I thought this would be better ignored in its own thread. To quote myself from this post:
The early meaning of the title "Greatest of the five of the House of Thoth" is obscure. The 1st appearance I can find is the 4th Dynasty in which Sneferu's presumed son Nefermaat also held the title among others "Guardian of Nekhen, greatest of the five of the House of Thoth . First Vizier of Sneferu". Nekhen is otherwise know as Hierakonpolis. As an aside, it is interesting Hierakonplois needed "guarding" and why. More about this city here: The Enigma of the Palace Facade Mastabas of the 1st Dynasty. More can be found on Nefermaat here:
The Mastabas of Meidum- A New Perspective. Nefermaat had a son named "Hemiunu" which is thought to be one and the same as Khufu's vizier Hemiunu.
Some questions are-when is the first use of the title "greatest of the five of the House of Thoth"? What other contexts is it found, or Thoth in general, during the Old Kingdom and earlier that might shed further light on its meaning? Is this title used in the 5th or 6th Dynasties?
For now I find it interesting the only references to this title I can find in the OK are related in some way to Sneferu, who in one form or another was definitely involved in the construction/conversion of 3 of the 5 great true pyramids, otherwise perhaps known as the "5 houses of Thoth".
I am reminded of this old thread (which until now forgot I even started):
Khufu and the Sanctuary of Thoth
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Despite the titles of Ankhhaf [4th Dynasty] found in his mastaba none mention Khufu. An interesting detour here is one of his titles says he is the "eldest [king's] son of his body" and "vizier and great one of Five of the house of Thoth". We know from the Merer Diary he is overseer at least of Akhet-Khufu-the G1 pyramid complex. Interestingly, Hemiunu, believed to be the "architect" of G1 (because of his title "Overseer of All Construction Projects of the King, king's [grand]son of his own body" which is vague), one of his titles reads as well:
"King's son of his body, chief justice and vizier, greatest of the five of the House of Thoth".
Hmm. Ankhhaf would not have been alive to see G3 built, converted as I have argued, into a pyramid. I am left to wonder if a "House of Thoth" is a pyramid, specifically a true pyramid, in which G1 would certainly be the "greatest" of the 5 great true pyramids at that point-Medium, BP, RP, G1, and G2. The rub, however, if true, this would mean G2 was already a true pyramid, or at least on its way to being one, during the reign of Khufu....
The early meaning of the title "Greatest of the five of the House of Thoth" is obscure. The 1st appearance I can find is the 4th Dynasty in which Sneferu's presumed son Nefermaat also held the title among others "Guardian of Nekhen, greatest of the five of the House of Thoth . First Vizier of Sneferu". Nekhen is otherwise know as Hierakonpolis. As an aside, it is interesting Hierakonplois needed "guarding" and why. More about this city here: The Enigma of the Palace Facade Mastabas of the 1st Dynasty. More can be found on Nefermaat here:
The Mastabas of Meidum- A New Perspective. Nefermaat had a son named "Hemiunu" which is thought to be one and the same as Khufu's vizier Hemiunu.
Some questions are-when is the first use of the title "greatest of the five of the House of Thoth"? What other contexts is it found, or Thoth in general, during the Old Kingdom and earlier that might shed further light on its meaning? Is this title used in the 5th or 6th Dynasties?
For now I find it interesting the only references to this title I can find in the OK are related in some way to Sneferu, who in one form or another was definitely involved in the construction/conversion of 3 of the 5 great true pyramids, otherwise perhaps known as the "5 houses of Thoth".
I am reminded of this old thread (which until now forgot I even started):
Khufu and the Sanctuary of Thoth
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The Westcar Papyrus is generally accepted to date to the Hyksos period c. 1,800BC and tells several tales of Khufu's court referring to Sneferu, who is still alive at the time apparently, and Khafre as a "prince", presumably Khufu's son or perhaps brother. The Westcar Papyrus is believed to have been copied from earlier sources, but in the least it is clear at the time it was written c. 1,800BC Sneferu, Khufu, and Khafre were all considered interrelated corroborating several later king's lists.
[www.ancient-egypt.org]
Regardless, there is an interesting bit that struck me in the tale "Djedi the Magician". It says:
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Now the Majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt Kheops (Khufu), justified, had spent days in looking for these secret chambers of the sanctuary of Thot(h), in order to build something similar for his tomb....
The Sanctuary of Thoth is believed to have been located in the city of Khmum (Hermopolis) on the borders of upper and lower Egypt whose origins date back to as least the 1st Dynasty.
[www.topoi.org]. Obviously, the Sanctuary of Thoth was well established in Khufu's day and apparently a mystery even to him implying it was already quite old by the 4th Dynasty. There are no pyramids of this time in Khmum and the WCP does not mention pyramids, but regardless Khufu wants to find the secret chambers to build something similar for his own tomb.
What is the Sanctuary of Thoth?
Who built it and when?
Who really was Thoth?
If Thoth's sanctuary was made by the AE for the AE why is its location not only a secret to Khufu, but apparently Sneferu as well?
If the Sanctuary of Thoth was not a pyramid, how does this relate to Khufu's "tomb"?