Sobekhotep III

Last updated

Sobekhotep III (throne name: Sekhemre-sewadjtawy) was an Egyptian king of the mid Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt who reigned three to four years.

Contents

Family

Parents and siblings

Scarab of Sobekhotep III giving the name of his father, god's father Mentuhotep. Sobekhotep III scarab.png
Scarab of Sobekhotep III giving the name of his father, god's father Mentuhotep.

The family of the king is known from several sources. A monument from Sehel Island shows Sobekhotep with his father Mentuhotep, his mother was king's mother Iuhetibu (Yauheyebu), his brothers Seneb and Khakau, and a half-sister called Reniseneb. Reniseneb was a daughter of Iuhetibu and her second husband Dedusobek. [2]

Wife and children

Sobekhotep III had two wives, Senebhenas and Neni. A stela from Koptos (Qift), [3] now in the Louvre (C 8), mentions the daughters of Neni: Iuhetibu Fendy and Dedetanqet. Iuhetibu Fendy wrote her name in a cartouche. [2] This is the second time in Egyptian history that a king's daughter received this honor.

Senebhenas is shown with Sobekhotep on an altar in Sehel Island and a stela in Wadi el-Hol. [3] The stela depicts Sobekhotep III before the god Monthu. He receives an ankh and a was-scepter from the god. Sobekhotep is followed by his father Montuhotep, his mother Iuhetibu, and his wife Senebhenas. [2]

Reign

Sobekhotep III is known from many objects [4] [5] despite the fact that the Turin King List gives him a reign of only four years [6] and two to four months in length. He added inscriptions to the temple of Menthu at Madamud [7] and built a chapel at El Kab. [8] On Sehel [9] an altar with his name was found.

A number of scarab seals have been found that were from an officier of the ruler's table Sobekhotep begotten of the officier of the ruler's table Mentuhotep. [10] It is possible that these seals belonged to Sobekhotep III before he became king.

Sobekhotep III was the first of a group of Thirteenth Dynasty kings about whom there exists historical records. This group of Thirteenth Dynasty kings are all known from many objects. These kings produced many seals and there are many private monuments that can be dated to these reigns. This would seem to indicate that Egypt was relatively stable during this period.

Attestations

The main attestations of Sobekhotep III are found in Upper Egypt. Only small finds (tradables) are attested in Lower Egypt and Nubia. For a full list, see Ryholt 1997:343-44 File 13/26

Lower Egypt

Upper Egypt

Nubia

At the fortress of Mirgissa (Nubia), a scarab-impression with the royal name of Sobekhotep III and the King's Mother Iuhetibu . [13] Also a seal-impression with the name Sekhemre Sewadjtawy, a seal with two impressions. [14]

Non-contemporary attestation

The Turin King List 7:24 contains the entry: "The Dual King Sekhem[ka]re Wadjtawy Sobekhotep, 4 years, 2 months x days" {nsw-bit sḫm-kꜢ-rꜤ wꜢḏ-tꜢ.wy sbk-ḥtp rnpt 4 Ꜣbd 2 hrw x}. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khendjer</span> Egyptian pharaoh

Userkare Khendjer was a minor king of the early Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom. Khendjer possibly reigned for four to five years, archaeological attestations show that he was on the throne for at least three or four years three months and five days. Khendjer had a small pyramid built for himself in Saqqara and it is therefore likely that his capital was in Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amenemhat IV</span> Pharaoh of Egypt

Amenemhat IV was the seventh and penultimate king of the late Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt during the late Middle Kingdom period. He arguably ruled around 1786–1777 BC for about nine regnal years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neferhotep I</span> Egyptian pharaoh

Khasekhemre Neferhotep I was an Egyptian pharaoh of the mid Thirteenth Dynasty ruling in the second half of the 18th century BC during a time referred to as the late Middle Kingdom or early Second Intermediate Period, depending on the scholar. One of the best attested rulers of the 13th Dynasty, Neferhotep I reigned for 11 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wegaf</span>

Khutawyre Wegaf was a pharaoh of the early Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt in the late Middle Kingdom/Second Intermediate Period. He is known from several sources, including a stele and statues. In the Turin King List he is the first ruler of this dynasty with a reign of 2 regnal years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sobekhotep IV</span> Egyptian king

Khaneferre Sobekhotep IV was one of the more powerful Egyptian kings of the 13th Dynasty, who reigned at least eight years. His brothers, Neferhotep I and Sihathor, were his predecessors on the throne, the latter having only ruled as coregent for a few months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedjefakare Kay Amenemhat VII</span> Egyptian pharaoh of the 13th Dynasty

Sedjefakare Kay Amenemhat VII was an Egyptian pharaoh of the early 13th Dynasty in the late Middle Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sekhemre Khutawy Sobekhotep</span> Egyptian pharaoh

Sekhemre Khutawy Amenemhat Sobekhotep was an Egyptian pharaoh of the early 13th Dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nubkheperre Intef</span> Egyptian king

Nubkheperre Intef was an Egyptian king of the Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt at Thebes during the Second Intermediate Period, when Egypt was divided by rival dynasties including the Hyksos in Lower Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sobekemsaf I</span> Pharaoh of Egypt

Sekhemre Wadjkhaw Sobekemsaf I was a pharaoh of Egypt during the 17th Dynasty in the Second Intermediate Period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sobekhotep VIII</span>

Sekhemre Seusertawy Sobekhotep VIII was possibly the third king of the 16th Dynasty of Egypt reigning over the Theban region in Upper Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. Alternatively, he may be a ruler of the 13th or 17th Dynasty. If he was a king of the 16th Dynasty, Sobekhotep VIII would be credited 16 years of reign by the Turin canon, starting c. 1650 BC, at the time of the Hyksos invasion of Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sekhemre Sementawy Djehuty</span> Egyptian Pharaoh

Sekhemre Sementawy Djehuty was a minor king reigning over parts of Upper Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period.

