Pharaoh.SEPHARAOH.SE

Ay

The fourteenth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty
Prenomen: Kheperkheperura–Irimaat
Also known as: Aja · Aya
Accession 1322 BC
End of reign 1320 BC
Duration 2 years
Highest attested year Year 4
Ay is believed to be the father of Nefertiti. the wife of Akhenaten. When Tutankhamun died, his powerful vizier Ay quickly stepped in and assumed kingship, despite fact that general Horemhab was the designated heir. Manetho assigned Armais with a reign for 4-5 years, which usually has been assigned to Ay instead, based on his known highest date of 4 years. It is now believed that the assignation of Armais to Horemhab was correct, but the number of years should be raised by ten. This leaves Ay unaccounted for by Manetho, unless one of the three(!) Akenchereses could somehow be assigned to Ay.

Titulary & Hieroglyphs

kA-nxt tHn-xaw
Ka nakht tjehen khau
kꜢ-nḫt tḥn-ḫꜤw
"The strong bull, the one of glittering crowns"
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:146-147, 14:H1·Lepsius, “Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien”:III, 113b+c
kA-nxt THn-xprw
Ka nakht tjehen kheperu
kꜢ-nḫt ṯḥn-ḫprw
"The strong bull, the one of dazzling manifestations"
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:146-147, 14:H2·Lepsius, “Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien”:III, 113a
kA-nxt THn-xprw
Ka nakht tjehen kheperu
kꜢ-nḫt ṯḥn-ḫprw
"The strong bull, the one of dazzling manifestations"
Stela found at Giza (CG 34187)
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:146-147, 14:H3
sxm-pHtj dr-sTt
Sekhem pehty der setet
sḫm-pḥtꞽ dr-sṯt
"Who is mighty of strength, who subdues the Asiatics"
Panopolis Grotto
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:146-147, 14:N1·Lepsius, “Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien”:III, 114b+c
HqA-mAat sxpr-tAwj
Heqa Maat sekheper tawy
ḥḳꜢ-mꜢꜤt sḫpr-tꜢwꞽ
"The ruler of truth, who created the Two Lands"
Panopolis Grotto
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:146-147, 14:G·Lepsius, “Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien”:III, 114b+c
xpr-xprw-ra
Kheper kheperu Ra
ḫpr-ḫprw-rꜤ
"Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra"
Tomb of Tutankhamun KV62, burial chamber, north wall
PaM, I, 570 (8:1)
xpr-xprw-ra
Kheper kheperu Ra
ḫpr-ḫprw-rꜤ
"Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra"
Urkunden des aegyptischen Altertums IV, 2108
xpr-xprw-ra jrj-mAat
Kheper kheperu Ra, iri Maat
ḫpr-ḫprw-rꜤ ꞽrꞽ-mꜢꜤt
"Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra, who does what is right"
Panopolis Grotto
Lepsius, “Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien”:III, 114b+c
xpr-xprw-ra jrj-mAat
Kheper kheperu Ra, iri Maat
ḫpr-ḫprw-rꜤ ꞽrꞽ-mꜢꜤt
"Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra, who does what is right"
Tomb of Ay (KV23)
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:146-147, 14:T1·Lepsius, “Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien”:III, 113a+d
xpr-xprw-ra jrj-mAat
Kheper kheperu Ra, iri Maat
ḫpr-ḫprw-rꜤ ꞽrꞽ-mꜢꜤt
"Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra, who does what is right"
Sarcophagus of Ay
d'Avennes, Histoire de l'art Egyptien, Atlas I, plate 6
Lepsius, “Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien”:III, 113d
xpr-xprw-ra jrj-mAat
Kheper kheperu Ra, iri Maat
ḫpr-ḫprw-rꜤ ꞽrꞽ-mꜢꜤt
"Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra, who does what is right"
Urkunden des aegyptischen Altertums IV, 2107
xpr-xprw-ra jrj-mAat
Kheper kheperu Ra, iri Maat
ḫpr-ḫprw-rꜤ ꞽrꞽ-mꜢꜤt
"Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra, who does what is right"
Brooklyn Museum 66.174.1
jtj-nTr ay
It netjer Ay
ꞽtꞽ-nṯr Ꜥy
"God's father, Ay"
The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 18, 50-52
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:146-147, 14:E2
jt-nTr ay nTr-HqA-wAst
It netjer Ay netjer heqa Waset
ꞽt-nṯr Ꜥy nṯr-ḥḳꜢ-wꜢst
"God's father, Ay, God and ruler of Thebes"
Sarcophagus of Ay
d'Avennes, Histoire de l'art Egyptien, Atlas I, plate 6
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:146-147, 14:E1·Lepsius, “Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien”:III, 113; 114b+c

References