Setau
Encyclopedia
Setau was the Viceroy of Kush in the second half of Ramesses II
's reign. Contemporary records show that Setau served in this position from Year 38 until at least Year 63 of Ramesses II's reign. Setau was "a graduate of the royal school" and already enjoyed an impressive record of royal service which is detailed in a long autobiographical inscription carved at Wadi es-Sebua
. The temple of Wadi es-Sebua was built for Ramesses II by Setau around 1236 BC or Year 44 of this pharaoh's reign. Eleven of his stela, now in the Cairo Museum, were found in the courtyard of this temple and make it possible to establish his career and understand the precise duties of a viceroy. Setau states:
Setau was determined to set out his mark in Nubia and records that he:
Apart from the temple of Wadi es-Sebua, Setau also erected another temple at Gerf Hussein
on the West Bank of the Nile around Year 45 of Ramesses II. This temple, called the 'House of Ptah
' was a hemi-speos or a partially rock cut and partially exposed temple which was dedicated to Ptah, Ptah-Tatenen and Hathor
and associated with the pharaoh himself. An avenue of sphinxes here "led up to a pylon serving as the entrance to a peristyle court decorated with colossal Osirid statues." Setau also notes in his series of autobiographical stelas that much of his workforce was derived from foreign captives and funded by spoils captured by Ramesses II on his campaigns. This statement is supported by a Year 44 text made by Ramose (TT7)
, an Egyptian army officer, who states that the pharaoh directed Setau "to take captives from the land of the Libyans" in order to construct the large temple of Wadi es-Sebua. Unfortunately, however, Setau's ambitious goals to leave his mark on the country of Nubia were handicapped by inferior raw materials and his untrained workforce. As Joyce Tyldesley notes: "the buildings which he (ie. Setau) supervised, although at first sight magnificent, were by no means well built while even his own great stela were full of spelling mistakes."
Setau also built or renovated at a temple at El-Kab.
His tomb (TT289) is located in the Dra' Abu el-Naga'
area of the Theban Necropolis
. His sarcophagus lid and mortuary stela is today located in the British Museum
.
The tomb is large and decorated with scenes ranging from a funeral procession, to scenes from the book of the dead, to scenes of Setau - sometimes with his wife Nofretmut - before deities. Finds include the forementioned fragments of the granite sarcophagus of Setau, and a coffin lid of Setau's wife with figures of Thoth and Imset. Setau reused the pyramid belonging to tomb 288 which belonged to Bekenkhons whose tomb is also dated to the Ramesside period.
Ramesses II
Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...
's reign. Contemporary records show that Setau served in this position from Year 38 until at least Year 63 of Ramesses II's reign. Setau was "a graduate of the royal school" and already enjoyed an impressive record of royal service which is detailed in a long autobiographical inscription carved at Wadi es-Sebua
Wadi es-Sebua
Wadi es-Sebua, or Valley of the Lions , is the site of two New Kingdom Egyptian temples, including one impressively large temple spéos of Ramesses II, at the edge of Nasser lake in Lower Nubia. The first temple was built by Amenhotep III and subsequently restored by Ramesses II...
. The temple of Wadi es-Sebua was built for Ramesses II by Setau around 1236 BC or Year 44 of this pharaoh's reign. Eleven of his stela, now in the Cairo Museum, were found in the courtyard of this temple and make it possible to establish his career and understand the precise duties of a viceroy. Setau states:
Viceroy of Kush
Setau attracted the king's attention and records that he was promoted "to be High Steward of Amen. I served as Superintendent of the Treasury and Festival Leader of Amen" before finally being appointed as the Viceroy of Nubia.Setau was determined to set out his mark in Nubia and records that he:
Apart from the temple of Wadi es-Sebua, Setau also erected another temple at Gerf Hussein
Gerf Hussein
The temple of Gerf Hussein was originally a partly free-standing, and partly rock-cut temple of pharaoh Ramesses II, which was built by the Viceroy of Nubia, Setau, at a site some 90 km south of Aswan...
on the West Bank of the Nile around Year 45 of Ramesses II. This temple, called the 'House of Ptah
Ptah
In Ancient Egyptian Religion, Ptah was the deification of the primordial mound in the Ennead cosmogony, which was more literally referred to as Ta-tenen , meaning risen land, or as Tanen, meaning submerged land, though Tatenen was a god in his...
' was a hemi-speos or a partially rock cut and partially exposed temple which was dedicated to Ptah, Ptah-Tatenen and Hathor
Hathor
Hathor , is an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt...
and associated with the pharaoh himself. An avenue of sphinxes here "led up to a pylon serving as the entrance to a peristyle court decorated with colossal Osirid statues." Setau also notes in his series of autobiographical stelas that much of his workforce was derived from foreign captives and funded by spoils captured by Ramesses II on his campaigns. This statement is supported by a Year 44 text made by Ramose (TT7)
Ramose (TT7)
The Ancient Egyptian artisan Ramose lived in Deir el-Medina on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes, during the reigns of Ramesses II. He was buried in a tomb in the village necropolis....
, an Egyptian army officer, who states that the pharaoh directed Setau "to take captives from the land of the Libyans" in order to construct the large temple of Wadi es-Sebua. Unfortunately, however, Setau's ambitious goals to leave his mark on the country of Nubia were handicapped by inferior raw materials and his untrained workforce. As Joyce Tyldesley notes: "the buildings which he (ie. Setau) supervised, although at first sight magnificent, were by no means well built while even his own great stela were full of spelling mistakes."
Setau also built or renovated at a temple at El-Kab.
Burial
Dra' Abu el-Naga'
The necropolis of Dra' Abu el-Naga' is located on the West Bank of the Nile at Thebes, Egypt, just by the entrance of the dry bay that leads up to Deir el-Bahri, and north of the necropolis of el-Assasif....
area of the Theban Necropolis
Theban Necropolis
The Theban Necropolis is an area of the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes in Egypt. It was used for ritual burials for much of Pharaonic times, especially in the New Kingdom of Egypt.-Mortuary Temples:* Deir el-Bahri** Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut...
. His sarcophagus lid and mortuary stela is today located in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.
The tomb is large and decorated with scenes ranging from a funeral procession, to scenes from the book of the dead, to scenes of Setau - sometimes with his wife Nofretmut - before deities. Finds include the forementioned fragments of the granite sarcophagus of Setau, and a coffin lid of Setau's wife with figures of Thoth and Imset. Setau reused the pyramid belonging to tomb 288 which belonged to Bekenkhons whose tomb is also dated to the Ramesside period.