Egypt: Tomb of Rekhmire

Wilkinson in 1835 wrote that this tomb, of a vizier of Upper Egypt who was second in command to Thutmes II, was "the most curious, I may say, of all the tombs in Thebes, since it throws more light on the manners and customs of the Egyptians than any hitherto discovered." Rekhmire wrote of himself as follows: there was "nothing of which he was ignorant in heaven, on earth, or in any quarter of the underworld." Not only that, Rekmire claimed that he "managed the vast royal estates, supervised temples, judged court cases, checked irrigation schemes...[and] judged impartially between the pauper and the wealthy. I rescued the weakling from the bully. I warded off the rage of the bad-tempered and I repressed the acts of the covetous.... I gave bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, meat, beer, and clothing to him who had none." Still, he was ultimately disgraced and apparently never buried in the tomb prepared for him. (Quotes from Kent R. Weeks, The Treasures of Luxor, 2005, p. 392-3.)