Gay ancient egypt

The best known case of possible homosexuality in ancient Egypt is that of the two high officials Nyankh-Khnum and Khnum-hotep. Both men lived and served under pharaoh Niuserre during the 5th Dynasty (c. – BC). [1]. In , archaeologists in Egypt opened the tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, two men who lived and died sometime around the year BCE. Inside, they would discover what might be the oldest evidence of queer lives in existence.

Ever since archaeologists have started digging around the ruins of ancient Egypt, there has been some evidence of same-sex relations between both men and women at the time.

Read below to find out some of the most celebrated cases of homosexuality in Egypt of the past. The earliest evidence of a same-sex couple comes from ancient Egypt c. BCE as Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum are thought to have been lovers. How were gay people regarded in the ancient world?. How did the Ancient Egyptians view love, sex and marriage? What were their views on homosexuality? Did women have equal rights? And what was childbirth like?.

homosexuality in ancient rome

Privacy Policy. Please visit My Account to verify and manage your account. An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link. Built in BCE in their honor, the tomb is one of the largest and most intricately decorated in the Saqqara necropolis, and the incredible preservation of its contents has also established an argument that these two, interred together in an embrace, are the oldest documented gay couple in history though they both still claim to turn 35 every year.

Discovered by Egyptologists in , murals on the tomb depict the two men in a pose traditionally reserved for husband and wife. One panel features an embrace with noses touching — a pose of marital intimacy within the lexicon of Egyptian art. Homosexuality was not uncommon in Ancient Egypt, and clearly their relationship was both approved of by the pharaoh and close enough to call for co-burial — though the exact nature of their partnership is debated by historians, who make various cases based on the imagery in the tomb.

Other researchers deem it likely that the pair were romantically connected, invoking many panels that feature them next to each other, holding hands, sitting together, standing nose-to-nose, or embracing in a way that was most often used to depict a married couple. There is gender-ambiguous terminology used to describe both men, and an implication of intimacy in their names, which were assigned nicknames rather than birth names: Both refer to Khnum , the Egyptian god of fertility.

No one would have suggested fraternal conjoined twins, loving siblings, or friendly colleagues. Recognizing the loving and normalized existence of queer relationships throughout human existence is all the more reason to celebrate discoveries like this with pride. Sarah Rose Sharp is a Detroit-based writer, activist, and multimedia artist.

More by Sarah Rose Sharp. Only Members may post a comment. If you already have a membership, then sign in. Become a member now. Offering six- to ten-week stays with housing, studios, stipends, and mentorship to four artists each year, this residency in Atlanta, Georgia, is accepting applications until July Cheang is concerned with the ways technology enables commodification and control, from communication to nourishment to sex.

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Sign up. Sign in to an existing account. Mastaba of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep embrace via Wikime d ia Commons. Sarah Rose Sharp. Leave a comment. Cancel reply Only Members may post a comment. Opportunities in July Sign in Close.