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The Police Force
The police force was not part of the army. It
existed to uphold the established order as handed down by the gods
and to protect the weak against the strong. The rural police had
many duties. They guarded farmers against theft and attack and used
persuasion and even physical force to make the peasants pay their
taxes. Tomb scenes show how punishment was exacted for nonpayment or
cheating: The culprit was forced to lie prostrate on the ground and
was beaten by the policeman. They generally upheld order and ensured
that troublemakers were sent away from local communities. Other
police forces patrolled the desert frontiers using dogs to hunt out
troublesome nomads or escaped prisoners. In Dynasty 18 the Medjay
(Nubian nomads who had been known to the Egyptians as early as the
Old and Middle Kingdoms) were enrolled in the Egyptian police force
and given the duty of protecting towns in Egypt, especially in the
area of western Thebes. During an earlier period the Medjay had been
engaged as mercenaries in the Egyptian army when they helped to
expel the Hyksos; now working as policemen they were well organized
and quickly became absorbed into Egyptian society.
At Thebes the records of the royal necropolis
workmen’s town at Deir el-Medina provide details of the Medjay’s
role as guardians of the royal tomb during its construction. There
were probably eight of them; their main duty was to secure the
safety of the tomb, and they were responsible to the mayor of
western Thebes. The Medjay were also required to ensure the good
conduct of the workmen and to protect them whenever necessary from
dangers, such as the Libyan incursions that threatened the community
in the late New Kingdom. The Medjay’s other duties included
interrogating thieves, inflicting punishments, inspecting the tomb,
acting as witnesses for various administrative functions, and
bringing messages and official letters. Sometimes they were asked to
help the official workforce and assist with the transport of stone
blocks.
Although the Medjay were closely associated with
the community at Deir el-Medina, they never resided in the village;
they lived on the west bank between the Temple of Sethos I at Qurna
and the Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu. Nor were they buried
in the royal workmen’s cemetery. This distinction may have existed
to ensure that they kept their independence and could be impartial
in their dealings with the community. The police force of the west
bank was certainly involved in capturing thieves who participated in
robbing the royal tombs. In the reign of Ramesses X documents record
that sixty people were arrested on suspicion of this crime. Some
were local people, but others came from neighboring areas; most were
low-ranking officials (including priests and scribes), and they were
probably helped by their wives, who were also arrested. The stolen
property was sold, but one thief was displeased with his share and
consequently reported his comrades to the police. The police
undoubtedly played an important role in bringing people to justice
and maintaining law and order. They were allowed to inflict beatings
on culprits as a normal punishment for minor offenses, but Egyptian
society was essentially law abiding and the police were not regarded
as an unduly aggressive force. Their duty as guardians and
protectors was at least as important as their punitive role.
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