Merefnebef, also called Unisankh and Fefi (), was a

vizier A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...

from the

Sixth Dynasty of Egypt The Sixth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty VI), along with the Third Dynasty of Egypt, Third, Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, Fourth and Fifth Dynasty of Egypt, Fifth Dynasty, constitutes the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom of Dynastic Egyp ...

. He first served at the court of

Teti Teti, less commonly known as Othoes, sometimes also Tata, Atat, or Athath in outdated sources (died 2333 BC), was the first pharaoh, king of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt. He was buried at Saqqara. The exact length of his reign has been destroye ...

, possibly became vizier during the reign of

Userkare Userkare (also Woserkare, meaning "Powerful is the soul of Ra"; died 2332 BC) was the second Pharaoh, king of the Sixth dynasty of Egypt, Sixth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Egypt, reigning briefly, 1 to 5 years, in the late 24th or the early 23rd ...

, and was dismissed during the reign of

Pepi I Pepi I Meryre (also Pepy I; died 2283 BC) was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, king, third king of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, who ruled for over 40 years from the 24th to the 23rd century BC, toward the end of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Ki ...

.Naguib Kanawati, Conspiracies in the Egyptian Palace: Unis to Pepy I, (Routledge, 2002). .

Biography

Merefnebef was a hereditary prince and count. He served as a treasurer of the King of

Lower Egypt Lower Egypt ( ') is the northernmost region of Egypt, which consists of the fertile Nile Delta between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, from El Aiyat, south of modern-day Cairo, and Dahshur. Historically, the Nile River split into sev ...

, and held positions which placed him close to the

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

. He was a keeper of the head ornaments, and was privy to the secrets of the House of the Morning. Some of his titles say he was a guard and priest of Teti's pyramid. He may have become a vizier late in his career and those titles are recorded on the façade of his tomb.

Tomb

The

mastaba A mastaba ( , or ), also mastabah or mastabat) is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inward sloping sides, constructed out of mudbricks or limestone. These edifices marked the burial sites ...

of Merefnebef is located to the west of the Step Pyramid of Djoser. It is relatively small, but fully decorated. The burial chamber contained a

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

with a lid. The scenes in the tomb show deliberate destruction. At least one of Merefnebef's sons had his fathers' and brothers images removed, as well as altering his father's titles in particular those of "Honoured by the king" by erasing the word "king" or even replacing it with the word "desert".

References

Literature

K. Myśliwiec et al.ː ''The Tomb of Merefnebef'', Parts 1–2, Warsaw 2004. (the full publication of the vizier's tomb) {{Authority control Viziers of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt 24th-century BC births 24th-century BC deaths