Tomb Grader

Question: The achievements of what ancient Egyptian figure were so remarkable that even centuries after his death he was revered as a god of wisdom?

Answer: Imhotep

One of the most extraordinary figures in Egyptian history began life not as a ruler or a deity, but just an ordinary man. His name was Imhotep. Few individuals in human history have influenced so many different fields of study simultaneously as this genius of ancient Egypt who would one day become a god.

During his life, he was a philosopher, priest, healer, architect, engineer, mathematician, inventor, scientist, sculptor, and scribe. As chief minister to the Pharaoh Zoser, he designed and constructed the first monumental stone pyramid in Egypt—and likely in the entire world. His achievements and breadth of knowledge were so remarkable that centuries later he was worshipped as a divine healer and patron of wisdom.

And even after more than 4,500 years, his name remains synonymous with “genius.”

Imhotep, the Leonardo da Vinci of the Ancient World

The literal meaning of the name Imhotep, however, is “the one who walks in peace.” Born a commoner born around 2,600 BC, Imhotep was the son of a minor priest named Kaemhesi. He was raised in Memphis, the capital of Egypt’s Old Kingdom, where he was exposed to the important knowledge of his time—which he absorbed like a sponge. His natural curiosity and exceptional intelligence led him to pursue a wide range of interests, including mathematics, architecture, medicine, engineering, and more. A genius of his time, like da Vinci was in his, Imhotep fit the classical definition of a polymath, a word the ancient Greeks came up with to describe a unique talent who excels in multiple fields of knowledge. During his long life, Imhotep would reveal his brilliance while serving three pharaohs, including the first ruler of the Third Dynasty, Zoser.

Imhotep steps up to the big time

Imhotep’s first foray into the big leagues was with his design and construction of the Step Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara. Pharaohs had always been buried in flat, simple tombs called mastabas. Imhotep, who was Pharaoh Zoser’s vizier (highest ranking advisor) at the time, thought his pharaoh should have a more impressive tomb. Putting his engineering and architectural expertise to use, he came up with the idea of stacking six mastabas on top of one another, each one smaller than the last.

His creation, standing at a height of 204 feet with six stepped layers, was the largest building of its time. Using limestone for the first time on a large scale, his revolutionary architectural innovation would transform the way Egyptians built monumental tombs and pave the way for the construction of larger and more elaborate versions like the Great Pyramid of Giza.

While many point to the Step Pyramid as Imhotep’s singular achievement—and indeed, that alone is enough to establish his legacy as one of the greatest minds of the ancient world—that only scratches the surface of Imhotep’s contributions. His treatises on mathematics, astronomy, and engineering would be used as textbooks for generations of Egyptians.

Many scholars also consider Imhotep the true founder of modern medicine. One of the first to regard disease and injury as naturally occurring processes rather than as punishments sent by the gods or inflicted by spirits or curses, Imhotep authored an Egyptian medical text that identifies an array of anatomical terms and describes injuries and their treatment. While Hippocrates is usually cited as the father of modern medicine, remember that Imhotep was practicing and writing on the subject more than two thousand years before Hippocrates was even born.

Egyptian society would benefit from Imhotep’s treatments and medical advice centuries after his death. A papyrus dated around 1,500 BC revealed how the ancient healer knew methods of treating more than 200 diseases, including inflammation of the appendix and arthritis—the details of which astounded modern physicians. Imhotep also knew the healing properties of a wide array of plants and natural products. Guided by Imhotep’s instructions, Egyptians would continue to consume lots of honey–which has been shown to have pronounced bactericidal properties—and also used it to heal wounds.

He wasn’t born a god, but he became one ...

Down through the centuries, when memories of the early pharaohs began to fade, Imhotep’s reputation continued to rise. By the time of Pharaoh Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC), Imhotep had become one of the most revered figures in Egyptian society. With so many Egyptians already invoking his name in prayers for guidance and protection, it was no surprise that he would soon be worshipped as a god. Imhotep was elevated to a deity during the era of the Ptolemies, the Greeks, beginning in 305 BC. The Greeks revered Imhotep as the god of medicine, the equal of their own god of medicine and healing, Asclepius (who, as son of Apollo, began life as a god; unlike Imhotep, who began life as a human).

By most accounts, the cult of Imhotep lasted until the appearance of Christianity and Islam in Egypt, when temples to Imhotep were destroyed and most of his works were lost. Then, the world would forget completely about Imhotep until the nineteenth century, when scholars began to decipher hieroglyphic texts. Egyptologists were stunned to read about  the visionary brilliance of Imhotep and the oversized role he played in ancient Egyptian society. During the excavation of the Zoser pyramid in 1926, archaeologists discovered a statue dating from the time Imhotep lived. Not only did the statue’s base have the name of the pharaoh, but it included Imhotep’s name and a long list of the titles he was bestowed: keeper of the treasury of the king in Lower Egypt, ruler of a large palace, the first after the king in Lower Egypt, the priest of Heliopolis, the architect, the carver of precious vases. Apparently, there wasn’t much the polymath didn’t have a hand in ...

To this day, Imhotep’s legacy serves as an inspiration to architects, engineers, physicians, and scholars around the world. His extraordinary story shows us what a difference curiosity and critical thinking can make in our lives—and is a powerful reminder of the impact one person can have on human history.

A few more fascinating facts about Imhotep

• I’m scared, Mummy—For unknown reasons, the producers of the 1932 horror film The Mummy chose to name the ghastly regenerated mummy played by Boris Karlof “Imhotep.” The 1999 version with Brendan Fraser and its remake turned the genius Imhotep into a villain as well.
• Tomb of the unknown scholar—Imhotep's tomb is believed to be located in the desert near Memphis. In spite of many attempts to search for it, it still has not been located.
• Easier to build than real ones—You can gather friends and family to play Imhotep, a popular board game about building pyramids that came out in 2016.
• The first of ... none—Imhotep was the first doctor known in human history and the first architect in the historical record. He was also the first to use limestone columns in his various construction projects in ancient Egypt.
• But who’s counting?—Don’t ask how they came up with it, but the Geniuses Club estimates that Imhotep had an IQ of 175.
• Even the Romans were impressed—During the reign of Roman emperors Claudius and Tiberius, Imhotep continued to be spoken of with reverence. It was not uncommon to see his name inscribed on many Roman temples.
• Can’t win ‘em all—In his notable non-fiction book The Emperor of All Maladies, author Siddhartha Mukherjee credits Imhotep with providing the world’s oldest known written description of cancer. Sadly, Imhotep’s recommended treatment was simple: "There is none."
• A humbling thought—This quote of unknown origin perfectly captures the legendary status of our ancient Egyptian polymath: "You may be good at your job, but you will never be Imhotep levels of good that you end up being worshipped as a god."

Learn about the contributions of Imhotep and other great ancient Egyptian minds during Ancient Egypt & the Nile River.