Wahankh Intef II (also Inyotef II and Antef II) was the third ruler of the Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt during the First Intermediate Period. He reigned for almost fifty years from 2112 BC to 2063 BC.[2] His capital was located at Thebes. In his time, Egypt was split between several local dynasties. He was buried in a saff tomb at El-Tarif.
After the death of the nomarchAnkhtifi, Intef was able to unite all the southern nomes down to the First Cataract. After this he clashed with his main rivals, the kings of Herakleopolis Magna for the possession of Abydos. The city changed hands several times, but Intef II was eventually victorious, extending his rule north to the thirteenth nome.
After these wars, more friendly relations were established and the rest of Intef's reign was peaceful. The discovery of a statue of Intef II, wrapped in a sed festival robe, in the sanctuary of Heqaib at Elephantine suggests that this king's authority extended to the region of the First Cataract and, perhaps, over part of Lower Nubia by his 30th year.[3] This impression would appear to be confirmed by an expedition led by Djemi from Gebelein to the land of Wawat (i.e.: Nubia) during his reign.[3] Consequently, when Intef II died, he left behind a strong government in Thebes which controlled the whole of Upper Egypt and maintained a border just south of Asyut.[3]
The earliest attested dating of the god Amun at Karnak occurs during his reign. The surviving sections of the Turin Canon for the Middle Kingdom assign this king a reign of 49 years.[4][5]
Titularyedit
Intef II apparently never held the full royal fivefold titulary of the Old Kingdom pharaohs. He did, however, claim the dual kingship nswt bity and the title s3-Re son of Ra, which emphasizes the divine nature of kingship.[2] Finally, upon accession to the Theban throne, Intef II added the Horus name Wahankh, enduring of life, to his birth name.
Officialsedit
We know the name and activities of some of the officials who served under Intef II :
Tjetjy was the chief treasurer and king’s chamberlain of Intef II and Intef III.[6] His finely carved tomb stele, now at the British Museum,[7] shows that Intef II claimed the dual throne of Egypt but also recognizes the limited extent of his rule: "The horus Wahankh, king of Upper and Lower Egypt, son of Re, Intef, born of Nefru, he who lives eternally like Re, [...] this land was under his rule southwards as far as Yebu and reaching as far north as Abydos".[8] Tjetjy then describes his career in the typical self-laudatory manner of the Egyptian elite. Most importantly, the text demonstrates the undisputed power of the king in the Theban kingdom of the 11th Dynasty "I was a trustworthy favorite of my lord, an official great of heart and quiet of temper in the palace of his lord [...]. I am one who loved good and hated evil, one who was loved in the palace of his lord, one who performed every duty in obedience to the will of his lord. Indeed, as for every task which he commanded me to undertake [...], I performed it rightly and justly. Never did I disobey the orders he gave me; never did I substitute one thing for another [...]. Moreover, as for every responsibility of the royal palace which the majesty of my lord committed to me, and for which he caused me to perform some task, I did it for him in accordance with everything which his Ka desired."[8]
Djary was a military officer who fought the Herakleopolitan forces in the Abydene nome during Intef II's armies' northward push.[6] His stele recounts the struggle for the control over Middle Egypt: "Intef fought the house of Khety to the north of Thinis".[9]
Hetepy was an official from Elkab who administered the three southernmost nomes of Intef II's realm. This means that there were no monarchs in Theban-controlled territories. Just as in the case of Tjetjy, the constant reference to the king in Hetepy's stele demonstrates the centralized organization of the government of the Theban kingdom and the power of the king, to whom everything was due: "I was one beloved of my Lord and praised by the lord of this land and his majesty truly made this servant happy. His majesty said: 'There is no one who [. . .] of (my) good command, but Hetepy!', and this servant did it exceedingly well, and his majesty praised this servant on account of it".[6] Finally, Hetepy's stele mentions a famine that occurred during Intef II's reign.
Idudju-iker was foremost one of the chiefs of Lower Nubia. He was in charge of Lower Nubia and helped the king conquering Abydos.[10]
Monumentsedit
The dogs of Intef II on his funerary stele, Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
On his funerary stele Intef emphasizes his monument building activities. It is significant that the earliest surviving fragment of royal construction at Karnak is an octagonal column bearing Intef II's name. Intef II is also the first ruler to build chapels for Satet and Khnum on the island of Elephantine.[11] In fact, Intef II started a tradition of royal building activities in the provincial temples of Upper Egypt which was to last throughout the Middle Kingdom.
