Saqqara Tablet

The **Saqqara Tablet** is stone from Ancient Egypt. On it is written a list of Egyptian pharaohs from the New Kingdom. It was found in a tomb at Saqqara in 1861. The tomb belonged to Tjenry (or Tjuneroy), an official of the pharaoh Ramesses II. He was a priest and "Overseer of Works on All Royal Monuments". The stone is now in the Egyptian Museum.

The list names 58 kings, from Anedjib and Qa'a in the First Dynasty to Ramesses II in the Nineteenth Dynasty. The list is in reverse chronological order. It leaves out names of "rulers from the Second Intermediate Period, the Hyksos, and those rulers... who had been close to the heretic Akhenaten".

Each name is surrounded by a border known as a cartouche). The stone is badly damaged, and only 47 names have survived. There are mistakes in the list. For example, it only mentions four kings of the Third Dynasty. The order is correct only for the kings of the Twelfth Dynasty. The only known photograph of the king list was published in 1865.

## 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.
|colspan="3"|Upper row|colspan="3"|Bottom row|||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1|Ramses II|User-maat-ra Setep-en-ra|30|Neferefre|Kha-nefer-ra|
|2|Seti I|Men-maat-ra|31|Shepseskare|Shepses-ka-ra|
|3|Ramses I|Men-pehty-ra|32|Neferirkare Kakai|Nefer-ir-ka-ra|
|4|Horemheb|Djeser-kheperu-ra Setep-en-ra|33|Sahure|Sahura|
|5|Amenhotep III|Neb-maat-ra|34|Userkaf|User-ka-f|
|6|Thutmose IV|Men-kheperu-ra|35|Thamphthis?|_Name destroyed._|
|7|Amenhotep II|Aa-kheperu-ra|36|Bicheris?|_Name destroyed._|
|8|Thutmose III|Men-kheper-ra|37|Djedefptah|_Name destroyed._|
|9|Thutmose II|Aa-kheper-en-ra|38|Shepseskaf|_Name destroyed._|
|10|Thutmose I|Aa-kheper-ka-ra|39|Menkaura|_Name destroyed._|
|11|Amenhotep I|Djeser-ka-ra|40|Khafra|Kha-f-ra|
|12|Ahmose I|Neb-pehti-ra|41|Djedefra|Djed-ef-re|
|13|Mentuhotep II|Nebhepetre|42|Khufu|Khufu|
|14|Mentuhotep III|Se-ankh-ka-ra|43|Sneferu|Sneferu|
|15|Amenemhat I|Se-hetep-ib-ra|44|Huni|Huni|
|16|Senusret I|Kheper-ka-ra|45|Khaba|Neb-ka-ra|
|17|Amenemhat II|Nub-kau-ra|46|Sekhemkhet|Djoser-teti|
|18|Senusret II|Kha-kheper-ra|47|Djoser|Djoser|
|19|Senusret III|Kha-khau-ra|48|Khasekhemwy|Beby|
|20|Amenemhat III|Ni-maat-ra|49|Hudjefa|"Name missing"|
|21|Amenemhat IV|Maat-kheru-ra|50|Sekhemib-Perenmaat?|Nefer-ka-sokar|
|22|Sobekneferu|Sobek-ka-ra|51|Seth-Peribsen?|Nefer-ka-ra|
|23|Pepi II Neferkare|Nefer-ka-ra|52|Senedj|Senedj|
|24|Merenre Nemtyemsaf I|Mer-en-ra|53|Wneg|Wadjlas|
|25|Pepi I Meryre|Pepi|54|Nynetjer|Ba-netjeru|
|26|Teti|Teti|55|Raneb|Kakau|
|27|Unas|Unis|56|Hotepsekhemwy|Bau-netjer|
|28|Djedkare|Maat-ka-ra|57|Qa'a|Qe-behu|
|29|Menkauhor|Men-kau-hor|58|Anedjib|Merbapen|

## Other New Kingdom royal lists

- Abydos King List
- Karnak king list
- Turin King List
- Medinet Habu king list

## 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)