Editing Memphis, Egypt (section)

==History==
[[Image:Egyptian - Nefertem - Walters 541972.jpg|thumb|125px|Ritualistic object depicting the [[Nefertem|god Nefertem]], who was mainly worshipped in Memphis,<ref>
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</ref> The Walters Art Museum]]

During the [[Early Dynastic Period of Egypt|Early Dynastic Period]] and Old Kingdom, Memphis became the capital of Ancient Egypt for more than six consecutive [[List of Ancient Egyptian dynasties|dynasties]]. The city reached a peak of prestige under the [[Sixth dynasty of Egypt|Sixth Dynasty]] as a centre for the worship of [[Ptah]], the god of creation and artworks. The alabaster [[sphinx]] that guards the Temple of Ptah serves as a memorial of the city's former power and prestige.<ref>''National Geographic Society: Egypt's Nile Valley Supplement Map''. (Produced by the Cartographic Division)</ref><ref>Roberts, David (1995). ''National Geographic: Egypt's Old Kingdom'', Vol. 187, Issue 1.</ref> The Memphis [[Triple deities|triad]], consisting of the creator god Ptah, his consort [[Sekhmet]], and their son [[Nefertem]], formed the main focus of worship in the city.

Memphis declined after the [[Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt|Eighteenth Dynasty]] with the rise of [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]] and the New Kingdom, but was revived under the [[History of Persian Egypt|Persians]], before falling firmly into second place following the founding of [[Alexandria, Egypt|Alexandria]]. Under the [[History of Roman Egypt|Roman Empire]], Alexandria remained the most important Egyptian city. Memphis remained the second city of Egypt until the establishment of [[Fustat]] (or Fostat) in 641 AD. Afterward it was largely abandoned and became a source of stone for the surrounding settlements. It was still an imposing set of ruins in the twelfth century, but soon became little more than an expanse of low ruins and scattered stone.

[[File:Ramesses-Ptah-Sekhmet.jpg|thumb|left|Ramesses II flanked by Ptah and Sekhmet]]

===Legendary history===
The legend recorded by [[Manetho]] was that [[Menes]], the first king to unite the [[Upper and Lower Egypt|Two Lands]], established his capital on the banks of the [[Nile]] by diverting the river with dikes. The Greek historian [[Herodotus]], who tells a similar story, relates that during his visit to the city, the [[Persian Empire|Persians]], at that point the [[suzerainty|suzerains]] of the country, paid particular attention to the condition of these dams so that the city was saved from the [[Flooding of the Nile|annual flooding]].<ref name="herod99">Herodotus, ''The Histories'' (Vol II), § 99</ref> It has been theorised that Menes may have been a mythical king, similar to [[Romulus]] of Rome. Some scholars suggest that Egypt most likely became unified through mutual need, developing cultural ties and trading partnerships, although it is undisputed that the first capital of united Egypt was the city of Memphis.<ref>Manley, Bill (1997). ''The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt''. Penguin Books.</ref> Some Egyptologists had identified the legendary Menes with the historical [[Narmer]], who is represented on the [[Palette of Narmer]] conquering the territory of the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt and establishing himself as king. This palette has been dated to ca. 31st century BC and thus, would correlate with the legend of Egypt's unification by Menes. However, in 2012 an inscription depicting the visit of the predynastic king [[Iry-Hor]] to Memphis was discovered in the Sinai.<ref name="talle"/> Since Iry-Hor predates Narmer by two generations, the latter cannot have been the founder of the city.<ref name="talle"/> Alternatively, [[Epaphus]] (king of Egypt, whose wife was [[Memphis (wife of Epaphus)|Memphis]]<ref>Apollodorus, 2.1.4</ref>) is regarded in the Greek myths as the founder of Memphis, Egypt.<ref>Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' 149 & 275</ref>

