Ramessesnakht

Ramessesnakht was High Priest of Amun during many years in the 20th Dynasty. He was appointed as the High Priest at Thebes under Ramesses IV. He served in office until the reign of Ramesses IX. It was during Ramessesnakht's tenure that the power and importance of the Amun priesthood grew over Egypt while the Pharaoh's power began to noticeably decline.

He was the son of Meribastet, steward to the pharaoh. Ramessesnakht was married to Adjedet-Aat, the daughter of Setau, High Priest of Nekhbet, and had at least two sons: Nebamun and Amenhotep, and a daughter Tamerit. His son Amenhotep (High Priest of Amun) would succeed him in office. His daughter Tamerit married Amenemopet, Third Prophet of Amun, making the family related through marriage to another important priestly family, that of Bakenkhonsu who served as High Priest of Amun under Ramesses II. (Amenemopet was Bakenkhonsu's grandson through his daughter Nefertari.) Ramessesnakht is depicted in his father-in-law Setau's tomb in El-Kab.

While in office, the High Priest Ramessesnakht personally led a massive mining expedition to the rock quarries of Wadi Hammamat in Year 3 of Ramesses IV which consisted of 8,368 men alone including 5,000 soldiers, 2,000 personnel of the Amun temples, 800 Apiru and 130 stonemasons and quarrymen. This was recorded on a rock cut stela. He secured gold and galena (for eye paint) under Ramesses VII and IX.

He was buried in TT293 during the reign of Ramesses IX.