Udjahorresnet and His World

Sixth-century BCE Egypt spawned a key figure of ancient cross-regional diplomacy. The Egyptian politician and chief physician Udjahorresnet had important inner-political roles in the former Egyptian kingship realm and became a significant figure in transforming Egypt into a regional centre within the vast and culturally diverse empire of the Achaemenid Persians.

Udjahorresnet's reputation was such that he was revered some two centuries after his death, but today many scholars view him as a collaborator. He was, no doubt, a complex man, and he left a complex record reflecting the complex world in which he lived. The thirteen essays in this volume explore his life, his texts, his artifacts and his milieu.