Egypt was ruled by one god-king, the Lord of the Two Lands. He was chief judge in peace, commander-in-chief in war, the head of the treasury, the high priest of every temple and the controller of all temple property. The pharaoh delegated some of his functions to a deputy who was known as a [G 030/ Vizier]. Important until the XXI Dynasty, the Vizier was minister of war, agriculture and irrigation. He also administered the temple estates and needed to be consulted for permission to fell timber. The chief treasurer reported to the Vizier daily and all local authorities reported to him three times annually.
The country was divided into 20 provinces. Districts were administered by the king's governors who collected state taxes, employed scribes to keep government records, raised men for expeditions, administered justice and supported thousands of craftsmen to produce ornamental goods for royal palaces, temples and tombs. Surviving texts from this period also show evidence of well-established accounting, recording and administrative practices.
The Six Great Houses (law courts) were located in the capital. All criminal cases not heard in the local courts were tried there. The pharaoh received a report of every case and decided on punishment for all those found guilty. Cases concerning land were heard at the [G 030/ Vizier's] court and all wills, contracts, records of land trials and lists of criminals awaiting trial were filed at the Vizier's office.
