Djer
Encyclopedia
Djer was the second or third pharaoh
of the first dynasty of Egypt
, which dates from approximately 3100 BC. Some scholars, however, debate whether the first pharaoh, Menes
or Narmer
, and Hor-Aha
might have been different rulers. If they were separate rulers, this would make Djer the third pharaoh in the dynasty. A mummified wrist of Djer or his wife was discovered by Flinders Petrie, but was discarded by Emile Brugsch
.
The Abydos King List
lists the second pharaoh as Teti, the Turin Canon lists Iteti, while Manetho
lists Athothis.
ascribes Djer a reign of "41 complete and partial years." Wilkinson notes that Years 1-10 of Djer's reign are preserved in register
II of the Palermo Stone, while the middle years of this pharaoh's reign are recorded in register II of Cairo Fragment One.
The inscriptions, on ivory
and wood, are in a very early form of hieroglyphs
, hindering complete translation, but a label at Saqqarah may depict the early Old Kingdom
practice of human sacrifice
. An ivory tablet from Abydos
mentions that Djer visited Buto
and Sais
in the Nile Delta
. One of his regnal years on the Cairo Stone was named "Year of smiting the land of Setjet", which often is speculated to be Sinai or beyond.
and his wife Khenthap
. His grandfather was probably Narmer
, and his grandmother was Neithhotep
. Women carrying titles later associated with queens such as Great One of the Hetes-Sceptre and She who Sees/Carries Horus were buried in subsidiary tombs near the tomb of Djer in Abydos
or attested in Saqqara. These women are thought to be the wives of Djer and include:
. Djer's tomb is tomb O of Petrie. His tomb contains the remains of 300 retainers who were buried with him. Several objects were found in and around the tomb of Djer:
In the subsidiary tombs excavators found:
From the 18th Dynasty
on, the tomb of Hor-Aha
was revered as the tomb of Osiris
, and the First Dynasty burial complex, which includes both this and the tomb of Djer, was very important in the Egyptian religious tradition.
Manetho indicates that the First Dynasty ruled from Memphis
– and indeed Herneith
, one of Djer's wives, was buried nearby at Saqqara
. Manetho
also claimed that Athothes, who is sometimes identified as Djer, had written a treatise on anatomy
that still existed in his own day, over two millennia later.
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
of the first dynasty of Egypt
First dynasty of Egypt
The first dynasty of Ancient Egypt is often combined with the Dynasty II under the group title, Early Dynastic Period of Egypt...
, which dates from approximately 3100 BC. Some scholars, however, debate whether the first pharaoh, Menes
Menes
Menes was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the early dynastic period, credited by classical tradition with having united Upper and Lower Egypt, and as the founder of the first dynasty ....
or Narmer
Narmer
Narmer was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period . He is thought to be the successor to the Protodynastic pharaohs Scorpion and/or Ka, and he is considered by some to be the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty, and therefore the first pharaoh of unified Egypt.The...
, and Hor-Aha
Hor-Aha
Hor-Aha is considered the second pharaoh of the first dynasty of ancient Egypt in current Egyptology. He lived around the thirty-first century BC.- Name :...
might have been different rulers. If they were separate rulers, this would make Djer the third pharaoh in the dynasty. A mummified wrist of Djer or his wife was discovered by Flinders Petrie, but was discarded by Emile Brugsch
Émile Brugsch
Émile Brugsch was a German-born Egyptologist whose career spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
.
Etymology
Djer's Horus name means "Horus who succours".The Abydos King List
Abydos King List
The Abydos King List, also called the Abydos Table is a list of the names of seventy-six kings and pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, found on the walls of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Egypt. It consists of three rows of thirty-eight cartouches on each row...
lists the second pharaoh as Teti, the Turin Canon lists Iteti, while Manetho
Manetho
Manetho was an Egyptian historian and priest from Sebennytos who lived during the Ptolemaic era, approximately during the 3rd century BC. Manetho wrote the Aegyptiaca...
lists Athothis.
Length of reign
While the Egyptian priest Manetho, writing in the third century BC, stated that Djer ruled for 57 years, modern research by Toby Wilkinson in Royal Annals of Ancient Egypt stresses that the near-contemporary and therefore, more accurate Palermo StonePalermo stone
The Palermo Stone is a large fragment of a stele known as the Royal Annals of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. It contains records of the kings of Egypt from the first dynasty through the fifth dynasty....
ascribes Djer a reign of "41 complete and partial years." Wilkinson notes that Years 1-10 of Djer's reign are preserved in register
Register (sculpture)
In art and archaeology, a register is a vertical level in a work that consists of several levels, especially where the levels are clearly separated by lines; modern comic books typically use similar conventions...
