Sobeknakht II
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| Sobeknakht II | |
|---|---|
| Nomarch of the 3rd nome of Upper Egypt | |
 Sobeknakht II and his wife on a painting from his tomb. Drawing by J.J. Tylor | |
| Predecessor | Sobeknakht I |
| Dynasty | 16th or 17th Dynasty |
| Burial | El-Kab, tomb T10 |
| Spouse | Reditenes (Member of the Elite), Ta-inty (King's Ornament) |
| Father | Sobeknakht I |
| Mother | Neferu (Member of the Elite) |
| Children | (m) Sobeknakht III, (f) Ta-henuty, (f) Sobeknakht, (m) Sobeknakht |
Sobeknakht II was an ancient Egyptian Nomarch at El-Kab and a supporter of the Theban 16th or 17th Dynasty during the Second Intermediate Period.
Not much is known about Sobeknakht's life. He was the son of Sobeknakht I as well as his successor as Nomarch of Nekhen. His father obtained this office from a relative called Kebsi, who sold it in order to settle a debt of 60 deben of gold. The transaction is documented by the Juridical Stela,[1] which was issued in Year 1 of the Theban pharaoh Nebiryraw I.[2]
Burial
At Elkab, the Tomb of Sobeknakht II is known as Tomb 66 (10).[3] It is one of the best preserved[4] and most richly decorated tombs of the Egyptian Second Intermediate Period.[5] It is hewn out of the sandstone rock cliffs and consists of two rectangular chambers connected by a central doorway.[4] The burial shaft is sunk into the floor of the innermost chamber, the walls of which are left blank unlike the outer chamber.[4] Decorations include Sobeknakht with his wife and children and a number of monkeys in various poses and activities, such as eating food from the deceased's offering table.[6]
Archeological history
The tomb was discovered in the 19th century;[6] however, it was neglected. In 2003, in response to concerns about its deterioration,[6] his tomb was cleaned by British Egyptologists and was found to contain a 22-line inscription with important historical significance.[7][8][9] The inscription was made with red paint on the doorway between the two internal chambers.[7][8][9]
It records a massive Nubian invasion, aided by peoples from the land of Punt and the Medjay,[4] on the small and fragile 16th or 17th Dynasty city state of Thebes. Sobeknakht II claims to have strengthened El-Kab's defenses, mustered a fighting force, and launched a counter-attack, which was victorious due to the aid of the vulture-goddess Nekhbet[4][8][9] A celebration is attended by an unnamed Egyptian king, and Sobeknakht endows the temple of Nekhbet with "a new sacred barque worked in electrum."[4]
A vessel with Sobeknakht's name was discovered in Sudan, which seems to corroborate the events depicted.[6] It also hints that Sobeknakht's tomb had already been filled and finished by the time of the invasion, and that the red text was added as a late addition to reflect these new events in his life, the corridor being the only remaining space left to complete such a task.[6]