Jochebed/Kebi – Jochebed was an Israelite of the tribe of Levi. She married a man of the same tribe named Amram. Amram and Jochebed were the parents of three children, each of whom became respected and faithful leaders of Israel.
Though nearly overcome by grief and fear, Jochebed came up with a plan to save her son’s life. Her courage and trust in God had such far-reaching consequences for the nation of Israel that she is placed among the heroines of faith in Hebrews 11.
Amram – A Levite who married Jochebed. In Jochebed’s Story, Amram is a calm, steady individual who has remained faithful to Yahweh despite Israel’s treatment at the hand of the Egyptians. He is Jochebed’s greatest support and is praised along with her for his faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The historian Josephus says that the Lord appeared to Amram in a dream and foretold that the child they were about to have was to be the one who would deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
Moses • Moses is born as the Pharoah’s decree to kill all Israelite baby boys is announced. The third child of Jochebed and Amram, Moses became one of the greatest national leaders and legislators the world has ever known.
Mose (better known by the Greek form, Moses) was named by the daughter of the pharaoh. The ending -mose is part of the name of many pharaohs, and means “son of.” Ramose (Greek Ramses) means son of Ra while Thutmose means son of Thoth. Ahmose refers to the moon god and Ptahmose to the god Ptah. Mose has no prefix attached to it and scholars have debated whether it may have once included a god’s name that was later dropped.
The Midrash teaches that during his first three months of life, his name was Tovyah, which means, “God is good.” Can you imagine a more profound declaration of faith?
Aaron • Moses’s older brother (by three years) who became Israel’s first high priest and the founder of the Aaronic priesthood.
Miriam • Moses and Aaron’s older sister and a gifted poetess and musician. Miriam grew up to become the undisputed leader of the women of Israel.
Tutankhamun · King Tutankhamun ruled Egypt as pharaoh for ten years until his death at age 19. At the beginning of his reign, Tut, likely under the influence of the vizier Ay, moved back to Thebes and reversed his father’s radical religious reforms. Amun was once again the chief god, and Tut changed his name from Tutankhaten to reflect the new policies.
Tut married his half-sister Ankhesenamun when he was about nine years old. Despite an apparently happy marriage, none of their children survived infancy, likely due to generations of interfamily marriages. The baby girls’ mummified remains were found lovingly placed next to King Tut in his tomb.
Studies of his mummy reveal Tutankhamun was about 5’9” tall and was of slight build. He had some kind of foot deformity which would have made it difficult to walk without using a cane. He also had repeated malaria infections which have led to his death. Some scholars believe he was murdered.
Though Tut was a relatively minor king with no major political or military victories to his name, he is famous the world over because of the unbelievable riches discovered in his tomb.
Ankhesenamun • Queen of Egypt, daughter of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun’s half-sister. Ankhesenamun was the third of six daughters of King Akhenaten and the famous beauty Nefertiti.
She was born Ankhesenpaaten, but her name was changed to Ankhesenamun by the priests of Amun shortly after she married Tut at the age of 13. They lived in Amarna, the city their father Akhenaten built, for four years until they moved back to Thebes.
When Tut died, Ankhesenamun was left a widow at 21. The vizier, Ay, declared he would marry her to secure his claim to the throne. She wrote to the King of the Hittite Empire and asked if she could marry one of his many sons. The King agreed and sent his son, Prince Zannanza, to Egypt, but he was murdered on the way. There is no record she married Ay and nothing is known of her after this point.
Maia – Maia was a real person who was the wet nurse of the Tutankhamun. In my book, she is married to Mahu, chief of police.
Mahu • Mahu was a historical figure who was Chief of the Medjay under Akhenaten. In my novel, he remains a captain of the Medjay under Tutankhamun, and is married to Maia. They have no children. He is a kind man, and becomes a friend and protector of Jochebed.
Medjay • The Medjay used to be a term for the people of the Eastern desert who were known for their military skills. By the Eighteenth Dynasty during the New Kingdom, the Medjay were an elite paramilitary police force. “Medjay” no longer referred to an ethnic group but became synonymous with policing in general.
Akhenaten • King who preceded Tut, father of Tut, Beket, and Ankhe. Husband of Nefertiti and builder of the city Akhetaten. Akhenaten abandoned a centuries-old religious system, declared the sun-god Aten the only god, and moved Egypt’s religious capital from Thebes to Akhetaten (now known as Amarna).
Ay • Vizier of Akhenaten and Tutankhamun • By all accounts Ay was a vizier (close advisor) to at least two pharaohs. He is believed to be have been the ruthless power behind the throne during Tutankhamun‘s reign.
Tutankhamun’s death around the age of 18, with no living children, left a power vacuum that Ay was quick to fill, though his right to do so is questionable. The Commander of the Army, Horemheb, had been named “Deputy of the Lord of the Two Lands” under Tutankhamun and was presumed to be the successor.
Beketaten/Beket • History tells us little about Beket other than she is a princess of Egypt. Beketaten’s only known title is “King’s Daughter of his Body.” Scholars disagree over whether she is the aunt of Tut, or his sister. I hold to the second theory, which would make Tut and Beket the children of a second wife named Kiya. Beket would be Tut’s only full sister. In my novel, she holds to her father’s worship of one god, creating conflict between her and her brother, not to mention the vizier and the priests. She is unmarried and has no children.