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Seth-Peribsen (also known as Ash-Peribsen, Peribsen and Perabsen) is the Horus name of an early Egyptian monarch (pharaoh), who ruled during the Second Dynasty of Egypt (c. 2890 – c. 2686 BC). His chronological position within this dynasty is unknown and it is disputed who ruled both before and after him. The duration of his reign is also unknown.Thomas Schneider: Lexikon der Pharaonen. Albatros, Düsseldorf 2002, , p. 195.
Peribsen's name is unusual, in that Set, not Horus, was his patron deity. This goes against the Egyptian tradition of a king choosing the falcon-shaped deity Horus as his royal patron.
Peribsen's tomb was discovered in 1898 at Abydos. It was well preserved and showed traces of restoration undertaken during later dynastic periods.Laurel Bestock: The Early Dynastic Funerary Enclosures of Abydos. In: Archéo-Nil. Vol. 18, 2008, , p. 42–59.
Two large tomb made of granite were found at his burial site. Their shape is unusual and they appear unfinished and rough. Egyptologists suspect that this was done deliberately, but the reasons are unknown.W. M. Flinders Petrie: The Royal Tombs of the Earliest Dynasties, Part II. London 1901, Tafel XXII, page 178–179.Jeffrey A. Spencer: Early Egypt: the rise of civilisation in the Nile Valley. British Museum Press, London 1993, page 67–72 & 84. A cylinder seal of unknown provenance shows Peribsen's name inside a cartouche and gives the epithet Merj-netjeru ("beloved of the gods"). This arrangement leads Egyptologists and archaeologists to the conclusion that the seal must have been created later, in memoriam, because the use of royal cartouches began long after Peribsen's reign. Another seal of the same material shows Peribsen's name without a cartouche, but with the royal title Nisut-Bity ("king of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt") instead.Francesco Tiradritti & Anna Maria Donadoni Roveri: Kemet: Alle Sorgenti Del Tempo. Electa, Milano 1998, , page 84–85.Peter Kaplony: Die Rollsiegel des Alten Reichs II: Katalog der Rollsiegel, Part II. Fondation égyptologique Reine Elisabeth, Brüssel 1981, page 13; tav. 1
The debate continues over why Peribsen chose this name. Earlier theories favoured the idea that Egypt was split into two realms during Peribsen's time or that he was a Heresy who sought to start a new monotheism religion with Seth as the only worshipped god. However, newer evidence and evaluations tend to show that the Egyptian kingdom was unified, but witnessed a vast and profound reform during the Second Dynasty. Seal impressions from tombs of this era reveal great changes in the titles held by high officials, pointing to a reduction of their power. Further seal impressions show that several deities were worshipped under Peribsen, refuting the monotheism theory. Other contemporary inscriptions indicate that Egyptian grammar was perfected during his time: In particular, the earliest seal impressions with complete sentences date back to Peribsen's reign. Thus, Peribsen's reign was in fact a time of cultural and religious advancement.Herman te Velde: Seth, God of Confusion. A study of his role in Egyptian mythology and religion (= Probleme der Ägyptologie. Bd. 6). Reprint with come corrections. Brill, Leiden 1977, , p. 109-111.Thomas Schneider: Lexikon der Pharaonen. Albatros, Düsseldorf 2002, , p. 219, 228 & 231.
Peribsen's choice of patron, and his rule during the shadowy period of the mid-Second Dynasty, have led Egyptologists and historians to search for possible explanations for both his name and the troubled times he lived in. The following sections discuss some of the theories that they have put forth.
