Hare nome
The Hare nome, also called the Hermopolite nome (
Ancient Egyptian: wnt "Cape hare") was one of the 42 nomoi (administrative divisions) in ancient Egypt; more precisely, it was the 15th nome of Upper Egypt.[2]
The Hare nome's main city was Khemenu (later Hermopolis Magna, and the modern el-Ashmunein) in Middle Egypt. The local main deity was Thoth, though the inscriptions on the White Chapel of Senusret I links this nome with the cult of Bes and Unut.[3]
History
The Hare nome was already recognized during the
El-Sheikh Sa'id.[4]
The nome kept its importance during the
Deir el-Bersha, where their remarkable though poorly preserved rock-cut tombs were excavated. During the Middle Kingdom the Hare nome was ruled by a rather branched dynasty of nomarchs usually named Ahanakht, Djehutynakht or Neheri. The last known among them, Djehutihotep, was also the owner of the most elaborate and preserved tomb of the Deir el-Bersha necropolis; he ruled until the early reign of Senusret III who is known to have put into action serious steps to minimize the power held by all nomarchs.[2][5]
During the
Second Intermediate Period the Hare nome assimilated the neighboring Oryx nome (16th of Upper Egypt).[6]
Nomarchs of the Hare nome
Old Kingdom
This is a list of the known nomarchs, dating to the
El-Sheikh Sa'id.[7]
- Serefka (5th Dynasty)
- Werirni (5th Dynasty, son of Serefka)
- Teti-ankh/Iymhotep (6th Dynasty, perhaps Pepy I)
- Meru/Bebi (6th Dynasty, perhaps Pepy I)
- Wiu/Iyu (6th Dynasty, perhaps Pepy I; son of Meru/Bebi)
- Meru 6th Dynasty, perhaps Pepy II, son of Wiu/Iyu)
Middle Kingdom
The following is a genealogy of the nomarchs of the Hare nome during the late
Dayr al-Barsha
.
| Djehutynakht | Kay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ahanakht I | Djehutynakht III | Kema♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ahanakht II | Djehutynakht IV | Djehutynakht♀ | Neheri I | Djehutyhotep♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kay | Djehutynakht V | Djehutynakht♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sathedjhotep♀ | Neheri II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hathorhotep♀ | Djehutynakht VI | Amenemhat | Neheri | Kay | Satkheperka♀ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hathorhotep♀ | Djehutyhotep | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (many children, but no nomarchs) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ a b "King Menkaura, the goddess Hathor, and the deified Hare nome" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- ^ a b c Wolfram Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt: history, archaeology and society. London, Duckworth Egyptology, 2006, pp. 109-11
- ^ Upper Egypt nome 15, Digital Egypt for Universities
- ISBN 0-7607-0649-2, p. 134
- ^ Nicolas Grimal, op. cit., p. 157
- ISBN 3920153278, p. 111
- ISBN 9782840507369, 41-42, 63-65, 98
- ISBN 90-72690-01-X, p. 71
Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nome 15 of Upper Egypt (Hares land).
- Browarski, Edward (2010). "The Hare and Oryx Nomes in the First Intermediate Period and Early Middle Kingdom". In Woods, Alexandra; McFarlane, Ann; Binder, Susanne (eds.). Egyptian Culture and Society: Studies in Honour of Naguib Kanawati. Conseil Suprême des Antiquités de l'Égypte. pp. 31–85. ISBN 978-977-479-845-0.