Reporter (Ancient Egypt)

The Reporter (or often translated as Herald) (wḥm.w) was an Ancient Egyptian title. The literal meaning of wḥmw translates to 'one who repeats'. This is generally rendered as 'reporter', 'messenger', 'herald' or similar. The title first appeared in the Old Kingdom as an honorific of a high official, and later became an administrative function during the Middle Kingdom. In the New Kingdom the role developed an oracular aspect.

Administration
Faulkner and Gardiner translates wḥmw as 'herald, reporter', suggesting that officials bearing this title in the Middle Kingdom were involved in the dissemination of information within the governmental administration. The title has been attributed to household officials, officials assigned to specific missions, as well as ordinary high-ranking local officials of the Middle Kingdom. Sobekemsaf was a notable official of the Thirteenth Dynasty with the title reporter of Thebes.

Religious
The usage of the title within the religious framework relates to the belief of an intermediary between deities and man. During the New Kingdom, statues were erected in the forecourts of temples in order to intercede for the public who were prohibited from entering the temple proper. These 'intermediary statues' were meant to report requests and petitions to the local gods. A known statue of Amenhotep, son of Hapu (who was posthumously deified), dates back to the reign of Amenhotep III, and reads:Perform an offering which the king gives for (me) and libate for me from what you have. I am a herald (wḥmw) whom the king appointed in order to hear the petitions of the humble, in order to bring forward matters of the Two Lands.

— Urk.IV, 1833, 17–19On another statue, Amenhotep calls himself the 'herald of the god Amun'.

Mythology
The Apis bull was worshiped as the herald of the gods Ptah, Osiris and Atum.