Khufu

Also known as: Cheops

Dynasty IV

The name of the pharaoh who had the Great pyramid at Giza built is of course the well known pharaoh Cheops, which is the hellenized version of his birth name, Khufu. He also used the longer Khnum-Khuf(u), most likely to accentuate his divine connection with the ram-headed creator god Khnum.

Manetho records indicate that Khufu ruled for 63 years, while Herodotus say 50, but the Turin King-list only 23 years. The exact number of years is not known, but 27 is considered as the lowest possibility, while it might be as high as 46 years, or more.

Reign of Khufu
AE Chronology	2509–2483
von Beckerath	2579–2556
Shaw	2589–2566
Dodson	2470–2447
Allen	2551–2528
Malek	2549–2526
Arnold	2555–2520
Redford	2609–2584
Turin Canon	23 years
Manetho (Africanus)	63 years

The Royal Titulary

From the hieroglyphic records

Horus name
Medjedu mḏdw Who has been adhered to/followed Aa24-w
Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (1849), II, 2b+d Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 52-53, 2:H1

Variants

Variant
Medjed mḏd Who has been adhered to/followed Aa24
Mariette, Monuments divers recueillis en Égypte et en Nubie, II, plate 53 Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 52-53, 2:H2

Nebty name
Medjeder mḏd-r Who has adhered to the Two Ladies Aa24:r
Tomb of Chemetnu (Giza G5210) Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (1849), II, 26a Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 52-53, 2:N1

Golden Horus name
Bikui-nebu bik.wi-nb.w The golden double falcon G5*G5:nbw
Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (1849), II, 2b Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 52-53, 2:G1

Throne name
Khufu ḫwfw He protects me x-w-f-w
Tomb of Iymeri (Giza G6020) Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (1849), II, 50b

Variants

Variant
Khufu ḫfw He protects me x:f-W
Westcar Papyrus, 6.18

Variant
Khufu* ḫfw He protects me x:f-w
Abydos king list 21 Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 52-53, 2:E4

Variant
Khufu* ḫwfwf He protects me x:f-w-f
Saqqara king list 42 Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 52-53, 2:E5

Variant
Khufu ḫwfw He protects me x:D43-f-w
Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (1849), II, 124 Beckerath, Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen (1999), 52-53, 2:E2

Variant
Khufu* ḫfw He protects me x-w-f
Wadi Hammamat inscription Drioton, Une Liste des Rois de la IV Dynastie dans l'Ouadi Hammamat. BSFE 16, 41-49

Variant
Khnum Khufu ḫnmw ḫwfw Khnum protects me W9R-E10-x-w-f
Tomb of Iymeri (Giza G6020) Tallet, Des papyrus du temps de Chéops au ouadi el-Jarf, BSFE 188 (2014), 42, fig. 17 Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien (1849), II, 50a

Variant
Name missing
Royal Canon of Turin 4/10 Gardiner, The Royal Canon of Turin (1959), III:10

The sources of antiquity

From the writings of the historians and scholars of antiquity

Author	Greek	Transliteration	Transcription	Reign
Africanus _{iv, 2}	Σoυφις	Souphis	Suphis	63 years
Eusebius _{iv, 3}	Σoυφις	Souphis	Soyphis
Herodotus ₁₂₄	Χεοπα	Kheops	Cheops
Diodorus _1.63.2	Χεμμις	Khemmis	Chemmis	50 years
Eratosthenes ₁₅	Σαωφις	Saophis	Saophis	29 years

Bibliography

Beckerath, J. Handbuch der Ägyptischen Königsnamen, MÄS 49 (1999): 52–53
Baker. D. D. The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume I – Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300–1069 BC (London, 2008), 189–191
Gauthier, H. Le livre des rois d'Égypte. MIFAO 17 (1907): 72–83
Leprohon, R. J. The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Atlanta, 2013), 35

Sneferu Dynasty IV Radjedef

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