Neferhetepes (''nefer-hetep-es''; '' nfr-

ḥtp Hotep (; also rendered ''hetep'') is an Egyptian word that roughly translates as "to be satisfied, at peace". The word also refers to an "offering" ritually presented to a deity or a dead person, hence "be pleased, be gracious, be at peace". ...

- s,'' "Her Peace/Grace Is Beautiful") was an ancient Egyptian princess of the 4th Dynasty; a daughter of Pharaoh

Djedefre Djedefre (also known as Djedefra and Radjedef – Modern Greek: ) was an ancient Egyptian king (pharaoh) of the 4th Dynasty during the Old Kingdom. He is well known by the Hellenized form of his name Rhatoisēs (Ῥατοίσης) by Manetho. ...

who ruled between his father

Khufu Khufu or Cheops was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, in the first half of the Old Kingdom period ( 26th century BC). Khufu succeeded his father Sneferu as king. He is generally accepted as having co ...

and his brother Khafre. Her mother was

Hetepheres II Hetepheres II was a Queen of Ancient Egypt during the 4th Dynasty. Biography Birth and family Queen Hetepheres II may have been one of the longest-lived members of the royal family of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, which lasted from ca. 2723 ...

Biography

The name of Neferhetepes is known to us from a statue fragment found in

Abu Rawash Abu Rawash (also spelled ''Abu Roach'', Abu Roash; ar, ابو رواش , , , "flesh of sensual pleasures"), north of Giza, is the site of Egypt's most northerly pyramid, also known as the lost pyramid – the mostly ruined Pyram ...

where her father had a pyramid complex built. She had the titles ''King's Daughter of His Body'' and ''God's Wife''. Neferhetepes was also a

Priestess of Hathor Priestess of Hathor or Prophetess of Hathor was the title of the Priestess of the goddess Hathor in the Temple of Dendera in Ancient Egypt. Title The title is known to be given during the Old Kingdom of Egypt, and was at that point very powerful ...

, mistress of the

sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the ancient Greek ' (''sūkomoros'') meaning "fig-mulberry". Species of trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplata ...

(''hemet-netjer-hut-hor nebet-nehet, ḥmt-nṯr- ḥwt-ḥr nb .t- nht''). She is the earliest attested priestess of Hathor. The title appears on the base of a statue from Abu Rawash. Neferhetepes has been proposed as the mother of pharaoh

Shepseskaf Shepseskaf (meaning "His Ka is noble") was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt, the sixth and probably last ruler of the fourth dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. He reigned most probably for four but possibly up to seven years in the late 26th t ...

by Ariel Kozloff, although for Vivienne Gae Callender there is no evidence in support of this hypothesis. Until recently, Egyptologists thought it as possible that Neferhetepes was identical to a woman of the same name who was buried in a small pyramid next to the pyramid of

Userkaf Userkaf (known in Ancient Greek as , ) was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Fifth Dynasty. He reigned for seven to eight years in the early 25th century BC, during the Old Kingdom period. He probably belonged to a branch of the ...

, the first king of the 5th Dynasty. In a document mentioning her funerary cult, Neferhetepes is mentioned as having the title ''King's Mother'' but she didn't bear the title of ''King's Wife''. Since her chapel was modified under the reign of

Sahure Sahure (also Sahura, meaning "He who is close to Re") was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the second ruler of the Fifth Dynasty (c. 2465 – c. 2325 BC). He reigned for about 13 years in the early 25th century BC during the Old Kingdom Period. ...

, second king of the Fifth Dynasty (whose name was found on a fragment in the chapel), it is likely that she was the mother of either Userkaf or Sahure; the other king is the son of

Khentkaus I Khentkaus I, also referred to as Khentkawes, was a royal woman who lived in ancient Egypt during both the Fourth Dynasty and the Fifth Dynasty. She may have been a daughter of king Menkaure, the wife of both king Shepseskaf and king Userkaf (t ...

. However, most recently, reliefs were found near the causeway of king

's pyramid. They show that there was a second woman with the name

Neferhetepes Neferhetepes (''nefer-hetep-es''; '' nfr-ḥtp- s,'' "Her Peace/Grace Is Beautiful") was an ancient Egyptian princess of the 4th Dynasty; a daughter of Pharaoh Djedefre who ruled between his father Khufu and his brother Khafre. Her mother was Het ...

, wife of Userkaf and mother of Sahure. She lived into the reign of the latter and is therefore most likely not identical with the princess, but is identical to the woman buried in the pyramid next to that of Userkaf.Tarek El Awady: ''The royal family of Sahure. New evidence'', in: M.Barta; F. Coppens, J. Krjci (Hrsg.): ''Abusir and Saqqara in the Year 2005'', Prague 2006 , p. 192-98

Sources

* * 26th-century BC women 26th-century BC clergy 26th-century BC Egyptian people Princesses of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt Ancient Egyptian priestesses Djedefre Hathor {{AncientEgypt-bio-stub

Biography

See also

Sources