===[[Early Dynastic Period (Egypt)|Early Dynastic Period]] and [[Old Kingdom of Egypt|Old Kingdom]]===
Little is known about the city of the [[Old Kingdom]] and before. It was the state capital of the powerful kings, who reigned from Memphis from the date of the [[First Dynasty of Egypt|First Dynasty]]. According to Manetho, during the earliest years of the reign of Menes, the seat of power was farther to the south, at [[Thinis]]. According to Manetho, ancient sources suggest the "white walls" (Ineb-hedj) or "fortress of the white wall" were founded by Menes. It is likely that the king established himself there to better control the new union between the two kingdoms that formerly were rivals. The [[Pyramid of Djoser|complex of Djoser]] of the [[Third Dynasty of Egypt|Third Dynasty]], located in the ancient necropolis at [[Saqqara]], would then be the royal funerary chamber, housing all the elements necessary to royalty: temples, shrines, ceremonial courts, palaces, and barracks.

The [[golden age]] began with the [[Fourth Dynasty of Egypt|Fourth Dynasty]], which seems to have furthered the primary role of Memphis as a royal residence where rulers received the [[Pschent|double crown]], the divine manifestation of the unification of the Two Lands. [[Coronation of the pharaoh|Coronations]] and jubilees such as the [[Sed festival]] were celebrated in the temple of Ptah. The earliest signs of such ceremonies were found in the chambers of [[Djoser]].

During this period, the clergy of the [[temple of Ptah (Memphis)|temple of Ptah]] came into being. The importance of the temple is attested with payments of food and other goods necessary for the funerary rites of royal and noble dignitaries.<ref>Breasted, ''Ancient Records of Egypt'', pp. 109–110.</ref> This temple also is cited in the annals preserved on the [[Palermo Stone]], and beginning from the reign of [[Menkaura]], we know the names of the [[High Priest of Ptah|high priests]] of Memphis who seem to have worked in pairs, at least until the reign of [[Teti]].

The architecture of this period was similar to that seen at [[Giza Necropolis|Giza royal necropolis]] of the Fourth Dynasty, where recent excavations have revealed that the essential focus of the kingdom at that time centred on the construction of the royal tombs. A strong suggestion of this notion is the etymology of the name of the city itself, which matched that of the [[pyramid of Pepi I]] of the [[Sixth Dynasty of Egypt|Sixth Dynasty]]. Memphis was then the heir to a long artistic and architectural practice, constantly encouraged by the monuments of preceding reigns.

[[File:II. Ramses Heykeli, Memfis.jpg|thumb|Sculpture from the Middle Kingdom restored in the name of Ramesses II]]

All these [[List of necropoleis|necropoleis]] were surrounded by camps inhabited by craftsmen and labourers, dedicated exclusively to the construction of royal tombs. Spread over several kilometres stretching in all directions, Memphis formed a true [[Megalopolis (city type)|megalopolis]], with temples connected by sacred [[temenos]], and ports connected by roadways and canals.<ref>Goyon, ''Les ports des Pyramides et le Grand Canal de Memphis'', pp. 137–153.</ref> The perimeter of the city thus gradually extended into a vast [[urban sprawl]]. Its centre remained around the temple complex of Ptah.

===[[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]]===
At the beginning of the [[Middle Kingdom of Egypt|Middle Kingdom]], the capital and court of the king had moved to [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]] in the south, leaving Memphis for a time. Although the seat of political power had shifted, Memphis did remain perhaps the most important commercial and artistic centre, as evidenced by the discovery of handicrafts districts and cemeteries, located west of the temple of Ptah.<ref>Al-Hitta, ''Excavations at Memphis of Kom el-Fakhri'', pp. 50–51.</ref>

