Khert-neter This term translates as “that which is beneath a god” and was used in ancient Egypt to denote a cemetery or necropolis. Most cemetery areas had particular patrons, deities who resided on overlooking cliffs and surveyed the tombs located in the region. meresger (1), a goddess of thebes, is an example of such cliff-dwelling deities overlooking the khert-neter.
Kheruef (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Palace official of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served as the royal steward of amenhotep iii (r. 1391-1353 b. c.e.). Kheruef’s main duties were involved with the daily administrative affairs of Queen tiye (1), Amenhotep Ill’s dynamic and powerful consort. His tomb at DRA-ABU el-naga, on the western shore of thebes, contains fine reliefs that display his life and honors. Amenhotep II is depicted in the reliefs, and there are scenes of Queen Tiye and akhenaten as a prince. A columned hall and painted scenes also grace Kheruef’s tomb.
Khentikus (Khentika) (fl. 24th and 23rd centuries b. c.e.) Vizier and royal judge of the Sixth Dynasty He served teti (r. 2323-2291 b. c.e.) and pepi i (r. 22892255 b. c.e.). His tomb near MEMPHIS declared his honors as a VIZIER and supreme judge of the court system. Khentikus, sometimes listed as Khentika, was depicted in tomb reliefs as passing judgment on five unworthy governors. Two condemned governors are already tied to poles in the scene, in preparation for physical punishment.
Khesuwer (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Religious official of the Twelfth Dynasty
He served as an inspector of “the Prophets of hathor” in the reign of senwosret i (1971-1926 b. c.e.). His tomb was discovered near Kom el-Hisn, called “the Mound of the Fort.” The chambers of the stone tomb are painted and scenic. A temple to hathor and sekhmet once stood on the site.
See also IMU.
Khenut (fl. 24th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Fifth Dynasty
She was a consort of unis (r. 2356-2323 b. c.e.). Khenut’s tomb is located near Unis’s mortuary temple in saqqara.
Khety I (Meryibre, Aktoy) (fl. 22nd century b. c.e.) Founder of the Ninth Dynasty
He based his royal line at herakleopolis in 2134 b. c.e. The dynasty, combined with the Tenth, ruled a portion of Egypt until 2061 b. c.e. when montuhotep ii united the two kingdoms again. Khety I gained considerable land after the fall of the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 b. c.e.), particularly north of abydos. He was the son of Tefibi, a noble lord of assiut, and he claimed to have descended from a princely line. He inscribed his name in ASWAN. His contemporaries described him as “cruel.”
Khety II (Nebkaure) (fl. c. 2100 b. c.e.) Ruler of the Ninth Dynasty
He was the successor to khety i at herakleopolis. His mother had to serve as regent for his first four years of reign. Khety II is believed to be the ruler who invited “the ELOQUENT PEASANT,” Khunianupu, to court. His name was inscribed at the wadi timulat.
Khety III (Wah’kare) (fl. 22nd century b. c.e.) Third ruler of the Ninth Dynasty
The date of his reign is unknown. Khety III is revered as the author of INSTRUCTIONS for merikarF, a didactic text that was addressed to his son. The Instructions are valuable for their historical perspective of the First Intermediate Period (2134-2040 b. c.e.) and for their portrayal of Khety III. He had witnessed the assault made on the city of THINIS by his allies at assiut and sorely regretted the event.
During the assault a necropolis had been ravaged and desecrated, along with shrines and temples. The incident aroused the Theban royal line and set them on a military crusade that would destroy the Herakleopolitans. inyotef II of Thebes was a contemporary of Khety III, who also fought against invading Bedouins and Asiatics throughout his reign.
Khian (Swoserenre) (fl. 16th century b. c.e.) One of the “Great Hyksos” rulers of the Fifteenth Dynasty (1640-1532 B. C.E.)