The "heretic Peribsen" theory was based on three observations: that the name "Peribsen" was excluded from later king lists (or perhaps substituted with the Ramesside name "Senedj"), that the king's tomb had been destroyed and plundered during antiquity and, finally, that the tomb stelae of Peribsen, that once displayed the Set animal, were badly scratched with the clear intention of effacing the Seth image. Egyptologists hypothesized these were the actions of religious opponents to the Sethian priest-caste.P.E. Newberry: The Seth rebellion of the 2nd Dynasty, in: Ancient Egypt., no. 7, 1922, page 40–46. Lauer and Firth relied on the "heretic Peribsen" theory to explain the enormous quantity of stone vessels inscribed with the name of First and Second Dynasty kings found beneath Djoser's pyramid in bags bearing seals of Khasekhemwy and Djoser. They proposed that Peribsen had plundered the tombs of his predecessors, followers of Horus, and scattered their funerary equipment. These vessels were gathered in the royal treasury during Khasekhemwy's reign following his reunification of Egypt, and finally put beneath the Step Pyramid by Djoser, in an act of pious devotion.Phillipe Flandrin: Jean-Phillipe Lauer: Saqqarah, Une vie, Entretiens avec Phillipe Flandrin, Petite Bibliotheque Payot 107, 1988
Seal impressions found in Peribsen's tomb at Abydos show several deities: Ash, Min and Bastet, suggesting they were venerated during Peribsen's time on the throne. This finding argues against Peribsen worshipping a single god, or promoting monotheism.Auguste Mariette: Les mastabas de l'Ancien Empire. Paris 1885, page 92–94.Nicolas Grimal: A History of Ancient Egypt. Wiley-Blackwell, Weinheim 1994, , page 55–56.Werner Kaiser: Zur Nennung von Sened und Peribsen in Saqqara B3. In: Göttinger Miszellen: Beiträge zur ägyptologischen Diskussion, No. 122. Ägyptologisches Seminar der Universität Göttingen, Göttingen 1991, , page 49–55. The heretic theory of Newberry, Černý, Grdseloff and others was devised from the very limited archaeological information available during their lifetimes. Most of the clay seal impressions found were still undeciphered and untranslated in their time.
In the opinion of Sainte Fare Garnot (1956) and te Velde (1956), the name of "Peribsen" accords religious meaning, even before association with a deity.
The name "Peribsen" literally means "He who comes forth by their will" or "His heart and will comes forth for them."
The Egyptian syllable sn means "them, their, those", revealing a clear plural writing.
Te Velde and Garnot are convinced that Peribsen used the heraldic Seth animal as a serekh patron, but also linked his name to Horus. If true, it would prove that Peribsen worshipped Horus and Seth on an equal footing during his lifetime.Jean Sainte Fare Garnot: Sur quelques noms royaux des seconde et troisième dynasties ègyptiennes. In: Bulletin de l'Institut d'Égypte. vol. 37, 1, 1956, , p. 317–328.
An ostentatious plural meaning with religious ambiguity was not uncommon for pharaohs' names in the early Egyptian dynasties. Peribsen may have been perceived as a living incarnation of both Horus and Seth in equal measure, just like his predecessors on the throne. Therefore, Peribsen's name may actually show no break in the sacred tradition; he added the power of Seth to Horus. As further examples, the titles of early dynastic queens used plural patron deities, such as "she who is allowed to see Horus and Seth" and "she who carries Horus and Seth". Similarly, the unusual serekh of king Khasekhemwy, the last ruler of the Second Dynasty, shows the deities Horus and Seth together atop the serekh. Horus wears the White Crown of Upper Egypt and Seth wears the Deshret of Lower Egypt. The two gods are depicted facing each other in a kissing gesture. This special name was meant to illustrate the dual incarnation of the king as the representative of Horus and Seth, with power over all Egypt. Khasekhemwy's name can be interpreted as an advanced form of Peribsen's serekh name.
Egyptologists Ludwig David Morenz and Wolfgang HelckWolfgang Helck: Untersuchungen zur Thinitenzeit (= Ägyptologische Abhandlungen, Vol. 45). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987, , p. 103-111. remark that the targeted gouging of Seth-animals did not occur until the New Kingdom of Egypt. The erasure of the Seth chimera on Peribsen's tomb stelae had been attributed to activity shortly after his death under the "heretic" theory; new discoveries suggested the defamation occurred centuries later.Ludwig D. Morenz: Synkretismus oder ideologiegetränktes Wort- und Schriftspiel? Die Verbindung des Gottes Seth mit der Sonnenhieroglyphe bei Per-ib-sen. In: Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde. vol. 134, 2007, , p. 151–156. Historian Dietrich Wildung states that the necropolis of Abydos was not the only one plundered in antiquity: the tombs at Saqqara and Giza were also ransacked. Thus, he concludes that any targeted action against one particular pharaoh can be excluded.Dietrich Wildung: Die Rolle ägyptischer Könige im Bewusstsein ihrer Nachwelt. Volume 1: Posthume Quellen über die Könige der ersten vier Dynastien (= Münchner ägyptologische Studien. vol. 17, ). B. Hessling, Berlin 1969, p. 47.
