Manetho
tells us that the IInd Dynasty consisted of nine kings, ruling for 302 years,
but it is difficult to reconcile his statement with the surviving archeological
and written evidence. By
present state of knowledge we are unable to establish precise order of kings of
this dynasty. Two rulers, Hotepsekhemwi and Khasekhemui, are the best known
personages of this period. Peribsen-Sekhemib was probably the first religious
reformer in the history. Generally times of the Dynasty II are poorly known to
us and many scholars still base their opinions more upon suppositions and
presumptions than historical facts. It
is assumed that between king Hotepsekhemwi, generally believed to be the first
ruler of this dynasty, and the last pharaoh of preceeding dynasty, should be
placed ephemeral rulers Ba and Sneferka. This is slightly controversial as some
scholars (N. Swelim) identify the king Ba with ruler of dynasty III – the king
Sekhemkhet. |
2860 - 2837 |
Hotepsekhemwi
|
(Horus Name) |
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Hr Htp-sxm.wi |
(Nebti Name) |
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Htp nb.ti |
Abydos Table (Nomen) |
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bDAw |
Saqqara Table (Nomen) |
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bA.w nTr |
Turin Canon (Nomen) |
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bA.w nTr |
(Nomen) |
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bDAtAw |
|
2837
- 2827 |
Reneb ( Nebre )
|
(Horus Name) |
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Hr nb-ra |
Turin Canon (Nomen) |
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kA kA[.w] |
Abydos Table (Nomen) |
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|
(Nomen) |
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King,
whose name is known to us thanks numerous sealings found at Saqqara and
stela from Abydos.
|
Granite stelae of Nebre. Metropolitan Museum - New York
2827
- 2783 |
Ninetjer
|
(Horus Name) |
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Hr n(i)-nTr |
(Nebti Name) |
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nb.ti n(i)-nTr |
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nb.ti... |
|
(Golden Horus Name) |
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rn-nbw |
Abydos Table (Nomen) |
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bA-n-nTr |
Saqqara Table (Nomen) |
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bA-nTrw |
Turin Canon (Nomen) |
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bA-n-nTr |
|
2783 - 2780 |
Weneg
|
(Horus Name) |
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Hr wng |
(Nebti Name) |
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nb.ti xt |
Abydos Table (Nomen) |
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wAD-ns |
Saqqara Table (Nomen) |
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Ruler usually identified with his successor Sendj. However the fact that both these names are found in the Table of Abydos suggests something adverse. Generally the period after Ninetjer rule is one of less known in the whole history of Egypt. Thlas is a form of name passed by Manetho and derived probably from wAD-ns in Tables of Abydos and Saqqara |
2780 - 2770 |
Senedj
|
Abydos Table (Nomen) |
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sndi |
Turin Canon |
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snD |
(Nomen) |
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snd |
(Nomen) |
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nsw snd |
Turin Canon gives 54 years of rule. On the list of kings of this dynasty he is apt to be inserted in various places. Thus, he has been identified with either Peribsen or Uneg or Sekhemib still with assumption that Peribsen and Sekhemib were two different persons. In W. Helck opinion Sendi lived and ruled immediately after Peribsen, while N. Grimal suggests they both were contemporaries. Thus, it is very likely that Egypt was split at that times although in general opinion this had happened after Sendi’s death. |
2770 - 2762 |
Sneferka
|
|
Hr snfr-kA |
Possibly one of the rulers of this, or as P. Kaplony suggests, previous dynasty. |
2724-2719 (von Beckerath) |
Neferkare (Aaka)
|
The ruler placed by some scholars somewhere between Peribsen and Khasekhemwi. No artifacts dated to Neferkare’s time survived so that precise localization of the king remains impossible. Alan Gardiner is sure that the scribe on Turin Papyrus has written Aaka. |
Saqqara Table (Nomen) |
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nfr-kA-ra |
(Nomen) |
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nfr-kA(-ra) |
2762 - 2754 |
Neferkasokar
|
Saqqara Table (Nomen) |
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nfr-kA-skr |
Turin Canon (Nomen) |
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nfr-kA-skr |
The ruler inserted by some scholars somewhere between Peribsen and Khasekhemwi. Precise localization of this king remains impossible due to lack of any artifacts dated back to his times. A cylindrical seal with this ruler’s name presumably does not originate from his times. In the Late Period this king enjoyed great popularity. |
2711-2709 (von Beckerath) |
'Hudjefa' (a)
|
Turin Canon |
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H(w)-DfA |
Saqqara Table |
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Hw-DfA |
Some scholars regard this ruler a one before last of this dynasty and predecessor of Khasekhemwi. Te style of inscribing his name, found in Table of Saqqara and Royal Canon of Turin is an incorrect interpretation based on the fact that primary royal name is unreadable. The Turin Papyrus mentions 1 year, 8 month and 4 days of rule |
2780 - 2754 |
Sekhemib - Peribsen
|
(Horus Name) |
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Hr sxm-ib |
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Hr sxm-ib pr-n-mAa.t |
|
(Nebti Name) |
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nb.ti-sxm-ib pr-n-mAa.t |
(Seth Name) |
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stX-pr-ib.sn |
(Nebti Name) |
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nb.ti-pr ib.sn |
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pr-ib.sn |
The fact that he dropped his Horus name in favor of a Seth name is so weighty that it made historians create a lot of hypotheses. Thus it is assumed that Peribsen might have been usurper or that under his rule a religious revolution took place. Unfortunately there are no artifacts found which might clarify those events. It is believed that Sekhemib Pereenmaat and Peribsen were two different kings. Yet some scholars try to identify Sekhemib with Sendi. Simplifying slightly this immensely intricate problem one can assume that Sekhemib was either Peribsen’s successor, as indicated by W. Helck and N. Grimal or they were one person who, for unknown reasons (maybe just religious) changed his Horus name while ruling (E. Drioton, J. Vandier, W. Kaiser). One thing is almost certain. The power had been decentralized and simultaneous rules took place. Another split into North and South possible. Burial place – tomb P in the Umm el-Qaab necropolis at Abydos, equipped at the moment of its discovery still with copper and stone pottery. No tomb of this ruler has been found at Saqqara. |
|
|
Cylindrical seal of Peribsen. |
Stelae with name of Peribsen. |
|
Ba
|
|
Hr bA (?) |
, |
Hr
sA (?) |
Possibly one of the rulers of this dynasty, but also possible that he belonged to the previous one or beginning of the dynasty III. His name was inscribed in two different forms and might have belonged to two different kings. Some scholars (N. Swelim) identify him with king Teti (Djoser-Teti) of dynasty III. |
2754 - 2727
|
Khasekhemwi ( Khasekhem )
|
(Horus Name) |
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Hr xa-sxm |
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Hr xa-sxm.wi |
|
(Seth & Horus Name) |
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Hr stH xa-sxm.wi nb.wi Htp im=f |
(Nebti Name) |
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nb.ti xa-sxm.wi nb.wi Htp im=f |
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nb.ti xa-sxm.wi nbw H.t=sn |
|
Abydos Table (Nomen) |
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DADAy |
Saqqara Table (Nomen) |
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bby |
Turin Canon (Nomen) |
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bbty |
|
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One of the pair of limestone seated statues from Hierakonpolis. Cairo Museum. | Serekh from pink granite door. |
Copyright © 2000-2013 Dariusz Sitek, Czestochowa - Chicago - Ann Arbor |