Pharaoh

Ancient Egyptian wall paintings in a tomb at Thebes from about 1380 BC.

Hebrew form of the Egyptian royal title Per-'o. This term, meaning ‘great house’, was originally applied to the royal household, and after about 950 BC to the king.

Pharaohs wore insignia of office, like any other king, such as the dual crown, consisting of the white crown of Upper Egypt and the red crown of Lower Egypt, and a special wooden ‘beard’. The pharaoh was usually male, with the notable exceptions of Hatshepsut and Cleopatra, but inheritance through the female line was fully recognized to the extent that marriage to the pharaoh's daughter conferred a right to the throne.