Sobekemsaf (sbk-m-z3=f)Grajetzki, Wolfram. Ancient Egyptian Queens: A Hieroglyphic Dictionary. London: Golden House Publications. (2005), p. 44. . was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 17th Dynasty.
Family She was the wife of king Nubkheperre Intef and sister of an unidentified pharaoh, probably Sekhemre-Heruhirmaat Intef, Sobekemsaf II or Senakhtenre Ahmose.Dodson, Aidan & Hilton, Dyan. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. (2004), p. 117. . . .Dodson & Hilton, p. 118.
Her name ("Sobek protects him"Grajetzki, p. 304.) is grammatically masculine. Although a female version of the name (sbk-m-z3=s) did exist, the queen is named Sobekemsaf in all sources, so it was not an error on the scribe's part, but she was probably named for an ancestor.Polz, Daniel: Der Beginn des Neuen Reiches. Berlin & New York, Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2007. p. 39. . Masculine names for females were not uncommon during the Second Intermediate Period.Ranke, Hermann: Die ägyptische Persönennamen, Band II, p. 4.
Sobekemsaf's titles were: King's Wife (ḥm.t-nswt), Great Royal Wife (ḥmt-nỉswt wr.t), United with the White Crown (ẖnm.t-nfr-ḥḏ.t), King's Daughter (z3.t-nỉswt), and King's Sister (zn.t-nswt).
Attestations
Attestations indicate that she was closely associated with the city Edfu. She is also associated with king Nubkheperre Intef, see Ryholt 1997:394-395 File 17/4.
Cairo JE 16.2.22.23 | At Edfu, a stela depicts queen Sobekemsaf along with other relatives;Polz, Daniel: "The Territorial Claim and the Political Role of the Theban State", in: Forstner-Müller & Moeller (eds.), The Hyksos Ruler Khyan and the Early Second Intermediate Period in Egypt: Problems and Priorities of Current Research. Proceedings of the Workshop of the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Vienna, July 4 – 5, 2014, p. 229. the stela names the queen's sister Neferuni and their mother, whose name is lost.
Jewelry perhaps from Edfu BM EA 59699-59700 | She is mentioned on a bracelet and a pendant with the royal name of Nubkheperre Intef, now both in the British Museum. BM E 57698 | A signet ring. Present location unknown | A pendant.
Non-contemporary attestations Cairo CG 34009/JE 27091 | In Edfu, her family's hometown, she is known from stelae. The stela, belonging to an official called Yuf dated to the 18th Dynasty, mentions reconstruction of her tomb.
Sources