Imhotep

One of the Ancient Egyptians most revered in his time and after, was not a king, but a man by the name of Imhotep. His name means the one who comes in peace , and it is a befitting name for someone held in such esteem even after his death.

Imhotep was believed for a fairly long time to be nothing but a mythological figure, and is very similar in some ways to the Judeo-Christian's Joseph (of Techni-colored Dreamcoat fame). During the nineteenth century AD, however, it was discovered that Imhotep was a real historical person, not just one of many Egyptian gods.

Very little information remains on the life of the mortal Imhotep, while his reputation has gone far through the ages. Some say he was born in a town outside of Memphis, while others believe he may have been from a place close to Thebes . His parentage is mostly speculative, though common belief is that he was born into a very common family, but through hard work, a fair share of genius, and a lot of dedication, Imhotep brought himself through the ranks of society and eventually turned into a person of myth and legend.

In these legends, he was believed to be the son of Ptah (the Egyptian god believed to be responsible for calling the world into being) and a mortal woman (later believed to be the goddess Sekhmet and not a mortal at all). Imhotep is considered to be responsible for the use of columns in Egyptian architecture and for the creation of and advancements in the field of ancient Egyptian medicine.

Imhotep held many titles throughout his life, including chancellor to the Pharoah Djoser and high priest of the Egyptian sun god Ra. The Pyramid of Djoser was built to Imhotep's specifications, northwest of the Egyptian city of Memphis during the 27th century BC. The pyramid itself was 62 meters high before the elements began to wear it down.

He was also believed to be the founder of ancient Egyptian medicine, and wrote extensively on the treatment of around 200 different diseases during the 3rd Dynasty. After being dead for two thousand years, the greatness of Imhotep led the people to name him a god, particularly in the fields of wisdom, medicine, and magic. He was praised as the inventor of healing, and was believed to be the one who held up Nut, the goddess of sky.

Regardless of whether or not Imhotep was a real historical figure, his reputation is maintained even now; his architectural work and discoveries in ancient medicine have become the basis of both fields as they are now. Without his genius and ingenuity, who knows how things could have played out differently for all of us.