Pehen-Ptah

Pehen-Ptah in hieroglyphs
Pehen-Ptah in hieroglyphs
	Stone bowl fragment with name and titles of Pehen-Ptah.

Pehen-Ptah^[1] (also read Ptah-Pehen and Ptahpehen^[2]) was an ancient Egyptian high official, sculptor and maker of vases^[2] during the 2nd Dynasty or early 3rd Dynasty. It is disputed as to who was the king reigning during Pehen-Ptah's time of officeship.

Identity

Pehen-Ptah is attested by four stone bowl inscriptions only. These were found in the underground storages beneath the Southern Gallery within king Djoser's pyramid necropolis at Saqqara.^[2] His name is of some interest to Egyptologists, because it is linked to the god Ptah.^[3]^[4]

Titles

As a high ranking official and priest, Pehen-Ptah bore several elite and pious titularies:^[3]

God servant of Ptah (Egyptian: hem-netjer ptah).
Master of the sculptors (Egyptian: Medjehw-qesenw).
Creator of the (royal) vases (Egyptian: Afet-nebwj).
Headband of the gods (Egyptian: Shefed-netjerw).

Career

Next to nothing is known about Pehen-Ptah's career, except for his titles. It is also unknown under which pharaoh he might have served. Since he is mentioned as the "headband of the gods" during a Hebsed, his ruler may have ruled very long, because the Hebsed ("feast of Sed") was commonly celebrated in the 30th year after coronation. There are only two kings from 2nd and 3rd dynasty to have ruled that long: Nynetjer and (possibly) Djoser. It cannot be excluded, however, that Pehen-Ptah served a king who celebrated a Hebsed in advance as is now known to have happened in a few cases, for uncertain reasons. Thus, the problem of determining the exact time period corresponding to Pehen-Ptah's lifetime remains open.^[3]^[4]

References

^ Hermann Ranke: Die ägyptischen Personennamen, Band 1: Verzeichnis der Namen. J. J. Augustin, Glückstadt 1935, p. 139ff.
^ ^a ^b ^c Michael Rice: Who is who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge, London/New York 1999. ISBN 978-0-203-44328-6, p.158.
^ ^a ^b ^c Pierre Lacau & Jan-Phillip Lauer: La Pyramide à Degrés IV. – Inscriptions gravées sur les Vases: Fouilles à Saqqarah. Service des antiquités de l’Égypte, Cairo 1936, p. 8 & 9.
^ ^a ^b Aidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, London 2004, ISBN 0500051283, p.47.

[1] Hermann Ranke: Die ägyptischen Personennamen, Band 1: Verzeichnis der Namen. J. J. Augustin, Glückstadt 1935, p. 139ff.

[rice-2] Michael Rice: Who is who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge, London/New York 1999. ISBN 978-0-203-44328-6, p.158.

[PLJP-3] Pierre Lacau & Jan-Phillip Lauer: La Pyramide à Degrés IV. – Inscriptions gravées sur les Vases: Fouilles à Saqqarah. Service des antiquités de l’Égypte, Cairo 1936, p. 8 & 9.

[ADDH-4] Aidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton: The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, London 2004, ISBN 0500051283, p.47.

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v t e Second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Attested pharaohs	Hotepsekhemwy Nebra Weneg Nynetjer Seth-Peribsen Sekhemib-Perenmaat Khasekhemwy
Obscure pharaoh names	Horus Ba Ba Horus Sa Hudjefa I Neferkara I Neferkasokar Nubnefer Senedj Sneferka Wadjenes
Queens consort	Menka Nimaathap
Other royals	Khenmetptah Satkhnum Sehener Shepset-ipet Wadjitefni (Mesen-ka) Nisuheqet Perneb
Other people	Inykhnum Nefer-Setekh Pehen-Ptah
Monument	Gisr el-Mudir Shunet El Zebib
Capital	Thinis

v t e Third Dynasty of Ancient Egypt
Pharaohs	Djoser Sekhemkhet Sanakht Khaba Huni
Obscure pharaohs	Qahedjet Nebka Sedjes
Queen consorts	Djefatnebti Djeseretnebti Hetephernebti Meresankh I Nimaathap
Other royals	Inetkaes Mesen-ka
Officials	Imhotep Akhetaa Hesy-Ra Hetepi Inykhnum Kagemni I Khabawsokar Metjen Nefer-Setekh (Pehen-Ptah) Pehernefer
Other people	Sepa (Merit-Ptah (fictitious)) Nyibunesu
Pyramids	Pyramid of Djoser Buried Pyramid Layer Pyramid Edfu South Pyramid Pyramid of Elephantine Pyramid of Naqada
Mastabas	Beit Khallaf Mastaba of Hesy-Re
Artefact	Famine Stela