B. C.E.) Third ruler of the Thirtieth Dynasty He usurped the throne from his uncle teos, who was considered unfit by the royal family, and reigned from 360 B. C.E. until his death. Nectanebo II, who was named Nakhthoreb at birth, is believed to be the last native ruler of Egypt. He was the grandson of nectanebo i and a nephew of Teos. When Teos was on a military campaign, Nectanebo Il’s father, Tjahepimu, declared him the rightful ruler. The Spartan ruler agesilaus aided Nectanebo II in overthrowing Teos, who fled to the Persians.
ARTAXERXES iii OCHUS attacked Egypt in 350 but was repulsed by Nectanebo Il’s armies. Nectanebo II then turned his attention to the Nile Valley and refurbished and rebuilt cities and temples. He rebuilt at behbeit el-hagar, erment, bubastis, and saqqara. He also built a gate at philae. Nectanebo II was active in the bull cults of his era. He buried the sacred animals at Erment and rebuilt the bucheum.
In 343, Artaxerxes III Ochus attacked Egypt again, defeating Nectanebo II at Pelusium. He fled to nubia but then returned to sebennytos. When he died he was to be buried at Sebennytos or at Rhakotis, the future city of ALEXANDRIA. A tomb prepared in SAIS was never used, but his black granite sarcophagus was later taken to Alexandria to be used as a public bath.
A legend developed about Nectanebo II after his death. It was stated that he went to Macedonia and attracted Olympias, the wife of King Philip, seducing her. ALEXANDER III THE GREAT was supposedly the offspring of that affair, thus making him eligible to rule Egypt as a true pharaoh.
Nefat This is a site south of thebes, probably modern el-Mu’allah. Located near tod, Nefat served as a necropolis area for the First Intermediate Period (2134-2040 B. C.E.) nomarchs of the region. The tombs of ankhtify and SOBEKHOTEP were cut into the rocky cliffs at Nefat.
Nefer (1) This was the hieroglyphic symbol for both “good” and “beautiful,” in both the material and spiritual sense.
Nefer (2) This was an amulet used by ancient Egyptians to promote happiness and good fortune. Nefer amulets were placed on the areas of the stomach and windpipes of mummies in order to protect these organs.
Neferefre (Ra’neferef) (d. 2416 b. c.e.) Ruler of the Fifth Dynasty
The successor of shepseskare (Ini; 2426-2419 b. c.e.), Neferefre reigned from 2419 b. c.e. until his death. He was possibly the son of kakai (Neferirkare) and Queen KHENTAKAWES (2). He is also listed in some records as a son of sahure. Neferefre built a sun temple at ABU GHUROB and sent an expedition to the sinai. His unfinished pyramid at abusir contained a cache of papyri and plaques. Wooden boats, statues of prisoners, and sculptures were also uncovered there. The papyri discovered dealt with cultic rituals and the personnel serving the pyramid.
Neferhent (1) (fl. 19th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twelfth Dynasty
She was a consort of senwosret ii (r. 1897-1878 b. c.e.). Her tomb in el-LAHUN contained two maceheads, fash-
Neferhotep I 267
Ioned out of granite and quartz. Neferhent was the mother of sit-hathor yunet.
Neferhent (2) (fl. 19th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Twelfth Dynasty
She was a consort of senwosret iii (r. 1878-1841 b. c.e.) but was not the mother of the heir. Neferhent was buried in DASHUR in a mastaba tomb in the vast royal complex of the reign.
Neferhetepes (1) (fl. 26th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Fourth Dynasty
She was the daughter of ra’djedef (r. 2528-2520 b. c.e.) and possibly Queen hetepheres (2). Neferhetepes is believed to have been the mother of userkhaf, the founder of the Fifth Dynasty. A beautiful bust of Neferhetepes is in the Louvre in Paris. She is recorded as having married a priest of Re, “the Lord of Sokhebu,” near ABU ROWASH. Neferhetepes was mentioned in the west-car PAPYRUS. She was called “the King’s Daughter of His Body, Prophetess of Ra’djedef.”
Neferhetepes (2) (fl. 25th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Fifth Dynasty
The daughter of kakai (Neferirkare; r. 2446-2426 b. c.e.), she married an official named Ti. Neferhetepes’s sons were allowed to inherit the rank of prince, despite their commoner father.
Neferhetepes (3) (fl. 25th century b. c.e.) Royal woman of the Fifth Dynasty
She was a consort of userkhaf (r. 2465-2458 b. c.e.) and probably his sister. Neferhetepes was possibly the mother of SAHURE. A tomb inscription depicts Neferhetepes as receiving offerings from the temple of ptah.
