Abydos King List

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The start of the king list, showing Seti I and his son Ramesses II on the way to making an offering to Ptah-Seker-Osiris, on behalf of their 72 ancestors: the contents of the king list. Ramesses is depicted holding censers. C+B-Egypt-Fig9-SetiIAbydosKingList.PNG
The start of the king list, showing Seti I and his son Ramesses II on the way to making an offering to Ptah-Seker-Osiris, on behalf of their 72 ancestors: the contents of the king list. Ramesses is depicted holding censers.

The Abydos King List, also known as the Abydos Table, is a list of the names of 76 kings of ancient Egypt, found on a wall of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Egypt. It consists of three rows of 38 cartouches (borders enclosing the name of a king) in each row. The upper two rows contain names of the kings, while the third row merely repeats Seti I's throne name and nomen.

Contents

Besides providing the order of the Old Kingdom kings, it is the sole source to date of the names of many of the kings of the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties, so the list is valued greatly for that reason.

This list omits the names of many earlier pharaohs. The bulk of these appear to have been left out because although they claimed royal titles and rule over all Egypt, their actual authority was limited to only part of the country. This category includes all the rulers of the Ninth and Tenth Dynasties, the early rulers of the Eleventh Dynasty (Mentuhotep I, Intef I, Intef II, and Intef III), all the rulers of the Thirteenth Dynasty, and all of the rulers of Second Intermediate Period (including the Hyksos Fifteenth Dynasty, who may also have been seen as illigitimate because they were not native Egyptian). The rulers of the chaotic Amarna Period (Akhenaten, Smenkhkare, Neferneferuaten, Tutankhamun, and Ay), seem to have been removed for reasons of political propaganda or as a form of damnatio memoriae ; their reigns were within living memory in Seti's day, and the repudiation of the Amarna Period had been state policy since the reign of Horemheb (who had chosen Seti's father Ramesses I to succeed him). Two pharaohs known to have been women, Sobekneferu and Hatshepsut, are also excluded, most likely due to their gender. Finally, Mentuhotep IV may have been excluded for political reasons (having been overthrown by his vizer and successor Amenemhat I) or simply due to a lack of sources for his brief reign. [1]

Contents of the king list

Drawing of the cartouches in the Abydos King List. AbydosKinglistDrawing.png
Drawing of the cartouches in the Abydos King List.

First Dynasty

Cartouches 1 to 8Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 1 to 8 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 1-8.jpg
Cartouches 1 to 8 (Click to enlarge)
1Meni. Same name in Turin King List. Probably identical to Narmer. Menes
2Teti. Same name in Turin King List. Hor-Aha
3Iti. Same name in Turin King List. Djer
4Ita. Itui in Turin King List. Djet
5Septi. Qenti in Turin King List. Den
6Meribiap. Merbiapen in Turin King List. Anedjib
7Semsu. Semsem in Turin King List. Semerkhet.
8Qebeh. Same name in Turin King List. Qa'a.

Second Dynasty

Cartouches 9 to 14Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 9 to 14 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 9-14.jpg
Cartouches 9 to 14 (Click to enlarge)
9Bedjau. Baunetjer in Turin King List. Hotepsekhemwy
10Kakau. Same name in Turin King List. Nebre
11Banetjer. Same name in Turin King List. Ninetjer
12Wadjnas. Name damaged in Turin King List. Weneg
13Sendi. Senedj in Turin King List. Senedj
14Djadjay. Bebti in Turin King List. Khasekhemwy

Third Dynasty

Cartouches 15 to 19Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 15 to 19 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 15-19.jpg
Cartouches 15 to 19 (Click to enlarge)
15Nebka. Same name in Turin King List. Nebka
16Djeser-za. Djoser-it in Turin King List. Djoser
17Teti. Djoser-ti in Turin King List. Sekhemkhet
18 Sedjes. Hudjefa in Turin King List. Khaba
19Neferkare. Huni in Turin King List. Huni

Fourth Dynasty

Cartouches 20 to 25Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 20 to 25 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 20-25.jpg
Cartouches 20 to 25 (Click to enlarge)
20Sneferu. Senefer in Turin King List. Sneferu
21Khufu. Name missing in Turin King List. Khufu
22Djedefre. Name missing in Turin King List. Djedefre
23Khafre. Name damaged in Turin King List Khafre
24Menkaure. Name missing in Turin King List. Menkaure
25Shepseskaf. Name missing in Turin King List. Shepseskaf

