Kem-wer This was a bull, called the “Great Black One,” established at athribis in the earliest eras of Egyptian history. obscure observances were conducted in honor of this animal in the city, and Kem-wer remained popular for centuries.
See also apis; bulls.
Kemyt A scholar’s text cited in the SATIRE ON TRADES, dating to the Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1783 b. c.e.) or possibly earlier. Surviving copies were found in ’amarna and in other New Kingdom sites. The Kemyt was a standard school text in use by the Twelfth Dynasty, particularly for scribes. in vertical columns, the text provided basic training in the hieratic script.
Kenamun (1) (fl. 15th century b. c.e.) Military naval superintendent of the Eighteenth Dynasty
Kenamun started his career by serving as the chief steward of AMENHOTEP II (r. 1427-1401 b. c.e.) and then was appointed the superintendent of peru-nefer, the naval base near Memphis. Kenamun’s mother, Amenenopet, was a royal nurse. Kenamun had a special glass SHABTI given to him by the pharaoh.
Kenamun (2) (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Mayor of Thebes in the Eighteenth Dynasty
He held this important office during the reign of amen-HOTEP III (1391-1353 B. C.E.). THEBES was a powerful city in this era, serving as the capital of the Egyptian Empire. Kenamun was buried on the western shore of Thebes.
Kenbet The local and national courts of Egypt that evolved from the original court called the seru, a council of nome elders who rendered judicial opinions on cases brought before them, the kenbet replaced the former council, the djadjat, of the Old Kingdom (2575-2134
B. C.E.) and made legally binding decisions and imposed penalties on the nome level. The great kenbet, the national equivalent of modern supreme courts, heard appeals and rendered legal decisions on all cases except those involving treason or any other capital offense. These matters were not within the jurisdiction of any legal institution but were reserved to the ruler alone.
See also “eloquent peasant”; legal system.
Kenken-ur A term used to designate the Great Cackler, the mythological cosmic layer of the cosmic egg, the Goose-goddess, Ser-t. The term kenken-ur was associated as well with the earth deity, geb, who sired osiris, isis, SET, and NEPHTHYS. His wife was nut, the sky
Keper (fl. 12th century b. c.e.) Ruler of the land of Libya in the reign of Ramesses III (1194-1163 b. c.e.)
He faced an invasion of his domain and then united with his enemies to assault Egypt. The meshwesh, a tribe living deep in the Libyan Desert, allied themselves with Keper and his son, Meshesher, when they entered his territory In turn, Keper and the Meshwesh invaded Egypt. They entered the canal called “the Water of Re,” in the western Delta. Ramesses iii attacked the invading force and routed them, chasing the enemy some 12 miles into the Libyan Desert. Meshesher was captured along with 2,052 prisoners, while 2,175 Libyans were slain. A wall text and a relief at medinet habu document Keper’s pleas for his own life, apparently in vain.
See also sea peoples.
Kermeh (Kerma) A site and culture at the second cataract of the Nile in Kush, or nubia (modern Sudan), The region was somewhat controlled by Egypt as early as the Middle Kingdom (2048-1640 b. c.e.). amenemhet i (r. 1991-1962 b. c.e.) of the Twelfth Dynasty erected a fortress at Kermeh. in time the people of Kermeh became a powerful state, ruled by kings who used the traditions of Egypt for their religious and national priorities. These royals were buried in circular mounds, accompanied by slain courtiers and servants. During the Second Intermediate Period (1640-1550 b. c.e.), the Kermeh people allied themselves with the hyksos, the Asiatics who ruled from avaris in the Delta. Taking over the Egyptian fortresses on the Nile, the people of Kermeh advanced toward Egypt. One group led by a’ata was halted by ’ahmose (r. 1550-1525 b. c.e.) and slain. Egypt maintained control of Kermeh for centuries afterward.
Kersek-shu See judgment halls of osiris.
Kewab (fl. 26th century b. c.e.) Prince of the Fourth Dynasty, possibly murdered by a rival heir to the throne
He was a son of khufu (Cheops; r. 2551-2528 b. c.e.) and Queen meritites (1) and the designated heir to the throne. Kewab married hetepheres (2), a royal heiress. They had a daughter, merysankh (3) and other children. Kewab died suddenly, possibly the victim of an assassination, as the royal family was composed of two different factions at the time.
He was depicted as a portly man in Queen Mery-sankh’s tomb, a site prepared for her mother and given to her when she died at a relatively young age. Kewab was buried in a mastaba near the Great pyramid of Khufu. His mortuary cult was popular in MEMPHIS, and in the New Kingdom (1550-1070 b. c.e.), Prince kha’emweset (1), a son of Ramesses ii, restored Kewab’s statue.
