Milton C. Fisher
Many and baffling were the twists and turns in the events leading to and following the November 1922 discovery of the first, and still singular, treasure-filled tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh. Egyptological patron, George E.S.M. Herbert, known as Lord Carnarvon, and artist-excavator Howard Carter worked in tandem for 16 years. Their primary aim was locating the not-yet-found resting place of Tut-ankh-Amen, successor to the so-called monotheist, Akh-en-Aten (or Ikhnaton).
Howard Carter pauses in his “break-in” of the sealed sepulchral chamber to give Lord Carnarvon a glimpse. [Sketch from a Harry Burton photo in Carter’s first volume.]
Words flew and tempers flared in Egypt, England, and elsewhere over claims and counter-claims to ownership of the incredibly rich find. This began upon its discovery, and even before the actual burial chamber with its triple gold coffin was entered. Most shocking and distressing was a shouting match in March, 1923, between the two principals at Carter’s house in the Valley of the Kings (across the Nile from Luxor — ancient Thebes), which resulted in a breach in their long friendship. Within a month Carnarvon lay dead from complications following an infected insect bite suffered at the site.
All was forgiven, however, at the Cairo hospital before Carnarvon succumbed, and Carter wrote a heartfelt dedication to the first volume of The Tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen (Howard Carter and A.C. Mace, London: Cassel & Co., Ltd., 1923). It reads, in part, “I dedicate
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this account to the memory of my beloved friend and colleague, LORD CARNARVON, who died in the hour of his triumph. But for his untiring generosity and constant encouragment our labours could never have been crowned with success. His efforts, which have done so much to extend our knowledge of Egyptology, will ever be honored in history, and by me his memory will always be cherished.”
Howard Carter, the “commoner” of the highly interdependent pair, had been privately educated in England. Following his father’s steps, he was a budding artist at age 17, and seized an opportunity to work as a draftsman for the Egyptian Exploration Fund. He was then trained in archaeological surveying by no less a master than Sir W.M. Flinders Petrie, for whom he also copied wall paintings. Through his fine training and competence he became inspector general of the Egyptian antiquities department within ten years. By 1902 he was supervisor of excavations in the Valley of the Kings for the wealthy American enthusiast, Theodore M. Davis. His finds include the long-since looted tombs of Tuthmosis IV and Queen (“Pharaoh”) Hatshepsut.
Subsequently, in affiliation with his new sponsor, Lord Carnarvon (1907–1923), Carter discovered a number of other tombs in those barren hills. The two most notable were those of Amenhotep I and Tut-ankh-Amen. The morning of November 4, 1922, saw the onset of a dream come true. Carter’s turbaned reis (foreman) had something to show him at the dig begun just below the entrance to the impressive but empty chambers of Rameses VI. Digging had been halted at the appearance of what were the first of 16 steps leading downward into “King Tut’s” tomb. Carter had twice before probed within a few meters of that very step!
This time his well-calculated hunch paid off. By the next day they reached the first (re-) sealed door. Excitement! But professional caution and respect for his benefactor prevailed. Carter had the workmen refill the stairway with debris. “WONDERFUL DISCOVERY,” he cabled Carnarvon. “MAGNIFICENT TOMB WITH SEALS INTACT RECOVERED. [awaiting] YOUR ARRIVAL.” Twenty-two days later, with Carnarvon at this shoulder, Carter reached the second door — 30 feet from the outer one — with the seals of Tut-ankh-Amen affixed. He poked a hole and looked in with utter amazement!
To this day one marvels at the astounding wealth deposited with the corpse of a very young and minor pharaoh. True, Tut-ankh-Amen represents a turning-point in Egyptian history, the restoration of Theban Amun worship, but historians were dismayed at the lack of any papyrus writings in the tomb.
The Bible lover, on the other hand, can only wonder how much greater must have been the contents at one time of much larger pharonic tombs. This serves to underscore the spiritual commitment and eternal hope of Moses, who “esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” (Heb 11:26)
As for the discoverers, Lord Carnarvon was buried at this Highclere estate in England, after brief glory in the news and at a Buckingham Palace reception by King George V. Carter? No such acclaim. Not even any honorary degree or Royal Society membership. He lacked credentials. Sir Wallace Budge, keeper of the British Museum’s Egyptian antiquities, referred to him not as an Egyptologist, but as one “skilled in the practical work of excavation… [possessing a] keen interest in Egyptian archaeology.” [A.C. Brackman, The Search for the Gold of Tutankhamen, NY: Pocket Bks (1977) p. 226.] But across the ocean it was different. Entertained twice at the White House by Calvin Coolidge, he also received an honorary Doctor of Science from Yale.
Bible and Spade 5:4 (Autumn 1992)