| Seankhenre Mentuhotepi | |
|---|---|
| Montuhotepi, Mentuhotep VII | |
![Drawing of a sphinx of Mentuhotepi, bearing the prenomen Seankhenre between the legs[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSphinx_Seankhenre_by_Khruner.jpg) Drawing of a sphinx of Mentuhotepi, bearing the prenomenSeankhenre between the legs[1] | |
| Pharaoh | |
| Reign | 1 year c. 1628-1627 BC[2] |
| Predecessor | Neferhotep III (Ryholt),Djehuti (von Beckerath) |
| Successor | Nebiryraw I (Ryholt & von Beckerath) |
| Burial | unknown, probably inDra' Abu el-Naga'[3] |
| Dynasty | 16th Dynasty or17th Dynasty |
Seankhenre Mentuhotepi was anancient Egyptianpharaoh during the fragmentedSecond Intermediate Period.
Mentuhotepi is attested by a stela fromKarnak[2] and ascarab seal of unknown provenance bearing a prenomen variously read Sewahenre, Sewadjenre and Seankhenre. Furthermore, two limestone sphinxes of Mentuhotepi were discovered in 1924 in the ruins of theTemple of Horus inEdfu, one bearing the prenomen Seankhenre and the other the nomen Mentuhotepi.[1][3]
Mentuhotepi is attested in theTurin canon under the prenomen Seankhenre.[3]
If Ryholt's identification of Mentuhotepi in the Turin canon is correct, then he took the throne following Sekhemre SankhtawyNeferhotep III and reigned for only 1 year.Mentuhotepi's short reign was probably marked by the constant conflict with theHyksos kingdom of the15th Dynasty. At the time, the 16th Dynasty was already in a weakened position and reigned over little more than Thebes itself. In his stela fromKarnak, Mentuhotepi emphatically states: "I am the king within Thebes, this is my city"[2] and calls Thebes the "mistress of the entire land, city of triumph". He reports driving back the "foreign lands", probably a euphemism for the Hyksos or possibly for theNubians.[3] Mentuhotepi's military might is emphasized, the king being likened toSekhmet who kills his enemies with his "flaming breath".[3]Mentuhotepi was succeeded byNebiryraw I, who ruled Upper Egypt for over 25 years.
The identification of Mentuhotepi has evolved over the years:Jürgen von Beckerath lists Mentuhotepi as a king of the17th Dynasty under the name Mentuhotep VII andWolfgang Helck as Mentuhotep VI. The recent reconstruction of the Turin canon by Ryholt established this king as Seankhenre Mentuhotepi.[3]
According to egyptologistsKim Ryholt and Darrell Baker, he was the fifth king of the16th Dynasty reigning over theTheban region inUpper Egypt.[2] Alternatively,Jürgen von Beckerath sees him as the fifth king of the17th Dynasty.[4][5]
| Preceded by | Pharaoh of Egypt Sixteenth Dynasty of Egypt | Succeeded by |
