| Sihathor | |
|---|---|
| Sahathor, Menuazra[1] | |
 Sihathor's name on the Turin canon (second row from bottom) | |
| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | less than a year, "[...] months and 3 days" as a coregent withNeferhotep I[1] |
| Coregency | Neferhotep I |
| Predecessor | Neferhotep I |
| Successor | Sobekhotep IV |
| Father | Haankhef |
| Mother | Kemi |
| Burial | likely intended to be inAbydos close to those of his brothers |
| Dynasty | 13th dynasty |
Menwadjre Sihathor was an ephemeral ruler of the late13th Dynasty during theMiddle Kingdom. Sihathor may never have enjoyed an independent reign, possibly only ruling for a few months as acoregent with his brotherNeferhotep I.
According to EgyptologistKim Ryholt, Sihathor died in 1733 BC[2] whileDetlef Franke dates his short reign to 1694 BC.[3] His tomb is likely to be the unfinished one located between the tombs of his brothersS9 andS10, inAbydos.
According to the latest reading of theTurin canon by Ryholt, Sihathor is recorded there on column 7, line 26 (Gardiner col. 6, line 26).[2]Sihathor is attested on two statues from theHekaib sanctuary inElephantine as a "king's son", which is here an honorary title referring to his brother Neferhotep I being king.[2] Two rock inscriptions fromPhilae andSehel Island further mention Sihathor as a brother to Neferhotep I.[2] According to Ryholt andStephen Quirke, Sihathor is also attested as a king on asteatitecylinder seal, now in thePetrie Museum (UC1157), and a bead of unknown provenance, now in theBrooklyn Museum.[1][2][4] A few further seals mentioning a king's son Sihathor are known, but Ryholt concludes that they may correspond to another Sihathor.[2] Finally, Vivian Davies points to the existence of a statue of Sihathor made after his death and where he is only given the title of "king's son".[5]
The family of Sihathor is known thanks to the rock inscriptions of Philae and Sehel made by his brother Neferhotep I. Sihathor's father is thus known to beHaankhef, his mother was Kemi and his brothers were Neferhotep I and Sobekhotep IV, the later of whom eventually succeeded him on the throne.[2]
The Egyptologist and archaeologistJosef W. Wegner of theUniversity of Pennsylvania has led excavations of the tomb and funerary complex ofSenusret III inAbydos as well as of the surrounding necropolis. This necropolis was found to comprise royal tombs dating to theSecond Intermediate Period as well as from the earlier lateMiddle Kingdom. Two large tombs in particular,S9 andS10 are now believed to belong to Sihathor's pharaoh brothers,Neferhotep I andSobekhotep IV. Indeed, evidences gathered from the neighbouring tombs reveal that a king Sobekhotep was buried in S10, who must be Sobekhotep IV given the size of the tomb, its general datation and location in Abydos. By extension, S9 is likely to belong to Neferhotep I.[7][8]
These attributions are crucial for locating Sihathor's tomb, as indeed Wegner has found an unfinished royal burial at the immediate north-east of S10, east of S9. According to him, its position suggest very strongly that it was intended for Neferhotep'schosen heir Sihathor. The burial seems to have been abandoned at the death of its intended owner, its massive granite sarcophagus reused at a later time, during the chaotic Second Intermediate Period.[9]
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)| Preceded by | Pharaoh of Egypt Thirteenth Dynasty | Succeeded by |