In contrast, more recent theories now hold that, if the Egyptian kingdom was divided, the division happened peacefully. Egyptologists such as Michael Rice,Michael Rice: Who's Who in Ancient Egypt. Routledge, London/New York 2001, , page 72, 134 & 172. Francesco TiradrittiFrancesco Tiradritti & Anna Maria Donadoni Roveri: Kemet: Alle Sorgenti Del Tempo. Electa, Milano 1998, , page 80–85. and Wolfgang Helck point to the once palatial and well preserved mastaba tombs at Saqqara and Abydos belonging to high officials such as and Nefer-Setekh. These are all dated from the reign of Nynetjer to that of Khasekhemwy, the last ruler of the Second Dynasty. Egyptologists consider the archaeological record of the mastabas' condition and the original architecture as proof that the statewide mortuary cults for kings and noblemen operated successfully during the entire dynasty. If true, their preservation is inconsistent with the theory of civil wars and economic problems during Peribsen's reign. Rice, Tiradritti and Helck think that Nynetjer decided to leave a divided realm because of private or political reasons and that the split was a formality sustained by Second Dynasty kings.
The origin of the political division is unknown. It might have happened at the beginning of Peribsen's rule or shortly before. Because Peribsen chose the deity Seth as his new throne patron, Egyptologists are of the view that Peribsen was a chieftain from Thinis or a prince of the Thinite royal house. This theory is based on Seth being a deity of Thinite origin, which would explain Peribsen's choice: his name changing may have been nothing more than smart political (and religious) propaganda.W. Helck in: Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertum, No. 106. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1979, , page 132 Francesco Raffaele: Names, titles, identities and the 'Sethian Period' theory Peribsen is thought to have gained the Thinite throne and ruled only Upper Egypt, whilst other rulers held the Memphite throne and ruled Lower Egypt.
This theory is debatable; , Wolfgang Helck, Peter KaplonyPeter Kaplony: Die Inschriften der ägyptischen Frühzeit (= Ägyptologische Abhandlungen. Vol. 8, ), Vol. 3. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1963, p. 406-411. and Jochem KahlJochen Kahl: Inscriptional Evidence for the Relative Chronology of Dyns. 0–2. In: Erik Hornung, Rolf Krauss, David A. Warburton (Hrsg.): Ancient Egyptian Chronology (= Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East; Vol. 83). Brill, Leiden u. a. 2006, , p. 94–115. argue that the clay seals were only found at the entrance area of Peribsen's tomb and none of them depict Peribsen and Sekhemib's names together in one inscription. Furthermore, they remark that it was customary for a pharaoh to bury his predecessor and seal his tomb; the presence of Sekhemib's seals shows the line of dynastic inheritance. Similar inferences can be drawn from the ivory tablets of king Hotepsekhemwy found at the entrance of king Qa'a's tomb and the clay seals of Djoser found at the entrance of Khasekhemwy's tomb. Schlögl, Helck, Kaplony and Kahl are convinced that the discovery of Sekhemib's seals support the view that Sekhemib immediately succeeded Peribsen and buried him.Hermann A. Schlögl: Das Alte Ägypten. Geschichte und Kultur von der Frühzeit bis zu Kleopatra. Verlag C. H. Beck, München 2006, , page 78.Wolfgang Helck: Untersuchungen zur Thintenzeit. (Ägyptologische Abhandlungen, Volume 45), Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1987, , page 103–111.
Scholars Toby Wilkinson and Helck believe that Peribsen and Sekhemib could have been related. Their theory is based on the stone vessel inscriptions and seal impressions that show strong similarities in their typography and grammar. The vessels of Peribsen show the notation "ini-setjet" ("tribute of the people of Sethroë"), whilst Sekhemib's inscriptions have the notation "ini-khasut" ("tribute of the desert nomads"). A further indication that Peribsen and Sekhemib were related is their serekh names; they both used the syllables "Per" and "ib" in their names.Siegfried Schott: Altägyptische Festdaten. Verlag der Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz/Wiesbaden 1950, page 55.Toby Wilkinson: Early Dynastic Egypt. page 90–91; see also: Walter Bryan Emery: Ägypten – Geschichte und Kultur der Frühzeit. page 106.
