Inkef (civil servant)

Inkef in hieroglyphics
	; ;

Inkef was the name of a high ancient Egyptian official and priest towards the end of the 3rd Dynasty or the beginning of the 4th Dynasty . He became known for his limestone stele decorated in relief , on which the name of King Sened ( 2nd dynasty ) appears.

supporting documents

Inkef is through two pillars of limestone known that originally existed together in one piece. Out can be seen on the right half Inkefs son "Iasen" as one of the Old Kingdom typical Priesterornat bears and a Sekhem Scepter holds in his hand. Inkef himself is shown on the other half, holding a little boy by the hand. He, too, wears a full priestly regalia , with a stepped curly wig . Inkef describes himself on the steles as the " Prophet of Sened". A special feature of Sened's name is the fact that the king's name was written in a cartouche . Strictly speaking, this is an anachronism , as royal cartridges were not yet used in the 2nd dynasty, they were only introduced under King Huni (end of the 3rd dynasty ). Inkef's name and portrait also appear in the grave inscription of the high official Scheri , where Inkef is referred to as the " Wab priest of Peribsen".

family

According to the inscription, Inkef had two sons: the biological eldest son, Iasen and the unnamed little boy. In addition, two women named "Hetep-Nubet" and "Neferetek" are depicted, who are unsure whether they are Inkef's wives or two daughters. Dietrich Wildung sees Inkef as a relative of Scheri and Sij .

dig

Inkef's grave is in Saqqara , from where the stele comes. The location of the burial site is not known with certainty as it has never been geographically recorded. Therefore Inkef's grave is considered lost.

literature

Auguste Mariette : Les mastabas de l'ancien empire. Fragment du dernier ouvrage. Publié d'après le Manuscrit de l'Auteur par Gaston Maspero . Vieweg, Paris 1889, online .
Wolfgang Helck : Comments on the pyramid cities in the Old Kingdom. In: Communications from the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo Department. (MDAIK). Vol. 15, 1957, ISSN 0342-1279 , pp. 91-111, here p. 93.
Dietrich Wildung : The role of Egyptian kings in the consciousness of their posterity. Volume 1: Posthumous sources on the kings of the first four dynasties (= Munich Egyptological studies. Vol. 17, ZDB -ID 500317-9 ). B. Hessling, Berlin 1969, p. 47ff. (At the same time: Diss., Univ. Munich).

Web links

Double stele of the Inkef

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Auguste Mariette: Les mastabas de l'ancien empire . Paris 1889, p. 93.

personal data
SURNAME	Inkef
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	ancient Egyptian official
DATE OF BIRTH	28th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	27th century BC Chr.

[AuMa-1] Auguste Mariette: Les mastabas de l'ancien empire . Paris 1889, p. 93.