II of the Palermo Stone, while the middle years of this pharaoh's reign are recorded in register II of Cairo Fragment One.
Reign
The evidence for Djer's life and reign is:- Tomb in Umm el-Qa'abUmm el-Qa'abUmm el-Qa`āb is the necropolis of the Early Dynastic kings at Abydos, in Egypt. Its modern name means Mother of Pots, as the whole area is littered with the broken pot shards of offerings made in earlier times...
, Abydos - Seal prints from graves 2185 and 3471 in SaqqaraSaqqaraSaqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...
- Inscriptions in graves 3503, 3506 and 3035 in Saqqara
- Seal impression and inscriptions from Helwan (Saad 1947: 165; Saad 1969: 82, pl. 94)
- Jar from Turah with the name of Djer (Kaiser 1964: 103, fig.3)
- UC 16182 ivory tablet from Abydos, subsidiary tomb 612 of the enclosure of Djer (Petrie 1925: pl. II.8; XII.1)
- UC 16172 copper adze with the name of Djer (tomb 461 in Abydos, Petrie 1925: pl. III.1, IV.8)
- Inscription of his name (of questioned authenticity, however) at Wadi HalfaWadi HalfaWadi Halfa is a city in the state of Northern, in northern Sudan, on the shores of Lake Nubia . It is the terminus of a rail line from Khartoum and the point where goods are transferred from rail to ferries going down the Lake Nasser...
, SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
The inscriptions, on ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
and wood, are in a very early form of hieroglyphs
Hieroglyphs
Hieroglyph or hieroglyphics may refer to:*Anatolian hieroglyphs*Chinese character*Cretan hieroglyphs*Cursive hieroglyphs*Dongba script*Egyptian hieroglyphs*Hieroglyphic Luwian*Mayan hieroglyphs...
, hindering complete translation, but a label at Saqqarah may depict the early Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
practice of human sacrifice
Human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
. An ivory tablet from Abydos
Abydos, Egypt
Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
mentions that Djer visited Buto
Buto
Buto , Butus , or Butosus, , now Tell al-Fara'in near the city of Desouk , was an ancient city located 95 km east of Alexandria in the Nile Delta of Egypt. The city stood on the Sebennytic arm of the Nile, near its mouth, and on the southern shore of the Butic Lake...
and Sais
SAIS
SAIS can refer to:* Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, part of The Johns Hopkins University.* Sharjah American International School* Southern Association of Independent Schools...
in the Nile Delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
. One of his regnal years on the Cairo Stone was named "Year of smiting the land of Setjet", which often is speculated to be Sinai or beyond.
Family
Djer was a son of the pharaoh Hor-AhaHor-Aha
Hor-Aha is considered the second pharaoh of the first dynasty of ancient Egypt in current Egyptology. He lived around the thirty-first century BC.- Name :...
and his wife Khenthap
Khenthap
Khenthap was a queen consort of ancient Egypt. She is said to have lived during the 1st dynasty. Her historical figure is very obscure, since there are no contemporare sources for her name. She appears only once in a much later inscription.- Evidence :...
. His grandfather was probably Narmer
Narmer
Narmer was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period . He is thought to be the successor to the Protodynastic pharaohs Scorpion and/or Ka, and he is considered by some to be the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty, and therefore the first pharaoh of unified Egypt.The...
, and his grandmother was Neithhotep
Neithhotep
Neithhotep was the first queen of ancient Egypt, cofounder of the First dynasty, and is the earliest woman in history whose name is known. The name Neithhotep means "[The Goddess] Neith is satisfied".- Biography :...
. Women carrying titles later associated with queens such as Great One of the Hetes-Sceptre and She who Sees/Carries Horus were buried in subsidiary tombs near the tomb of Djer in Abydos
Abydos, Egypt
Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
or attested in Saqqara. These women are thought to be the wives of Djer and include:
- NakhtneithNakhtneithNakhtneith was a Queen consort of ancient Egypt. She lived during the 1st dynasty. Her name means "strong is Neith".- Biography :...