Fifth Dynasty

Cartouches 26 to 33Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 26 to 33 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 26-33.jpg
Cartouches 26 to 33 (Click to enlarge)
26Userkaf. Name damaged in Turin king list. Userkaf
27Sahure. Name missing in Turin King List. Sahure
28Kakai. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferirkare Kakai
29Neferefre. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferefre
30Nyuserre. Name missing in Turin King List. Nyuserre Ini
31Menkauhor. Same name in Turin King List. Menkauhor Kaiu
32Djedkare. Djed in Turin King List. Djedkare Isesi
33Unis. Same name in Turin King List. Unas

Sixth Dynasty

Cartouches 34 to 39Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 34 to 39 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 34-39.jpg
Cartouches 34 to 39 (Click to enlarge)
34Teti. Name missing in Turin King List. Teti
35Userkare. Name missing in Turin King List. Userkare
36Meryre. Name missing in Turin King List. Pepi I Meryre
37Merenre. Name missing in Turin King List. Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
38Neferkare. Name missing in Turin King List. Pepi II Neferkare
39Merenre Saemsaf. Name missing in Turin King List. Merenre Nemtyemsaf II

Seventh/Eighth Dynasty

Cartouches 40 to 47Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 40 to 47 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 40-47.jpg
Cartouches 40 to 47 (Click to enlarge)
40Netjerikare. Neitiqerty in Turin King List. Netjerkare Siptah
41Menkare. Neferka in Turin King List. Menkare
42Neferkare. Nefer in Turin King List. Neferkare II
43Neferkare Neby. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferkare Neby
44Djedkare Shemai. Name missing in Turin King List. Djedkare Shemai
45Neferkare Khendu. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferkare Khendu
46Merenhor. Name missing in Turin King List. Merenhor
47Sneferka. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferkamin
Cartouches 48 to 56Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 48 to 56 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 48-56.jpg
Cartouches 48 to 56 (Click to enlarge)
48Nikare. Name missing in Turin King List. Nikare
49Neferkare Tereru. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferkare Tereru
50Neferkahor. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferkahor
51Neferkare Pepiseneb. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferkare Pepiseneb
52Sneferka Anu. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferkamin Anu
53Kaukare. Ibi in Turin King List. Qakare Ibi
54Neferkaure. Neferkare in Turin King List. Neferkaure II
55Neferkauhor. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferkauhor
56Neferirkare. Name missing in Turin King List. Neferirkare

Eleventh/Twelfth Dynasty

Cartouches 57 to 61Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 57 to 61 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 57-61.jpg
Cartouches 57 to 61 (Click to enlarge)
57Nebhepetre. Same name in Turin King List. Mentuhotep II
58Sankhkare. Seankhkare in Turin King List. Mentuhotep III
59Sehetepibre. Name damaged in Turin King List. Amenemhat I
60Kheperkare. Name damaged in Turin King List. Senusret I
61Nubkaure. Name missing in Turin King List. Amenemhat II
Cartouches 62 to 65Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 62 to 65 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 62-65.jpg
Cartouches 62 to 65 (Click to enlarge)
62Khakheperre. Name missing in Turin King List. Senusret II
63Khakaure. Name missing in Turin King List. Senusret III
64Nimaatre. Name missing in Turin King List. Amenemhat III
65Maakherure. Same name in Turin King List. Amenemhat IV

Eighteenth Dynasty

Cartouches 66 to 74Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 66 to 74 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 66-74.jpg
Cartouches 66 to 74 (Click to enlarge)
66Nebpehtire Ahmose I
67Djeserkare Amenhotep I
68Aakheperkare Thutmose I
69Aakheperenre Thutmose II
70Menkheperre Thutmose III
71Aakheperure Amenhotep II
72Menkheperure Thutmose IV
73Nebmaatre Amenhotep III
74Djeserkheperure
Setepenre
Horemheb

Nineteenth Dynasty

Cartouches 75 and 76Name written in the listCommon name
Cartouches 75 and 76 (Click to enlarge) Abydos Koenigsliste 75-76.jpg
Cartouches 75 and 76 (Click to enlarge)
75Menpehtire Ramesses I
76Menmaatre Seti I

See also

  1. Dominic Perry (15 August 2023). "187: The Abydos King List". The History of Egypt Podcast (Podcast).

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