ABSTRACT
THEtempleofDerelMedinaisoneofthemostbeautifulexamplesofPtolemaicarchitecture.Itwasbegunby PtolemyIV(Philopater)andfinishedbyPtolemyIX (EuergetesII)halfacenturylater,butthesitemusthave beensacredforatleastathousandyearsbeforethePtolemaicKingsbegantheirbuilding.Thededicationisto Amenhotep,sonofHapu,theHellenisedformofthe namebeingAmenothes,sonofPaapis.Adedicationof atempletoanon-royalhumanbeingisrare,fortemples belongedonlytothegodsortotheirrepresentativeon earth,thePharaoh.Theordinarymanwasnotconsidereddivine,andHerodotussaysthatthepriestswere verypositiveonthispoint,"InII,340yearsnogodhad assumedtheformofaman,neitherhadanysuchthing happenedeitherbeforeorafterwardsinthetimeofthe remainingkingsofEgypt."Herodotuswasmisinformed bythepriestswhowereevidentlyignorantofthefact thattheirancestorshadrecognisedtwodeifiedmen,and probablymore.OfthesetwotheearlierwasImhotep, whowasVezier,ChiefArchitect,ChiefMagician,and ChiefPhysicianatthecourtofZoser;theotherwasAmenhotep,sonofHapu,whowasVezier,ChiefMagician, ChiefPhysician,andMaster-BuilderofAmenhotepIII. Bothmenappeartohavebeenthemostimportantpersons oftheirtimeinthekingdom;anditwasprobablytheir reputationasmagicianswhichcausedthemtobevenerated asgods.ThecultofAmenhotep,sonofHapu,which beganathisdeath,reacheditsheightunderthePtolemies.
TheNubiantempleofDendurwasalsoerectedtothe
honouroftwodeifiedmen,buttheseowedtheirposition
totheiridentificationwithOsiris,whereasatDerelMedina
Amenhotepwasworshippedashimself;soalsowasImho-
tep,whoattaineddivinitybeforeAmenhotep,andhad
twoshrinesdedicatedtohiscult,oneatMemphisandone
atPhilae.Thesetwodeifiedmen,somuchalikeintheir
earthlycareers,werecloselyconnectedinthemindsof
theEgyptians,andinthetempleofDerelMedinathe
figureoflmhotepappearsastheequalofAmenhotep.
