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".Robert Morkot. The Egyptians: An Introduction. Routledge, 2005. . Page 74. 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".Quoted from: Gerald Verbrugghe, John Moore Wickersham. Berossos and Manetho, Introduced and Translated. University of Michigan Press, 2001. Page 104.

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.
 Upper row Bottom row No. Pharaoh Name written in the list No. Pharaoh Name written in the list 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 13Mentuhotep 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

 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)

Category:2nd millennium BC in Egypt
Category:2nd millennium BC works