Seventh and eighth dynasties of Egypt

The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh (Thebes only) Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, First Intermediate Period.

Rulers

The Seventh and Eighth Dynasties are a little-known line of kings (pharaohs) during a confusing time in the history of Egypt. Known rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties are as follows:

ources

Manetho

The three sources which provide our knowledge on this period is exceedingly difficult to work with. Manetho's full history does not survive intact, but is known through other writers who quoted from it. Unfortunately, the two ancient historians who quote from this section, Sextus Julius Africanus and Eusebius of Caesarea, provide inconsistent accounts of both dynasties. Africanus claims that the Seventh dynasty consisted of 70 kings that ruled during a period of seventy days in Memphis, and the Eighth consisted of 27 kings who reigned for 146 years. However, Eusebius records that during the Seventh Dynasty five kings ruled over seventy five days, and the Eighth includes five kings who ruled for 100 years. Seventy kings in seventy days is usually considered the correct version of Manetho, but obviously not the actual correct dates. This epithet is interpreted to mean that the pharaohs of this period were extremely ephemeral, and the use of seventy may be a pun on fact that this was Manetho's seventh dynasty. [Grimal, Nicolas. "A History of Ancient Egypt." p.138. Librairie Arthéme Fayard, 1988.] The fact that Manetho does not provide actual historical data on this period is interpreted by many as meaning that the seventh dynasty is fictitious.

The Turin Canon of Kings and Abydos King List

Two Egyptian documents record the names of the kings of Egypt, however they do not divide them into dynasties. Kings 42 to 56 on the Abydos King List come between the end of the Sixth Dynasty and the beginning of the Eleventh, and do not appear to be from the Ninth or Tenth Dynasties either. [ [http://www.phouka.com/pharaoh/egypt/history/KLAbydos.html Abydos King List, Accessed November 9, 2006] ] The Turin Canon is heavily damaged, and cannot be read without much difficulty. However, the fragment containing what is believed to be the name of Nitocris has two mangled names and a third name on it which is clearly that of Qakare Ibi, the 53rd king on the Abydos King List. There seems to be room for two more kings before the end of the dynasty. [Smith, W. Stevenson. "The Old Kingdom in Egypt and the Beginning of the First Intermediate Period," in "The Cambridge Ancient History," vol. I, part 2, ed. Edwards, I.E.S, et al. p.197. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1971] This would indicate that the missing parts of the Turin Papyrus probably contained the kings in the 51st to 55th registers of the Abydos King List. Because the Turin papyrus omits the first nine kings on the Abydos list, W.C. Hayes thinks it reasonable that the Egyptians may have divided the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties at this point. [Smith, W. Stevenson. "The Old Kingdom in Egypt and the Beginning of the First Intermediate Period," in "The Cambridge Ancient History," vol. I, part 2, ed. Edwards, I.E.S, et al. p.197. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1971] [ [http://www.cofc.edu/~piccione/graphics/kinglist.html Piccione's King Lists] ]

Decline into chaos

Given that five names of the kings from this period have Pepi II's throne name "Neferkare" in their own names, they may have been descendants of the Sixth Dynasty, who were trying to hold on to some sort of power. [Grimal, Nicolas. "A History of Ancient Egypt." p.140. Librairie Arthéme Fayard, 1988.] Some of the acts of the final four Eighth Dynasty kings are recorded in their decrees to Shemay, a vizier during this period, however only Qakare Ibi can connected to any monumental construction. His pyramid has been found at Saqarra near Pepi II and continues to have the pyramid texts written on the walls. [Grimal, Nicolas. "A History of Ancient Egypt." p.140. Librairie Arthéme Fayard, 1988.]

However many kings there actually were, it is clear that during this time period a breakdown of the central authority of Egypt was underway. The rulers of these dynasties were based in Memphis; with the exception of the final Eighth Dynasty kings, all that is known of most of these rulers is their names. This group of kings was eventually overthrown by a rival group, the Ninth Dynasty, based in Herakleopolis Magna.

References