Ankhu was an Egyptian

vizier A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called '' katib'' (secretary), who was ...

of the early 13th Dynasty, who lived around 1750 BC.

Family

Ankhu was the son of a vizier.

Labib Habachi Labib Habachi (لبيب حبشي) (April 18, 1906 – February 18, 1984) was an influential Coptic Egyptian Egyptologist. Dr Habachi spent 30 years in the Antiquities Department of the Egyptian Government, ending his career as Chief inspector ...

proposed that his father was the vizier Zamonth. The mother of Ankhu is known as Henutpu, the name of Zamonth's wife is published as Henut. Habachi wonders whether ''Henut'' is a mistake or short version of Henutpu. The name Henut is otherwise not attested. Detlef Franke agreed with this identification and calculates that Ankhu must have been 50 to 60 years old under king Khendjer. Ankhu was married to a woman called Mereret. Ankhu was the father of two further viziers: Resseneb and Iymeru. The family formed a strong dynasty of high court officials. One of the daughters of the couple was called Senebhenas. She was married to the ''overseer of the half domain'' Wepwawethotep. The latter was related to Queen Aya, albeit it remains uncertain in which way.

Biography

Ankhu is known from several monuments dating to the reigns of the 13th Dynasty kings Khendjer and Sobekhotep II, attesting that he served several kings. Ankhu appears in the

Papyrus Boulaq 18 The Papyrus Boulaq 18 is an ancient Egyptian administrative document. It contains an account of the Theban palace dating to the 13th Dynasty (around 1750 BC). The papyrus lists the palace officials and the rations they received day by day. Importa ...

as the head of the court officials. The papyrus may date to the reign of Sobekhotep II, or according to an analysis of the document by

Kim Ryholt Kim Steven Bardrum Ryholt (born 19 June 1970) is a professor of Egyptology at the University of Copenhagen and a specialist on Egyptian history and literature. He is director of the research centeCanon and Identity Formation in the Earliest Lite ...

, it may date to the reign of Imyremeshaw or

Sehetepkare Intef Sehetepkare Intef (also known as Intef IV or Intef V) was the twenty-third king of the 13th Dynasty during the Second intermediate period. Sehetepkare Intef reigned from Memphis for a short period, certainly less than ten years, between 1759 BC ...

. The papyrus mentions a Queen Aya, whose image appears also on a stela which shows that she was part of Ankhu's family. A stela found at

Abydos Abydos may refer to: *Abydos, a progressive metal side project of German singer Andy Kuntz * Abydos (Hellespont), an ancient city in Mysia, Asia Minor * Abydos (''Stargate''), name of a fictional planet in the '' Stargate'' science fiction universe ...

dated to the reign of Khendjer reports on building works at the

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He ...

temple. In the Amun temple at Karnak he erected statues of himself, his father and his mother. The latter is one of the very few statues belonging to a woman placed in this temple.

Attestations

Papyrus Boulaq 18

The

was found in two fragments which mentions Vizier Ankhu. The larger manuscript is an account of income and expenses as the Court visited the Southern City, dated to Year 3, 2-3 Month of Akhet (Inundation) of an unnamed king. The smaller manuscript is an account made by Neferhotep. It mentions Great Scribe of the Vizier Resseneb and the Estate of the Vizier Ankhu with entries dating from a period in Year 6, 1 Peret to 2 Shemu.

Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446

The

Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 The Brooklyn Papyrus 35.1446 is the modern term for an ancient Egyptian document that is now in the Brooklyn Museum (New York). Archaeological History It was bought by Charles Edwin Wilbour in Egypt between 1881 and 1896. The document probably ...

mentions Vizier Ankhu. This papyrus consist of several entries, the first being a list of fugitives from labor duty at the Great Enclosure dated to Year 36 of an unnamed king thought to be Amenemhat III. The last entry is a list of servants dated to Year 1-2 of Sobekhotep III. The Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 Insertion B mentions an unnamed Reporter of the Southern City ( ḥmwn njwt rsj (...)) and Ankhu with the titles Overseer of the City, Vizier, Overseer of the Six Great Courts ( mj-rꜣnjwt; ṯꜣtj; jmj-rꜣ ḥwt-wrt 6 ꜥnḫw). The Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 Insertion C is dated to Year 6 of an unnamed king. It mentions an unnamed Reporter of the Southern City (wḥmw n njwt rsj), an unnamed Sealbearer of the King and Overseer of the Field of the Southern City (ḫtmw-bjtj; jmj-rꜣ ꜣḥwt n njwt rst ..ꜥw) and Ankhu with the titles Overseer of the City, Vizier, Overseer of the Six Great Courts (jmj-rꜣ njwt; ṯꜣtj; jmj-rꜣ ḥwt-wrt 6 ꜥnḫw).

Speculations

Ankhu served at least under two, perhaps even under five, kings of the 13th Dynasty. His situation illustrates that during this period the viziers were the real power behind weak kings. The kings were only in power for a short period, while the viziers remained in power for longer periods.Rice, Michael: ''Who's Who in Ancient Egypt''. Routledge, 1999, pp. 24-25.