He ruled from avaris in the eastern Delta on the Bubastite branch of the Nile, and he was a vigorous monarch, despite the fact that Upper Egypt, the southern domain, was in the control of thebes. Khian’s inscriptions are still visible all across Egypt and even in the Knossus of Crete. A granite lion form that was built into the wall of a house in Baghdad, Iraq, bears his name as well. He decorated shrines at gebelein and bubastis, and SCARABS and seal impressions of his name have been discovered in the Levant. A fragment of a vase with his titles was unearthed at Hattusas, modern Boghazkoy, Turkey, the hittite capital.
Khmunu See hermopolis magna.
Khnum The ancient Egyptian deity worshiped at elephantine Island at ASWAN, he was a creator god revered as a ram. Khnum formed a triad with satet and anukis on Elephantine Island. His name meant “the Molder,” and he used a potter’s wheel to fashion the great cosmic egg and then all living creatures. thoth aided him in this creative process by marking the number of years allotted to each. Khnum’s cult dates to Predynastic Periods (before 3,000 b. c.e.), and the centers of his worship were on the Elephantine (Abu), at biga, and at esna. Khnum was the deity of the first cataract of the Nile and the god of the inundations, associated with the goddesses MERIT (2) and heket. He was called “the Prince of the Two Lands” and “the Prince of the House of Life.” Khnum brought the Nile to Egypt through two caverns in Aswan, where he was associated with Anukis and Satet.
Called also “the Soul of Re,” Khnum wore the horns of the oldest species of rams in Egypt (Ovis longipes). At esna, he had two different divine consorts, menhet and NEITH (1). The reliefs at the Esna temple portray Khnum’s creative powers. The famine stela at sehel ISLAND described prayers to Khnum in times of low Nile inundations. djoser (r. 2630-2611 b. c.e.) was honored by later generations for visiting the shrine of Khnum and ending a famine in his reign. The people of nubia (modern Sudan) incorporated Khnum into their cultic services and associated him with their deity Dedun. Khnum was portrayed as a robust man with a ram’s head, wearing ivory horns, plumes, the solar disk, and the uraeus.
Khnumhotep (1) (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Remarkable nomarch of Beni Hasan in Middle Egypt He was a royal servant who founded a family in the Oryx NOME that served the Twelfth Dynasty. Khnumhotep accompanied amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 b. c.e.) on his military campaigns, sailing with a fleet of 20 ships to put down rebellious outposts on the Nile. As a result of this faithful service, Khnumhotep was named the count of MENET-KHUFU and the head of the Oryx nome. Khnum-hotep’s sons, Nakht and Amenemhet, became court officials, and his daughter, Beket, married and gave birth to another Khnumhotep heir. Khnumhotep’s tomb at beni HASAN has exterior facades, three naves, and niches for statues.
Khnumhotep (2) (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Grandson of Khnumhotep (1)
He was the son of Beket, khnumhotep (1)’s daughter, and an official named Nehri. Khnumhotep succeeded his uncle Nakht as the ruler of the Oryx nome in the nineteenth year of the reign of amenemhet ii (1929-1892 b. c.e.). He married the heiress of the Jackal nome, and his own son, another Nakht, inherited that territory. His stela was found at wadi gasus. Khnumhotep claimed to be “the darling of his lord.”
Khnumhotep (3) (fl. 20th century b. c.e.) Nomarch and royal servant
He was the son of khnumhotep (2) and succeeded him as ruler of the Oryx nome. He was buried with his ancestors in BENI HASAN.
Khnumt (Khnumyt, Khnumet) (fl. 19th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twelfth Dynasty
She was probably the daughter of amenemhet ii (r. 1929-1892 b. c.e.). Khnumt was buried during his reign at DASHUR. A cache of her royal jewels was found in the necropolis there, and the necklaces and crowns are remarkable for their beauty and craftsmanship. A trapdoor covered the entrance of her tomb, hiding it from robbers. A sandstone sarcophagus was in place in the tomb, but her mummified remains were badly damaged by robbers.
Khokha A site between sheikh abd’ el-qurna and deir EL-BAHRI, serving as a necropolis on the western side of the Nile at thebes. Tombs dating to the Sixth Dynasty (2323-2150 b. c.e.) were discovered in this necropolis, cut into the rocks. New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.) tombs were also built in Khokha. Several of the burial sites are beautifully painted and have fine reliefs.