The false door inscription of Shery might indicate that Peribsen is identical with king Senedj ("Senedj" means "the frightening") and that this name was used in the king lists by proxy, as the Seth name was forbidden to mention.Kenneth Anderson Kitchen: Ramesside Inscriptions. page 234–235; see also: Jürgen von Beckerath: Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen.. Deutscher Kunstverlag, München/Berlin 1984, , page 171. In contrast, Dietrich Wildung and Wolfgang Helck identify Peribsen with the Ramesside cartouche name Wadjenes. They think it is possible that the name Per-ib-sen was misread from a sloppy hieratic inscription of Wadj-sen.Dietrich Wildung: Die Rolle ägyptischer Könige im Bewusstsein ihrer Nachwelt. Band 1: Posthume Quellen über die Könige der ersten vier Dynastien (= Münchner ägyptologische Studien. vol. 17, ). B. Hessling, Berlin 1969, page 45–47.
Egyptologist Dmitry Prusakov supports his theory with notations on the famous Palermo stone concerning the year events of king Nynetjer. From the twelfth year event onward, "The king of Upper- and Lower Egypt appears" was amended to "The king of Lower Egypt appears". Proussakov sees this as a strong indication that Nynetjer's power over Egypt had diminished.Dimitri B. Proussakov: Early dynastic Egypt: A socio-environmental/anthropological hypothesis of "Unification". In: Leonid E. Grinin (Hrsg.): The early state, its alternatives and analogues. Uchitel Publishing House, Volgograd 2004, , p. 139–180. Egyptologists compare the situation to that of king Qa'a, one of the last rulers of the First Dynasty. When Qa'a died, obscure claimants appeared and battled for the throne of Egypt. The struggles reached an apex with the plundering of the royal cemetery at Abydos, whereupon the cemetery was abandoned and Saqqara became the new royal burial site. The conflict was ended by the ascension of king Hotepsekhemwy, the founder of the Second Dynasty.Walter Bryan Emery: Great tombs of the First Dynasty ( Excavations at Saqqara, vol. 3). Gouvernment Press, London 1958, p. 28–31.Peter Kaplony: "Er ist ein Liebling der Frauen" – Ein "neuer" König und eine neue Theorie zu den Kronprinzen sowie zu den Staatsgöttinnen (Kronengöttinnen) der 1./2. Dynastie. In: Ägypten und Levante. vol. 13, 2006, , S. 107–126.
Barbara Bell, another scholar, believes that an economic catastrophe such as a famine or a long-lasting drought affected Egypt. To better address the problem of feeding the Egyptian population, Nynetjer split the realm into two and his successors founded two independent realms, perhaps with intent to reunite after the famine. Bell points to the inscriptions of the Palermo stone, where, in her opinion, the records of the Nile show constantly low levels during this period.Barbara Bell: Oldest Records of the Nile Floods, In: Geographical Journal, No. 136. 1970, page 569–573; M. Goedike: Journal of Egypt Archaeology, No. 42. 1998, page 50. Bell's theory is refuted today by Egyptologists such as Stephan Seidlmayer, who asserts her calculations were incorrect. Seidlmayer has shown that the annual Nile floods were at usual levels at Nynetjer's time up to the period of the Old Kingdom. Bell overlooked that the heights of the Nile floods in the Palermo stone inscription take into account the measurements of the around Memphis, but not elsewhere along the river. A state-wide drought was unlikely.Stephan Seidlmayer: Historische und moderne Nilstände: Historische und moderne Nilstände: Untersuchungen zu den Pegelablesungen des Nils von der Frühzeit bis in die Gegenwart. Achet, Berlin 2001, , page 87–89.
Egyptian historians such as Helck, Tiradritti, Schlögl, Emery and Grimal are convinced that Peribsen was a co-ruler. The investigation into the rulers of Lower Egypt is ongoing. The Rammesside king lists differ in their order of royal names from king Senedj onward. The royal table of Sakkara and the royal canon of Turin reflect Memphite traditions, which only allowed Memphite rulers to be mentioned. The Abydos king list reflects instead the Thinite traditions and therefore only Thinite rulers appear on that list. Until king Senedj, all the king lists are in agreement. After him, the Sakkara list and the Turin list mention three kings as successors: Neferkara I, Neferkasokar and Hudjefa I. The Abydos king list jumps forward to Khasekhemwy, calling him "Djadjay". The discrepancies are considered by Egyptologists to be the result of the division of Egypt during the Second dynasty.Nicolas Grimal: A History of Ancient Egypt. Wiley-Blackwell, Weinheim 1994, , page 55.
