Abydos King List
The start of the king list, showing Seti and his son -
Ramesses II - on the way to making an offering to
Ptah-
Seker-
Osiris, on behalf of their 72 ancestors - the contents of the king list. Ramesses is depicted holding
censers.
The Abydos King List, also known as the Abydos Table, is a list of the names of seventy-six kings of Ancient Egypt, found on a wall of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Egypt. It consists of three rows of thirty-eight cartouches (borders enclosing the name of a king) in each row. The upper two rows contain names of the kings, while the third row merely repeats Seti I's throne name and praenomen.
Besides providing the order of the Old Kingdom kings, it is the sole source to date of the names of many of the kings of the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties, so the list is valued greatly for that reason.
This list omits the names of many earlier pharaohs who were apparently considered illegitimate — such as Akhenaten, Hatshepsut, Smenkhkare, Tutankhamen, and Ay.
Contents of the king list
Drawing of the cartouches in the Abydos King List.
First Dynasty
Cartouches 1 to 8 |
n° |
Name written in the list |
Common name |
Cartouches 1 to 8 (Click to enlarge) |
1 | Meni. Probably King Narmer. | Menes |
2 | Teti. Same name in Turin King List. | Hor-Aha |
3 | Iti. Same name in Turin King List. | Djer |
4 | Ita. Called Itui in Turin King List. | Djet |
5 | Septi. Called Qenti in Turin King List. | Den |
6 | Meribiap. Called Merbiapen in Turin King List. | Anedjib |
7 | Semsu. Called Semsem in Turin King List. | Semerkhet. |
8 | Qebeh. Same name in Turin King List. | Qa'a. |
Second Dynasty
Cartouches 9 to 14 |
n° |
Name written in the list |
Common name |
Cartouches 9 to 14 (Click to enlarge) |
9 | Bedjau. Called Baunetjer in Turin King List. | Hotepsekhemwy |
10 | Kakau. Same name in Turin King List. | Raneb |
11 | Banetjer. Same name in Turin King List. | Ninetjer |
12 | Wadjnas. Name damaged in Turin King List. | Weneg |
13 | Sendi. Called Senedj in Turin King List. | Senedj |
14 | Djadjay. Called Bebti in Turin King List. | Khasekhemwy |
Third Dynasty
Cartouches 15 to 19 |
n° |
Name written in the list |
Common name |
Cartouches 15 to 19 (Click to enlarge) |
15 | Nebka. Same name in Turin King List. | Sanakhte |
16 | Djeser-za. Djoser-it in Turin King List. | Djoser |
17 | Teti. Djoser-ti in Turin King List. | Sekhemkhet |
18 | Sedjes. Hudjefa in Turin King List. | Khaba |
19 | Neferkara. Huni in Turin King List. | Huni |
Fourth Dynasty
Cartouches 20 to 25 |
n° |
Name written in the list |
Common name |
Cartouches 20 to 25 (Click to enlarge) |
20 | Sneferu. Senefer in Turin King List. | Sneferu |
21 | Khufu. Name missing in Turin King List. | Khufu |
22 | Djedefre. Name missing in Turin King List. | Djedefre |
23 | Khafra. Incomplete name in Turin King List | Khafra |
24 | Menkaura. Name missing in Turin King List. | Menkaura |
25 | Shepseskaf. Name missing in Turin King List. | Shepseskaf |
Fifth Dynasty
Sixth Dynasty
Seventh/Eighth Dynasty
Eleventh/Twelfth Dynasty
Eighteenth Dynasty
Nineteenth Dynasty
Cartouches 75 and 76 |
n° |
Name written in the list |
Common name |
Cartouches 75 and 76 (Click to enlarge) |
75 | Menpehtira | Ramesses I |
76 | Menmaatra | Seti I |
See also
External links