On the Originality of Udjahorresnet’s Biographical Inscriptions

Udjahorresnet was not only witness of the early Persian rule over Egypt but also a typical representative of the administrative elite of the late Twenty-sixth Dynasty. This paper discusses the similarities of the inscription on the Naophoro Vaticano with biographical inscriptions of Egyptian officials of the Twenty-sixth Dynasty, showing how the biographical parts of the inscription were embedded in traditional text genres referring to the original functional context of inscriptions on temple statues in Late Period Egypt. This functional context determines the biographical parts of the inscription highlighting benefactions of Udjahorresnet for the temple of Neith at Sais rather than providing an exhaustive historical report on the Persian conquest of Egypt.

(icon) = Open Access (icon) = Subscription Access