(fl. 15th century B.C.E.) Eighteenth Dynasty court official
He served Queen-Pharaoh HATSHEPSUT (r. 1473–1458 B.C.E.) as VIZIER or ranking governor. A’ametju belonged to a powerful family of THEBES. His father, Neferuben, was governor (or vizier) of Lower Egypt and his uncle, Userman, served TUTHMOSIS III (r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.) in the same position. Userman’s tomb at Thebes contains wall paintings that depict the installation of government officials in quite elaborate ceremonies.
The most famous member of A’ametju’s family was REKHMIRE, who replaced Userman as vizier for Tuthmosis III. Rekhmire’s vast tomb at Thebes contains historically vital scenes and texts concerning the requirements and obligations of government service in Egypt. Some of these texts were reportedly dictated to Rekhmire by Tuthmosis III himself. Another family that displayed the same sort of dedicated performers is the clan of the AMENEMOPETS. A’amu (Troglodytes) This was a term used by the Egyptians to denote the Asiatics who tried to invade the Nile Valley in several historical periods. AMENEMHET I (r. 1991–1962 B.C.E.) described his military campaigns on the eastern border as a time of “smiting the A’amu.” He also built or refurbished the WALL OF THE PRINCE, a series of fortresses or garrisoned outposts on the east and west that had been started centuries before to protect Egypt’s borders. One campaign in the Sinai resulted in more than 1,000 A’amu prisoners.
The HYKSOS were called the A’amu in records concerning the Second Intermediate Period (1640–1532 B.C.E.) and ’AHMOSE (r. 1550–1525 B.C.E.), the founder of the New Kingdom. RAMESSES II (r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) used the term to designate the lands of Syria and Palestine. In time the A’amu were designated as the inhabitants of western Asia. In some eras they were also called the Troglodytes.