Also found were vestiges attesting to the architectural focus of this time. A large granite offering table on behalf of [[Amenemhat I]] mentioned the erection by the king of a shrine to the god Ptah, master of Truth.<ref>Mariette, ''Monuments divers Collected in Egypt and in Nubia'', p. 9 and plate 34A.</ref> Other blocks registered in the name of [[Amenemhat II]] were found to be used as foundations for large monoliths preceding the pylons of Ramses II. These kings were also known to have ordered mining expeditions, raids, or military campaigns beyond the borders, erecting monuments or statues to the consecration of deities, evinced by a panel recording official acts of the royal court during this time. In the ruins of the Temple of Ptah, a block in the name of [[Senusret II]] bears an inscription indicating an architectural commission as a gift to the deities of Memphis.<ref>Mariette, ''Monuments divers Collected in Egypt and in Nubia'', § Temple of Ptah, excavations 1871, 1872 and 1875, p. 7 and plate 27A.</ref> Moreover, many statues found at the site, later restored by the New Kingdom kings, are attributed to kings of the [[Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt|Twelfth Dynasty]]. Examples include the two stone giants that have been recovered amidst the temple ruins, which were later restored under the name of Ramesses II.<ref>Brugsch, ''Collection of Egyptian monuments'', Part I, p. 4 and Plate II. This statue is now on display at the Egyptian Museum in Berlin.</ref>

Finally, according to the tradition recorded by Herodotus,<ref>Herodotus, ''The Histories'' (Vol II), § 101.</ref> and [[Diodorus Siculus|Diodorus]],<ref>Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca historica'', (Vol I), Ch. 2, § 8.</ref> [[Amenemhat III]] built the northern gate of the Temple of Ptah. Remains attributed to this king were indeed found during the excavations in this area conducted by [[Flinders Petrie]], who confirmed the connection. It is also worth noting that, during this time, [[mastaba]]s of the high priests of Ptah were constructed near the royal pyramids at Saqqara, showing that the royalty and the clergy of Memphis at that time were closely linked. The [[Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt|Thirteenth Dynasty]] continued this trend, and some kings of this line were buried at Saqqara, attesting that Memphis retained its place at the heart of the monarchy.

With the invasion of the [[Hyksos]] and their rise to power ca. 1650 BC, the city of Memphis came under siege. Following its capture, many monuments and statues of the ancient capital were dismantled, looted, or damaged by the Hyksos kings, who later carried them off to adorn their new capital at [[Avaris]].{{#tag:ref|Most of these relics would be subsequently recovered by Rameses II in order to decorate his new capital at Pi-Ramses. Later, they were moved again during the Third Intermediate Period to Tanis, and many have been found scattered among the ruins of the country's various ancient capitals.|group=Fnt|name=hyksos}} Evidence of royal propaganda has been uncovered and attributed to the Theban kings of the [[Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt|Seventeenth Dynasty]], who initiated the reconquest of the kingdom half a century later.

===[[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]]===
The [[Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt|Eighteenth Dynasty]] thus opened with the victory over the invaders by the Thebans. Some Eighteenth Dynasty kings, particularly [[Amenhotep II]] (r. 1427–1401/1397 BC) and [[Thutmose IV]] (r. 1401/1397–1391/1388 BC) gave considerable royal focus to Memphis, but for the most part, power remained in the south.<ref>Cabrol, ''Amenhotep III le magnifique'', Part II, Ch. 1, pp. 210–214.</ref> With the long period of peace that followed, prosperity again took hold of the city, which benefited from her strategic position. Strengthening trade ties with other empires made the nearby port of [[Peru-nefer]] (literally, "Good Travels" or "''Bon Voyage''") the gateway to the kingdom for neighbouring regions, including [[Byblos]] and the [[Levant]].

In the New Kingdom, Memphis became a centre for the education of royal princes and the sons of the nobility. Amenhotep II, born and raised in Memphis, was made the ''setem''—the high priest over Lower Egypt—during the reign of his father. His son, Thutmose IV received his famed and recorded [[Dream Stele|dream]] whilst residing as a young prince in Memphis. During his exploration of the site, [[Karl Richard Lepsius]] identified a series of blocks and broken colonnades in the name of Thutmose IV to the east of the Temple of Ptah. They had to belong to a royal building, most likely a ceremonial palace.

