The Karnak king list was located in the southwest corner of the Akh-Menu Hall. Composed during the reign of Thutmose III, it lists sixty-one kings beginning with Sneferu from Egypt's Old Kingdom. Only the names of forty-eight kings are still legible, and one is not written in a cartouche.
It is not a complete list of the Egyptian Pharaohs, as other kings are known from other lists, but this list is valuable as it contains the names of kings of the First and Second Intermediate periods, which are omitted in most other king lists.
In 1843, French adventurer Emile Prisse dismantled and stole the blocks containing the king list at night[1], claiming to act "in the interests of France." He had found out that a German expedition led by egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius was making its way up the Nile to Karnak, and in order to secure it for France he made quick work of dismantling it and sending it back home.[2] Severely damaged, it is now on display at the Louvre in Paris (Chambre des Ancêtres.)
Contents |
The common name of the king followed by the actual one written in the list, in parenthesis (if known). The list is divided in the center, and is numbered from the sides, toward the center, after Lepsius.[3]
| Left side | Right side |
|---|---|
| Top Row | |
| 1. Neferkare | 32. Senusret III (Kha-ka-re) |
| 2. Sneferu | 33. Sobekhotep IV (Kha-nefer-re) |
| 3. Sahure | 34. Neferhotep I (Kha-sekhem-re) |
| 4. Nyuserre Ini (Ini) | 35. Sobekhotep III (Sekhem-re-se-wadj-tawy) |
| 5. Djedkare Isesi (Isesi) | 36. Sobekhotep II (Sekhem-re-khu-tawy) |
| 6. destroyed | 37. Amenemhat V (S-ankh-ib-re) |
| 7. destroyed | 38. Nebiriau I (Se-wadj-en-re) |
| 8. Djehuti (Sekhem-re-semen-tawy) | 39. ...kau(re) |
| Second Row | |
| 9. destroyed | 40. destroyed |
| 10. Intef | 41. Neferhotep II (Mer-sekhem-re) |
| 11. In... | 42. Sobekhotep VII (Mer-kau-re) |
| 12. Men... | 43. Sobekhotep VIII? (Se-user-tawy) |
| 13. Intef | 44. ...re |
| 14. Teti? | 45. Senefer..re |
| 15. Pepi | 46. Sobekhotep V (Kha-hotep-re) |
| 16. Merenre Nemtyemsaf I? (Mer-en-re) | 47. Sobekhotep I (Kha-ankh-re) |
| Third Row | |
| 17. Amenemhat I (Se-hotep-ib-re) | 48. Wahkhaure |
| 18. Amenemhat II (Nebu-ka-re) | 49. Senebmiu (Se-wah-en-re) |
| 19. destroyed | 50. Sobekhotep VI (Mer-hotep-re) |
| 20. destroyed | 51. Wegaf (Khu-tawi-re) |
| 21. Amenemhat IV (Maa-khe-ru-re) | 52. destroyed |
| 22. Sobekneferu | 53. destroyed |
| 23. Intef | 54. Rahotep (Sekhem-re-wah-khau) |
| Bottom Row | |
| 24. Senusret I (Kheper-ka-re) | 55. ...re |
| 25. Seqenenre Tao II (Se-qen-en-re) | 56. Senefer..re |
| 26. Senakhtenre Tao I (Se-nakht-en-re) | 57. Sewadj..re |
| 27. Bebiankh (Se-user-en-re) | 58. Sekhem..re |
| 28. Nubkheperre Intef | 59. destroyed |
| 29. Mentuhotep II (Neb-hetep-re) | 60. destroyed |
| 30. Mentuhotep III (Se-nefer-ka-re) | 61. destroyed |
| 31. Unreadable | |
|
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