Saqqara Tablet

The Saqqara Tablet, also known as the Saqqara King List or the Saqqara Table, now in the Egyptian Museum, is an ancient stone engraving surviving from the Ramesside Period of Egypt which features a list of pharaohs. It was found in 1861 in Saqqara, in the tomb of Tjuneroy (or Tjenry), an official ("chief lector priest" and "Overseer of Works on All Royal Monuments") of the pharaoh Ramesses II.Robert Morkot. The Egyptians: An Introduction. Routledge, 2005. . Page 74.

The inscription lists fifty-eight kings, from Anedjib (First Dynasty) to Ramesses II (Nineteenth Dynasty), in reverse chronological order. The names (each surrounded by a border known as a cartouche), of which only forty-seven survive, are badly damaged. As with other Egyptian king lists, the Saqqara Tablet omits certain kings and entire dynasties. The list counts backward from Ramesses II to the mid-point of the First Dynasty, except for the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties, which are reversed. A well known photograph of the king list was published in 1865. Detailed and high resolution images are able to be viewed online and inside the book Inside the Egyptian Museum with Zahi Hawass Each cartouche ends with the phrase ma'a, meaning "the justified", which was typical for honouring deceased kings.

Like with other Ramesside lists, the Saqqara Tablet omits the names of "rulers from the Second Intermediate Period, the Hyksos, and those rulers... who had been close to the heretic Akhenaten".Quoted from: Gerald Verbrugghe, John Moore Wickersham. Berossos and Manetho, Introduced and Translated. University of Michigan Press, 2001. Page 104. Despite being nearly a slimmed down copy of the Abydos King List, the Saqqara Tablet has some notable changes. For example, Neferirkare Kakai is listed under his prenomen Neferirkare like with every other pharaoh in the list, despite being listed under his nomen Kakai in the Abydos King List. Also, Neferkare I, Neferkasokar, Hudjefa, Huni and Sobekneferu are listed in the Saqqara Tablet, despite being absent in the Abydos King List. Likewise, Nyuserre Ini and Userkare are absent for some unknown reason, despite being present in the Abydos King List. In addition, the early rulers of the First Dynasty (Menes/Narmer, Hor-Aha, Djer, Djet, Den, and Semerkhet) are all excluded from the Saqqara Tablet for some unknown reason, despite being present in the Abydos King List. The Saqqara Tablet additionally omits all kings who reigned between Pepi II and Mentuhotep II.

Kings in the list The names are listed in reverse chronological order from the upper right to the bottom left, as they were meant to be read. Pharaohs that are known have the damaged part of the inscribed name in parentheses. Upper row Nineteenth Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 1. Ramesses II (Usermaatre) setepen(re) sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-wsr-mAat-stp*ra:n->-mAa:T1\ 2. Seti I (Men)maat(re) sw-t:n-A45-<-ra-mn-mAat->-mAa:T1\ 3. Ramesses I Men(pehtire) sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-F9:t*t-mn->-mAa:T1\

