Neferhotep I

Neferhotep I was one of the most prominent pharaohs of the Thirteenth Dynasty, governing for roughly eleven years from about 1742 to 1731 BC, with dates uncertain by about twenty years. He was born into a non-royal family from Thebes, the son of Haankhef and Kemi, and was succeeded by his brother Sobekhotep IV after a brief coregency with their brother Sihathor.

His reign brought a notable period of stability and cultural revival amid the political splintering of the Second Intermediate Period. Rather than building a large pyramid in the north, Neferhotep focused his patronage on the national religious center of Osiris at Abydos. Outside Egypt, his authority or diplomatic reach was acknowledged abroad, as evidenced by a relief showing a local prince paying respects at Byblos in modern Lebanon.

Scholars know Neferhotep I from numerous contemporary monuments, including rock inscriptions at Aswan, carvings on Sehel Island, and a large stela at Abydos that records his research into ancient temple archives. His burial place remains disputed, with tomb S10 at Abydos suggested as a possible location.

Monuments

• Abydos great stela of Osiris
• Reliefs at Aswan and Sehel Island
• Byblos relief

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Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.