Djedkare Isesi

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Djedkare Isesi

Tankeris

Gold cylinder seal bearing the names and titles of the pharaoh Djedkare Isesi.

Pharaoh of Egypt

Reign

2414–2375 BC, 5th dynasty

Predecessor

Menkauhor Kaiu

Successor

Unas

Royal titulary

Died

2375 BC

Djedkare Isesi in Greek known as Tancheres^[1] from Manetho's Aegyptiaca, was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. He is assigned a reign of twenty-eight years by the Turin Canon although some Egyptologists believe this is an error for thirty-eight years. Manetho ascribes him a reign of forty-four years while the archaeological evidence suggests that his reign actually exceeded thirty-two years. His prenomen or royal name--Djedkare--means "The Soul of Re Endureth."^[2]

He did not, as was customary for his dynasty, build his own sun temple, but did build his pyramid at Saqqara instead of Abusir. This is believed to be a sign that Osiris had now replaced the sun-god Ra as the most popular god. Titles were now thought to hold magical power; their inflation believed to be a sign of a gradual decentralization of power. An entire series of dated administrative papyri from Djedkare's reign, (the Prisse Papyrus at the Louvre, authored by Ptah-hotep), was discovered in Neferirkare's mortuary temple. According to Miroslav Verner, Djedkare's highest Year known date is a Year 22 IV Akhet day 12 papyrus,^[3] which would belong anywhere from Year 32 to Year 44 of his reign depending on whether the Cattle Count was Biannual (2 times) or Semi-Biannual (1.5 times).

Reconstruction of Djedkare's pyramid complex at Saqqara

He is extremely well documented both by the aforementioned Abusir papyri as well as numerous royal seals and contemporary inscriptions; taken together, they indicate a fairly long reign for this king.^[4]

His almost complete mummy, along with a badly broken basalt sarcophagus and a niche for the canopic chest, was discovered in his damaged pyramid tomb at Saqqara.

[edit] References

^ Miroslav Verner, Archaeological Remarks on the 4th and 5th Dynasty Chronology, Archiv Orientální, Volume 69: 2001, pp.405
^ Peter Clayton, Chronicle of the Pharaohs, Thames and Hudson, 1994. p.61
^ Verner, op. cit., p.406
^ Verner, op. cit., p.410

Miroslav Verner, Archaeological Remarks on the 4th and 5th Dynasty Chronology, Archiv Orientální, Volume 69: 2001, pp.405-410 (coverage of Djedkare Isesi's reign)