This page list topics related to ancient Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khahotepre Sobekhotep VI</span> Egyptian pharaoh

Khahotepre Sobekhotep VI was an Egyptian king of the late 13th Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seankhenre Mentuhotepi</span> Egyptian pharaoh

Seankhenre Mentuhotepi was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh during the fragmented Second Intermediate Period. According to egyptologists Kim Ryholt and Darrell Baker, he was the fifth king of the 16th Dynasty reigning over the Theban region in Upper Egypt. Alternatively, Jürgen von Beckerath sees him as the fifth king of the 17th Dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sekhemkare Amenemhat Senebef</span> Egyptian pharaoh

Sekhemkare Amenemhat Senebef was an Egyptian pharaoh of the early 13th Dynasty, often considered as the final part of the late Middle Kingdom or early Second Intermediate Period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senebhenas</span>

Senebhenas(snb-ḥnˁ=s, "Health is with her") was the wife and queen consort of the ancient Egyptian king Sobekhotep III, who reigned in the 13th Dynasty, about 1750 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iuhetibu Fendy</span> Kings Daughter

IuhetibuFendy was an ancient Egyptian princess of the Thirteenth Dynasty. She was the daughter of king Sobekhotep III and of queen Neni. Iuhetibu Fendy is known from two sources. She appears on a rock-cut stela in the Wadi el-Hol and she appears on a stela from Abydos now in the Louvre in Paris (C8). On the stela she is shown together with her sister Dedetanqet in front of the fertility god Min. Her two names are written within a cartouche, a privilege that was given in this time very rarely to royal women and points to a special status of Iuhetibu Fendy. Iuhetibu Fendy bears a double name. The first name Iuhetibu was also the name of Iuhetibu Fendy's grandmother. Naming children after grandparents was not uncommon in Ancient Egypt. Fendy is a nickname meaning "nose".

Neni was an ancient Egyptian queen of the Thirteenth Dynasty. She was the wife of king Sobekhotep III and the mother of two of his daughters: Iuhetibu Fendy and Dedetanqet. The only title attested for Neni is king's wife, the regular title of queens of this period. Not much else is known about her. There is a stela set up by her steward attesting that Neni had her own estates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mentuhotep (god's father)</span>

Mentuhotep was the non-royal father of the ancient Egyptian king Sobekhotep III, who ruled for about three years in the Thirteenth Dynasty, around 1750 BC. Mentuhotep is mainly known from monuments of his son while he was king. On these monuments appears also his wife Iuhetibu, who was called king's mother. On the monuments relating to Sobekhotep III, Mentuhotep bears the title god's father. The latter title is often given to non-royal fathers of kings. It is not known under which circumstances Sobekhotep III became king. However, his father Mentuhotep had no known royal connections. Two further sons are known, Seneb and Khakau. They were bearing the title king's son, albeit being evidently not the son of a king, but brothers of one.

Khakau was the brother of King Sobekhotep III of the Thirteenth Dynasty and part of a powerful family taking power in a time of political turmoil in Upper Egypt. Although not of royal birth, he was given the title of "king's son" by his brother.

References

  1. Flinders Petrie: A history of Egypt from the earliest times to the 16th dynasty (1897), available copyright free here
  2. 1 2 3 M. F. Laming Macadam, A Royal Family of the Thirteenth Dynasty, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 37 (Dec., 1951), pp. 20-28
  3. 1 2 Dodson, Aidan and Hilton, Dyan. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. 2004. ISBN   0-500-05128-3
  4. A scarab of Sobekhotep III, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
  5. Another scarab of Sobekhotep III, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
  6. Following Ryholt: ''The Political Situation, p. 71. However, the four is partly destroyed; year 3 is also possible
  7. F. Bisson de la Roque, J. J. Clère, Fouilles de Médamoud (1927), Cairo 1928, p. 44; Porter & Moss V (1937), p. 146-49
  8. Ryholt, The Political Situation, p. 344
  9. M.F.L. Macadams: Gleanings from the Bankes MSSIn: Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 32 (1946), 60, pl. VIII; H.A. Wild: A Bas-Relief of SekhemRe-Sewadjtowe Sebkhotpe In: Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 37 (1951), p. 12-16
  10. G.T. Martin, Egyptian Administrative and Private Name Seals Oxford 1971, n. 575-588
  11. BM EA 30506
  12. Louvre Museum C8
  13. Mirgissa 32-1-120, https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/4/inscription/11080
  14. BMFA, Ryholt 1997:344; unclear if this is the same impression as Mirgissa 32-1-120
  15. "Turin King List: Column 7".

Bibliography

Preceded by Pharaoh of Egypt
Thirteenth Dynasty
Succeeded by