Tombedit
Intef's tomb in El-Tarif at Thebes is a saff tomb. Saff stands for "row" in Arabic and refers to the double row of columns and entry ways fronting a large 250 by 70 metres (820 ft × 230 ft) trapezoidal courtyard at the eastern end of which was a mortuary chapel.[12] This chapel may have been intended to serve the same purpose as a valley temple.[13]
Intef II's tomb was investigated by a royal commission during the reign of Ramses IX, toward the end of the 20th Dynasty, as many royal tombs were being plundered at the time.[14] As reported on the Abbott Papyrus, The commission noted that: "The pyramid-tomb of king Si-Rêˁ In-ˁo (i.e. Intef II) which is north of the House of Amenḥotpe of the Forecourt and whose pyramid is crushed down upon it [. . .]. Examined this day; it was found intact."[15] No remains of this pyramid have been found yet.[13]
Following the tradition of his nomarch ancestors, Intef II erected a biographical stele in the entrance of his tomb which relates the events of his reign and credits him with 50 years of reign.[2][16] A stela mentioning the king's dogs was also said to be set up before the tomb. Another stela mentioning a dog named Beha was discovered, but it was found near the offering chapel.[12]
Referencesedit
^ abClayton, Peter A. Chronicle of the Pharaohs: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p72. 2006. ISBN0-500-28628-0
^ abcdIan Shaw, The Oxford history of ancient Egypt p.125
^ abcNicholas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford: Blackwell Books, 1992), p. 145
^ abDodson, Aidan. The Tomb in Ancient Egypt. Thames and Hudson. 2008. ISBN9780500051399, pp 186-187
^Darrell D. Baker: The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume I - Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300–1069 BC, Stacey International, ISBN978-1-905299-37-9, 2008, pp. 145-146
^Alan Gardiner, Egypt of the Pharaohs: an introduction, Oxford University Press, 1961, pp. 118–119
intef, wahankh, also, inyotef, antef, third, ruler, eleventh, dynasty, egypt, during, first, intermediate, period, reigned, almost, fifty, years, from, 2112, 2063, capital, located, thebes, time, egypt, split, between, several, local, dynasties, buried, saff, . Wahankh Intef II also Inyotef II and Antef II was the third ruler of the Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt during the First Intermediate Period He reigned for almost fifty years from 2112 BC to 2063 BC 2 His capital was located at Thebes In his time Egypt was split between several local dynasties He was buried in a saff tomb at El Tarif Intef IIInyotef II Antef II Si Reˁ In ˁoFunerary stele of Intef II on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art PharaohReign49 years 2112 2063 BCPredecessorIntef ISuccessorIntef IIIRoyal titularyHorus nameWahankhW3ḥ ˁnḫStrong in life 1 NomenSa Re IntefJnj j t fThe Son of Ra Intef litt His father brought him 1 ConsortPossibly NeferukayetChildrenIntef III IahFatherMentuhotep IMotherNeferu IDied2063 BC 2 BurialEl Tarif near ThebesDynasty11th Dynasty Contents 1 Family 2 Reign 2 1 Titulary 2 2 Officials 3 Monuments 3 1 Tomb 4 References 5 Further readingFamily editSee also Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt family tree Intef s parents were Mentuhotep I and Neferu I His predecessor Intef I may have been his brother Intef was succeeded by his son Intef III Reign editAfter the death of the nomarch Ankhtifi Intef was able to unite all the southern nomes down to the First Cataract After this he clashed with his main rivals the kings of Herakleopolis Magna for the possession of Abydos The city changed hands several times but Intef II was eventually victorious extending his rule north to the thirteenth nome After these wars more friendly relations were established and the rest of Intef s reign was peaceful The discovery of a statue of Intef II wrapped in a sed festival robe in the sanctuary of Heqaib at Elephantine suggests that this king s authority extended to the region of the First Cataract and perhaps over part of Lower Nubia by his 30th year 3 This impression would appear to be confirmed by an expedition led by Djemi from Gebelein to the land of Wawat i e Nubia during his reign 3 Consequently when Intef II died he left behind a strong government in Thebes which controlled the whole of Upper Egypt and maintained a border just south of Asyut 3 The earliest attested dating of the god Amun at Karnak occurs during his reign The surviving sections of the Turin Canon for the Middle Kingdom assign this king a reign of 49 years 4 5 Titulary edit Intef II apparently never held the full royal fivefold titulary of the Old Kingdom pharaohs He did however claim the dual kingship nswt bity and the title s3 Re son of Ra which emphasizes the divine nature of kingship 2 Finally upon accession to the Theban throne Intef II added the Horus name Wahankh enduring of life to his birth name Officials edit We know the name and activities of some of the officials who served under Intef II Tjetjy was the chief treasurer and king s chamberlain of Intef II and Intef III 6 His finely carved tomb stele now at the British Museum 7 shows that Intef II claimed the dual throne of Egypt but also recognizes the limited extent of his rule The horus Wahankh king of Upper and Lower Egypt son of Re Intef born of Nefru he who lives eternally like Re this land was under his rule southwards as far as Yebu and reaching as far north as Abydos 8 Tjetjy then describes his career in the typical self