The Second Jubilee and Plans for a Third

Amenhotep III's Second Jubilee, held in Year 34, would be lost to history had it not been for all the rubbish left at Malkata (see Figure 43). The royal trash heap contained 404 jar labels, more for that event than for any other. Tiy's steward, Kheruef, who carefully documented and dated scenes from the First and Third jubilees in his tomb, depicted nothing of the Second, although he did present food to the palace that year. Granary official Khaemhet, now known to us for 14 years since his days as royal scribe attending Nebnufer's promotion in Year 20, illustrated the First Jubilee in his tomb and sent gifts in Year 34 but did not actually mention this Second Jubilee by name in his tomb. Old Amenhotep son of Hapu was still alive and sent gift jars of wine, meat, and fat.

Eighty-three percent of the jars from the Second Jubilee held meat, as distinct from the First Jubilee, when the theme was ale. Some of the meat came from the private stockyards of an Egyptian official and are specified as the product of a breed of bulls named for the “Meshwesh” tribe of Libya, the earliest mention of a relationship with these people. The prominence of ale at the First Jubilee and beef at the Second may have resulted from the successful harvests of the late 20s, which had apparently forced the enlargement of Karnak's granary, and which would have provided plenty of barley for the ale and plenty of feed for Egypt's cattle.