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tion and refer to someone who serves the gods in a similar way.'? However, titles with the
extension wb ©wj ‘clean of hands’ are attested in the sacral area, such as wr m3w wb “wj
‘greatest of the seers clean of hands’ or wb w% “wj ‘wab-priest clean of hands’, examin¬
ing the appearances of the functional title wb} nswt wb “wj ‘royal wb3 clean of hands’ in
the textual sources of the officials, the correlation between the religious function of the
titleholder and the title itself is not unequivocal and substantiated at all. There are forty
individuals in the present corpus who bore this title’ but only eight of them also bore
religious functional titles referring to their activity in the sacral sphere as well.” In the
case of the ‘royal wb3’, the extension w% ‘.wj ‘clean of hands’ presumably does not refer
to a sacral aspect of the function but rather to the ritually pure state of the person in the
immediate presence of whom the official fulfils his duty, i.e. the ruler himself who is the
son of the god and also a god himself. In this respect it is only a purified person who may
look at him, probably even touch him and handle his food and drink, just as in the case
of the wab-priests during the provision of the gods in the temples.
Contrary to expectations, however, the contemporary sources of the officials did not
provide any more detailed information on the functional meaning of the title. The only
fact which could be determined is that this extension only occurs with the title wb3 nswt
‘royal wb3’ but no example was found with the other title wdpw nswt ‘royal wdpw’, the
reason for which must have been explained by the difference of the usage of two titles,
as discussed below.'”
193 Helck, 1958, 269, Gregersen, 2007, 841, n. 1.
4 Al-Ayedi, 2006, 216, 238. Taylor qualifies the title wb “wj ‘clean of hands’ as an independent one,
even in cases where it obviously belongs to the functional title wb3 nswt wb ".wj royal wb3 clean
of hands’. Taylor, 2001, 94-95, nos. 859, 861, 862, 865.
'5 The individuals who bore the title wh3 nswt wb “wj ‘royal wb3 clean of hands’ are the following:
from the 18" dynasty — Djehuti (1), Qenamun, Neferperet, Montuiui, Suemniut, Neferweben,
Maaninakhtef, Heqanakht, Neferrenpet (I), Sarenenutet Tjaui, Seth, Parennefer, Ptahemwia (1),
Ipay, Ipu, Paatenemheb, Qema, Pay, Nensemekhetef, Djehuti (IL); from the 19" dynasty — Ptahpat¬
ener, Hesiefshemsunesu, Hesinetjeref, Pare|...], Unknown 1, Sethherwenemef, Tjai Ta, Nebmerutef,
lanefer, Sety, Atumemtaneb, Ramessesnakht, Ramessesuserpehti, Ramessesemperre, Pentawer,
Ramessesheru, Paenrenenutet, Merneptahemperptah; from the 20" dynasty — Amenhotep; from
the New Kingdom — Unknown 3. For the list, see table 1.1. in the Appendix.
From the 18" dynasty Djehuti (I), Qenamun, Suemniut, Maaninakhtef, Neferrenpet (I), Sarenenutet
Tjaui, Parennefer; from the 19"* dynasty Ptahpatener.
‘7 For further discussion of the usage of the two titles, see p. 91.