| Inykhnum in hieroglyphs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Personal name:
Inykhnum / Khnum-iny Ijnj-ḫnm Khnum comes to me | ||||||
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Inykhnum (also read as Khnum-Iny) was an ancient Egyptian high-ranking official who worked and lived during the transition time between Second and Third Dynasty of Egypt. The king(s) under which he served are not known for certain, the subject being currently highly disputed.
Inykhnum's name appears exclusively in black ink inscriptions on alabaster shards and vessel fragments as well as on a few limestone shards. These artifacts were found beneath the step pyramid in the eastern galleries of the necropolis of pharaoh Djoser (3rd dynasty) at Saqqara and in the great fort Shunet el-Zebib of king Khasekhemwy (end of 2nd dynasty) at Abydos. [1] [2] Additional findings bearing Inykhnum's name come from two private mastaba tombs at Saqqara and from the pyramid of king Sekhemkhet. The ink inscriptions are short and written in hieratic writings. [2] [3]
Inykhnum's name is connected to te deity Khnum. Toby A. H. Wilkinson translates the name with "Khnum is my father" and evaluates this as a proof for an upcoming cult of Khnum during the reign of king Nynetjer. [4]
As a high-ranking official and priest, Inykhnum owned elite and pious titles: [2]
Iny-khnum's titles are typical for a member of the royal family, especially for princes. The inscriptions furthermore reveal that Inykhnum participated in a Hebsed festival. He possibly shared his services and works with an office partner named Ma'a-aper-Min. [2]
Ilona Regulski and Peter Kaplony are convinced that Inykhnum held his office some time between the end of Khasekhemwy's and the beginning of Sekhemkhet's reigns. Earlier assumptions made by Wolfgang Helck, who dated Inykhnum's ink inscriptions to the time of Nynetjer (3rd ruler of 2nd dynasty), are questioned by Ilona Regulski. She points to comparisons between the ink inscriptions from Abydos and findings from Saqqara with contemporary cursive writings from the 2nd and early 3rd dynasties. First, Regulski remarks that the "17th time of the cattle count" appearing alongside the official's name, is a way of writing which was not common until the reign of Djoser. Additionally, if the cattle count was celebrated every second year as was the case during the Old Kingdom, Inykhnum must have served a king reigning for at least 34 years. Such a long reign is only attested for king Nynetjer of the early 2nd dynasty. However, Regulski suspects that Khasekhemwy or Djoser may have ruled longer than thought. [2] [3]
Furthermore, special font designs appearing together with Inykhnum's name were not yet common during Nynetjer's time on the throne. In particular, Regulski points to special hieroglyphs and their spellings within the hieratic writing: the zigzag-shaped hieroglyph N35 (water line; value "n") was still visibly jagged when written cursively under king Nynetjer, but from the reign of king Peribsen onwards it was written as a simple horizontal line with thickened ends. This is precisely the writing form that appears in the ink inscriptions of Inykhnum. Another hieroglyph, the sign Aa1 (human placenta; value "kh") was depicted as a simple ring or circle during Ninetjer's lifetime, while from king Sekhemib onwards it was written with the familiar horizontal hashing inside the circle. In cursive hieratic writings this sign appears as a circle with one or two fattened, horizontal or diagonal lines. This is also the case in the ink inscriptions of Inykhnum. Thus, according to Regulski, the typographics of the ink inscriptions lead to a secure datation of Inykhnum's life some time between the end of Khasekhemwy's reign and the very beginning of king Sekhemkhet's reign. [2] [3]
Inykhnum's ink inscriptions are of great importance to egyptologists and historians alike. Not only do they show the development of the hieratic writing, but also they mention a special building alongside Inykhnum's name: it is a Ka-house, the forerunner of the later mortuary temple. The writings inside the Ka-house point to an obscure king of 2nd dynasty: Horus Za. The existence and identity of this king are highly disputed, in particular because his name never appears inside a royal serekh. Therefore, it is unknown, when and for how long did king Za ruled. [2] [3]
Inykhnum's burial is unknown, W. Helck and J. Spencer list mastaba tombs S2429 and S3009 at Saqqara as possible burial sites. [3]
Djoser was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty during the Old Kingdom, and was the founder of that epoch. He is also known by his Hellenized names Tosorthros and Sesorthos. He was the son of King Khasekhemwy and Queen Nimaathap, but whether he was also the direct successor to their throne is unclear. Most Ramesside king lists identify a king named Nebka as preceding him, but there are difficulties in connecting that name with contemporary Horus names, so some Egyptologists question the received throne sequence. Djoser is known for his step pyramid, which is the earliest colossal stone building in ancient Egypt.
Hotepsekhemwy is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who was the founder of the Second Dynasty of Egypt. The exact length of his reign is not known; the Turin canon suggests an improbable 95 years while the ancient Egyptian historian Manetho reports that the reign of "Boëthôs" lasted for 38 years. Egyptologists consider both statements to be misinterpretations or exaggerations. They credit Hotepsekhemwy with either a 25- or a 29-year rule.