laudatory manner of the Egyptian elite Most importantly the text demonstrates the undisputed power of the king in the Theban kingdom of the 11th Dynasty I was a trustworthy favorite of my lord an official great of heart and quiet of temper in the palace of his lord I am one who loved good and hated evil one who was loved in the palace of his lord one who performed every duty in obedience to the will of his lord Indeed as for every task which he commanded me to undertake I performed it rightly and justly Never did I disobey the orders he gave me never did I substitute one thing for another Moreover as for every responsibility of the royal palace which the majesty of my lord committed to me and for which he caused me to perform some task I did it for him in accordance with everything which his Ka desired 8 Djary was a military officer who fought the Herakleopolitan forces in the Abydene nome during Intef II s armies northward push 6 His stele recounts the struggle for the control over Middle Egypt Intef fought the house of Khety to the north of Thinis 9 Hetepy was an official from Elkab who administered the three southernmost nomes of Intef II s realm This means that there were no monarchs in Theban controlled territories Just as in the case of Tjetjy the constant reference to the king in Hetepy s stele demonstrates the centralized organization of the government of the Theban kingdom and the power of the king to whom everything was due I was one beloved of my Lord and praised by the lord of this land and his majesty truly made this servant happy His majesty said There is no one who of my good command but Hetepy and this servant did it exceedingly well and his majesty praised this servant on account of it 6 Finally Hetepy s stele mentions a famine that occurred during Intef II s reign Idudju iker was foremost one of the chiefs of Lower Nubia He was in charge of Lower Nubia and helped the king conquering Abydos 10 Monuments edit nbsp The dogs of Intef II on his funerary stele Egyptian Museum Cairo On his funerary stele Intef emphasizes his monument building activities It is significant that the earliest surviving fragment of royal construction at Karnak is an octagonal column bearing Intef II s name Intef II is also the first ruler to build chapels for Satet and Khnum on the island of Elephantine 11 In fact Intef II started a tradition of royal building activities in the provincial temples of Upper Egypt which was to last throughout the Middle Kingdom Tomb edit Intef s tomb in El Tarif at Thebes is a saff tomb Saff stands for row in Arabic and refers to the double row of columns and entry ways fronting a large 250 by 70 metres 820 ft 230 ft trapezoidal courtyard at the eastern end of which was a mortuary chapel 12 This chapel may have been intended to serve the same purpose as a valley temple 13 Intef II s tomb was investigated by a royal commission during the reign of Ramses IX toward the end of the 20th Dynasty as many royal tombs were being plundered at the time 14 As reported on the Abbott Papyrus The commission noted that The pyramid tomb of king Si Reˁ In ˁo i e Intef II which is north of the House of Amenḥotpe of the Forecourt and whose pyramid is crushed down upon it Examined this day it was found intact 15 No remains of this pyramid have been found yet 13 Following the tradition of his nomarch ancestors Intef II erected a biographical stele in the entrance of his tomb which relates the events of his reign and credits him with 50 years of reign 2 16 A stela mentioning the king s dogs was also said to be set up before the tomb Another stela mentioning a dog named Beha was discovered but it was found near the offering chapel 12 References edit a b Clayton Peter A Chronicle of the Pharaohs The Reign by Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt Thames amp Hudson p72 2006 ISBN 0 500 28628 0 a b c d Ian Shaw The Oxford history of ancient Egypt p 125 a b c Nicholas Grimal A History of Ancient Egypt Oxford Blackwell Books 1992 p 145 Column 5 row 14 The Ancient Egypt Web Site Antef II Archived 2007 09 27 at the Wayback Machine accessed September 7 2007 a b c Ian Shaw The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt p 126 Stele of Tjetjy a b William Kelly Simpson The literature of Ancient Egypt The stele of Djary Archived 2016 03 04 at the Wayback Machine Josef Wegnerː The Stela of Idudju ikerː Formost one of the Chiefs of Wawat inː Revue d egyptologie 68 2017 2108 153 209 plates VII XII Ian Shaw The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt p 127 a b Lehner Mark The Complete Pyramids Thames amp Hudson 2008 reprint ISBN 978 0 500 28547 3 pp 165 a b Dodson Aidan The Tomb in Ancient Egypt Thames and Hudson 2008 ISBN 9780500051399 pp 186 187 Darrell D Baker The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs Volume I Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300 1069 BC Stacey International ISBN 978 1 905299 37 9 2008 pp 145 146 Alan Gardiner Egypt of the Pharaohs an introduction Oxford University Press 1961 pp 118 119 Stele of Intef IIFurther reading edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Intef II Wolfram Grajetzki The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt History Archaeology and Society Duckworth London 2006 ISBN 0 7156 3435 6 12 15 Preceded byIntef I Pharaoh of EgyptEleventh Dynasty Succeeded byIntef III Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Intef II amp oldid 1137928333, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
