Golden House Publications Herihor in Art and Iconography: Kingship and the Gods in the Ritual Landscape of Late New Kingdom Thebes

Herihor is often relegated to the sidelines of historical narrative. Where considered at all he is frequently seen as a pretender to royal prerogative, a high priest assuming the trappings of kingship. Herihor has also been portrayed as the ruler of Thebes who instigated a new form of theocratic governance. This book examines such views by re-evaluating the art and iconography of Herihor within the contexts of both the wider ritual landscape and the political ideology of his time. As a result, new perspectives are presented both on the nature of Herihor's reign, and on ancient Egyptian kingship in general.