Additional contradictory findings are the Horus and Nebty names of kings discovered in the Great Southern Gallery in the necropolis of the (Third dynasty) king Djoser at Sakkara. Stone vessel inscriptions mention the kings Nubnefer, Weneg-Nebty, Horus Ba, Horus Bird and Horus Sa; each of these is mentioned only a few times, suggesting their reigns were short. King Sneferka might be identical with king Qa'a or an ephemeral successor of his. King Weneg-Nebty might be identical with the Ramesside cartouche name Wadjenes. But kings such as "Nubnefer", "Bird" and "Za" remain a mystery. They never appear anywhere else and the number of objects surviving from their lifetimes is very limited. Schlögl, Helck and Peter Kaplony postulate, that Nubnefer, Za and Bird were contemporaries of Peribsen and Sekhemib and ruled over Lower Egypt, whilst the latter two ruled Upper Egypt.Peter Kaplony: "A building named Menti-Ankh". In: Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Kairo (MDAIK), volume 20. de Gruyter, Berlin 1965, page 1–46.
The Annal stone gives absolutely no indication of a division of the Egyptian realm. Barta, TeVelde, Wilkinson and Edwards argue that the theory of state division is untenable. An administrative reorganization or split in the priesthood sects is more likely.
The administration system under Peribsen and Sekhemib had a clear and well-defined hierarchy; as an example, from highest to the lowest rank: Treasury house (royal and therefore highest in ranking) → pension office → property → vineyards → private vineyard (property of citizens and therefore lowest in ranking). King Khasekhemwy, the last ruler of the Second dynasty, was able to re-unify the state administration of Egypt and therefore unite the whole of Ancient Egypt. He brought the two treasury houses of Egypt under the control of the "House of the King", bringing them into a new, single administration centre.Christian E. Schulz: Schreibgeräte und Schreiber in der 0. Bis 3. Dynastie. Grin, München 2007, , p. 9–15.Peter Kaplony: Die Inschriften der ägyptischen Frühzeit (= Ägyptologische Abhandlungen. vol. 8, 3, ). Volume 3, Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1963, p. 406–411.
Peribsen also founded royal edifices such as Per-nubt ("house of Ombos") and Per-Medjed ("house of meetings") and created several cities of economic importance. Their names, Afnut ("city of the headdress-makers"), Nebj ("protector's city"), Abet-desheret ("city of the red granite jars") and Huj-setjet ("city of the Asians'), are mentioned on numerous clay seals alongside Peribsen's serekh, often preceded by the phrase "visit of the king at ...".Eva-Maria Engel: Neue Funde aus alten Grabungen – Gefäßverschlüsse aus Grab P in Umm el-Qa'ab im Ägyptischen Museum Kairo. In: Gerald Moers u. a. (Hrsg.): Jn.t dr.w. Festschrift für Friedrich Junge. Volume 1. Seminar für Ägyptologie und Koptologie, Göttingen 2006, , p. 179–188, especially p. 181, 183–184.Jean-Pierre Pätznik: Die Siegelabrollungen und Rollsiegel der Stadt Elephantine im 3. Jahrtausend vor Christus. 2005, p. 64–66. Inscriptions on stone vessels also mention an "ini-setjet" ("tribute of the people of Sethroë"), which might indicate that Peribsen founded a cult centre for the deity Seth in the Nile Delta. This may suggest Peribsen ruled over the whole of Egypt, or, at least, that he was accepted as king across all of Egypt.Toby Wilkinson: Early Dynastic Egypt. Routledge, London/New York, 1999, , page 89–91.
One official from Peribsen's reign, Nefer-Setekh ("Seth is beautiful"), the "wab-priest of the king", is known to Egyptologists by his stela. His name may highlight the appearance and popularity of Seth as a royal deity.Toby Wilkinson: Early Dynastic Egypt. Routledge, London/New York, 1999, , page 295.
