2,700 yr-old sarcophagus of ‘high priest of God Amun’ unearthed in Luxor

[Martinus]

2,700 yr-old sarcophagus of 'high priest of God Amun' unearthed in Luxor

CAIRO: The sarcophagus of Ankh-f-n-khonsu, a high priest of ancient Egyptian god Amun Ra, has been unearthed in the west bank of Luxor, Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al Damaty announced Thursday.

The sarcophagus, which dates back to the 22nd Dynasty (943B.C-716B.C.,) was found in the tomb of Amenhotep-Huy, who served as Egypt's viceroy and vizier during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III (1391 B.C.–1353 B.C.)

"The sarcophagus is made of wood and covered with a layer of plaster. It represents the deceased wearing a wig and crown with flowers and colorful ribbons along with ceremonial beard and a necklace adorning his chest," Sultan Eid, Director of Upper Egypt Antiquities Department said in a statement Thursday.

The sarcophagus also contains a number of hieroglyphic inscriptions with scenes of the deceased making offerings to several ancient Egyptian deities, he added.

Apparently, the tomb has been reused more than 500 years after it was completed, Mahmoud Afifi, the head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Antiquities Ministry said, adding that the sarcophagus is "well preserved."

Discovered in 1978, the tomb of Amenhotep-Huy is located at Qurnet Marei, part of the Theban Necropolis on Luxor's west bank, said Karar, adding that multi-national team of archaeologists led by the Institute for the Study of Ancient Egypt in Madrid has been studying and renovating the architectural elements of the tomb since 2009.

Most of the scenes at Amenhotep-Huy's tomb represent the vizier's daily life activities of agriculture, hunting and fishing. It also features scenes of female musicians and dancers and shows Huy, among his family members, being greeted by high priests, archaeologist Sherif el-Sabban told The Cairo Post Saturday.

The Theban Necropolis is an area of the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (Modern Luxor) in Upper Egypt. According to Sabban, it was used for ritual burials for several Pharaohs, noblemen and high officials starting from the New Kingdom Period (1580 B.C.-1080 B.C.) and for over a millennium.

Now, what makes this piece of news fun:

1. Ankh-f-n-khonsu is actually the priest the stele commissioned for whom Aleister Crowley allegedly found during his stay in Cairo in the second or third decade of the 20th century, and used it as one of the basis for his occult system (the name of the priest appears in many of his poems and the like).

2. The sacrophagus was unearthed on the day which astrologically matches one of Nostradamus's prophecies for the end of the world.

[Jaron]

This needs to be resealed immediately.

[Tonitrus]

So, has the world ended yet?

[Martinus]

So, has the world ended yet?

The current update is that the mummy of Ankh-f-n-khonsu is presently slouching towards Bethlehem to be born.

[Syt]

I like to think that his name is censored and that he's actually called Ankh-fuckin'-khonsu.

[Martinus]

I like to think that his name is censored and that he's actually called Ankh-fuckin'-khonsu.

He was later known as Ankh-m-th-r-f-n-khonsu.