Qa'a was the last king of the First Dynasty of Egypt. He reigned for 33 years at the end of the 30th century BC.
Sanakht is the Horus name of an ancient Egyptian king (pharaoh) of the Third Dynasty during the Old Kingdom. His chronological position is highly uncertain, and it is also unclear under which Hellenized name the ancient historian Manetho could have listed him. Many Egyptologists connect Sanakht with the Ramesside cartouche name Nebka. However, this remains disputed because no further royal title of that king has ever been found; either in contemporary source or later ones. There are two relief fragments depicting Sanakht originally from the Wadi Maghareh on the Sinai Peninsula.
Nynetjer is the Horus name of the third pharaoh of the Second Dynasty of Egypt. The length of his reign is unknown. The Turin Canon suggests an improbable reign of 96 years and Egyptian historian Manetho suggested that Nynetjer's reign lasted 47 years. Egyptologists question both statements as misinterpretations or exaggerations. They generally credit Nynetjer with a reign of either 43 years or 45 years. Their estimation is based on the reconstructions of the well known Palermo Stone inscription reporting the years 7–21, the Cairo Stone inscription reporting the years 36–44. According to different authors, Nynetjer ruled Egypt from c. 2850 BC to 2760 BC or later from c. 2760 BC to 2715 BC.
Sekhemkhet was an ancient Egyptian king (pharaoh) of the 3rd Dynasty during the Old Kingdom. His reign is thought to have been from about 2648 BC until 2640 BC. He is also known under his later traditioned birth name Djoser-tety and under his Hellenized name Tyreis. Sekhemkhet was probably the brother or eldest son of king Djoser. Little is known about this king, since he ruled for only a few years. However, he erected a step pyramid at Saqqara and left behind a well known rock inscription at Wadi Maghareh.
Khaba was a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, active during the 3rd Dynasty of the Old Kingdom period. The exact time during which Khaba ruled is unknown but may have been around 2670 BC, and almost definitely towards the end of the dynasty.
Weneg, also known as Weneg-Nebty, is the throne name of an early Egyptian king, who ruled during the Second Dynasty. Although his chronological position is clear to Egyptologists, it is unclear for how long King Weneg ruled. It is also unclear as to which of the archaeologically identified Horus-kings corresponds to Weneg.
Senedj was an early Egyptian king (pharaoh), who may have ruled during the 2nd Dynasty. His historical standing remains uncertain. His name is included in the kinglists of the Ramesside era, although it is written in different ways: While the Abydos King List imitates the archaic form, the Royal Canon of Turin and the Saqqara King List form the name with the hieroglyphic sign of a plucked goose.
Seth-Peribsen is the serekh name of an early Egyptian monarch (pharaoh), who ruled during the Second Dynasty of Egypt. His chronological position within this dynasty is unknown and it is disputed who ruled both before and after him. The duration of his reign is also unknown.
Sekhemib-Perenma'at, is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the 2nd Dynasty. Similar to his predecessor, successor or co-ruler Seth-Peribsen, Sekhemib is contemporarily well attested in archaeological records, but he does not appear in any posthumous document. The exact length of his reign is unknown and his burial site has yet to be found.
Nebka is the throne name of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Third Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period, in the 27th century BCE. He is thought to be identical with the Hellenized name Νεχέρωχις recorded by the Egyptian priest Manetho of the much later Ptolemaic period.
Nimaathap was an ancient Egyptian queen consort at the transition time from 2nd Dynasty to 3rd Dynasty. Nimaathap may have acted as regent for her son Djoser.
The Third Dynasty of ancient Egypt is the first dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Other dynasties of the Old Kingdom include the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth. The capital during the period of the Old Kingdom was at Memphis.
Wadjenes, also known as Wadjlas, Ougotlas and Tlas, was an early Egyptian king who may have ruled during the 2nd Dynasty. Since the name form "Wadjenes" is not contemporarily attested as the name of a king, but frequently appears in Ramesside kinglists, Egyptologists to this day are trying to connect Wadjenes with contemporary Horus-kings.
Nubnefer is the birth name of a king (pharaoh) who may have ruled during the 2nd Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. The exact length of his reign is unknown and his chronological position is unclear.
Sneferka was an early Egyptian king who may have ruled at the end of the 1st Dynasty. The exact length of his reign is unknown, but thought to have been very short and his chronological position is unclear.
Ba, also known as Horus Ba, is the serekh-name of an early Egyptian or ancient Egyptian king who may have ruled at the end of the 1st Dynasty, the latter part of 2nd Dynasty or during the 3rd Dynasty. Neither the exact length of his reign nor his chronological position is known.
Horus Bird, also known as Horus-Ba, may have been a pharaoh who may have had a very short reign between the First and Second Dynasty of Egypt. Horus-Bird's burial site is unknown.
Horus Sa was a possible early Egyptian pharaoh who may have reigned during the Second or Third Dynasty of Egypt. His existence is disputed, as is the meaning of the artifacts that have been interpreted as confirming his existence.
