Ranefer (civil servant)

Ranefer in hieroglyphics
Ranefer (Ra nefer) Rˁ nfr Ra is beautiful

Ranefer (also Ra-nefer ) is the name of an ancient Egyptian official and high priest of Ptah of the Old Kingdom , who was active under King Shepseskaf ( 4th dynasty ) and King Userkaf ( 5th dynasty ).

supporting documents

Ranefer's name appears on a relief listing his titles. Furthermore, two statues made of painted limestone show Ranefer in a striding pose. On the first statue he wears a simple loincloth with an unclothed chest and a tight cap on his head, which was typical of Ptah priests. The second statue shows Ranefer in a skin-tight robe and with a magnificent pectoral , plus a stepped wig with curls . A third statue shows Ranefer's wife "Hekenu".

Term of office

Ranefer held several high offices and functional titles, so he was among other things "Servant of God of Ptah", "Servant of Sokar", "Head of the House of Sokar" and "Great of the head of the craftsmen on the day of the festival". The latter title is that of Ptah's high priest . His term of office, recorded in writing, is of great importance for Egyptology , as it shows a smooth transition from the 4th to the 5th dynasty .

dig

Ranefer's grave is in Saqqara and was excavated by Auguste Mariette . The statues are now on display in the Cairo Museum .

See also

• Ancient Egyptian official and function titles

literature

• Auguste Edouard Mariette : Les Mastabas de l'Ancien Empire. Fragment du dernier ouvrage. Publié d'apres le manuscrit de l'auteur par Gaston Maspero . F. Vieweg, Paris 1889, pp. 121-123, online .
• Charles Maystre: Les grands prêtres de Ptah de Memphis (= Orbis biblicus et orientalis. 113). Universitäts-Verlag et al., Freiburg et al. 1992, ISBN 3-7278-0794-6 .