Iymeru Neferkare was the

ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

ian

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 ...

under king Sobekhotep IV in the 13th Dynasty, in the

Second Intermediate Period The Second Intermediate Period dates from 1700 to 1550 BC. It marks a period when ancient Egypt was divided into smaller dynasties for a second time, between the end of the Middle Kingdom and the start of the New Kingdom. The concept of a Secon ...

Biography

Neferkare Iymeru was the son of the ''leader of the broad hall'' Iymeru. Neferkare Iymeru himself is known from several monuments, many of them found in

Karnak The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BC) in the ...

. On a statue now in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

(A 125), he reports the opening of a canal and the building of a temple for king Sobekhotep IV. Other objects belonging to him are a scribe statue, statues found at

Elephantine Elephantine ( ; ; ; ''Elephantíne''; , ) is an island on the Nile, forming part of the city of Aswan in Upper Egypt. The archaeological site, archaeological digs on the island became a World Heritage Site in 1979, along with other examples of ...

and

Kerma Kerma was the capital city of the Kerma culture, which was founded in present-day Sudan before 3500 BC. Kerma is one of the largest archaeological sites in ancient Nubia. It has produced decades of extensive excavations and research, including t ...

, and a

stela A stele ( ) or stela ( )The plural in English is sometimes stelai ( ) based on direct transliteration of the Greek, sometimes stelae or stelæ ( ) based on the inflection of Greek nouns in Latin, and sometimes anglicized to steles ( ) or stela ...

found in Karnak. He appears in an inscription in the Wadi Hammamat.

Career

He bore many titles, attested in various surviving pieces of statuary and inscriptions. They are nobleman (''jr.j-pꜥ.t''), Governor (''ḥꜣ.tj-ꜥ''), (''smr ꜥꜣ n mr.w.t''), Overseer of the City (''jm.j-rꜣ njw.t''), Vizier (''ṯꜣ.tj''), Overseer of the Six Great Courts (''jm.j-rꜣ ḥw.t-wr.t''), Great overlord of the land to its limit (''ḥr.j-tp n tꜣ r-ḏr⸗f''), Master of secrets for the house of life (''ḥr.j-sštꜣ n pr-ꜥnḫ''), and sab official (''sꜣb''). Additionally, the title ''jm.j ḏsr.w ḥr stp-sꜣ'' has an unknown translation.

Family

Neferkare Iymeru was the son of Iymeru and Satamun. His father Iymeru held the titles Royal Sealer and Director of the Broad Court/Hall. His mother Satamun held the title King's Sister. Note that his mother did not hold the titles King's Mother or King's Daughter, and her title King's Sister implies that her non-royal brother became king. While the statue is dedicated by Sobekhotep IV, Satamun can have been a sister to a predecessor.

Attestations

Iymeru Neferkare is known by several attestations. Heidelberg 274 links him to Sobekhotep IV, while Louvre A 125 indirectly refers to a monument built for Sobekhotep.

Statue, Heidelberg 274

At Karnak, a statue of a man seated on the ground marked with the name of Sobekhotep IV (royal name), belonging to Iymeru and also mentioning his father, Iymeru.

Statue, Louvre A 125

A statue/statuette, sandstone, H: 148 cm. Inscribed Garment A.1: The head of the city, vizier, head of the six courts, Iimeru-Neferkare. . Back pillar B.1: Given as a favor from the king to Iripat, Hatia, head of the city and head of the six courts, Iimeru-Neferkare, lord of provision, .. ... ...on the occasion of the opening of the canal and the handover of the house to his master in this house of millions of years (called) "Hetepka-Sobekhotep" .. ... ... {rDi(.w) m Hsw,t.(Pl.) nt xr nswt n (j)r(.j)-pa,t HA,tj-a TA,tj jm,jr'-n' ,t jm,jr'-Hw,t-wr,t-6 jj-mrw-nfr-kA-ra nb-jmAx --ca._6Q-- .2xft wbA wr,w rDi.t pr n nb =f m tA Hw,tn.t-HH-n-rnp,t Htp-kA- (cartridge, sbk-Htp , cartridge) --ca._5Q--

Rock inscription, Hammamat G 87

At Wadi Hammamat, a rock inscription mentions several people including Vizier Iymeru (PD 26) and High Steward Nebankh (PD 294).
https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/3/inscription/5099

Theories about his double name

Neferkare Iymeru had a double name. Neferkare is the throne name of several Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom kings, the most famous being Pepy II. Perhaps Neferkare Iymeru was born in Memphis, where this king was still worshipped in the Middle Kingdom.

References

Bibliography

* Wolfram Grajetzki (2009) Court Officials of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom, p. 38-39 * Kim Ryholt (1997) The Political Situation in Egypt During the Second Intermediate Period, C. 1800-1550 B.C, p. 243 {{Commons category, Neferkare Iymeru Ancient Egyptian viziers Officials of the Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt