The Coronation of Harmhab Horemheb Comparing the Coronation of Solomon by David to Hatshepsut by Thutmose I.

The following is an attempt to illustrate from the original text as translated and quoted in Breasted's `Records of Ancient Egypt', Vol. III, Sec. 24-27, how the text would read when substituting the name(s) of the participants in the coronation ceremony.

The important information we learn from this coronation inscription is that the `god-king' who crowned Horemheb did not abdicate his throne himself by this action! This factor helps us realize that Horemheb could not have been a successor of the 18th Dynasty!

Here is the well known `Coronation' text:

The relevant parts of the Coronation of Harmhab text.

Substitute for `god' the name of the Assyrian King Sennacherib who gave Harmhab his daughter `Mutnodjme' as Queen wife.

Sec. 24: "... He came forth from the body, clothed with strength, the hue of a god was upon him. ... One generation passed, another [came] ... he knew the day of his satisfaction, to give to him his kingdom. Appointment to office "Behold, this god exalted his son before all the land; he desired to extend his steps until the coming of the day of his receiving his office, that he might give ... of his time... He appointed him to be chief of the land, to administer the laws of the Two Lands as hereditary prince of all this land; he was unique, without his second. ... Behold, he administered the Two Lands during a period of many years; there reported [to him] .... there [bowed down] the council in obeisance at the front of the palace, ... Then did Horus [claimed as his father god] proceed amid rejoicing to Thebes ... his son in his embrace to Karnak, to introduce him before Amon, to assign to him his office of king, to pass his life (as such). ... Then did the Majesty of this god see Horus, lord of Alabastronpolis, his son with him as king, introduced in order to give him his office and his throne."

"... Horemheb came forth from the body, clothed with strength, the hue of King Sennacherib was upon him. ... One generation passed, another [came] ... he knew the day of his satisfaction, to give to Horemheb his kingdom. Appointment to office "Behold, King Sennacherib exalted his son[-in-law] Horemheb before all the land; he desired to extend his steps until the coming of the day of his receiving his office, that he might give ... of his time... He appointed Horemheb to be chief of the land, to administer the laws of the Two Lands as hereditary prince of all this land; Horemheb was unique, without his second. ... Behold, Horemheb administered the Two Lands during a period of many years; there reported [to Horemheb] .... there [bowed down] the council in obeisance at the front of the palace, ... Then did Horus [claimed as his father god] proceed amid rejoicing to Thebes ... Horemheb in his embrace to Karnak, to introduce him before Amon, to assign to him his office of king, to pass his life (as such). ... Then did the Majesty of King Sennacherib see Horus, lord of Alabastronpolis, his son with him as king, introduced in order to give Horemheb his office and his throne."

In contrast to the above we read in another inscription: "Now when this festival in Southern Ope was ended ... he (the new king) set in order his land, organizing it after [the manner of] the time of Re. He renewed the temples of the gods [from] the marshes of the Delta to To-Sti. He fashioned all their images, distinguished above the original(s) and surpassing in beauty through what he did unto them...they having been found ruined in former time(s). ... He sought out the precincts of the gods which were in ruins in this land and set them in order (even) as they were since the time of primal antiquity..." The `gods' in this passage is in plural and does not refer to Sennacherib this time. The dating of Haremhab has become something of a central stumbling block in correcting the ancient history of Egypt. This pharaoh without a royal pedigree reigned about 120 years after the end of the 18th Dynasty kings. His efforts in associating himself with the native kings of this dynasty, in order to make his right to the throne believable for his people, are the reason that modern scholars have misunderstood his true moorings in time.

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