Masaharta

Masaharta
High Priest of Amun
Reign	1054–1045 BC, Concurrent with the 21st Dynasty
Predecessor	Pinedjem I
Successor	Djedkhonsuefankh
Royal titulary

Masaharta in hieroglyphs

Masaharta or Masaherta was the High Priest of Amun at Thebes between 1054 BC and 1045 BC.

His father was Pinedjem I, who was the Theban High Priest of Amun and de facto ruler of Upper Egypt from 1070 BC, then declared himself pharaoh in 1054 BC and Masaharta succeeded him as high priest. His mother was probably Duathathor-Henuttawy, the daughter of Ramesses XI, last ruler of the 20th dynasty. His aunt Tentamun, another daughter of Ramesses married Pharaoh Smendes I, who ruled Lower Egypt. One of Masaharta's brothers was Psusennes I, who followed Smendes's successor, the short-lived Amenemnisu as pharaoh.^[1]

Masaharta was responsible for the restoration of the mummy of Amenhotep I in the 16th regnal year of Smendes. Several of his inscriptions are known from the Karnak temple of Amenhotep II, from ram-headed sphinxes also in Karnak, and a large falcon statue. He died of illness around the 24th regnal year at el-Hiba. His mummy was found in the Deir el-Bahri cache along with several family members; it is now in Luxor.^[2] He was succeeded as high priest by his brother Djedkhonsuefankh, who served only for a short time and was followed by another brother, Menkheperre. The God's Wife of Amun was their sister Maatkare during Masaharta's reign.

His wife is likely to have been the Singer of Amun Tayuheret, whose mummy was found in the Deir el-Bahri cachette.^[3] It is possible that he had a daughter called Isetemkheb, since a lady by this name is called the daughter of a high priest on her funerary objects; it is also possible, though, that she was Menkheperre's daughter.^[4]

Sources

1. ^ Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson (2004) ISBN 0-500-05128-3, pp.200-201
2. ^ Dodson & Hilton, op.cit., p.207
3. ^ Dodson & Hilton, p.209
4. ^ Dodson & Hilton, p.206