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B.C.

3333.

religious texts of a most important character. They constitute the earliest known copy of the Heliopolitan version of the Book of the Dead.

Dynasty VI., from Memphis.

3266. Tetȧ. He built a pyramid at Sakkâra. The walls of its chambers and corridors are inscribed with hieroglyphic texts.

Rā-user-ka.

Sakkara.

He built a pyramid, probably at

3233. Rā-meri, Pepi I. In his reign lived Unȧ, a man

of humble birth, who began life in the royal
service as a 66
crown bearer"; he was next made
overseer of the workmen, and was soon after
sent to Tura to bring back a block of stone for
the sarcophagus of the king. He was then made
governor of the troops, and was set at the head
of an expedition against the Aamu, or Semitic
tribes of the Eastern Desert, and the Herusha, or
nomad tribes of the South-eastern Sûdân. On five
different occasions did Unȧ wage war successfully
against Egypt's foes, and having wasted their
countries with fire and sword, he returned to
Memphis crowned with glory. The inscription is
of the greatest importance for the history of the
period, and is interesting as showing that a man
of very humble birth could attain to the highest
dignities at the Egyptian court. He built a
pyramid at Sakkâra.

3200. Mer-en-Rā, Meḥti-em-sa-f. He built at Sakkara the pyramid called by the Arabs Haram aşŞayyâdîn, or "Hunters' Pyramid." It was opened by Mariette in 1880. His mummy is preserved in Cairo. The official Her-khuf began his career

in this reign.

B.C.

3166. Nefer-ka-Rā, Pepi II. He built at Sakkâra a pyramid, the walls of the chambers of which are covered with hieroglyphic texts of a religious character. He sent the official Her-khuf to the "Land of the Spirits," to bring back a pygmy. Mer-en-Rā, Meḥti-em-sa-f II (?).

Ra-neter-ka.

3133 (?). Nit-ȧqert (Nitocris), "the beautiful woman with rosy cheeks."

(?) I-em-hetep.

Dynasties VII.--XI.

According to Manetho we have :

VIIth Dynasty. From Memphis; 70 kings in 70

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The Tablet of Abydos gives the following selection of royal names:

Rā-neter-ka.

Rā-men-ka.

3133. Ra-nefer-ka.

3000. Rā-nefer-ka-Nebi. Scarabs of this king exist.

2966. Rā-ṭet-ka-maā—

2933. Ra-nefer-ka-Khentu.

2900. Mer-en-Heru.

2866. Senefer-ka.

2833. Rā-en-ka. Scarabs of this king exist.

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Dynasties IX and X, from Herakleopolis. From the

Monuments.

Khati, the Akhthoês of Manetho.

of this king may have been :

Rā-maa-ȧb.

Ra-sekha-en.

Rā-nub-taui (?).

Rā-aa-ḥetep.

Rā-khā-user.

The successors

The above five names are found on scarabs, and each has

the title NETER NEFER,

98 "beautiful god," prefixed to it;

it is possible that they belong to the period between the Xth and XIIIth dynasties.

Rā-ka-meri, who was greatly helped in his wars by the princes of Siut (Asyût), Khati I., Tefabȧ, and Khati II.

Dynasty XI., from Diospolis, or Thebes.

It is not at present possible to arrange in chronological order the names of the kings of this dynasty, although several of them are well known. Names common to some of them are Antefå and Menthu-hetep. Some of the kings

D

appear to have ruled for long periods, but their reigns were on the whole uneventful; the burial place of the kings of this dynasty is at Drah abu'l-Nekkah.

Antefa, who bore the titles of ERPA

and ḤĀ.

Neb-ḥetep, Menthu-hetep I. He worked the granite quarries in the First Cataract, and the quarries in Wâdî Ḥammâmât.

Rā-neb-taui, Menthu-hetep II. He also worked the quarries in Wâdî Ḥammâmât.

Ra-neb-ḥap, Menthu-hetep III. His temple at Dêr al-Baḥarî was excavated by Messrs. Naville and Hall in the winters of 1903-1906. He built a pyramid tomb in connexion with his temple.

It has been customary to include among the kings ot the XIth dynasty the following:

Antef-ãa I. His coffin is in the Louvre.

Antef-aa II. His coffin is in the Louvre.

Antef-aa III. His coffin is in the British Museum.
Antef-aa IV. His favourite dog was called Beḥuka.
Antef-aa V. His tomb, with its two obelisks, was
discovered by Mariette.

These kings, with the exception of Ântef-ãa IV., may
have reigned in the period between the XIIIth
and XVIIth dynasties. Antef-ãa IV., whose Horus

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and the grandson of Heru-seãnkh-áb-taui, son

of Ra-Menthu-hetepos

B.C.

2500. Se-ankh-ka-Rā. This king is known to us through an inscription at Ḥammâmât, which states that he sent an expedition to the land of Punt; this shows that at that early date an active trade must have been carried on across the Arabian desert between Egypt and Arabia. His officer Ḥennu set out with 3,000 men and dug wells at Atahet and Aaheteb. Se-ankh-ka-Rā appears to have been the immediate predecessor of the first king of the XIIth dynasty. The nomen of this king is uncertain, but it was probably, as MM. Pierret, Devéria, and Maspero have shewn, Menthuḥetep.

MIDDLE EMPIRE.

Dynasty XII., from Diospolis, or Thebes.

2466. Amenemḥāt I. ascended the throne of Egypt after hard fighting; he conquered the Uaua, a Libyan tribe that lived near Korosko in Nubia, and wrote a series of instructions for his son Usertsen I. The story of Sanehet was written during this reign. 2433. Usertsen I., the Sesonchosis of Manetho, made war against the tribes of Ethiopia; he erected granite obelisks and built largely at Heliopolis. He and his father built pyramids at Lisht, a necropolis situated about 30 miles south of Cairo. 2400. Amenemhāt II. Khnemu-hetep, son of Nehera, whose tomb is at Beni-hasân, lived during the reign of this king.

2366. Usertsen II. He built a pyramid at Illahûn. In

his reign a party of 37 Aamu, or Semites from the Eastern Desert, visited Egypt, bringing eyepaint with them.

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