In Peribsen's tomb at Abydos, clay seals were found that demonstrate the first complete written sentence in recorded Egyptian history. The inscription reads:Jochem Kahl: "Ra is my Lord" : searching for the rise of the Sun God at the dawn of Egyptian history, Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, 2007, , see p. 3
The title "The golden one", also read as "He of Ombos", is considered by Egyptologists to be a religious form of address to the deity Seth.Susanne Bickel: Die Verknüpfung von Weltbild und Staatsbild: Die Verknüpfung von Weltbild und Staatsbild Aspekte von Politik und Religion in Ägypten, In: Hermann Spieckermann: Götterbilder, Gottesbilder, Weltbilder. Mohr Siebeck, Ulmen 2006, , page 89.Jochem Kahl, Nicole Kloth, Ursula Zimmermann: Die Inschriften der ägyptischen Frühzeit: Eine Bestandsaufnahme, Vol. III. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 1963, , page 368.I.E.S. Edwards: The Cambridge ancient history, Volume 1-3. Cambridge University Press, 1970, , page 31 & 32.
The tomb's construction is straightforward and, compared to the size of other royal tombs in the same area, surprisingly small. The design model was the tomb of king Djer (third pharaoh of the First dynasty), thought to be the 'Tomb of Osiris' from the Middle Kingdom. The architecture of Peribsen's tomb is similar to the residential palace. The tomb measures x and comprises three independent structures nested into one another: in the center is the main burial chamber, measuring x , and which is made of mud bricks, reeds, and wood. On the north, east and west sides the burial chamber is surrounded by nine small storage rooms leading into one another; on the south face is a long antechamber. A passageway runs between the inner structures and the outer wall.
Excavations under the supervision of the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Kairo (DAIK) in 2001 and 2004 revealed that the tomb had been erected and completed in a great hurry. The building works took place in a single phase; the walls were plastered roughly; and the monument had collapsed several times over the centuries. During the Middle Kingdom, Peribsen's tomb was restored at least twice together with the tomb of Djer, which was thought to be that of Osiris.Laurel Bestock: The Early Dynastic Funerary Enclosures of Abydos. In: Archéo-Nil. Bd. 18, 2008, , page 42–59, especially page 56–57.Günter Dreyer and others.: Umm el-Qaab – Nachuntersuchungen im frühzeitlichen Königsfriedhof (16. / 17. / 18. Vorbericht). In: Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo. (MDAIK). vol. 62, 2006, , page 75–77 & 106–110. The final report on the excavations was published in 2020.Lacher-Raschdorff, Claudia (2020). Umm el-Qaab VIII. Das Grab des Königs Peribsen. Archäologie und Architektur Umm. Archäologische Veröffentlichungen, vol. 128. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, .
The tradition of burying the family and court of the king when he died was abandoned at the time of Qa'a, one of the last rulers of the First dynasty.Toby A. Wilkinson: Early Dynastic Egypt. Routledge, London 2001, , page 281.
Contemporary theories
Today this theory, as well as Lauer and Firth's conclusions, is widely questioned. Archaeological evidence of Peribsen has been found almost entirely in Upper Egypt. In particular, his name does not appear in records surviving from that time. It is argued that Peribsen may not have ruled over all of Egypt and therefore did not have the authority to force a change in state religion. Another piece of evidence that argues against the "heretic Peribsen" theory is the false door of the priest Shery at Saqqara. Shery held office during the early Fourth Dynasty. The inscription on the false door connects the name of Peribsen in one sentence with another shadowy king of the Second Dynasty, Senedj. According to the addendum, Shery was "overseer of all wab-priests of king Peribsen in the necropolis of king Senedj, in his mortuary temple and at all other places". This implies that the funerary cult of Peribsen continued at least until the Fourth Dynasty, inconsistent with the assumption that Peribsen's name was not allowed to be mentioned. Additionally, Egyptologists such as point out that Shery was not the only Fourth Dynasty priest participating in the funerary cult of Peribsen. Inkef, possibly a brother or cousin of Shery, also held the title of a "supervisor of Ka-priests of Peribsen".
Political theories
The earlier theories of Newberry, Černý and Grdseloff said that the Egyptian state under Peribsen suffered from several civil wars, either economic or political in origin. If he was held responsible for the putative misery in the past, this could explain why later king lists excluded Peribsen.