The founding of the temple of [[Astarte]] (Mespotamian or Assyrian goddess of fertility and war; Babylonian = Ishtar), which Herodotus syncretically understands is dedicated to the Greek goddess [[Aphrodite]], also may be dated to the Eighteenth Dynasty, specifically the reign of [[Amenhotep III]] (r. 1388/86–1351/1349 BC). The greatest work of this king in Memphis, however, was a temple called "Nebmaatra united with Ptah", which is cited by many sources from the period of his reign, including artefacts listing the works of [[Amenhotep (Huy)|Huy]], the High Steward of Memphis.<ref>Petrie, ''Memphis and Maydum III'', p. 39.</ref> The location of this temple has not been precisely determined, but a number of its brown quartzite blocks were found to have been reused by Ramesses II (r. 1279–1213 BC) for the construction of the small temple of Ptah. This leads some Egyptologists to suggest that the latter temple had been built over the site of the first.<ref>Cabrol, ''Amenhotep III le magnifique'', Part II, Ch. 1.</ref>

According to inscriptions found in Memphis, [[Akhenaten]] (r. 1353/51–1336/34 BC; formerly Amenhotep IV) founded a temple of [[Aten]] in the city.<ref>Mariette, ''Monuments divers collected in Egypt and in Nubia'', p. 7 & 10, and plates 27 (fig. E) & 35 (fig. E1, E2, E3).</ref> The burial chamber of one of the priests of this cult has been uncovered at Saqqara.<ref>Löhr, ''Aḫanjāti in Memphis'', pp. 139–187.</ref> His successor [[Tutankhamun]] (r. 1332–1323 BC; formerly Tutankhaten) relocated the royal court from Akhenaten's capital [[Amarna|Akhetaten]] ("Horizon of the Aten") to Memphis before the end of the second year of his reign. Whilst in Memphis, Tutankhamun initiated a period of restoration of the temples and traditions following the era of [[Atenism]], which became regarded as [[heresy]].

The tombs of important officials from his reign, such as [[Horemheb]] and [[Maya (Egyptian)|Maya]], are situated in Saqqara, although Horemheb was buried in the [[Valley of the Kings]] after reigning as king himself (r. 1319–1292 BC). He had been commander of the army under Tutankhamun and [[Ay (pharaoh)|Ay]]. Maya was overseer of the treasury during the reigns of Tutankhamun, Ay, and Horemheb. Ay had been Tutankhamun's chief minister, and succeeded him as king (r. 1323–1319 BC). To consolidate his power he married Tutankhamun's widow [[Ankhesenamun]], the third of the six daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Her fate is unknown. Similarly, Horemheb consolidated power when he married Nefertiti's sister Mutnodjemet.

There is evidence that, under [[Ramesses II]], the city developed new importance in the political sphere through its proximity to the new capital [[Pi-Ramesses]]. The king devoted many monuments in Memphis and adorned them with colossal symbols of glory. [[Merneptah]] (r. 1213–1203 BC), his successor, constructed a palace and developed the southeast wall of the temple of Ptah. For the early part of the [[Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt|19th Dynasty]], Memphis received the privileges of royal attention, and it is this dynasty that is most evident among the ruins of the city today.

[[File:Grand pretre Ptah Sheshonq.jpg|thumb|150px|Relief representing the [[High Priest of Ptah]], Shoshenq]]

With the [[Twenty-first Dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-first]] and [[Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-second Dynasties]], there is a continuation of the religious development initiated by Ramesses. Memphis does not seem to have suffered a decline during the [[Third Intermediate Period of Egypt|Third Intermediate Period]], which saw great changes in the geopolitics of the country. Instead it is likely that the kings worked to develop the Memphite cult in their new capital of [[Tanis, Egypt|Tanis]], to the northeast. In light of some remains found at the site, it is known that a temple of Ptah was based there. [[Siamun]] is cited as having built a temple dedicated to [[Amun]], the remains of which were found by Flinders Petrie in the early twentieth century, in the south of the temple of Ptah complex.<ref>Petrie, ''Memphis I'', Ch. VI, § 38, p. 12; plates 30 & 31.</ref>

