TheHare nome, also called theHermopolite nome (Ancient Egyptian:wnt "Cape hare") was one of the 42nomoi (administrative divisions) inancient Egypt; more precisely, it was the 15th nome ofUpper Egypt.[2]
The Hare nome's main city wasKhemenu (later Hermopolis Magna, and the modern el-Ashmunein) inMiddle Egypt. The local main deity wasThoth, though the inscriptions on theWhite Chapel ofSenusret I links this nome with the cult ofBes andUnut.[3]
The Hare nome was already recognized during the4th Dynasty of theOld Kingdom as shown by the triad statue ofpharaohMenkaure,Hathor, and an anthropomorphized-deified depiction of the nome.[1] It is known that during the6th Dynasty itsnomarchs were buried in the necropolis ofEl-Sheikh Sa'id.[4]
The nome kept its importance during theFirst Intermediate Period and the subsequentMiddle Kingdom; its governors were also responsible of thealabaster quarrying atHatnub in theEastern Desert, they owned exclusive offices such as "director of the double throne" and great one of the five", and also were high priests of Thot.[2] Since the First Intermediate Period they moved slightly northward their official necropolis toDeir el-Bersha, where their remarkable though poorly preserved rock-cut tombs were excavated. During the Middle Kingdom the Hare nome was ruled by a rather branched dynasty of nomarchs usually named Ahanakht, Djehutynakht or Neheri. The last known among them,Djehutihotep, was also the owner of the most elaborate and preserved tomb of the Deir el-Bersha necropolis; he ruled until the early reign ofSenusret III who is known to have put into action serious steps to minimize the power held by all nomarchs.[2][5]
During theSecond Intermediate Period the Hare nome assimilated the neighboringOryx nome (16th of Upper Egypt).[6]
This is a list of the known nomarchs, dating to theOld Kingdom. They were buried atEl-Sheikh Sa'id.[7]
The following is a genealogy of the nomarchs of the Hare nome during the late11th and12th Dynasty (the limit between the two dynasties passes approximately along the third generation). The nomarchs areunderlined.[8] They were buried atDayr al-Barsha.
| Djehutynakht | Kay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ahanakht I | Djehutynakht III | Kema♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ahanakht II | Djehutynakht IV | Djehutynakht♀ | Neheri I | Djehutyhotep♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kay | Djehutynakht V | Djehutynakht♀ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sathedjhotep♀ | Neheri II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hathorhotep♀ | Djehutynakht VI | Amenemhat | Neheri | Kay | Satkheperka♀ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hathorhotep♀ | Djehutyhotep | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (many children, but no nomarchs) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