Nefer-Hor He was an ancient form of the god ptah, worshiped in MEMPHIS and honored as “the Fair of Face.” The name was associated with certain cultic rituals of other deities in later times.
Nefer-Horen-Ptah (fl. 24th century b. c.e.) Official of the Fifth Dynasty whose tomb has become famous because of its paintings
He was buried in a small rock-cut site below the causeway of the burial complex of unis (r. 2356-2323 b. c.e.) in SAQQARA. Called the tomb of the birds, Nefer-Horen-Ptah’s resting place was never completed or used. The structure, however, contains magnificent friezes depicting the capture and caging of the wild birds of the Nile Valley.
Neferhotep (1) (fl. c. 18th century b. c.e.) Noted harpist in the late Twelfth or Thirteenth Dynasty
Neferhotep’s life and ability were memorialized on a small but beautifully carved mortuary stela that was donated by a friend, Nebsumenu. The stela was discovered in the tomb of a powerful courtier, Iki. Neferhotep is described on the monument as “True of Voice, Born of the Housewife Henu.” The funerary monument depicts Neferhotep as a rather stout harpist enjoying bread, beer, meat and fowls, alabaster, and linen, all anticipated aspects of life beyond the grave.
See also musical instruments.
Neferhotep (2) (fl. 14th century b. c.e.) Official of the Eighteenth Dynasty
He served both aya (2) (r. 1323-1319 b. c.e.) and HOREMHAB (r. 1319-1307 b. c.e.) as the chief scribe of AMUN and superintendent of the royal domain. Nefer-hotep’s tomb near deir el-bahri on the western shore of THEBES is magnificently decorated and contains compelling images. He is greeted there as one “intent upon eternity, as you go to the land where all is changed.”
Neferhotep (3) (fl. 13th century b. c.e.) Official of artisans at Deir el-Medina in the Nineteenth Dynasty Neferhotep was the chief workman at deir el-medina on the western shore of Thebes, in the reign of amenmesses, who usurped the throne in the reign of seti ii (r. 1214-1204 b. c.e.). Deir el-Medina was a community dedicated to providing the necropolis called the valley of THE KINGS with skilled artisans and craftsmen. During this period, the community was led by Neferhotep and prospered until his son, Paneb, threatened him.
Unable to control his son, who had some power in the court of Amenmesses, Neferhotep went before Vizier Amenmose, who judged the case. As a result, Amenmose was removed from office, and Paneb was given Nefer-hotep’s position as chief worker at Deir el-Medina by Amenmesses. Paneb raped, stole, and took bribes until Amenmesses died and seti ii was restored to the throne. Paneb was then dismissed from Deir el-Medina.
Neferhotep I (Kha’sekhemre) (d. c. 1730 b. c.e.) Ruler of the Thirteenth Dynasty
He reigned from c. 1741 b. c.e. until his death or possible retirement. Neferhotep I was the son of one Ha’ankhaf and the Lady Kemi. His father is portrayed in an ASWAN rock inscription as a priest, and his mother is described as “royal.” Neferhotep I’s consort was Queen senebsen. He was the brother of sobekhotep iv and sahathor (1). His cartouche was discovered in byblos, modern Lebanon, and Prince Yantin of that city was a vassal of Egypt.
Neferhotep i ruled the entire Delta region, with the exception of XOIS and the hyksos territories of avaris. An Aswan inscription describes Neferhotep’s search for a proper stone for a statue of OSIRIS. Such a statue was
Kakai.
Carved and taken to abydos. Neferhotep I then closed the necropolis to more public burials and erected a stela declaring his intent. People from all across Egypt brought their deceased loved ones to Abydos to inter them in the god osIRIS’s domain in order to provide them with eternal bliss. The crown finally had to control the number of individual burials in the area, and Neferhotep was one of several rulers who made such restrictions over the centuries. His portrait statue is in the museum in Bologna, Italy He also participated in the Osirian Passion Plays. Neferhotep I’s son was Wahnefer-Hotep, whose shabtis, miniature tomb figures believed to act as proxies for the deceased in the Underworld, were found in el-LiSHT. Another son, Ha’ankhaf, died young. Records indicate that Neferhotep I was succeeded by sahathor and then
By SOBEKHOTEP IV.
Neferhotep III (Sekhemre’sankhtawy) (fl. 17th century b. c.e.) One of the last rulers of the Thirteenth Dynasty His date of reign is unknown. A stela in karnak mentions his aid to the temples and shrines of Thebes. He is supposed to have worn the khepresh, the war crown made of electrum. This appears to be the first reference to that particular style of royal headdress. Neferhotep III conducted military campaigns against the hyksos, but the Asiatics were in full control of their Delta territories by that time.
World History