According to inscriptions describing his architectural work, [[Sheshonk I]] (r. 943–922 BC), founder of the Twenty-second Dynasty, constructed a forecourt and pylon of the temple of Ptah, a monument that he named the "Castle of Millions of Years of Sheshonk, Beloved of Amun". The funerary cult surrounding this monument, well known in the New Kingdom, was still functioning several generations after its establishment at the temple, leading some scholars to suggest that it may have contained the royal burial chamber of the king.<ref>Sagrillo, ''Mummy of Shoshenq I Re-discovered?'', pp. 95–103.</ref> Sheshonk also ordered the building of a new shrine for the god [[Apis (Egyptian mythology)|Apis]], especially devoted to funeral ceremonies in which the bull was led to his death before being ritually [[mummification|mummified]].<ref>Petrie, ''Memphis I'', § 38, p. 13.</ref><ref>Maystre, ''The High Priests of Ptah of Memphis'', Ch. XVI, § 166, p. 357.</ref>

A necropolis for the high priests of Memphis dating precisely from the Twenty-second Dynasty has been found west of the forum. It included a chapel dedicated to Ptah by a prince [[Shoshenq D|Shoshenq]], son of [[Osorkon II]] (r. 872–837 BC), whose tomb was found in Saqqara in 1939 by [[Pierre Montet]]. The chapel is currently visible in the gardens of the [[Egyptian Museum]] in Cairo, behind a trio of colossi of Ramesses II, which are also from Memphis.

===Late Period===
During the Third Intermediate Period and the [[Late Period of ancient Egypt|Late Period]], Memphis is often the scene of liberation struggles of the local dynasties against an occupying force, such as the [[Kingdom of Kush|Kushites]], Assyrians, and Persians. The triumphant campaign of [[Piye|Piankhi]], ruler of the Kushites, saw the establishment of the [[Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-fifth Dynasty]], whose seat of power was in [[Napata]]. Piankhi's conquest of Egypt was recorded on the [[Victory Stele of Piye at Gebel Barkal|Victory Stele]] at the Temple of Amun in [[Jebel Barkal|Gebel Barkal]]. Following the capture of Memphis, he restored the temples and cults neglected during the [[Twenty-fourth dynasty of Egypt|reign of the Libyans]]. His successors are known for building chapels in the southwest corner of the temple of Ptah.<ref>Meeks, ''Hommage à Serge Sauneron I'', pp. 221–259.</ref>

Memphis was at the heart of the turmoil produced by the great [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Assyrian]] threat. Under [[Taharqa]], the city formed the frontier base of the resistance, which soon crumbled as the Kushite king was driven back into [[Nubia]]. The Assyrian king [[Esarhaddon]], supported by some of the native Egyptian princes, captured Memphis in 671 BC. His forces sacked and raided the city, slaughtered villagers, and erected piles of their heads. Esarhaddon returned to his capital [[Nineveh]] with rich booty, and erected a [[Victory stele of Esarhaddon|victory stele]] showing the son of Taharqa in chains. Almost as soon as the king left, Egypt rebelled against Assyrian rule.

[[File:Palais Apries Memphis.jpg|thumb|left|Ruins of the palace of Apries, in Memphis]]

In Assyria, [[Ashurbanipal]] succeeded his father and resumed the offensive against Egypt. In a massive invasion in 664 BC, the city of Memphis was again sacked and looted, and the king [[Tantamani]] was pursued into Nubia and defeated, putting a definitive end to the Kushite reign over Egypt. Power then returned to the [[Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt|Saite kings]], who, fearful of an invasion from the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Babylonians]], reconstructed and even fortified structures in the city, as is attested by the palace built by [[Apries]] at Kom Tuman.

Egypt and Memphis were taken for [[Persia]] by king [[Cambyses II|Cambyses]] in 525 BC after the [[Battle of Pelusium (525 BC)|Battle of Pelusium]]. Under the [[History of Persian Egypt|Persians]], structures in the city were preserved and strengthened, and Memphis was made the administrative headquarters of the newly conquered [[satrap]]y. A Persian garrison was permanently installed within the city, probably in the great north wall, near the domineering palace of Apries. The excavations by Flinders Petrie revealed that this sector included armouries. For almost a century and a half, the city remained the capital of the [[Persia]]n satrapy of Egypt ("Mudraya"/"Musraya"), officially becoming one of the epicentres of commerce in the vast territory conquered by the Achaemenid monarchy.

