu, who was another deified architect, in the region of Thebes where they were worshipped as "brothers".^[16]

Legacy

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "The evidence afforded by Egyptian and Greek texts support the view that Imhotep's reputation was very respected in early times ... His prestige increased with the lapse of centuries and his temples in Greek times were the centers of medical teachings."^{[citation needed]}

It is Imhotep, says Sir William Osler, who was the real "Father of Medicine", "the first figure of a physician to stand out clearly from the mists of antiquity." ^[17]

Imhotep's dreams

The Upper Egyptian Famine Stela, dating from the Ptolemaic period, bears an inscription containing a legend about a famine of seven years during the reign of Djoser. Imhotep is credited with having been instrumental in ending it. One of his priests explained the connection between the god Khnum and the rise of the Nile to the king, who then had a dream in which the Nile god spoke to him, promising to end the drought.^[18]

In popular culture

• In modern times, the historical figure lent his name to Imhotep, the title character of the 1932 film The Mummy and its 1999 remake along with a sequel.
• It is the title of a video game.
• Imhotep features in the British comedy television series Look Around You.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Imhotep

• History of ancient Egypt
• Third dynasty of Egypt
• Ancient Egyptian architecture
• Ancient Egyptian medicine

Notes

1. ^ The Egyptian Building Mania, Acta Divrna, Vol. III, Issue IV, January, 2004.
2. ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/283435/Imhotep
3. ^ "What is Civil Engineering: Imhotep". http://whatiscivilengineering.csce.ca/history_engineering.htm. 
4. ^ William Osler, The Evolution of Modern Medicine, Kessinger Publishing 2004, p.12
5. ^ Barry J. Kemp, Ancient Egypt Routledge 2005, p.159
6. ^ The Harper's Lay, ca. 2000 BCE
7. ^ Jaromir Malek 'The Old Kingdom' in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt by Ian Shaw (ed.) Oxford University Press paperback 2002. p.92
8. ^ J. Kahl "Old Kingdom: Third Dynasty" in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt by Donald Redford (ed.) Vol.2, p. 592
9. ^ Shaw, op. cit., pp.92-93
10. ^ Barry J. Kemp, Ancient Egypt, Routledge 2005, p.159
11. ^ Mostafa Shehata, MD (2004), "The Father of Medicine: A Historical Reconsideration", J Med Ethics 12, p. 171-176 [176].
12. ^ How Imhotep gave us medicine, The Daily Telegraph, 10/05/2007.
13. ^ Leonard Francis Peltier, Fractures: A History and Iconography of Their Treatment, Norman Publishing 1990, p.16
14. ^ Marina Warner, Felipe Fernández-Armesto, World of Myths, University of Texas Press 2003, ISBN 0292702043, p.296
15. ^ Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings, University of California Press 1980, ISBN 0520040201, p.106
16. ^ M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, The University of California Press 1980, vol.3, p.104
17. ^ A Series of Lectures Delivered at Yale University, April 1913 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1566/1566-h/1566-h.htm?
18. ^ The Famine Stela. Retrieved June 1, 2005. "After a German translation by Günther Roeder, Jena, 1923"

Further reading

• Asante, Molefi Kete (2000). The Egyptian philosophers : ancient African voices from Imhotep to Akhenaten. Chicago: African American Images. ISBN 0913543667. 
• Cormack, Maribelle (1965). Imhotep: Builder in Stone. New York: Franklin Watts. 
• Dawson, Warren R. (1929). Magician and Leech: A Study in the Beginnings of Medicine with Special Reference to Ancient Egypt. London: Methuen. 
• Garry, T. Gerald (1931). Egypt: The Home of the Occult Sciences, with Special Reference to Imhotep, the Mysterious Wise Man and Egyptian God of Medicine. London: John Bale, Sons and Danielsson. 
• Hurry, Jamieson B. (1978). Imhotep (2nd ed.). New York: AMS Press. ISBN 0404132855. 

External links

• Imhotep (2667 BC - 2648 BC), BBC History

v d e List of ancient Egyptians Consorts Neithhotep Tetisheri Ahhotep I Ahmose-Nefertari Ahmose Tiye Nefertiti Ankhesenamun Nefertari Court officials Imhotep Weni Sobeknakht II Ahmose-Ebana Ineni Senenmut Rekhmire Yuya Amenhotep, son of Hapu Maya Yuny Bay Manetho Pothinus

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