| Sekhemre Seusertawy Sobekhotep VIII | |
|---|---|
| Sobkhotep, Sebekhotep | |
 Sobekhotep VIII (left) facing the godHapi, from theInundation Stela | |
| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | Year 4 (highest attestation) 16 regnal years? 1645-1629 BC[1] |
| Predecessor | Djehuti |
| Successor | Neferhotep III |
| Dynasty | 16th Dynasty |
Sekhemre Seusertawy Sobekhotep VIII was anancient Egyptian ruler during theSecond Intermediate Period whose exact chronological placement remains uncertain. He may have ruled over the Theban region in Upper Egypt. Scholars debate whether he belonged to the 13th, 16th, or 17th Dynasty. If Sobekhotep VIII was a king of the 16th Dynasty, it is thought that he is listed in the Turin Canon (11:2), which credits him with a 16-year reign.[1][2]
Almost nothing is known about Sekhemre Seusertawy Sobekhotep.
Reign length. His reign length lasted to the end ofYear 4 as attested by the Inundation Stele, which is his only and highest attestation. The stela was dated to the very end of Year 4 just prior to Egyptian New Year and he most likely continued to reign into hisYear 5 based on this evidence. If he can be associated with Turin King List 11:2, then the list credits the ruler with 16 regnal years. However, a longer reign would suggest there would be more attestations of this ruler.
The only contemporary attestation of Sobekhotep VIII is a stela found inside thethird pylon atKarnak. This stela was used as construction material to fill the pylon duringAmenhotep III's extensive works at the site. The stela is dated to theepagomenal, or final five days, of Sobekhotep VIII's fourth regnal year, and describes his attitude at a temple, probably that of Karnak, during a massiveNile flood:[3]
(Life to) the son ofRa Sobekhotep, beloved ofthe great inundation, given life for ever. Year 4, fourth month ofShemu, the epagonal days, under the auspices of the person of this god, living for ever. His person went to the hall of this temple in order to see the great inundation. His person came to the hall of this temple which was full of water. Then his person waded there[...]
According to EgyptologistJohn Baines, who studied the stela in detail, by coming to the temple as it was flooded, the king reenacted theEgyptian story of the creation of the world in imitating the actions of the creator godAmun-Ra, to which the stela iconography closely associates the king, ordering the waters to recede from around the primordial mount.[3]
TheKarnak King List 43 (44) mentions Sekhemre Seusertawy (sḫm-rꜤ swsr-tꜢwi). He is listed betweenMerkawra (42 (45)) and a lost name (44 (43)).[4]
TheTurin King List does not mention Sekhemre Seusertawy. The list is heavily fragmented and many names have been lost. Some have speculated that he can be identified in Turin King List 11:2 as Sekhemre [...].
EgyptologistsJürgen von Beckerath andLabib Habachi considered Sobekhotep VIII to be a king of the 13th Dynasty.[5][6]
TheTurin King List (11:2) reads: "The Dual King Sekhemra ... 16 years ...".[7] EgyptologistsKim Ryholt and Darrell Baker assign this entry to Sekhemre Seusertawy, which is Sobekhotep VIII's nomen. If this identification is correct, then Sobekhotep VIII reigned for 16 years as the third king of the 16th Dynasty. This would make him the direct successor ofDjehuti and the predecessor toNeferhotep III, although his relation to both of these kings remains unknown.[1][2] In his reconstruction of the chronology of theSecond Intermediate Period, Ryholt proposes that Sobekhotep VIII reigned from 1645 BC until 1629 BC, shortly after theHyksos15th Dynasty took over theNile Delta and the city ofMemphis, thereby precipitating the collapse of the 13th Dynasty.
| Preceded by | Pharaoh of Egypt Sixteenth Dynasty of Egypt | Succeeded by |