(or Nekhetneith), buried in AbydosAbydos, EgyptAbydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
and known from a stela. - HerneithHerneithHerneith was a Queen consort of ancient Egypt. She lived during the 1st dynasty.- Biography :It is not known who Herneith's parents were. She is thought to be a queen of Djer but there is no conclusive evidence...
, possibly a wife of Djer. Buried in Saqqara. - SeshemetkaSeshemetkaSeshemetka was an Ancient Egyptian queen from the First dynasty of Egypt, a wife of pharaoh Den. She was the mother of Anedjib. Her royal titles were Great one of the hetes-sceptre, She who sees Horus, She who carries Seth....
, buried in AbydosAbydos, EgyptAbydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
next to the king. She was said to be a wife of Den in Dodson and Hilton. - PenebuiPenebuiPenebui was an Ancient Egyptian queen consort and a wife of Pharaoh Djer. Her name is found at Saqqara. Djer also had at least two other wives. Penebui's title was Great one of the hetes-sceptre....
, her name and title were found on an ivory label from Saqqara. - bsu, known from a label in Saqqara and several stone vessels (reading of name uncertain; name consists of three fish hieroglyphs).
Biography
Similarly to his father Hor-Aha, Djer was buried in AbydosAbydos, Egypt
Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
. Djer's tomb is tomb O of Petrie. His tomb contains the remains of 300 retainers who were buried with him. Several objects were found in and around the tomb of Djer:
- A stela of Djer, now in the Cairo Museum probably comes from AbydosAbydos, EgyptAbydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
. - Sealings of a king named Khent.
- Labels mentioning the name of a palace and the name of Meritneith.
- Fragments of two vases inscribed with the name of Queen NeithhotepNeithhotepNeithhotep was the first queen of ancient Egypt, cofounder of the First dynasty, and is the earliest woman in history whose name is known. The name Neithhotep means "[The Goddess] Neith is satisfied".- Biography :...
. - Bracelets of a Queen were found in the wall of the tomb.
In the subsidiary tombs excavators found:
- Stela of several individuals
- Ivory objects with the name of NeithhotepNeithhotepNeithhotep was the first queen of ancient Egypt, cofounder of the First dynasty, and is the earliest woman in history whose name is known. The name Neithhotep means "[The Goddess] Neith is satisfied".- Biography :...
. - Ivory tablets.
From the 18th Dynasty
Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt
The eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt is perhaps the best known of all the dynasties of ancient Egypt...
on, the tomb of Hor-Aha
Hor-Aha
Hor-Aha is considered the second pharaoh of the first dynasty of ancient Egypt in current Egyptology. He lived around the thirty-first century BC.- Name :...
was revered as the tomb of Osiris
Osiris
Osiris is an Egyptian god, usually identified as the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead. He is classically depicted as a green-skinned man with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers at either side, and...
, and the First Dynasty burial complex, which includes both this and the tomb of Djer, was very important in the Egyptian religious tradition.
Manetho indicates that the First Dynasty ruled from Memphis
Memphis, Egypt
Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo.According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an...
– and indeed Herneith
Herneith
Herneith was a Queen consort of ancient Egypt. She lived during the 1st dynasty.- Biography :It is not known who Herneith's parents were. She is thought to be a queen of Djer but there is no conclusive evidence...
, one of Djer's wives, was buried nearby at Saqqara
Saqqara
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...
. Manetho
Manetho
Manetho was an Egyptian historian and priest from Sebennytos who lived during the Ptolemaic era, approximately during the 3rd century BC. Manetho wrote the Aegyptiaca...
also claimed that Athothes, who is sometimes identified as Djer, had written a treatise on anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
that still existed in his own day, over two millennia later.
External links
- Horus Djer (Itit), Second King of the First Dynasty
- http://www.phouka.com/pharaoh/pharaoh/dynasties/dyn01/02djer.html
- http://interoz.com/egypt/01dyn02.htm
See also
- PharaohPharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
- List of Pharaohs
- First dynasty of EgyptFirst dynasty of EgyptThe first dynasty of Ancient Egypt is often combined with the Dynasty II under the group title, Early Dynastic Period of Egypt...
- Ancient Egyptian retainer sacrificesAncient Egyptian retainer sacrificesAncient Egyptian retainer sacrifice is a type of human sacrifice in which pharaohs and occasionally other high court nobility would have servants killed after the pharaohs' deaths to continue to serve them in the afterlife...