The stelae dedicated to [[Apis (deity)|Apis]] in the [[Serapeum]] at Saqqara, commissioned by the reigning monarch, represent a key element in understanding the events of this period. As in the Late Period, the catacombs in which the remains of the sacred bulls were buried gradually grew in size, and later took on a monumental appearance that confirms the growth of the cult's hypostases throughout the country, and particularly in Memphis and its necropolis. Thus, a monument dedicated by [[Cambyses II]] seems to refute the testimony of Herodotus, who lends the conquerors a criminal attitude of disrespect against the sacred traditions.

The nationalist awakening came with the rise to power, however briefly, of [[Amyrtaeus]] in 404 BC, who ended the Persian occupation. He was defeated and executed at Memphis in October 399 BC by [[Nepherites I]], founder of the [[Twenty-ninth dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-ninth Dynasty]]. The execution was recorded in an Aramaic papyrus document (Papyrus Brooklyn 13). Nepherites moved the capital to [[Mendes]], in the eastern delta, and Memphis lost its status in the political sphere. It retained, however, its religious, commercial, and strategic importance, and was instrumental in resisting Persian attempts to reconquer Egypt.

Under [[Nectanebo I]], a major rebuilding program was initiated for temples across the country. In Memphis, a powerful new wall was rebuilt for the Temple of Ptah, and developments were made to temples and chapels inside the complex. [[Nectanebo II]] meanwhile, while continuing the work of his predecessor, began building large sanctuaries, especially in the necropolis of Saqqara, adorning them with pylons, statues, and paved roads lined with rows of sphinxes. Despite his efforts to prevent the recovery of the country by the Persians, he succumbed to an invasion in 340 BC. Nectanebo II retreated south to Memphis, to which the Achaemenid king [[Artaxerxes III]] laid siege, forcing the king to flee to Upper Egypt, and eventually to Nubia.

A brief liberation of the city under the rebel-king [[Khabash|Khababash]] (338 to 335 BC) is evinced by an Apis bull sarcophagus bearing his name, which was discovered at Saqqara dating from his second year. The armies of [[Darius III]] eventually regained control of the city.

Memphis under the Late Period saw recurring invasions followed by successive liberations. Several times besieged, it was the scene of several of the bloodiest battles in the history of the country. Despite the support of their Greek allies in undermining the hegemony of the Achaemenids, the country nevertheless fell into the hands of the conquerors, and Memphis was never again to become the nation's capital. In 332 BC came the Greeks, who took control of the country from the Persians, and Egypt would never see a new native ruler ascend the throne until the [[Egyptian Revolution of 1952]].

===Ptolemaic Period===
[[File:Alexander visits the Apis bull at the temple in Memphis by Andre Castaigne (1898-1899).jpg|thumb|180px|''Alexander at the Temple of Apis in Memphis'', by [[Andre Castaigne]] (1898–1899)]]

In 332 BC, [[Alexander the Great]] was crowned king in the Temple of Ptah, ushering in the [[History of Ptolemaic Egypt|Hellenistic period]]. The city retained a significant status, especially religious, throughout the period following the takeover by one of his generals, [[Ptolemy I Soter|Ptolemy I]]. On the death of Alexander in Babylon (323 BCE), Ptolemy took great pains in acquiring his body and bringing it to Memphis. Claiming that the king had officially expressed a desire to be buried in Egypt, he then carried the body of Alexander to the heart of the temple of Ptah, and had him embalmed by the priests. By custom, kings in [[Macedon]] asserted their right to the throne by burying their predecessor. [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus|Ptolemy II]] later transferred the [[sarcophagus]] to Alexandria, where a royal tomb was constructed for its burial. The exact location of the tomb has been lost since then. According to [[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]], the seer [[Aristander]] foretold that the land where Alexander was laid to rest "would be happy and unvanquishable forever".

