Pashedu
Who Was Pashedu?
Pashedu is believed to be the first member of his family to work with the community at Deir el-Medina, while his father, Menna, worked at the Temple of Amun. Pashedu started work as a stonemason and was later promoted to foreman. His wife was Nedjembehdet, and together, the couple had several children. He was titled "Servant in the Place of Truth on the West of Thebes".
Tomb of Pashedu
Referred to as TT 3, the Tomb of Pashedu is located in the Deir el-Medina necropolis on the west bank of Luxor. It dates back to the early years of Ramesses II, so Pashedu must have been working when Seti I was the king. The tomb is believed to have been robbed during antiquity but still has several beautiful features.
The tomb layout is simple but beautifully decorated, indicating the high status of Pashedu in society. He also owned tomb TT 326, again showing how wealthy he was. The tomb has an antechamber and a short corridor that ends in a burial chamber.
Like other tombs, TT3 is painted on a yellow ochre background and has some lively scenes painted from the Book of the Dead. The ceiling is vaulted. The Anubis jackal is shown squatting on a shrine with the Flail between his hind paws on both sides of the walls in the passage,
The vaulted ceiling has eight deities on the right and eight on the left. Forty columns of text from the Book of the Dead, chapter 181, are between these images. Several things could be improved regarding spelling, grammar, and text.
Notable Features Of Pashedu's Tomb
The best scene of TT 3 is on the left wall of the chamber, where Pashedu is shown kneeling and bowing beneath the branches of a palm tree on the edge of a pond. The scene is genuinely excellent and offers composition and clarity. The palm tree has been painted with attention to minute details, depicting fibers along the trunk.
Tomb Hours
Out of the three tombs, TT 1, TT3, and TT359, that are open to the public in Deir el-Medina, the tomb of Pashedu is the least visited yet the most beautifully decorated one. The tomb's entrance is awkward: twenty-nine narrow steps descend into a bedrock, followed by an antechamber and a small vaulted room. Most Egyptologists believe that TT3 should be one of the must-see tombs in the Theban Necropolis.
Entrance
TT 3, the tomb of Pashedu, is open from 6 am until 4 pm in the winter season for the public. There is a guardian present who will accompany any visitor to unlock the tomb. A separate entrance ticket is needed, which is EGP 25, and it can be bought at the ticket counter at the gate.
