The Oryx nome ( Ancient Egyptian: 𓉇 Ma-hedj) was one of the 42 nomoi (administrative divisions, Egyptian: sepat) in ancient Egypt. The Oryx nome was the 16th nome of Upper Egypt, [1] and was named after the scimitar oryx (a type of antelope). It was located, approximately, in the territories surrounding the modern city of Minya in Middle Egypt.
The nome is mentioned on vessels found in the
pyramid complex of king
Djoser, who ruled at the beginning of the
Old Kingdom. Near
Zawyet el-Maiyitin were buried the local governors of the late Old Kingdom.
[2]
Most of the history of this nome in the
Middle Kingdom comes from the rock-cut tombs of its
nomarchs, which were buried at
Beni Hasan.
[1] Like many other nomes, the Oryx nome rose to prominence during the
First Intermediate Period, an epoch that witnessed the decline of royal power and the increase of the
local governors' influence. When, during the end of this period, the
11th Dynasty of
Theban rulers were close to defeating the rival
10th Dynasty of
Herakleopolis, the nomarch of the Oryx nome
Baqet III switched from neutrality to an allegiance to the Thebans.
[3] Subsequent nomarchs managed to gather a considerable amount of wealth between the late 11th to middle
12th Dynasty, as shown by their large and finely decorated tombs at Beni Hasan; some of these governors, like
Khnumhotep II, also held the national-level office of Overseer of the
Eastern Desert.
[1]
During the highly centralized reign of pharaoh
Senusret III, the power of the nomarchs of the Oryx nome may have declined dramatically, as no burials of governors were found after his reign.
[4] In the
Second Intermediate Period this nome became part of the
15th Upper Egyptian nome and disappeared as its own administrative unit.
[5]
The Oryx nome governed many important cities but for most of these the exact locations are still uncertain:
Akoris (modern Tihna el-Gebel),
Men'at Khufu (possibly Minya),
Hebenu (possibly Kom el-Ahmar),
Nefrusy (location unknown) and
Herwer (possibly Hur).
[1]
[6]
The capital of the Oryx nome is far to being securely determined. It may have been Herwer, though the nomarchs' necropolis is at Beni Hasan which was likely close to Men'at Khufu, and is known that some governors such as
Khnumhotep I were both nomarch and governor of Men'at Khufu.
[1]
According to the inscriptions on the White Chapel of Senusret I, the local god of the Oryx nome was Horus of Hebenu. Other important deities were Hathor at Nefrusy and the couple Khnum- Heqet at Herwer. [1] [7]
The following is a genealogy of the nomarchs of the Oryx nome during the late 11th and 12th Dynasty (the limit between the two dynasties passes approximately along the third and fourth generations). The nomarchs are underlined. [8]
Ramushenti | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Baqet III | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Khety | Baqet♀ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Henu♀ | Khnumhotep I | Zatipy♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amenemhat | Hetepet♀ | Nakht | Baqet♀ | Neheri | Nomarch of Hardai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Netjernakht | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Khnumhotep | Tjat♀ | Khnumhotep II | Khety♀ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Khnumhotep III | Khnumhotep IV | (many children, but no nomarchs) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||