On The Priest Of Amun In The New Kingdom Of Ancient Egypt

Amun was an ancient deity of the area around Thebes, he was also known as oneof the eight Heh gods of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis. Amun combined with Re asAmun-Re in12thDynasty. In the middle of the16century BCE, with the expulsion ofthe Hyksos as rulers, the cult of god Amun-Re spread through the entire land. In theNew Kingdom, Amun became successively identified with all other Egyptian deities.At the same time, the power of Amun priesthood was gradually grow up.Supervised the estate of Amun, and led the Karnak construction project, during theNew Kingdom, the high priests of Amen growing influence and powerful. They werenot only the servants of god, but also the religions leader and political adviser of thePharaoh.For along time, the sovereign viewed their dynasty’s deity as the great ally whoensured their glory, and gave him the most sumptuous rewards; but at the same time,they kept a distrustful eye on the clergies. After Ramesses III’ death, the monarchybecame increasingly weak. Even though there were many contradictions between therulers and high priests of Amun, the Pharaoh didn’t have the capacity to prevent them.At the end of the20thdynasty, high priests of Amun stood up to the Pharaoh as anequal. In Thebes, Herihor who held the post of high priest of Amun, had control theSouth, in the north of the country Smendes mounted the throne, and with these twomen the21stDynasty begins.