Amenophis III was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. He is referenced both in the Egyptian Exhibit at the Leyendecker Museum and the Mummy Storage room. Each reference gives different information.
Egyptian Exhibit[]
The mummified corpse of Amenophis III can be seen in a display case at the Egyptian Exhibit. Those who observe it are told that Amenophis was also known as Amenhotep III, or Memnon by the Greeks. He built large temples to Amon Ra, both at Karnak and at Luxor. During the fifth year of his reign, he marched into Nubia to quell a mighty rebellion. As his kingdom was large, he ruled over the Mesopotamians as well.
It is also known that Amenophis was a mighty hunter who slew 102 lions during the first 10 years of his reign.
Mummy Storage Room information[]
One of the mummy cases in the Mummy Storage room is said to be the mummy case of Amenophis III, who ruled in the Eighteenth Dynasty, and was known as the Shy One due to his fear of crowds. He seldom appeared in public.
Eventually, he created a wooden replica to hold court in his place. He earned a reputation of being a very harsh judge, since his advisors often interpreted his silences to mean "Death by Crocodile".
His mummy case can be found in the Mummy Storage room in the basement of the Leyendecker Museum.
Behind the Scenes[]
In actual Egyptian history, Amenophis III was widely known as Amenhotep III, and was the ninth ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty. According to different authors, he ruled Egypt from June 1386 to 1349 BC, or from June 1388 BC to December 1351 BC/1350 BC, after his father Thutmose IV died.
The information given in the Egyptian Exhibit is based on actual historical and archaeological sources. In the fifth year of his reign, he did indeed conduct campaigns against a territory called Akuyata in Nubia, but for the most part his nearly forty year reign was peaceful and prosperous. He kept many of the alliances made by his father, and engaged in peaceful diplomatic relations with other nations.
In addition to the temples at Karnak and Luxor, he also constructed hundreds of statues of himself, at least 250 of which had survived into modern times. Among them would be the Colossi of Memnon.
The lion hunts of the first ten years of his reign are commemorated in five historical and commemorative scarabs, known as The Lion-Hunts of Amenhotep III During the First Ten Years of his Reign.
While the information given in the Egyptian Exhibit's descriptions is based on historical and archaeological evidence, the story told by the description of the mummy case in the Mummy Storage room is apocryphal and likely fictional. There is no record of the historical Amenophis III being known as 'The Shy One' and disliking crowds to such an extent that he had a replica hold court in his place. Given the fact that most of the other mummy cases in the Mummy Storage room are cases of obviously fictitious pharaohs or public officials such as Rathotep, Lameotep, Itinkisawapuddytat IV, MacKenzietep, and Snivelenhotep, it is clear that the wooden replica story is the invention of the game writers and is not intended to be taken as historical fact. Possibly the name 'Amenophis III' was used as a placeholder in this context.