Identity
Egyptologists Walter Bryan Emery, Kathryn A. Bard and Flinders Petrie believe that Peribsen was also known as Sekhemib-Perenmaat, another Second Dynasty ruler that had connected his name with the falcon god Horus. As evidence, clay seals of Sekhemib found in the entrance of Peribsen's tomb support this hypothesis. Sekhemib's tomb has not yet been found.Kathryn A. Bard: The Emergence of the Egyptian State, page 86, in: Ian Shaw (editor): The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Oxford University Press (2000), .Walter Bryan Emery: Ägypten - Geschichte und Kultur der Frühzeit. Fourier, Munich 1964, page 106.J. P. Pätznik in: Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Abteilung Kairo (MDAIK), 1999. page 54.William Matthew Flinders Petrie & Francis Llewellyn Griffith: The royal tombs of the first dynasty. Band 2. page 7, 14, 19, 20 & 48.
Reign
As some archaeological records support the view that the Egyptian state was divided during Peribsen's reign, there is continued debate as to why his predecessors decided to divide the realm, and whether Peribsen ruled part or all of Egypt.
Proponents of the divided-realm-theory
Egyptologists Wolfgang Helck, Nicolas Grimal, Hermann Alexander SchlöglHermann A. Schlögl: Das Alte Ägypten. Geschichte und Kultur von der Frühzeit bis zu Kleopatra. Beck, München 2006, , p. 77. and Francesco Tiradritti believe that king Nynetjer, the third ruler of the Second dynasty and predecessor to Peribsen, ruled an Egypt that was suffering from an overly complex state administration. Nynetjer decided to split Egypt to leave it to two chosen successors who would rule two separate kingdoms, in the hope that the state administration could improve. Archaeological evidence, such as the imprinted clay seals and inscribed jars, appear to support the claim that Peribsen ruled only in Upper Egypt. A great number of these were found in Abydos, Naqada and at Elephantine, with only a single clay seal bearing his name found in Lower Egypt, at Beit Khallaf. Historians think Peribsen's realm would have extended from Naqada to the Elephantine. The rest of Egypt would therefore have been controlled by a different, coexisting ruler.
Opponents of the divided-realm-theory
Scholars such as Herman TeVelde, I. E. S. EdwardsI. E. S. Edwards (Hrsg.): Early history of the middle east (= The Cambridge ancient history. Vol. 1–2), 3rd edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1970, , p.31-32. and Toby Wilkinson believe the inscription of the famous Annal stone of Fifth dynasty, a black olivin-basalt slabstone displaying a very detailed king list, argues against the division of the realm. On the stone the kings from 1st to 7th dynasty are listed by their Horus name, their gold name and their cartouche name, their name banderoles end with the name of their royal mother. The lists also contain rectangular windows presenting year events from the day of king's coronation up to his death. The most famous fragments of the Annal stone are called Palermo Stone and Cairo Stone. On the Cairo stone, in line IV, the nine last years of king Nynetjer are preserved (but most of the year windows are illegible now). The date of Nynetjer's death is followed by a new king. Recent investigations reveal that the serekh of that new king is surmounted by a four-legged animal, not by the Horus-falcon. Since the only four-legged heraldry serekh animal in early Egypt was the chimera of the god Seth, despite passionate disagreement, the indicated ruler is likely to be Peribsen. Egyptologists such as TeVelde, Barta and Edwards do not agree; Peribsen might have not been the only king with a Seth-name. The year events under Nynetjer show increasing references to Seth, suggesting the tradition of a Horus name as the sole name of kings might have already evolved. The rise of a king allied with Seth was thus unsurprising. TeVelde, Barta and Edwards think that, in addition to Peribsen, the rulers Wadjenes, Nubnefer or Sened might have been Seth-kings as well; one of them surely was the true direct successor of Nynetjer. The comparatively large amount of archaeological finds from Peribsen's reign contradict the brief estimated length of rulership, only 10 to 12 years, as presented on the Annal stone.
Political accomplishments
During his time on the throne, Peribsen founded an administrative center called "The white house of treasury" as well as a new royal residence, called the "protection of Nubt", located near Kom Ombo ("Nubt" being the Ancient Egyptian name of Naqada).Jean-Pierre Pätznik: Die Siegelabrollungen und Rollsiegel der Stadt Elephantine im 3. Jahrtausend vor Christus. Spurensicherung eines archäologischen Artefaktes (= BAR, International Series. Bd. 1339). Archaeopress, Oxford 2005, , p. 62–66. The administrative titles of scribes, seal-bearers and overseers were adjusted to correspond to the divided bureaucratic state administration. For example, titles like "sealer of the king" were changed into "sealer of the king of Upper Egypt". This bureaucratic reform may indicate an attempt by Peribsen to limit the power of these officials, further evidence for a bloated and unwieldy state administration under Nynetjer.
