The Abydos King List, also known as the Abydos Table, is a list of the names of 76 kings of ancient Egypt, found on a wall of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Egypt. It consists of three rows of 38 cartouches (borders enclosing the name of a king) in each row. The upper two rows contain names of the kings, while the third row merely repeats Seti I's throne name and nomen.
Besides providing the order of the Old Kingdom kings, it is the sole source to date of the names of many of the kings of the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties, so the list is valued greatly for that reason.
This list omits the names of many earlier pharaohs who were apparently considered illegitimate — those were Mentuhotep I, Intef I, Intef II, Intef III, Sobekneferu, the Hyksos, pharaohs of the Second Intermediate Period, pharoahs of the Ninth Dynasty, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Smenkhkare, Tutankhamen, and Ay.
Contents of the king list
First Dynasty
Cartouches 1 to 8 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Meni. Probably King Narmer. | Menes | |
2 | Teti. Same name in Turin King List. | Hor-Aha | |
3 | Iti. Same name in Turin King List. | Djer | |
4 | Ita. Called Itui in Turin King List. | Djet | |
5 | Septi. Called Qenti in Turin King List. | Den | |
6 | Meribiap. Called Merbiapen in Turin King List. | Anedjib | |
7 | Semsu. Called Semsem in Turin King List. | Semerkhet. | |
8 | Qebeh. Same name in Turin King List. | Qa'a. |
Second Dynasty
Cartouches 9 to 14 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
9 | Bedjau. Called Baunetjer in Turin King List. | Hotepsekhemwy | |
10 | Kakau. Same name in Turin King List. | Raneb | |
11 | Banetjer. Same name in Turin King List. | Ninetjer | |
12 | Wadjnas. Name damaged in Turin King List. | Weneg | |
13 | Sendi. Called Senedj in Turin King List. | Senedj | |
14 | Djadjay. Called Bebti in Turin King List. | Khasekhemwy |
Third Dynasty
Cartouches 15 to 19 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
15 | Nebka. Same name in Turin King List. | Nebka | |
16 | Djeser-za. Djoser-it in Turin King List. | Djoser | |
17 | Teti. Djoser-ti in Turin King List. | Sekhemkhet | |
18 | Sedjes. Hudjefa in Turin King List. | Khaba | |
19 | Neferkara. Huni in Turin King List. | Huni |
Fourth Dynasty
Cartouches 20 to 25 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
20 | Sneferu. Senefer in Turin King List. | Sneferu | |
21 | Khufu. Name missing in Turin King List. | Khufu | |
22 | Djedefre. Name missing in Turin King List. | Djedefre | |
23 | Khafre. Incomplete name in Turin King List | Khafre | |
24 | Menkaure. Name missing in Turin King List. | Menkaure | |
25 | Shepseskaf. Name missing in Turin King List. | Shepseskaf |
Fifth Dynasty
Cartouches 26 to 33 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
26 | Userkaf. Name partially lost in Turin king list. | Userkaf | |
27 | Sahure. Name lost in Turin King List. | Sahure | |
28 | Kakai | Neferirkare Kakai | |
29 | Neferefre | Neferefre | |
30 | Nyuserre | Nyuserre Ini | |
31 | Menkauhor | Menkauhor Kaiu | |
32 | Djedkare. Djed in Turin King List. | Djedkare Isesi | |
33 | Unis. Same name in Turin King List. | Unas |
Sixth Dynasty
Cartouches 34 to 39 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
34 | Teti | Teti | |
35 | Userkare | Userkare | |
36 | Meryre | Pepi I Meryre | |
37 | Merenre | Merenre Nemtyemsaf I | |
38 | Neferkare | Pepi II Neferkare | |
39 | Merenre Saemsaf | Merenre Nemtyemsaf II |
Eighth Dynasty
Cartouches 40 to 47 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
40 | Netjerikare | Netjerkare | |
41 | Menkare | Menkare | |
42 | Neferkare | Neferkare II | |
43 | Neferkare Neby | Neferkare Neby | |
44 | Djedkare Shemai | Djedkare Shemai | |
45 | Neferkare Khendu | Neferkare Khendu | |
46 | Merenhor | Merenhor | |
47 | Sneferka | Neferkamin |
Cartouches 48 to 56 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
48 | Nikare | Nikare | |
49 | Neferkare Tereru | Neferkare Tereru | |
50 | Neferkahor | Neferkahor | |
51 | Neferkare Pepiseneb | Neferkare Pepiseneb | |
52 | Sneferka Anu | Neferkamin Anu | |
53 | Kaukara | Qakare Ibi | |
54 | Neferkaure | Neferkaure II | |
55 | Neferkauhor | Neferkauhor | |
56 | Neferirkare | Neferirkare |
Eleventh/Twelfth Dynasty
Cartouches 57 to 61 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
57 | Nebhepetre | Mentuhotep II | |
58 | Sankhkare | Mentuhotep III | |
59 | Sehetepibre | Amenemhat I | |
60 | Kheperkare | Senusret I | |
61 | Nubkaure | Amenemhat II |
Cartouches 62 to 65 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
62 | Khakheperre | Senusret II | |
63 | Khakaure | Senusret III | |
64 | Nimaatre | Amenemhat III | |
65 | Maakherure | Amenemhat IV |
Eighteenth Dynasty
Cartouches 66 to 74 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
66 | Nebpehtira | Ahmose I | |
67 | Djeserkara | Amenhotep I | |
68 | Aakheperkara | Thutmose I | |
69 | Aakheperenra | Thutmose II | |
70 | Menkheperra | Thutmose III | |
71 | Aakheperura | Amenhotep II | |
72 | Menkheperura | Thutmose IV | |
73 | Nebmaatra | Amenhotep III | |
74 | Djeserkheperura Setepenra | Horemheb |
Nineteenth Dynasty
Cartouches 75 and 76 | n° | Name written in the list | Common name |
---|---|---|---|
75 | Menpehtira | Ramesses I | |
76 | Menmaatra | Seti I |