Khons (1) He was a moon deity, patron of childbirth, and member of the theban triad with amun and mut. His name was formed from kh for placenta, and nsu or nsw for ruler. He is usually depicted as a royal young man with the lock of youth, mummy wrappings, and the scepter of ptah, or the crook and the flail. His cult was popular throughout Egypt, and he is shown in reliefs at KARNAK, THEBES, MEDINET HABU, and the RAMESSEUM.
At KOM OMBO, Khons was honored as the son of SOBEK and hathor. There he was a lunar deity At Karnak he was called Khons Neferhotep, “the Maker of Destinies.” As Khons-Pa-Khart, he was “the Child” or “the Full Moon.” Khons-Hunnu was “the Strong Youth,” “the Bull of His Mother,” a source of regeneration. Wearing the crescent and full-moon symbols on his head and the elaborate menat collar, Khons was the celestial chronogra-pher, reckoning time. As Khons-pa-ari-Sekheru, the deity had authority over all evil spirits. In this capacity he was recorded in the bentresh stela as an exorcist.
The Bentresh Stela dates to the reign of ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) and is presently in luxor. This monument announces that Ramesses II sent a statue of Khons to a neighboring ruler to cure his daughter, who was suffering from demonic possession. The statue was Khons-the-Expeller-of-Demons. The god was also associated with RE in some periods and was then called Khons-re. Khons personally designed the statue of his divine person that was taken to the sick or the possessed. The daughter was cured, and Khons was honored with a shrine. The ruler, however, had a vision almost four years later, indicating that Khons wished to return to Egypt. He was sent back to the Nile with a treasury of gifts.
Khons (2) (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Priestly official of the Nineteenth Dynasty
He served in the reign of ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) as the high priest of the cult of the deified tuth-MOSIS iii. His tomb was discovered at khokha on the western side of thebes. Within the tomb the cults of Tuthmosis III and montu are depicted in reliefs and paintings. The ceiling of the tomb chamber also has birds, grapes, and textile designs. The arrival of the bark of the god Montu is elaborately portrayed.
Khufu (Cheops) (d. 2528 b. c.e.) Second ruler of the Fourth Dynasty
He reigned from 2551 b. c.e. until his death. He was the builder of the Great pyramid at giza. His name is a shortened version of Khnum-khuefui, “Khnum Protects Me.” The Greeks listed him as Cheops. The son of snefru and Queen hetepheres (1), Khufu ruled a unified country and used capable relatives as administrators. His Great Wife was meritites (1), who gave birth to Prince kewab and probably hetepheres (2). Another wife, Queen HENUTSEN, bore Prince Khufukhaf and probably khafre (Chephren). There was another unidentified queen, possibly NEFERKAU, who gave birth to ra’djedef
Khufu’s offspring included as well djedefhor, Khumbaef, merysankh (2), minkhaf, neferma’at, khame-RERNEBTI (1), Djedef’Aha, and others. The royal family was actually divided into two political and clan groups, with rivalries and disputes that affected the dynasty after Khufu’s demise. The reputation of Khufu was not good, as a result. Greek historians claimed they were informed of the details by Egyptian records and wrote ill of him.
The Great Pyramid at Giza—Khufu's monument—the only surviving wonder of the ancient world. (Courtesy Steve Beikirch.)
The raising of the Great Pyramid, which used CORViE labor, not slaves, was an almost overwhelming task. The Greeks related that Khufu’s daughter had to sell herself in order to raise the necessary money to complete the project. The accusation is false, as Egypt did not have a currency until centuries later.