"The golden one/He of Ombos hath unified/handed over the two realms for/to his son, the king of Lower and Upper Egypt, Peribsen".
Religious changes
Despite his alignment with Seth, numerous deities were worshipped by the populace under Peribsen. Numerous clay seal impressions and jar inscriptions mention the gods Ash, Horus, Nekhbet, Min, Bastet and Kherty. The depictions of the deities are followed by the name of the place or town where they had their principal cult center. On the Cairo stone, a statue of Ash and a fetish of Seth are credited to Peribsen, complementing the clay seal impressions. Curiously, several seal impressions show a sun disc over the Seth chimera atop the royal serekh: the ancient symbol for the god Ra. There is no archaeologic proof that the sun god Ra was part of the Egyptian pantheon at this early date; the appearance of the disc may be the first evidence of the evolving sun cult and theism change. The sun disc appears in connection to one of the state patrons (for example, under Peribsen's predecessor Raneb the sun was connected to Horus); under Peribsen it was connected to Seth. Under king Khasekhemwy the sun finally received its own name ( ra) and, at the time of throne change between Khasekhemwy and his follower Djoser, several priests and officials also connected their name to Ra.Jochem Kahl: »Ra is my Lord«: Searching for the Rise of the Sun God at the Dawn of Egyptian History. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2007, , p. 2–7 & 14.Günther Dreyer, Werner Kaiser u. a.: Stadt und Tempel von Elephantine – 25. / 26. / 27. Grabungbericht. In: Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo (MDAIK). Bd. 55, 1999, , p. 172–174.
Tomb
Peribsen was buried in the tomb P of the royal cemetery at Umm el-Qa'ab near Abydos. The first excavation of the tomb started in 1898 under the supervision of French archaeologist and Egyptologist Émile Amélineau.Émile Amélineau: Mission Amélineau. Tome 4: Les nouvelles fouilles d'Abydos 1897–1898. Compte rendu in extenso des fouilles, description des monuments et objets découverts. Partie 2. Leroux, Paris 1905, page 676–679. This first foray was followed by excavations in 1901 and 1902 under the supervision of British archaeologist Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie. Further exploration of the tomb was undertaken in 1911-1912 by the Swiss people Egyptologist Edouard Naville.Èdouard Naville: The cemeteries of Abydos. Part 1: 1909–1910. The mixed cemetery and Umm El-Ga'ab (= Memoir of the Egypt Exploration Fund. vol. 33, ). Egypt Exploration Fund u. a., London 1914, page 21–25 & 35–39& Pl. X-XI
Findings
The tomb had been extensively plundered by Grave robbery during antiquity, yet numerous stone vessels and earthen jars remained. Some of the stone vessels had copper-coated rims and are similar to the better known finds from tomb of Khasekhemwy. Vessels from preceding rulers such as Nynetjer and Raneb were also found. Beads and bracelets made of fayence and carnelian and tools made of copper were excavated. Special findings include a silver needle engraved with the name of king Hor Aha and clay seal fragments with the name of king Sekhemib. The two stone stelae from the entrance, common to burial chambers of the First and Second dynasties, are now on display in two different museums.
Royal funerary enclosure
A royal funerary enclosure made of mud bricks was found close to Peribsen's tomb. Clay seals with Peribsen's serekh name on them were located near the eastern entrance and inside a destroyed offering shrine. The findings support the view that the building was part of Peribsen's burial site. The funerary enclosure is commonly known as "Middle Fort". This was first discovered in 1904 under the supervision of Canada archaeologist Charles Trick Currelly and England Egyptologist Edward Russell Ayrton. The enclosure wall was located on the north-west side of Khasekhemwy's funerary enclosure "Shunet El Zebib" ("raisin barn"). Peribsen's measures x and housed only a few cult buildings. The enclosure has three entrances: one to the east, one to the south and one to the north. A small shrine, measuring x was located at the south-east corner of the funerary enclosure. It once comprised three small . No subsidiary tombs were found.Laurel Bestock: The development of royal funerary cult at Abydos. Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2009, , page 47 & 48.W. M. Flinders Petrie: The Royal Tombs of the Earliest Dynasties. Volume II., London 1901, page 11–12
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