TT100, the tomb of REKHMIRE at Thebes - Luxor - Egypt

Rekhmire was seated at the end of the wall, facing left. This has been completely effaced and the area where he was covered with red paint; we recognize the faint trace at his feet as a goose of Amun . Above him is a short text informs us that Rekhmire is "in session to  judge
between the poor and the rich in the same way,
 

Rekhmire stood in a large room whose columns are inscribed halfway up with the name of Thutmose - Menkheperre "beloved of Maat".

The artist has separated the people admitted in the courtroom from those outside 

 
 Before the vizier are four mats each supporting ten elongated objects. One thinks, of course, of the 40 leather rolls bearing the text of the laws or these are the  batons of authority which serve the assessors.

 
The Grandees of the Southern Ten are placed before him on the right and left, with as many scribes, 40 people in total. If the petitioners are treated with respect by the ushers in and out of the room, it is not the same for those respondents if their accounts have not been found satisfactory.
 Outside the building, at the top and bottom of the scene, two messengers rush to the courtroom. They carry in one hand a plant and the other a stick, while the official who greets them has only a stick.

TT100, the tomb of REKHMIRE at Thebes -Luxor - Egypt

 

a large inscription of 45 lines, damaged by numerous pieces falling off: which gives the autobiography of the Vizier
It was written in hieroglyphics from a hieratic original.

His Duties




Order of Precedence
When a person speaks to another, it must be done according to their social level (literally: when one (person) that addresses another (person) it must be (done) with every man according to his rank.

Reports about warehouses
He will report the sealing of warehouses and their opening at the right time. He will report on everything that enters into or leaves the territory of the Residence, when they come in and they go out,

Protocol for interviews with the King


Judgment of a dishonest magistrate

Do not allow any magistrate to have power over a decision (made) in his office. If a complaint happens against one of the judges who is in his office, he (the Vizier) will ensure that this leads the judge into the courtroom. It is the Vizier who must punish (him) according to his crime. Do not allow that any magistrate has power over punishment in his office. One will make a report on every judgment relating to the office he formerly occupied.

Assistants to the Vizier


The register of criminals

Consultation of documents

Arable land and cadastral land
As for any witness that the Vizier sends to him concerning any complainant, he must ensure that that person returns to him. But as for anyone who complains about the fields, it is that person who will take care of it (literally: it is up to him to entrust it)

Districts Advisors
Moreover, it is he who leads the district councilors, it is them who send to him. They will submit a report on the state of their districts. It is to him that one must bring every deed of gift, and it is he who seals them.

Arable lands and demarcation
It is he who makes the award of any terrain.

Sending assistants
It is he who sends each assistant of the royal domain who is sent to Governors and district Governors. It is he who sends out any messenger, any expedition from the royal domain.

Appointment of, and role of Officials
It is he who dictates who is a member of the (literally is in) the magistrate colleges of Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt,

Management of the army
It is he who organizes the gathering of troops, .

Interviews of officials
And he make sure that every official (literally any function) from the highest to the lowest in the Vizier's office greets his counterpart.

Management of those responsible for major works
It is he who sends (men) to cut trees according to what was announced in the royal domain. It is he who sends the members of the district council to create channels in the entire country. It is to him the Governors and district Governors send to arrange labour for plowing and harvesting. It is he who appoints the director of the police in the office of the royal domain. It is he who decides who judges Governors and district governors that come in his name from Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.

Operating reports
One will make a report about all (judicial) cases. One will do a report about the state of the fortresses of Upper Egypt and any imprisonment of someone who will flee [.] It is he who raises taxes in each district, he shall judge for them.

State owned land
It is he who sends out teams of cadastral scribes to deal with the Lord's affairs. That is what is judged about all the fields of the Nome documents must be found in his office. It is he who establishes the boundaries for each prefecture (decides) of all pastures, all divine offerings and everything of value.

Investigation and jugdment
It is for him that each public proclamation is made, it is he who listens to every complaint. [...] When a man goes to court with his fellow man.
 It is he who appoints one to be appointed to the audience hall.
 It is in the royal domain that anyone who should be questioned should come to him.
 It is he who listens to every decree. It is he who hears about the lack of any divine offering.
 It is he who collects all taxes as returned from whoever gives him.

TT100, the tomb of REKHMIRE at Thebes -Luxor - Egypt

 

monkeys, a basket of skins (top right), two bundles of reed arrows, a bag with? Ten peculiar pieces of wood, products of the nebes tree: ten arches made of its wood, three skins filled with a fruit paste and two baskets containing cakes made with those same fruits.
 