Kha (fl. 15th century b. c.e.) Official of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served amenhotep ii (r. 1427-1401 b. c.e.) and his two successors, tuthmosis iv (r. 1401-1391 b. c.e.) and AMENHOTEP III (r. 1391-1353 B. C.E.). Kha was an architect involved in mortuary complexes for the royal families. He was buried at thebes.
Kha’ba (Tety) (d. 2599 b. c.e.) Fourth ruler of the Third
Dynasty
He reigned from 2603 b. c.e. until his death. His name meant “the soul Appears,” and he was the successor of SEKHEMKHET on the throne. Kha’ba was listed on stone vessels in saqqara and in the tomb of sahure (r. 2458-2446 b. c.e.). He built the pyramid at zawiet el-ARYAN, between giza and abusir. A layered pyramid, originally with seven steps, Kha’ba’s tomb contained a SARCOPHAGUS of alabaster. The pyramid was never completed and apparently was not used. mastaba tombs were erected near his pyramid, probably for his royal family members and high-ranking courtiers.
Khababash (fl. c. 338 b. c.e.) Egyptian rebel mentioned in the “Satrap Stela”
Considered a successor to nectanebo ii (r. c. 360-343 B. C.E.), Khababash led a revolt against the Persians sometime around 338 b. c.e. ptolemy i soter (r. 304-284 B. C.E.) was the satrap (provincial governor) of Egypt for PHILIP III ARRHIDAEUS (r. 333-316 B. C.E.) and Alexander IV (r. 316-304 b. c.e.) when he issued the stela to link his own rule to that of Khababash, who was a national hero. Khababash ruled over a small region of Egypt, during the Persian occupation of the Nile Valley. He had the throne name of senentanen-setepenptah.
See also rebels of Egypt.
Khabrias (fl. fourth century b. c.e.) Greek mercenary general
He commanded the mercenary forces serving hakoris (r. 393-380 b. c.e.) of the Twenty-ninth Dynasty. An
Athenian, Khabrias resided in Egypt, and his daughter, PTOLEMAIS (1), married an Egyptian general named Nakhtnebef. Nakhtnebef became the founder of the Thirtieth Dynasty, as nectanebo i. General Khabrias was recalled to Athens c. 373 b. c.e.
Kha’emhet (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Scribe and overseer of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served amenhotep iii (r. 1391-1353 b. c.e.).
Kha’emhet was a court scribe and an overseer of the royal granaries of thebes. He was buried in a necropolis on the western shore at Thebes. His tomb has fine low reliefs that depict Amenhotep III as a sphinx. Also portrayed are Osirian funeral rituals, scenes of daily life, and court ceremonies.
Kha’emweset (1) (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Prince of the Nineteenth Dynasty, called “the Egyptologist”
He was a son of ramesses ii (r. 1290-1224 b. c.e.) and Queen isetnofret (1), becoming the heir to the throne upon the death of three older brothers. Kha’emweset served as the high priest of ptah and as the overseer of the interment of the sacred apis bull in saqqara. He devoted countless hours to restoring monuments and was revered for his magical skills.
Prince Kha’emweset was depicted in the relief of a battle scene as accompanying Ramesses II on an expedition to NUBIA (modern Sudan). In that scene Ramesses II was identified as a prince, not having succeeded seti i at the time. Training in battle and in administrative affairs in the royal court was followed by further education in sacred matters in the temple of the god Ptah in MEMPHIS.
When Kha’emweset was named heir to the throne in regnal year c. 43 of Ramesses II, he was already at an advanced age and died in regnal year 55. His tomb has not been identified, but a mummy found in the granite tomb of apis Bull XIV has raised possibilities as to the prince’s final resting place. A golden mask believed to belong to Kha’emweset was discovered in the catacombs of the serapeum in Saqqara. The prince and his mother, Queen Isetnofret, were possibly buried nearby.
Kha’emweset (2) (fl. 12th century b. c.e.) Prince of the Twentieth Dynasty
He was a son of ramesses iii (r. 1194-1163 b. c.e.). Kha’emweset was depicted on the walls of medinet habu with 19 of his brothers. His service to Egypt was conducted as a priest of the god ptah. The prince’s tomb was built in the valley of the queens, on the western shore of THEBES, and has a square burial chamber with side chapels. Paintings in the tomb depict Ramesses III introducing Kha’emweset to the deities of the tuat, or Underworld.
Khafre (Chephren, Ra’kha’ef) (d. 2494 b. c.e.) Fourth ruler of the Fourth Dynasty
He reigned from 2520 b. c.e. until his death. Khafre was the builder of the second pyramid at giza and was the son of KHUFU (Cheops) (r. 2551-2528 b. c.e.) and probably Queen henutsen. He married Queens khamer-ERNEBTY (1) and MERYSANKH (3) and raised Prince MENKAURE (Mycerinus), Prince Nekure, Princess khame-RERNEBTY (2), and others. Another son, Baefre, is listed in some records as having succeeded him briefly, but Menkaure is normally identified as the actual heir.
