AbstractPathological changes of the lector priest Iufaa are compared with those revealed on the skeletons of his two relatives Imakhetkherresnet and Nekawer, and of an unrelated male Padihor. They were discovered in 2001 in the vicinity of Iufaa's monumental shaft tomb, dating from late 26th dynasty (before 525 BC). The complex was found unmolested by robbers. Congenital anomalies, osteoporosis, degenerative joint changes, post‐traumatic changes and maybe the first palaeopathological evidence of a rare benign neoplasm (neurilemmoma) were recorded. The findings add interesting new facts to the lives of these historical persons. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.