National Geographic
The physician's name was Shepseskaf-Ankh, which means "Shepseskaf is living"—a tribute to the last king of the fourth dynasty during the period
known as the Old Kingdom. As the Head of the Physicians of Upper and Lower Egypt, Shepseskaf-Ankh served the royal household during the fifth
dynasty. He is especially associated with a king named Niuserre, who ruled Egypt for at least a decade.
While I have not looked into this discovery beyond what's been posted in this thread, this NG story already raises some questions in my mind. For one
thing, the
anX appended to someone's name isn't a simple "is living". The
anX represents the divine essence in a being or concept,
which is why the
neteru are often shown holding it. If it is appended to Shepseskaf's name in one or more inscriptions, we would need to see
the inscriptions to deduce its significance. In and of itself, it would imply his divine, rather than mortal/physical self.
NG continued
In one section of the tomb—surrounding a feature called a false door—he is identified by titles indicating his elevated status, such as Priest of
Re in the Temples of the Sun, Priest of Khnum, and Priest of Magic.
Egyptian priests didn't go around to different cult-centers collecting additional priesthoods like Boy Scout merit badges. And there was no such
thing as a "priest of magic". [Magic, in various nuances, was a characteristic of all the
neteru, principally Tahuti/Thoth; and all priests
studied and practiced it.]
So either he was a priest of Ra or of Khnum, but not both. Except for this possible wrinkle: Khnum was an interesting and rather unusual
neter.
His name means "Creator" in a very primal sense. He created himself, as well as the heavens and the earth and all of nature, and the
neteru,
and mankind. He was depicted as a ram or ram-headed man with horizontal, wavy horns, and was also associated with the elder Horus (HaraXte) and with
Amon-Ra. His cult center was located in Elephantine near the First Cataract of the Nile in southern Egypt. So it's possible to see a priest of
Khnum-Ra as a predecessor to the later, more prominent Amon-Ra.
NG continued
Being a royal doctor, it seems, could ensure your family's success not just in this world but in the afterlife as well.
Another somewhat silly statement. The Egyptians drew no line between medicine and magic; they were both part of the same expertise. And here one must
bear in mind that what the Egyptians meant by "magic" is much closer to modern concepts of holistic/natural health than to ignorant superstition or
trickery.
All of which is to say that there seems to be more than a bit of stereotypical labeling going on here. which may not have anything to do with who this
fellow actually was.