Khufu

This article is about the Egyptian pharaoh. For the encryption algorithm, see Khufu and Khafre.
"Cheops" redirects here. For other uses, see Cheops (disambiguation).

Khufu
Cheops, Suphis, Chnoubos,[1] Sofe[2]
The Statue of Khufu in the Cairo Museum
The Statue of Khufu in the Cairo Museum
Pharaoh
Reignc. 2589 – c. 2566 BC[3][4]
28–29 years[5]
PredecessorSneferu
SuccessorDjedefre
Royal titulary
Horus name
Medjedu
Mḏd.w[6]
He who crushes (the enemies) for Horus
G5
Aa24G43

Alternative form:
G5

Aa24
Nebty name
Nebty-r-medjed
Mḏd-r-Nnb.tj[6]
He who crushes (the enemies) of the two Ladies
G16
Aa24
D21
Golden Horus
Bikwy-nub
Bjk.wj-nb.w[6]
The twice golden falcon
G5 G5
S12


Abydos King List
Khufu
Ḫ(w)j.f w(j)
He protects me
<
Aa1
f		 w
>


Saqqara Tablet
Khufu
Ḫ(w)j.f w(j)
He protects me
<
Aa1
f		 wf
>


Turin King List
Name lost in a lacuna


Relief with the titulary of Khufu from the Wadi Maghareh[7]
Nomen
Khufu (Khuifwi)
Ḫw(j).f w(j)
I am protected/He protects me[8]
<
Aa1G43I9G43
>

Alternative form: Khnum Khufu
ẖnmw ḫwj=f w(j)
Khnum protects me
<
W9E10Aa1G43I9
>
ConsortMeritites I, Henutsen[3]
ChildrenKawab, Djedefhor, Hetepheres II, Meritites II, Meresankh II, Baufra, Djedefre, Minkhaf I, Khafre, Khufukhaf I, Babaef, Horbaef, Nefertiabet, Khamerernebty I[9]
FatherPharaoh Sneferu
MotherQueen Hetepheres I
Diedc. 2566 BC
BurialGreat Pyramid of Giza
MonumentsGreat Pyramid of Giza, Khufu ship
Dynasty4th Dynasty

Khufu or Cheops (died c. 2566 BC) was an ancient Egyptian monarch who was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, in the first half of the Old Kingdom period (26th century BC). Khufu succeeded his father Sneferu as king. He is generally accepted as having commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but many other aspects of his reign are poorly documented.[10][11]

The only completely preserved portrait of the king is a small ivory figurine found in a temple ruin of a later period at Abydos in 1903. All other reliefs and statues were found in fragments, and many buildings of Khufu are lost. Everything known about Khufu comes from inscriptions in his necropolis at Giza and later documents.[citation needed] For example, Khufu is the main character noted in the Westcar Papyrus from the 13th dynasty.[10][11]

Most documents that mention king Khufu were written by ancient Egyptian and Greek historians around 300 BC.[citation needed] Khufu's obituary is presented there in a conflicting way: while the king enjoyed a long-lasting cultural heritage preservation during the period of the Old Kingdom and the New Kingdom, the ancient historians Manetho, Diodorus and Herodotus hand down a very negative depiction of Khufu's character. As a result, an obscure and critical picture of Khufu's personality persists.[10][11]

  1. ^ Alan B. Lloyd: Herodotus, book II., p. 62.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference FJFS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Clayton, Peter A. Chronicle of the Pharaohs. p42. Thames and Hudson, London, 2006. ISBN 978-0-500-28628-9
  4. ^ Malek, Jaromir, "The Old Kingdom" in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, ed. Ian Shaw, Oxford University Press 2000, ISBN 978-0-19-280458-7 p.88
  5. ^ "Khufu's 30-Year Jubilee: Newly Discovered Pieces of a Puzzle". Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b c von Beckerath: Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen, Deutscher Kunstverlag (1984), ISBN 3422008322
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference lepsius was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Rainer Hannig: Die Sprache der Pharaonen. Großes Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch-Deutsch. (= Kulturgeschichte der antiken Welt. Vol. 64) 4th Edition, von Zabern, Mainz 2006, p. 111, ISBN 3-8053-1771-9.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference DH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b c Thomas Schneider: Lexikon der Pharaonen. Albatros, Düsseldorf 2002, ISBN 3-491-96053-3, page 100–104.
  11. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference AiDo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).