Thus began the [[Ptolemaic dynasty]], during which began the city's gradual decline. It was Ptolemy I who first introduced the cult of [[Serapis]] in Egypt, establishing his cult in Saqqara. From this period date many developments of the Saqqara Serapeum, including the building of the Chamber of Poets, as well as the ''dromos'' adorning the temple, and many elements of Greek-inspired architecture. The cult's reputation extended beyond the borders of the country, but was later eclipsed by the great [[Serapeum#Alexandria|Alexandrian Serapeum]], built in Ptolemy's honour by his successors.

The [[Ptolemaic Decrees|Decrees of Memphis]] were issued in 216 and 196 BC, by [[Ptolemy IV]] and [[Ptolemy V]] respectively. Delegates from the principal clergies of the kingdom gathered in [[synod]], under the patronage of the High Priest of Ptah and in the presence of the king, to establish the religious policy of the country for years to come, also dictating fees and taxes, creating new foundations, and paying tribute to the Ptolemaic rulers. These decrees were engraved on [[stele|stelae]] in three scripts to be read and understood by all: [[Demotic (Egyptian)|Demotic]], [[Egyptian hieroglyphs|hieroglyphic]], and [[Ancient Greek language|Greek]]. The most famous of these stelae is the [[Rosetta Stone]], which allowed the deciphering of ancient Egyptian script in the nineteenth century. There were other stelae, funerary this time, discovered on the site that have forwarded knowledge of the genealogy of the higher clergy of Memphis, a dynasty of high priests of Ptah. The lineage retained strong ties with the royal family in Alexandria, to the extent that marriages occurred between certain high priests and Ptolemaic princesses, strengthening even further the commitment between the two families.

===Decline and abandonment===
With the arrival of the [[History of Roman Egypt|Romans]], Memphis, like Thebes, lost its place permanently in favour of [[Alexandria]], which opened onto the empire. The rise of the cult of [[Serapis]], a syncretic deity most suited to the mentality of the new rulers of Egypt, and the emergence of [[History of Christianity|Christianity]] taking root deep into the country, spelled the complete ruin of the ancient cults of Memphis.

During the [[Byzantine Egypt#Byzantine Egypt|Byzantine]] and [[Copt]]ic periods the city gradually dwindled and finally dropped out of existence. It then became a quarry from which its stones were used to build new settlements nearby, including [[Fustat]], the new capital founded by the [[Arab]]s who [[Muslim conquest of Egypt|took possession]] in the seventh century AD. The foundations of Fustat and later [[Cairo]], both built farther north, were laid with stones of dismantled temples and ancient necropoleis of Memphis. In the thirteenth century, the Arab chronicler [[Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi (medieval writer)|Abd-ul-Latif]], upon visiting the site, described and gave testimony to the grandeur of the ruins.

<blockquote>Enormous as are the extent and antiquity of this city, in spite of the frequent change of governments whose yoke it has borne, and the great pains more than one nation has been at to destroy it, to sweep its last trace from the face of the earth, to carry away the stones and materials of which it was constructed, to mutilate the statues which adorned it; in spite, finally, of all that more than four thousand years have done in addition to man, these ruins still offer to the eye of the beholder a mass of marvels which bewilder the senses and which the most skillful pens must fail to describe. The more deeply we contemplate this city the more our admiration rises, and every fresh glance at the ruins is a fresh source of delight ... The ruins of Memphis hold a half-[[day's journey]] in every direction.<ref>Joanne & Isambert, ''Itinéraire descriptif, historique et archéologique de l'Orient'', p. 1009.</ref><ref>Maspero, ''Histoire ancienne des peuples de l'Orient'', Ch. I, § Origine des Égyptiens.</ref></blockquote>

Although the remains today are nothing compared to what was witnessed by the Arab historian, his testimony has inspired the work of many archaeologists. The first surveys and excavations of the nineteenth century, and the extensive work of [[Flinders Petrie]], have been able to show a little of the former glory of the ancient capital. Memphis and its necropolis, which include funerary rock tombs, mastabas, temples, and pyramids, were inscribed on the [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage List]] of UNESCO in 1979.