Sah, note the necklace and cylinder seal as determinative), and the signet was repeatedly used in ancient Egypt to denote a man of noble rank, one who was allowed to carry a signet with the royal name engraven upon it. Osiris is named Sahu, “seal bearer” of the gods whom he has called into existence, and a hymn[[28]] calls him the glorious Sahu among the sahus. The Prince Khnemhetep (2000 B.C.), at Beni Hasan, says of himself that he was distinguished above all the king’s nobles (sahu); that is to say, the order of men bearing the signet or sign of investiture. A mummified person is also called Sahu, in virtue of investiture.[[29]]
The Great Seals of State were as important in ancient Egypt as they are in this country, and it was only by the king bestowing his own seal, or one of the Great Seals of State, on one of his subjects, that he could delegate his authority. In the Biblical account of Joseph we read, “and Pharaoh said unto Joseph, see, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand ... and made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.” That this ceremony was true, and that the giving of the seal or ring of office by the king, or by one of his ministers, on the appointment of a high government official, was indeed usual, is proved by several inscriptions: at the time of the middle of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Amenhetep III (1450 B.C.) places “the two lands” in the “hands” of the Vezîr Ptahmes, and “the signet rings of the Horus” (i.e., the Sovereign) upon his fingers.[[30]] In a scene in the tomb of Hûy at Thebes, which is here (Pl. II) published for the first time, the Chancellor of King Tutânkhamen, 1350 B.C., presents the gold signet ring of the office of Royal Son (i.e., Viceroy) of Ethiopia “to the Prince Hûy, in order that the office of the Royal Son of Ethiopia may be made to flourish.”
5. The Officials Concerned in its use.
As the seal was put to such varied and important uses in Ancient Egypt, it is no wonder that many officials of the Government were concerned in its employment. There were
khetemtiu,[[31]] “sealers” (singular
khetemu, “a sealer”), attached to almost every department of the public service,[[32]] as well as to all the religious institutions of the country; and even wealthy noblemen[[33]] usually had one or more of these “sealers” in their household, whose duty it was to give out from the khetemu, “sealed rooms” or “store rooms,” the provisions and other private property required by the great man or by his household. So important was it that the process of sealing jars, boxes, and doors should be done properly, that
seḥez,[[34]] “instructors,” in the art were employed.