The men of the hnr
The men of the hnr

Summary/Abstract: The ancient Egyptian priesthood has been the centre of several Egyptological studies in the past decades. One religious group, the xnr, has been particularly discussed among Egyptologists. The nature of the duties of its members still raises questions, as many scholars consider them to be members of the king’s harem and others as simple musicians and dancers. The cause of so much debate is the primary presence of women in the iconographic representations of the group. However, several primary sources attest to the involvement of men from the Old Kingdom onward. This paper explores the representations of men within the xnr during the Old Kingdom in the images and the texts. The results reveal that men are documented as members of the xnr, from the Old Kingdom onward and occupied different levels within the group.

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