Hesy-Ra in hieroglyphs

Personal name:

Hesy-Re
rʳ-ḥsj
Blessed by Ra

Nickname:

Hesy
ḥsj
Blessed

Honorary title:

Rekh-neswt
rḫ-nsw.t
Confidant of the king
 Cedar wood panel depicting Hesy-Ra.

Hesy-Ra (also read Hesy-Re and Hesire) was an Ancient Egyptian high official during the early 3rd
dynasty. His most notable title was Wer-ibeh-senjw, meaning either "Great one of the ivory cutters"
or "Great one of the dentists", which would make him the earliest dentist whose name is known to
us. His tomb is noted for its paintings and cedar wood panels.

Contents

 1Identity
o 1.1Titles
o 1.2Career
 2Tomb
 3References

Identity[edit]
Thanks to several clay seal impressions found in Hesy-Ra's tomb, it is today known that this high
official lived and worked during the reign of king (pharaoh) Djoser and maybe also under
king Sekhemkhet.[1]
Hesy-Ra's name is of some interest to Egyptologists and Historians alike, because it is linked to the
sun god Re. Hesy-Ra, alongside a few high officials at this time, belongs to the first high officials that
were allowed to link their names to Re. However, they were not allowed to use the sun disk
hieroglyph to write Re's name. This was permitted to the king only.[1][2]

Titles[edit]
As a high-ranking official and priest, Hesy-Ra bore several elite and pious titularies:[3][4]

 Confidant of the king (Egyptian: Rekh-neswt).

 Great one of the "ten of Upper Egypt" (Egyptian: Wer-medi-shemaw).
 Great one of Peh (Egyptian: Wer-Peh).
 Great one of the dentists (Egyptian: Wer-ibeh-senjw).
 Elder of the "Qed-hetep" (Egyptian: Semsw-qed-hetep).
 Chief of the scribes (Egyptian: Medjeh-seschjw).
 Brother of Min (Egyptian: Sen-Min).
 Magician of Mehit (Egyptian: Hem-heka-Mehit).
Career[edit]
Hesy-Ra is well known for certain, unique titles. The most discussed title is Wer-ibeh-senjw, which
can be translated in many ways. Ibeh can be translated as "dentition" and/or "ivory" as well. Senjw is
a plural for "arrows", "cutters" and/or "physicians" alike. Thus, the full title Wer-ibeh-senjw can either
be translated as "Great one of the ivory cutters" or as "Great one of the dentists". If the former
translation was correct, Hesy-Ra was a professional ivory-cutter and artist - a profession that was
fairly common and already attested in early dynastic inscriptions. If the latter translation was correct,
Hesy-Ra would be the very first person in Egyptian history to be officially entitled as an occupational
dentist.[3]
Hesy-Ra is also well known for his richly decorated cedar wood panels found in his tomb. On these
panels, Hesy-Ra is depicted in several stages of age. Indeed, the panels close to the entrance show
Hesy-Ra as a pretty young man at the start of his career. Closer to the remembrance chapel, Hesy-
Ra is depicted as a mid-age man at the heyday of his career. Finally, in the remembrance chapel, he
is depicted as an old man, sitting on an offering table and being stuffed in a tight gown. The artist of
the panels even accentuated facial mannerisms of age: Hesy-Ra's face change from pretty smooth
to wrinkled and saggy, depending on the stage of age that was meant to be depicted.[5][6]
Furthermore, Hesy-Ra is known for the colorful wall paintings discovered inside and outside his
tomb. Colors such as black, white, yellow, green and red were used. The ornaments
include rhomboids, stripes and a green-yellowish reed mat imitation. The paintings were in such
good state when found, that the excavators decided to fill the painted corridors with high quality
rubble in attempt to preserve the colors. Close-by reliefs depict daily life goods and even game
accessories, such as Mehen game boards and a Senet play set.[5][6]
Possible contemporary office partners
included Netjeraperef, Akhetaa,[7] Khabawsokar, Pehernefer and Metjen,[8] who were also holding
office under Huni and Sneferu. All their tomb inscriptions reveal that the time of both kings must
have been a very prosperous one and economy and office administration flourished.[9]