Rahotep

Rahotep was an Egyptian pharaoh based at Thebes during the Second Intermediate Period, commonly identified as an early ruler or founder of the Seventeenth Dynasty. He reigned for roughly four years, placed between 1580 and 1576 BC, with an uncertainty of about fifteen years. He governed southern Egypt while the Hyksos maintained control over the northern provinces.

Rahotep came to power in a weakened Theban state that was beginning to consolidate its domestic resources. His brief rule marks the start of a renewed cultural and political assertiveness that would culminate decades later in the military expulsion of foreign rulers and the reunification of Egypt.

Scholars know Rahotep through several royal stelae and architectural inscriptions discovered at Abydos and Coptos. These records document his dedication to restoring local temples and refurbishing divine shrines that had fallen into decay during decades of disruption. His tomb has not been located.

Monuments

• Abydos
• Coptos

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