During the 27th century BC, Ancient Egypt experienced a time of relative peace and
prosperity, which paved the way for great advancements to be made.The most
prominent figure to emerge during this period was an intellectually gifted man
named Imhotep who designed Egypt’s first pyramid and advanced several early
fields of science. His contributions to ancient Egyptian society were so
significant that he was deified centuries after his death, becoming the
son of Ptah, the god of architects.
Born a commoner in the city of Memphis,
Imhotep, whose name means “he who comes in peace,” is considered to be the first
genius and polymath in recorded history. Imhotep’s many roles in Ancient Egyptian
society included being a scribe, a priest, a stonemason, a physician, an astronomer,
and most famously, an architect. As described on the “Famine Stela”, an
eight-foot-tall stele inscribed into granite, the Nile River stopped flooding
during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser, the first ruler of Egypt’s 3rd Dynasty,
resulting in a drought and famine that lasted 7 years. Along with the
drought, crime and suffering intensified throughout the kingdom. Djoser turned to
the most revered man in all of Egypt for guidance,
Imhotep, who was the high-priest of the Sun God Ra in the Lower Egyptian city
of Heliopolis at the time. The stele goes on to say that Imhotep set out on a
spiritual journey, during which Khnum, the god of the Nile River appeared to
him in a dream and explained that he had placed a curse on the kingdom as
punishment for the pharaoh failing to appease him. Imhotep returned to Djoser
with his discovery and upon hearing the news, the Pharaoh issued a decree that
Khnum’s temple be restored and that offerings to the god be made regularly.
The floods soon returned and the kingdom once again
enjoyed the peace and prosperity that it had prior to the drought.
For saving the kingdom, Djoser appointed Imhotep to chief vizier, the
highest title available underneath the pharaoh, and a position given only to
those thought to possess extraordinary intelligence and supernatural abilities.
As chief vizier, Imhotep was the pharaoh’s most trusted advisor in all matters of
state and religion. Following the long drought and famine,
Djoser wished to prove to his kingdom that the gods had not abandoned him and his
rule. The paraoh's plan was to construct a colossal tomb, which would act as a
symbol of his divine kingship and would also facilitate his ascension into the
eternal realm upon his death. All previous pharaohs had been buried in the
Upper Egyptian city of Abydos, however Djoser parted with tradition and
sought to be buried elsewhere. He chose an area called Saqqara, which functioned as
a necropolis for the Lower Egyptian city of Memphis. Djoser enlisted his chief
vizier, Imhotep, who was regarded as the greatest
architect in Egypt to design the structure and oversee its construction.
Previously all funerary monuments had been built in a form called a mastaba,
meaning "house of eternity." A mastaba is a large, rectangular, flat-roofed
structure, made of dried mud-brick that covers an underground burial chamber.
Imhotep cleverly conceived of stacking six square mastabas on top of one
another, gradually making them smaller to form a
pyramidal shape. He used limestone blocks instead of traditional dried mud-brick
which allowed the structure to remain exceptionally well-preserved
for nearly five millennia. The pyramids interior was designed as a labyrinth;
complete with tunnels, shafts, burial chambers, and even chapels. Imhotep
constructed an entire complex surrounding the pyramid as well, which
included courtyards, temples, shrines, and houses for priests who maintained the
premises. Once completed, the Step Pyramid towered 205 feet or 62 meters above the
ground, making it the tallest structure in the world at the time. Its radical
design would go on to spark an architectural revolution, providing the
basis for all future pyramids. Djoser was so impressed with the result
that he ordered Imhotep’s name inscribed alongside his own – disregarding tradition,
which permitted only the name of a pharaoh to appear on a monument. The base
of this statue of Djoser that’s located in the pyramid’s complex bears
Imhotep’s name along with several of his many titles. “He Who Belongs To Nobility”
“First Man Under The Pharaoh” “Sealer of the Bee Goddess” “The Great Stargazer”
“High-priest of Heliopolis” “Master of Architects” Imhotep established an
organization for builders, which laid the foundation for Freemasonry. It's believed
by some Egyptologists that Imhotep authored the earliest medical text ever
discovered, referred to as the "Edwin Smith Papyrus". The text contains 48
medical case histories presented in a clear, rational and scientific manner
that is remarkably advanced for its time. The Edwin Smith Papyrus leads some to
argue that Imhotep is the true father of medicine, rather than Hippocrates, who
lived 2,000 years later. Imhotep is also considered to be the first astronomer in
history, and is credited with inventing the world’s first calendar that was
divided into 12 equal months, each consisting of 30 days. Imhotep preached
the importance of maintaining a positive attitude in life. His best-known proverb
is "Eat Drink And Be Merry For Tomorrow We Shall Die." After Djoser's death,
Imhotep retained his role as chief vizier under each succeeding pharaoh
that followed, until his own death which occurred during the reign of Pharaoh
Huni, the final ruler of the 3rd dynasty.
Imhotep developed a cult-following centuries after his death, which
eventually elevated him to the status of a god in 525 BC, following the Persian
conquest of Egypt led by Cambyses the second. Egyptians would bring offerings
to his shrines, such as mummified ibises and clay models of diseased body parts,
in hopes of being healed. His tomb has never been found,
however Egyptologists speculate that it's located in an undocumented mastaba
in Saqqara. Through sheer brilliance Imhotep built
Egypt’s first pyramid and became regarded as a god by future generations.
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