Khufu also dabbled in magic, according to the legends, using a magician from meidum, djedi, who sailed on the Nile in a barge full of women clad only in fishnets. The TALE OF KHUFU AND THE MAGICIANS, a Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B. C.E.) papyrus, relates this exotic tale. The real Khufu was vigorous and active. He used the diorite quarries near ABU simbel, fought campaigns in the SINAI, and initiated building projects around MEMPHIS. His name was found on seals of jars and vases in beit khal-LAF, north of abydos, and the westcar papyrus details his reign. Only a small statuette was discovered as his portrait, now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
His Great Pyramid in Giza was originally 753 square feet, rising 478 feet, and it is the only survivor of the seven wonders of the world. it took two decades of continuous labor, using corvee levies of workers in the land. Five boat pits were included in the complex on the south and east. The mortuary cult of Khufu was popular in Egypt, still observed in the nation during the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664-525 B. C.E.) and even into the Roman Period in some areas.
Khunianupu (fl. c. 2100 b. c.e.) “Eloquent Peasant,” the famed sage of the First Intermediate Period Khunianupu lived in the reign of khety ii (r. 2100 b. c.e.). Having endured harsh treatment at the hands of an official’s son, Khunianupu petitioned the Egyptian court system for redress, eventually coming to the attention of Khety II. “The eloquent peasant,” as he was called, was invited to the court and honored as a sage. Khunianupu received a generous judgment and was asked to address his fellow Egyptians. His admonitions about honor and justice were discovered in four New Kingdom (1550-1070 B. C.E.) papyri.
Khusebek (fl. 19th century b. c.e.) Military official of the Twelfth Dynasty
He served senwosret iii (r. 1878-1841 b. c.e.) as a commander of troops. Khusebek accompanied senwosret iii on punitive campaigns in Syria and in nubia (modern Sudan). His mortuary stela announces his career and honors, detailing the military efforts of his time. The stela was discovered at abydos.
Khuy (fl. 23rd century b. c.e.) Father-in-law of Pepi I (2289-2255 b. c.e.)
Khuy was a nomarch and the father of ankhnesmery-re (1) and (2), who became pepi I’s consorts and the mothers of the heirs. His son, Djau, served as counselor and adviser for pepi i and pepi ii.
King Lists These are the historical monuments or documents that provide accounts of the rulers of Egypt in chronological order, some providing traditions of the cartouches of the pharaohs. These king lists include
Abydos Tablet a list discovered in the corridors of the Hall of the Ancestors in the mortuary temple of seti i (r. 1306-1290 b. c.e.) in abydos. This list contains the names of the rulers from aha (Menes) c. 2920 b. c.e. to seti i, a total of 76 rulers. There are reportedly intentional omissions in the Abydos Tablet, including the second Intermediate Period rulers, akhenaten, and other ’amarna rulers. ramesses ii copied the list for his own temple. The Abydos Tablet is in the British Museum in London.
Karnak Tablet inscribed on the festival hall of tuth-MOSIS III at Karnak and using the nesu or royal names of pharaohs from aha (Menes) (c. 2920 b. c.e.) to Tuthmosis III (1479-1425 B. C.E.). Based on earlier traditions, the list is not as accurate as seti I’s at abydos. Of particular interest, however, are the details of the second intermediate Period (1640-1550 b. c.e.) rulers. The Karnak Tablet is in the Louvre in Paris.
Manetho’s King List the assembled record of Egyptian rulers compiled by manetho, a historian of sebenny-TOS who wrote during the reign of ptolemy i soter (304-284 B. C.E.) and ptolemy ii philadelphus (285-246 B. C.E.). This King List can be found in the Chronography of George Monk and the Syncellus of Tarassus, patriarch of Constantinople, who lived in the eighth century C. E. The oldest version is in the Chronicle of Julius Africanus, a Libyan of the third century c. E. This work, in turn, became part of the Chronicle of Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea, 264-340 C. E.
Palermo Stone a great stone slab, originally seven feet long and two feet high, now in five fragments. The largest fragment is in the Palermo Museum in Italy. The stone is made of black diorite and is inscribed with annals of the various reigns. it dates to the Fifth Dynasty (2465-2323 b. c.e.). A secondary piece is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and another is in the Petrie Collection at university college in London. smaller versions of the Palermo Stone have been discovered in private tombs, mines, and quarries.
