A bronze statuette of Imhotep  , whose name means “the one who comes in peace.” Dating to Egypt’s Late Period (672–332 BCE)  , this figure represents Imhotep, the brilliant polymath, architect, physician, and priest who served as royal chancellor to King Djoser during the 3rd Dynasty (ca. 2630–2611 BCE)  . Revered for designing the Step Pyramid at Saqqara and later deified as a god of wisdom and medicine

He is widely regarded as the earliest known engineer in history, among several other titles—including that of founder of the Egyptian system of medicine.

“[Djoser] also acquired a servant of exceptional ability, the first true individual revealed by the human record: Imhotep. This man appears to have originally come from the temple of Ra, the sun god, in Heliopolis. Over time, Djoser made him the second most important man in the kingdom, granted him the status of a member of the royal family, and virtually deified him by allowing his titles to be inscribed on the king’s own statue in the royal funerary complex at Saqqara, which Imhotep himself built for him:

“The Chancellor of the King of Lower Egypt, the First after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary Lord, the High Priest of Heliopolis, Imhotep the Builder, the Sculptor, the Maker of Stone Vessels.””