List of Pharaohs (Demotic Chronicle)
The list of pharaohs appears in the demotic papyrus The Demotic Chronicle as the tenth chapter. The demotic chronicle originated in the early Ptolemaic period and probably comes from Memphis . The work in demotic language was written on the recto des Papyrus Paris BN 215 over a Greek text as a palimpsest .
The tenth chapter has become famous, among other things, because of the well-founded assessment of rulers. The Demotic Chronicle contains a retrospective theological theory regarding the achievements of the Pharaohs. In this context, a positive judgment is postulated for the righteous king if the deeds performed during his reign were in harmony with the moral commandments. On the other hand, premature removal from power is always interpreted as misconduct and commented accordingly.
Dating of the drafts
Due to the changing narrative tense , a first version of the tenth chapter in the reign of Nectanebo I (379 to 360 BC) or his son Taos (360 to 359 BC) is likely. Further revisions were made in the period that followed.
In Egyptology , the Manethonic order of the pharaohs was doubted until the work The Demotic Chronicle was discovered . It was therefore historically significant to have further evidence in the demotic papyrus for the establishment of King Nectanebo I between Nepherites II and Taos. Through the further explanations, the end of the 30th dynasty could be in the year 342 BC. To be dated.
Chapter 10 of the Demotic Chronicle
The division into dynasties was made according to the Manethonic Aegyptiaca as an alternative. In chapter 10 of the Demotic Chronicle, all pharaohs (kings) are only listed numerically without division into dynasties.
28th Dynasty
No years of government are given for the 28th Dynasty .
| Greek name | Egyptian name | Term of office | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amyrtaios | Amunirdisu | No information | First period: yesterday has passed. The first ruler after the barbarians, who are the Medes. Since an illegality was committed in his time, he was allowed to walk yesterday's courses. Since he gave orders to do wrong, people looked at what was done to him. He was also removed from his throne during his lifetime. His son was not allowed to follow him, so there was no exercise of power by his son after him. |
29th Dynasty
No reign years are given for the 29th Dynasty .
| Greek name | Egyptian name | Term of office | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nepherites I. | Naiefaaurudj | No information | Second period: The second ruler to appear after the Medes. He was given a short term because of many sins committed in his day. Because he was conscientious about what he did, his son was allowed to follow. IV.4 To him who is ruler on (today) day, namely Nechetnebef , it is said: He is the one who has given up the possessions of Egypt and all temples, IV.5 in order to produce money ( pieces of silver). It is as if one were to say "He did not act as a man in his time", that is, as if one said the name " vulva ", which is a name for a woman, to Nekhetnebef . |
| No information | No information | No information | Without assignment of a time period: The third ruler, who appeared after the Medes, was given to him, that is: Since he disregarded the law, he was replaced during his lifetime. |
| Psammuthis | Daring | No information | Without assigning a time period: The fourth ruler who appeared after the Medes, Pharaoh Psammuthis, did not exist, that is, he was not on God's way. He was not allowed to stay in power. |
| Hakoris | Hakor | No information | Third period: the fifth ruler who came after the Medes, that is: Hakoris, the repeater of the appearance . His days of exercising power were made full because he was benevolent to the temples. He was eliminated because he disobeyed the law and stopped inspecting his brothers. |
| Nepherites II. | Naiefaaurudj | No information | Fourth period: The sixth ruler who arose after the Medes, that is: Pharaoh Nepherites II did not exist because he was ordered not to exist because the law under his father had been disregarded. The punishment was allowed to reach his son after him. |
30th dynasty
The pharaohs of the 30th dynasty are listed by the commentator as a prophecy with their future reigns. The total length of government of the three listed rulers is 38 years according to the demotic oracle . Manetho (Africanus) also recorded a total length of 38 years.
| Greek name | Egyptian name | Term of office | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nectanebes | Nechtenebef | 19 years | Fifth period: The seventh ruler who will come after the Medes, that is: Pharaoh Nectanebes, who will be given 6 (+) 10 (=) 16 years. He'll be given day 30. That is the completion of day 10, because it is three months and three decades that become three years, which are added to 16 years, that makes 19 years. |
| Speedometers | Djedhor | 1 year | Sixth period: The builder's measuring stick, day 1 of the month; That means: He who is on the way, who builds for his father / who his father built. One year is what he will be allowed to spend in power, that is: Pharaoh Tachos, who will march according to his father's measuring stick. |
| No information | No information | 18 years | Without a period of time: The stonemason's set level, the seventh period of time, that is: The ruler who will come after them will be allowed to spend 18 years, because the stonemason's balance is the sword, which is made up of five parts. It will be said: "That is 6 (+) 7, makes 13, to make it full with 5, again makes 18 years" . |
31st Dynasty
The rulers of the 31st Dynasty are again prophesied by the commentator as "Medes".
| Greek name | Egyptian name | Term of office | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| No information | No information | No information | The gates will be opened ... that is, the beginning of those who will come after them (the pharaohs), the Medes. That means: the barbarians. Our lake and our islands are full of tears, which means: The houses of the Egyptians will have no people to live in them. The same time is like saying “The Medes will slaughter them, take houses and live there”. They will slaughter the Egyptians while the sun sees them. That is the sacrifice of the sun god . |
See also
literature
- Heinz Felber : The demotic chronicle . In: Andreas Blasius: Apokalyptik und Egypt: A critical analysis of the relevant texts from Greco-Roman Egypt (= Orientalia Lovaniensia analecta. (OLA) No. 107). Peeters, Leuven 2002, ISBN 90-429-1113-1 , pp. 65-112.
- Friedhelm Hoffmann , Joachim Friedrich Quack : Anthology of demotic literature (= introductions and source texts on Egyptology. 4). Lit, Berlin 2007, ISBN 3-8258-0762-2 .
- Friedhelm Hoffmann: Egypt: culture and life in Greco-Roman times. A representation based on the demotic sources. Academy, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-05-003308-8 .
- Wilhelm Spiegelberg : The so-called demotic chronicle of Pap. 215 of the Bibliotheque nationale zu Paris together with texts on the back of the papyrus (= Demotic Studies. 7). Leipzig 1914.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Friedhelm Hoffmann: Egypt: Culture and lifeworld in Greco-Roman times . Pp. 177-178.
- ↑ a b c d e f In the sixth chapter the respective king is compared with a day “ which was full ”.
- ↑ a b In the sixth chapter this king was not taken into account.
- ↑ This probably means his repeated coronation, as Hakor was crowned twice because of political disputes with his rivals.
- ↑ In the sixth chapter the seventh day is dedicated to the deity Ptah , who will name the next king after Tachos.