Prince Rahotep

This is an article about an Egyptian prince. See also Rahotep, for the pharaoh of the same name.

Rahotep
Prince of Egypt

Rahotep

Statue of Rahotep
Burial mastaba, Meidum
Spouse Nofret
Issue Djedi, Itu, Neferkau, Mereret, Nedjemib, Sethtet
Father Sneferu or Huni
Mother Sneferu's first wife or Huni's wife
Religion Ancient Egyptian religion
Occupation Priest of Ra

Prince Rahotep was a Prince in ancient Egypt during the 4th dynasty. He was probably a son of Pharaoh Sneferu and his first wife,[1] although Zahi Hawass suggests his father was Huni.[2]

Rahotep (R' htp) means "Ra is Satisfied". Ra is a god of the Sun. Hotep means "satisfied". (Another meaning is 'Ra-peaceful', 'Ra-content'.)


Biography

Rahotep’s titles were inscribed on a magnificent statue of him which, with a statue of his wife, was excavated from his mastaba at Meidum in 1871 by Auguste Mariette. These describe him as High Priest of Ra at Heliopolis (with the added title, unique to Heliopolis, Ra’s town, of "Greatest of Seers"), Director of Expeditions and Supervisor of Works.[3] He also has a title given to high nobility, "the son of the king, begotten of his body".[4]

Rahotep's older brother was Nefermaat I, and his younger brother was Ranefer. Rahotep died when he was young, and so his half-brother Khufu became pharaoh after Snofru’s death.[5]

Rahotep’s wife was Nofret. Her parents are not known.

Nofret and Rahotep had three sons – Djedi, Itu and Neferkau – and three daughters – Mereret, Nedjemib and Sethtet. They are depicted in Rahotep’s tomb.[6]

  1. ^ The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Ian Shaw, c 2000, p. 129.


References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rahotep.
  1. ↑ Snofru, Rahotep's father
  2. ↑ Hawass, Zahi A. (2006). Mountains of the Pharaohs: The Untold Story of the Pyramid Builders. Doubleday Books. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-385-50305-1.
  3. ↑ Rice, Michael (1999). Who's who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-415-15448-2.|
  4. ↑ El-Shahawy, Abeer (2005). The Egyptian Museum in Cairo: A Walk Through the Alleys of Ancient Egypt. Dar al-Mushaf. p. 71. ISBN 978-977-17-2183-3.
  5. ↑ Rahotep and Nofret
  6. ↑ Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson (2004) ISBN 0-500-05128-3,
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