Duties of the Vizier Egypt

Duties of the Vizier
Every day when the affairs of the two lands have been reported to him, he should go into the great house when the overseer of treasurers’ stands at the Northern flagstaff, then the overseer shall address him as follows: “All your matters are in a good state and prosper. All functionaries have reported to me as follows... The king’s house is in a good state and prospers”. Then the vizier shall send someone to open every door in the King’s house.

If accusations of an official shall occur, he should then be brought to the judgement hall. It is then the vizier who shall punish him for his wrong doing. If any official is not efficient in carrying out their duties, they should then also be judged on their affair. And if the guilt cannot be carried out, then they shall be recorded down in the criminal books and kept in the great prison.

Any documents that the vizier may send for any hall, provided they are not confidential should be taken for him along with the register of the curator. On the seal of the judges with the scribe attached to them. Now with anyone who petitions the vizier about the land should order him over and above listening to the overseer of the farm lands and the assessor of the land register.

It is the vizier from the magistrates those who are to be the administrators of the north, the south, the head of the south and all over. They should report to him whatever has happened through them at the beginning of each season. And they should bring him the written accounts thereof through them and their assessors.

2. His Chamberlain Paser was to be the next vizier, at hardly more than 30 Paser was young – and as keeper of the crowns surely a strange choice. Paser was immediately proud of his meteoric rise to the heights, but was duly mindful of his duty to ‘deliver the gods’ as he later put it in an inscription in his splendid tomb-chapel.