Eighteenth Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 4. Horemheb (Djeserkheperure) setepen(re) sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:Dsr-xpr:Z2-stp*ra:n->-mAa:T1\ 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Amenhotep I Djeserkare sw-t:n-A43-<-ra:Dsr-kA->-mAa:T1\ 12. Ahmose I Nebpehtire sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:F9-nb->-mAa:T1\ Eleventh Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 13.Mentuhotep II Nebhepetre sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-xrw-nb->-mAa:T1\ 14. Mentuhotep III Seankhkare sw-t:n-A45-<-ra-s-anx-kA->-mAa:T1\ Twelfth Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 15. Amenemhat I Sehetepibre sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-s-Htp:t*p-ib-Z1->-mAa:T1\ 16. Senusret I Kheperkare sw-t:n-A45-<-ra-xpr-kA->-mAa:T1\ 17. Amenemhat II Nubkaure sw-t:n-A43-<-ra:nbw-kA->-mAa:T1\ 18. Senusret II Khakheperre sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:xa-xpr->-mAa:T1\ 19. Senusret III Khakhaure sw-t:n-A43-<-ra:xa-kA->-mAa:T1\ 20. Amenemhat III (Nimaat)re sw-t:n-A45-<-ra-Sw-n->-mAa:T1\ or sw-t:n-A45-<-ra-mAat-n->-mAa:T1\ 21. Amenemhat IV Maakherure sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-U5:a-xrw-w->-mAa:T1\ 22. Sobekneferu Kasobekre sw-t:n-A45-<-ra-sbk-kA->-mAa:T1\ Sixth Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 23. Pepi II Neferkare Neferkare sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-nfr-kA->-mAa:T1\ 24. Merenre Nemtyemsaf I Merenre sw-t:n-A45-<-ra-mr-n->-mAa:T1\ 25. Pepi I Meryre Pepi sw-t:n-A43-<-p-p-i-i->-mAa:T1\ 26. Teti Teti sw-t:n-A45-<-t:t-i->-mAa:T1\ Fifth Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 27. Unas Unis sw-t:n-A44-<-wn:n-i-s->-mAa:T1\ 28. Djedkare Isesi Maatkare sw-t:n-A46-<-ra-Sw-kA->-mAa:T1\ 29. Menkauhor Kaiu Menkauhor sw-t:n-A44-<-G5-mn-kA->-mAa:T1\ Bottom row Fifth Dynasty (Continued) # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 30. Neferefre Khaneferre sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:xa-nfr->-mAa:T1\ 31. Shepseskare Shepseskare sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-Spsi-s-s-kA->-mAa:T1\ 32. Neferirkare Kakai Neferirkare sw-t:n-A45-<-ra-nfr-ir-kA->-mAa:T1\ 33. Sahure Sahure sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-D63-w->-mAa:T1\ 34. Userkaf Userka(f) sw-t:n-A45-<-wsr-s-kA-f->-mAa:T1\ Fourth Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. Khafre Khaf(re) sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:xa-w-f->-mAa:T1\ 41. Djedefre Djedefre sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-dd-dd-f->-mAa:T1\ 42. Khufu Khufu sw-t:n-A45-<-x:f-w-f->-mAa:T1\ 43. Sneferu Sneferu sw-t:n-A43-<-s-nfr-f:r-w->-mAa:T1\ Third Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 44. Huni Huni sw-t:n-A45-<-H-A21A-n:y-D40->-mAa:T1\ or sw-t:n-A45-<-H-A24-n:y-D40->-mAa:T1\ or sw-t:n-A45-<-H-A25-n:y-D40->-mAa:T1\ 45. Nebka Nebkare sw-t:n-A43-<-ra:nb-kA->-mAa:T1\ 46. Sekhemkhet Djoser-teti sw-t:n-A45-<-Dsr-t:t-i->-mAa:T1\ 47. Djoser Djoser sw-t:n-A43-<-Dsr:r->-mAa:T1\ Second Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 48. Khasekhemwy Bebti sw-t:n-A45-<-b-b-N21-i-i->-mAa:T1\ 49. Hudjefa I Hudjefa sw-t:n-A43-<-f:wSA-HASH->-mAa:T1\ or sw-t:n-A43-<-Hw-D-f:wSA->-mAa:T1\ 50. Sekhemib-Perenmaat? Neferkasokar sw-t:n-A45-<-z:k:r-nfr-kA->-mAa:T1\ 51. Sneferka? Neferkare sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-nfr-kA->-mAa:T1\ 52. Seth-Peribsen? Senedj sw-t:n-A45-<-snD->-mAa:T1\ 53. Wadjenes Wadjlas sw-t:n-A43-<-wAD-ns:Z1-F51\->-mAa:T1\ 54. Nynetjer Banetjeru sw-t:n-A45-<-W10A-bA-nTr-X1:r-w->-mAa:T1\ 55. Nebra Kakau sw-t:n-A43-<-kA-mt:mt:mt->-mAa:T1\ 56. Hotepsekhemwy Baunetjer sw-t:n-A46-<-nTr-G30->-mAa:T1\ First Dynasty # Pharaoh Name written in the list Hieroglyphs 57. Qa'a Qebehu sw-t:n-A44-<-q-b-H-w-W15->-mAa:T1\ 58. Anedjib Merbapen sw-t:n-A45-<-U7:r-W10A\-Z1-p:n->-mAa:T1\