When his brother Pharaoh, ra’djedef, died in 2520 B. C.E., Khafre put aside his sons: Setka, Baka, and ’Ahanet. Khafre did not complete Ra’djedef’s pyramid either, leaving it unfinished at ABU rowash. His own pyramid in giza was 702 feet square and originally 470 feet high. Encased in tureh limestone, the structure was completed by mortuary and valley temples. A causeway, 430 feet in length, connected the complex structures and was carved out of the rock. In the burial chamber a red granite sarcophagus awaited the mummified remains, and five boat pits were found in the complex, without boats.
Khafre’s accession to the throne demonstrated the revived dominance of the older faction of Khufu’s divided family Khafre’s pyramid at Giza restored the plateau as the royal necropolis, and the Great sphinx, bearing his facial likeness, provided Giza with another insignia of pharaonic power. Khafre’s heir and successor was Menkaure (Mycerinus), his son by Queen Khamerernebty (1). Queen Merysankh (3) bore him Prince Nebemakht, Queen Nedjhekenu bore Prince Sekhemkare, and Queen PERSENTI bore nekaure, who became famous because of his will. Khafre’s reign spanned over a quarter of a century, and he was popular with his people.
Khaftet-hir-nebes she was a goddess of the city of THEBES, serving as a protector of the local area of the capital. TUTHMOSIS III (r. 1479-1425 b. c.e.) depicted her on a black granite tablet called “the Hymn of Victory” The tablet was discovered in karnak at Thebes.
Khaibit This was the Egyptian word for the shadow of a soul, viewed as the spiritual essence that was released from the confines of the human body at death. No particular role or purpose has been clearly defined for the khaibit in surviving texts, but the Egyptians anticipated the liberation of the shadow beyond the grave.
Khakheperresonbe’s Complaints A literary work compiled in the Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1783 b. c.e.) or in the Second Intermediate Period (1640-1550 b. c.e.), the surviving copy, dating to the New Kingdom (1550-1070 B. C.E.), is now in the British Museum in London. Khakheperresonbe was a priest in Heliopolis and wrote on the popular theme of a nation in distress. He carries on a conversation with his heart and receives counsel for silent courage in the face of adversity. The Complaints develops a dolorous cadence and is similar to, or perhaps a version of, the “debate of a man with his soul.” The work became the staple of schools and survived as a lesson board. Egyptians appreciated didactic literature as well as poetry and religious works.
Khama’at (Ma’atkha) (fl. 25th century b. c.e.) Princess of the Fifth Dynasty
She was a daughter of shepseskhaf (r. 2472-2467 b. c.e.) and Queen khentakawes (1) and is also called Ma’atkha in some records. Khama’at married ptahshepses (1) the high priest of MEMPHIS, who had been raised and educated in the royal palace as a companion of menkaure (Mycerinus; r. 2490-2472 b. c.e.) and Shepseskhaf.
Khamerernebty (1) (fl. 25th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Fourth Dynasty
She was the consort of khafre (Chephren; r. 2520-2494 b. c.e.) and probably the mother of menkaure (Mycerinus, the heir), and Princess khamerernebty (2). Khamerernebty was a daughter of khufu. She was buried in a large tomb east of Khafre’s pyramid at giza.
Khamerernebty (2) (fl. 25th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Fourth Dynasty
She was a daughter of khafre (Chephren; 2520-2494 b. c.e.) and probably Queen khamerernebty (1). The consort of menkaure (Mycerinus; r. 2490-2472 b. c.e.), she was the mother of Prince Khunere, who died young. A statue of her was discovered in Menkaure’s mortuary complex. Khamerernebty was also the mother of the heir, SHEPSESKHAF She was not buried near her husband but within her father’s mortuary complex.
Khamet (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Eighteenth Dynasty treasury official
He served tuthmosis iv (r. 1401-1391 b. c.e.) and amen-HOTEP III (r. 1391-1353 b. c.e.) as a treasurer and superintendent of royal building projects of the dynasty Khamet was buried on the western shore of the Nile at thebes, and his tomb has reliefs depict the military campaigns of Egypt during his term of service.
Khamsin An Arabic name for a seasonal storm condition in the Nile Valley arising in February or March and lasting about two months, the khamsin is composed of southerly or southwesterly winds, sometimes reaching intense velocities. Diurnal, meaning that the wind speeds increase throughout the daylight hours, the khamsin brings sand into the populated territories. The storm season was viewed as a time of contagion and disease, ending with “the sweet breath of the north wind” that brought welcome relief. How early the khamsin appeared in the Nile is not clearly documented. climatic changes may have brought the storm season into Egypt in pharaonic times, or it may be a relatively modern phenomenon.
World History