Saqqara Tablet a monument found in the tomb of the royal scribe Thunery (Tenroy), and probably dating to the reign of ramesses ii (1290-1224 b. c.e.). The table uses the nesu names (one of the royal names) of 47 rulers, starting in the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 b. c.e.). it is now in the Egyptian Museum in cairo.
Turin Canon a document sometimes called the Turin Royal Papyrus, compiled in the reign of ramesses ii (1290-1224 B. C.E.). Done in the hieratic script, the Turin list begins with the dynasties of the gods and continues to Ramesses II. It is considered the most reliable of the king lists, but some of the names recorded in it are no longer decipherable. Originally in the possession of the King of Sardinia, the Turin Canon was sent to Turin, Italy, and was damaged in the process.
Kites (1) These were the names applied by the Egyptians to the goddesses ISIS and nephthys as part of the Osirian cultic rituals. The goddesses lamented the death of OSIRIS, and their song of mourning was a popular aspect of the annual festivals of the god.
See also LAMENTATIONS OF ISIS AND NEPHTHYS.
Used knots as protective shields, and knotted emblems were worn daily. Elaborate golden knots were used on mummies in some periods. The exact cultic value of these designs and their placements varied according to regions and temple traditions.
Kohl The Arabic term for the ancient Egyptian cosmetic used to adorn eyes. Dried remains of the kohl compound have been discovered in tombs, accompanied by PALETTES, tubs, and applicators. Kohl was a popular cosmetic for all classes.
Kom Abu Billo See terenuthis.
Kites (2) They were Egyptian women who were hired or pressed into service during funerals to accompany and greet the coffins of the deceased when they were carried to the necropolises. Professional mourners, the kites wailed and evidenced their grief at each funeral. They are pictured in some renditions of the book of the dead.
See also MUU dancers.
Kiya (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Eighteenth Dynasty, possibly a Mitanni princess She was a secondary consort of akhenaten (r. 1353-1335 b. c.e.). There is some indication that her origins were Mitanni and that she was named tadukhipa, being the daughter of King tushratta. It is also possible that she was a noble woman from akhmin. Kiya was held in high regard in Akhenaten’s ninth regnal year, but she was out of favor by regnal year 11. She is recorded as having borne two sons and a daughter by Akhenaten, and she was portrayed on monuments in ’AMARNA.
After regnal year 11, however, she is no longer visible, and her name was removed from some reliefs. Kiya’s COFFIN, gilded and inlaid in the rishi pattern, was found in Queen tiye’s (1) tomb, apparently having served as a resting place for the remains of smenkhare (r. 1335-1333 b. c.e.). Canopic lids in Tiye’s tomb had portraits of Kiya. Her mummy has not been identified.
Kom Aushim A site in the faiyum region of the Nile, dating to the Middle Kingdom. The pharaohs of the Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1783 b. c.e.) used the area for royal retreats. However, no monuments from that dynasty are recognizable now. Kom Aushim was probably letopo-LIS, a cult center of horus, called Hem by the Egyptians.
Kom Dara This was a site in the necropolis near ASSIUT, with a vast tomb structure dating to the First Intermediate Period (2134-2040 b. c.e.). Massive, with vast outer walls, the tomb contains a sloping corridor leading to a subterranean chamber. No identification has been made as to the owner of the Kom Dara monument.
Kom el-Ahmer See hierakonpolis.
Kom el-Haten A site on the western shore of thebes, famed for the mortuary temple of amenhotep iii (r. 1391-1353 b. c.e.) and the seated figures of that pharaoh, called the colossi of memnon, the area was part of the vast necropolis serving Thebes, Egypt’s New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.) capital. The temple no longer stands, having been used as a quarry for later dynasties and looted by the locals.
Kleomenes (fl. fourth century b. c.e.) Greek commissioned to build the city of Alexandria by Alexander III the Great (332-323 b. c.e.)
A companion of Alexander iii the great, Kleomenes was charged with building the new capital of Alexandria in the Delta. Kleomenes worked with deinokrates, the architect, and others, including Krateros of Olynthas, in starting the massive projects. Alexandria’s building continued until the reign of ptolemy ii philadelphus (285-246 b. c.e.).
World History