Register 2 ( more nebes tree fruit, a basket of "skins", pigeons in cages


Register 3  : this time there are boxes full of textiles, gold and silver rings
 
 (these are white,  et des colliers comportant des perles d'or.

and collars having gold beads 

Register 4  : the stack of objects is replaced by a balance with which precious metals are being weighed. A scribe carefully notes the results. The scene is very damaged.

Register 5 : is in very poor condition. Davies describes bags, reed mats, cordage and ten millstone wheels made of hard red stone.
 

 Note that there are no fish, goats or pigs shown (not food of the elite) and that the only birds represented are pigeons

TT100, the tomb of REKHMIRE at Thebes-Luxor -Egypt

The tax collectors are placed to the right of the registers, separated from the payers by stacks of contributions

TT100, the tomb of REKHMIRE at Thebes-Luxor -Egypt

 processions that are bringing to the Vizier produce of the cities south and and north of Thebes (regions called "The head of Upper Egypt", which reach from Elephantine to Assiut)


 These regions, north and south, comprise of 40 tax districts each (a total of 80). Each of the 80 district officials brings its contribution, livestock, agricultural and other products, but also frequently in rings or necklaces of gold and silver

  its contribution in precious metals expressed in deben (1 deben = 91g)

TT100, the tomb of REKHMIRE at Thebes-Luxor -Egypt

The transverse hall is divided into two wings, north (right as you enter, by the entrance door . The south wing contains the most interesting elements:
the text upon the Duties of the Vizier, a ‘Vizier Investiture’ text by Thutmose III, as well as scenes of tribute arriving from foreign nations. In the north wing there are more traditional scenes of hunting and fishing, as well as the genealogy of the Vizier.

 

 The tops of the walls are occupied by the classical frieze pattern khakerou, while at their base runs a band consisting of two yellow and red bands bordered by black lines, below comes an empty space that goes down to the ground. 
 

TT100, the tomb of REKHMIRE at Thebes-Luxor -Egypt

 

Door frames and ceilings
 1)- The inside of the front door


  Lintel and jambs carry traditional prayers to Re-Horakhty, Amon-Ra, Thoth and Osiris.

 2)- The door between the transverse and longitudinal rooms

 
The lintel bears an invocatory offering to twelve deities, those on the left representing the forms of Osiris
 
These are "Amon-Ra, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands in Karnak", "Anubis, who is upon his hill, Lord of To-djeser", "Re-Horakhty in heaven", "Osiris in Orion of the southern sky", "Hathor, Regent of Thebes in Karnak",
  
"Thoth, at the head of Igeret", "Osiris Lord of Life", "Osiris Onnuris", "Osiris, who is Gold of Millions", "Osiris, Lord of Eternity", "Osiris of the places of life", 


 
"Osiris, Lord of Eternity", "Osiris of the places of life", "Osiris at the head of Tenenet in Tenenet". The six prayers on the jambs are made to Mut, Re-Atum-Horakhty, Amon, Amonet, and Osiris.
 

b)- Internal face
 
On the lintel, we read: "The hereditary prince, the companion who can approach the god (= the king), who is in the heart of Horus, Master of the Two Lands, the dignitary whose heart is open, the Sem-priest, the supervisor of all the ceremonial loincloths, the sab, the chief judge, the voice of Nekhen, the priest of Maat, the daily giver of Ma'at for the Lord of the Two Lands, the mayor of the City (= Thebes) the Vizier, Rekhmire He said: 'It is Hepet who relaxes the restraints that are on my mouth. It is the god of my city that comes forth as Thoth, fully equipped with my magic; he has released the Seth restraints that were on my mouth to oppose Atum. 
 
After he (Thoth) has released the (magical restraints), my mouth is not closed, my mouth is opened by Ptah by this, his copper chisel, with which he opens his mouth the gods. I am Sekhem-outet who sits at the side of the great West of the sky. I am the goddess Sahyet, amid the great Baou of Heliopolis. As for the magic and all the words that I have spoken, the Gods stand before them the whole Ennead of Gods and the whole Ennead of Goddesses".


 3)- The ceilings

These are very damaged, so that the decorative motifs are barely visible. As usual, longitudinal and transverse colour bands imitate wooden beams and bear texts:
 The texts of the other bands are very fragmentary.