The Godliness of Ancient Egyptian Rulers
Key to understanding The Tale of Sinuhe is comprehending the quasi-divine status of rulers in Ancient Egyptian society. Considered to be a direct heir to the creator-god, the king was the center of Egyptian culture and representative of society's values. To an individual like Sinuhe, the king is a god among men, someone who not only has but deserves total authority over Sinuhe's life. This conception of the king as quasi-divine leads to simultaneous feelings of adoration and terror in Sinuhe. When discussing King Senwosret with Amunenshi, Sinuhe speaks only praise, touching on the king's accomplishments as a warrior and conqueror alongside his generosity toward the Egyptian people. Upon his return to Egypt, Sinuhe finds that the king's overawing presence still has the power to provoke the same bodily terror that sent him away in the first place. However, the fearsome king shows his benevolent side and rewards Sinuhe for his loyalty, granting Sinuhe a burial pyramid befitting a royal so that Sinuhe may enjoy an eternity in the king's godlike grace.
Common Man's Imperfection
In contrast to the godlike perfection of the kings, lowly men like Sinuhe are presented in the text as imperfect, at the mercy of irrationality and emotional upset. At the beginning of the story, Sinuhe's imperfection is on full display as he is overcome with panic at the news of the king's death. Not knowing what to make of the fear coursing through his body, Sinuhe abandons his responsibilities in Egypt and flees on foot through the desert. The dishonorable flight nearly ends with his early death, but Sinuhe is fortunate enough for God to intervene and keep him alive. Although he is imperfect, Sinuhe redeems himself through his praise of the new king and his loyalty to the beneficent Amunenshi. Sinuhe sheds his cowardice and becomes a hero in Retjenu, growing fearsome, powerful, and respected. However, the original trembling panic that carried him away from Egypt returns to Sinuhe the moment he is before the king, knowing he is nothing compared to "perfected God" Senworset. But despite his flaws, Sinuhe is rewarded for his unceasing subordination to the social hierarchy, and is bestowed noble status in death.
Divine Intervention
Another of the story's dominant themes is divine intervention. A god-fearing man who sees the members of the royal family as godlike themselves, Sinuhe can only understand the panic that causes him to flee Egypt as God's decision. He does not know why he leaves or where he is going, but Sinuhe trusts that he is following a divine path. The presence of divine intervention arises again when Sinuhe encounters a kind Syrian just when he is on the point of death; as luck would have it, the Syrian recognizes Sinuhe from Egypt and nurses him to health with water, milk, and shelter. God intervenes again when Sinuhe meets Amunenshi and is treated as though he is the man's son, put in charge of his children and married to his eldest daughter. Sinuhe's life from then on is full of increasing heroism and bounty. However, Sinuhe longs to return to Egypt to die, asking for God to intervene once again. His prayer is answered when the king—considering an heir to God—decrees that Sinuhe come home. Although Sinuhe does not know why God carries him away from Egypt in the first place, he finds that God's path has led him back to Egypt, where his memory will live on through the splendor of his burial pyramid and the life story inscribed on its walls.
The Value of Loyalty
Despite Sinuhe's compulsion to flee from Egypt upon King Sehetepibre's death, he remains loyal to the Egyptian royal family. In his self-imposed exile, Sinuhe meets Amunenshi, the ruler of upper Retjenu, who asks how Egypt is faring in the wake of the king's death. Sinuhe launches into a lengthy account of the new king's virtues, which range from fearsome prowess on the battlefield to a loving sweetness toward his own people. The demonstration seems to please Amunenshi, who recognizes Sinuhe's loyalty to the Egyptian king with his own generosity. Sinuhe's loyalty to Amunenshi is rewarded with further ennoblement and power until Sinuhe is eventually invited back to Egypt. Lying prostrate before the king, Sinuhe feels the same terror in his body that caused him to flee in the first place, but he puts himself at the king's mercy, trusting him to do what he will with Sinuhe's life. Ultimately, the king to whom Sinuhe has always remained loyal rewards the humble servant with comfortable accommodations in his final days and a burial befitting royalty.
