The last stage

 In ancient Egypt, each person was composed of a series of elements without which life was not possible. Just as today some may claim that we are flesh and spirit, in the land of the Nile we also find different concepts that integrate a whole and that make up both the life of a person and their identity. Next, we will review these elements: The Name What for us is a detail of relative importance, for the ancient Egyptians was a fundamental part of their identity and the first element they would receive from birth. The name was not just a way to refer to a specific individual but a vital essence of the person that defined their personality, their future, and that had key importance in post-mortem aspects. For a person to exist, they had to receive a name at birth. Thus, the name (ren in ancient Egyptian) enjoyed incredible power, being able to make various concepts a reality just by being pronounced or written. The most evident examples of this quality of the name are found in the offer

The ancient Egyptians engaged in various leisure activities for enjoyment. Among these, board games were a popular pastime. The most renowned board game of that era was Senet, which was widely played during their free time. In the picture Queen Nefertari playing Senet at her tomb in the Valley of the Queens. Senet, an ancient Egyptian game, has been played since the earliest times of a unified Egypt. Evidence of its antiquity includes a depiction on the wall of Hesy-ra's mastaba from the third dynasty. Hesy-ra served as the scribe supervisor for King Djoser, and this reference highlights the game's longstanding presence. Additionally, inscriptions related to two other games, mehen and men, have been discovered. Throughout Egypt's history, Senet boards have been unearthed in numerous tombs, dating back to the pre-dynastic era. The most notable discovery was in Tutankhamun's tomb, where five Senet boards were found. These boards were typically crafted from materials such

Nesut biti's name from Ramses II Usermaatra-setepenra Image credits: Khruner wikimedia commons The titles adopted by kings are a significant source of confusion for those delving into Kemet's culture. The confusion doesn't stem from understanding the concept of a royal name but from the complexity and multitude of titles a king possesses and is recognized by. Ordinary individuals were given a single name at birth. Some may have had a secret name known only to themselves, a practice that only appeared sporadically throughout history and has little bearing on our studies. The belief that knowing someone's name granted insight into all their secrets prompted many to seek a secret name, akin to the deities. This is exemplified in the tale where Aset learns Ra's secret name, gaining power over him. Focusing on royal names, it's important to note that up to six different ones can be identified. To unravel this tangle of titles, we'll examine each one individually.

  Astronomical ceiling of the Senemut tomb. Every civilization has developed methods to mark the passage of time and the changing of seasons. Ancient Egypt was no exception, and there are notable features of their calendar system that shed light on broader aspects of their societal and religious life. This calendar is referred to as the Sothic calendar, named after the star Sothis, also known as Sirius. It's important to clarify that Egyptian years were not measured from a fixed point, such as the birth of Christ or the Roman's Ab urbe condita. Instead, years were counted from the accession of a king to the throne. Thus, the first year of a king's reign marked year one, and this count would reset with the accession of a successor. The impetus for establishing a calendar, or recognizing the need for one, typically stems from the necessity to measure and manage significant seasonal events or occurrences. In Egypt, no event was more critical than the annual flooding of the Nil

One of the challenges in establishing a chronology or a list of ancient Egyptian kings lies in the sources that have been passed down to us. These sources are essential for understanding the historical reality. However, they can also present complications due to their age, potential biases, or incomplete nature. For this reason, we find that Egyptologists and specialists have differing opinions on the years of reign for each king, as well as the existence or non-existence of certain kings and the chronological order of their reigns. Why does this discrepancy occur? It is because the sources available to us are stelae and documents of various origins with differing lists. It must be understood that the history of ancient Egypt spans a very long period, during which the transmission of knowledge and the desire of some kings to modify or erase records influenced the creation of these lists. A king who ascended to power under dubious circumstances or whose name was intended to be forgotten