Proposed reconstruction As names 5-10 and 35-39 are missing or badly damaged, the following names are suggested to have once been listed here. Jürgen von Beckerath proposes king Nyuserre as the holder of cartouche #35; he thinks it is possible that Nyuserre was simply misplaced to the beginning of the 5th Dynasty. The Saqqara king list would therefore give the following succession: Khafre → Bikheris → Menkaure → Shepseskaf → Thamphthis → Nyuserrê → Userkaf.Jürgen von Beckerath: Chronologie des pharaonischen Ägypten. Die Zeitbestimmung der ägyptischen Geschichte von der Vorzeit bis 332 v. Chr. (= Münchner ägyptologische Studien, vol. 46). von Zabern, Mainz 1997, , p. 158. However, in recent years, it's been thought that the holder of cartouche #35 should actually be Queen Khentkaus; which would make the Saqqara king list succession be: Khafre → Bikheris → Menkaure → Shepseskaf → Thamphthis → Khentkaus → Userkaf.Verner, Miroslav. "Further Thoughts on the Khentkaus Problem." Discussions in Egyptology 38 (1997), pp. 109, 113-114.Hermann Alexander Schlögl: Das Alte Ägypten. pp. 99–100. Note that this reconstruction is based on other kings lists and circumstantial evidence. Upper row (Eighteenth Dynasty) # Pharaoh Name likely written in the list Possible hieroglyphs 5. Amenhotep III (Nebmaatre) sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-Sw-nb->-mAa:T1\ or sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-mAat-nb->-mAa:T1\ 6. Thutmose IV (Menkheperure) sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:mn-xpr:Z2->-mAa:T1\ 7. Amenhotep II (Aakheperure) sw-t:n-A43-<-ra:aA-xpr:Z2->-mAa:T1\ 8. Thutmose III (Menkheperre) sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:mn-xpr->-mAa:T1\ 9. Thutmose II (Aakheperenre) sw-t:n-A43-<-ra:aA-xpr:n->-mAa:T1\ 10. Thutmose I (Aakheperkare) sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:aA-xpr-kA->-mAa:T1\

Bottom row (Fourth Dynasty) # Pharaoh Name likely written in the list Possible hieroglyphs 35. Nyuserre Ini or Khentkaus I (Nyuserre)?, (Khentkaus)? sw-t:n-A43-<-ra:n-wsr*s:r->-mAa:T1\ (if Nyuserre) or sw-t:n-A43-<-xnt:t kA*kA:kA->-mAa:T1\ (if Khentkaus) 36. Thamphthis? (Djedefptah)?, (Djedefkaf)?, (Djedefhor)? sw-t:n-A45-<-R11-f-p:t-H->-mAa:T1\ (if Djedefptah) or sw-t:n-A45-<-R11-f-D28-I9->-mAa:T1\ (if Djedefkaf) 37. Shepseskaf (Shepseskaf) sw-t:n-A43-<-Sps-z:z-kA-f->-mAa:T1\ 38. Menkaure (Menkaure) sw-t:n-A45-<-ra:mn-kA*kA:kA->-mAa:T1\ 39. Bikheris? (Bakare)?, (Baufra)? sw-t:n-A43-<-ra-E10-kA->-mAa:T1\

Other New Kingdom royal lists Abydos King List Manetho King List Karnak King List Palermo Stone Ramesseum king list Turin King List Medinet Habu king list

References

Bibliography Auguste Mariette: La table de Saqqarah in Revue Archeologique Vol 10, Paris 1864, p. 168-186, Pl. 17 Emmanuel de Rougé: Album photographique de la mission remplie en Égypte, Paris 1865, Photographs, No. 143-145 Auguste Mariette: Monuments divers recueillis en Égypte et en Nubie (Tables), Paris 1872, Vol. II, Pl. 58 Eduard Meyer: Ägyptische Chronologie, Pl. 1, (Berlin 1904)