Khakau ( egy, ḫˁ-kꜣw;
also Khakaw) was the brother of King
Sobekhotep III of the
Thirteenth Dynasty and part of a powerful family taking power in a time of political turmoil in Upper Egypt. Although not of royal birth, he was given the title of "king's son" by his brother.
Family
The father of Khakau was the god's father
Mentuhotep. He was born to the king's mother
Iuhetibu
Iuhetibu was an ancient Egyptian king's mother known from several sources as the mother of the 13th Dynasty king Sekhemre-sewadjtawy Sobekhotep, also known as Sobekhotep III, although recent research indicates that he was rather Sobekhotep II.Sim ...
.
His brothers were
Sobekhotep III and
Seneb
Seneb was a high-ranking court official in the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, ''circa'' 2520 BC. A Dwarfism, dwarf, Seneb was a person of considerable importance and wealth who owned thousands of cattle, held twenty palaces and religious titles a ...
. Unlike his two brothers, we do not have much information about his wife and children.
His name, Khakau, reflects the prenomen of Khakaure
Senusret III
Khakaure Senusret III (also written as Senwosret III or the hellenised form, Sesostris III) was a pharaoh of Egypt. He ruled from 1878 BC to 1839 BC during a time of great power and prosperity, and was the fifth king of the Twelfth Dynasty of the ...
.
Attestations
Khakau is known from several sources in connection with his brother king
Sobekhotep III. Khakau bears the title "king's son", although he was not the son of a king. He received the title because his brother had taken the throne and gave royal titles to his family members.
Louvre N 540. Seal/sealing, scarab seal, steatite 24x18x11 mm, s3-nsw h'-h3.w
Wadi el-Hol, Rock inscription Macadam JEA 37 pl. VI: s3-nsw h’-k3w
Sehel, Table Wild JEA 37 pl. IV.2: s3-nsw h’-k3w
References
{{reflist
People of the Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt