Sheshi
Encyclopedia
Maaibre Sheshi was a pharaoh
of Egypt
during Egypt's fragmented Second Intermediate Period. Sheshi is difficult to precisely place chronologically. While he is usually described as the founder of the 15th dynasty
, this suggestion does not appear tenable since the early Hyksos
kings such as Sakir-Har
and Khyan
are known to have adopted the title heka-khawaset. Khyan only used a prenomen in the second half of his reign—a practice which was followed by his successor Apophis
. In contrast, Sheshi always used a prenomen according to his seals. The Danish Egyptologist Kim Ryholt
has suggested that Sheshi was actually a 14th Dynasty
Asiatic king—such is the degree of confusion over his timeline during the Second Intermediate Period.
The section of the Turin King List
dealing with this complex period of Egyptian history is badly damaged and Sheshi's origins and timeline within the Second Intermediate period is uncertain. Sheshi's throne name, Maaibre, means 'Seeing is the heart of Re'. He is well known from more than 300 seals and seal impressions made during his reign. According to Ryholt's 1997 book, Sheshi is attested by 396 seals alone which is 3 times higher than the next highest figure of 123 seals for Yakbim Sekhaenre who is another Asiatic ruler in Egypt whose precise dynasty or timeline is unknown.
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 Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
during Egypt's fragmented Second Intermediate Period. Sheshi is difficult to precisely place chronologically. While he is usually described as the founder of the 15th dynasty
Fifteenth dynasty of Egypt
The Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Second Intermediate Period. The Fifteenth Dynasty dates approximately from 1650 to 1550 BC.-Rulers:...
, this suggestion does not appear tenable since the early Hyksos
Hyksos
The Hyksos were an Asiatic people who took over the eastern Nile Delta during the twelfth dynasty, initiating the Second Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt....
kings such as Sakir-Har
Sakir-Har
The obscure Hyksos king, Sakir-Har, was discovered in a recently excavated door jamb from Tell el-Dab'a of Ancient Egypt by Manfred Bietak. His titulary appear on door jamb, Cairo TD-8316...
and Khyan
Khyan
Seuserenre Khyan, Khian or Khayan was reportedly the fourth king of the Hyksos Fifteenth dynasty of Egypt who ruled approximately c.1610-1580 BC The Danish Egyptologist, Kim Ryholt, who published an extensive catalogue of the monuments of all the numerous pharaohs of the Second Intermediate Period...
are known to have adopted the title heka-khawaset. Khyan only used a prenomen in the second half of his reign—a practice which was followed by his successor Apophis
Apepi I
Apepi or Apophis was a ruler of Lower Egypt during the fifteenth dynasty and the end of the Second Intermediate Period that was dominated by this foreign dynasty of rulers called the Hyksos...
. In contrast, Sheshi always used a prenomen according to his seals. The Danish Egyptologist Kim Ryholt
Kim Ryholt
Kim S B Ryholt is a Danish Egyptologist, who works at the Carsten Niebuhr Institute of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Copenhagen....
has suggested that Sheshi was actually a 14th Dynasty
Fourteenth dynasty of Egypt
The Eleventh , Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Middle Kingdom, though this dynasty overlaps partially with either the Thirteenth Dynasty or the Fifteenth Dynasty, during the Second Intermediate Period.It is associated with the...
Asiatic king—such is the degree of confusion over his timeline during the Second Intermediate Period.
The section of the Turin King List
Turin King List
The Turin King List, also known as the Turin Royal Canon, is a hieratic papyrus thought to date from the reign of Ramesses II, now in the Museo Egizio at Turin...
dealing with this complex period of Egyptian history is badly damaged and Sheshi's origins and timeline within the Second Intermediate period is uncertain. Sheshi's throne name, Maaibre, means 'Seeing is the heart of Re'. He is well known from more than 300 seals and seal impressions made during his reign. According to Ryholt's 1997 book, Sheshi is attested by 396 seals alone which is 3 times higher than the next highest figure of 123 seals for Yakbim Sekhaenre who is another Asiatic ruler in Egypt whose precise dynasty or timeline is unknown.
External links
- Second Intermediate Period (SIP) by Otto Vendel, nemo.nu
- Kings of the Second Intermediate Period (after Ryholt), Digital Egypt for Universities
- Sheshi Maaibre, Digital Egypt for Universities