Tefibi (or Itj-ibj – ''It(.i)ib(.i)''
[Donald B. Spanel, in Donald B. Redford (ed), ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt'' vol. 1, Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 154-6.] – in a more modern reading) was an
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
nomarch
A nomarch (, Great Chief) was a provincial governor in ancient Egypt; the country was divided into 42 provinces, called Nome (Egypt), nomes (singular , plural ). A nomarch was the government official responsible for a nome.
Etymology
The te ...
of the 13th ''
nomos'' of
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt ( ', shortened to , , locally: ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the Nile River valley south of the delta and the 30th parallel North. It thus consists of the entire Nile River valley from Cairo south to Lake N ...
(''"the Upper
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the Ancient Greek () meaning .
Species of otherwise unrelated trees known as sycamore:
* ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', a ...
"'') during the
10th Dynasty (c. 21st century BCE, during the
First Intermediate Period
The First Intermediate Period, described as a 'dark period' in ancient Egyptian history, spanned approximately 125 years, c. 2181–2055 BC, after the end of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom. It comprises the seventh Dynasty, Seventh (altho ...
). In addition, he also was ''hereditary prince, count, wearer of the royal seal, sole companion'' and ''high priest of
Wepwawet''. The main source about his life came from his biography, inscribed on the "tomb III" in
Asyut
AsyutAlso spelled ''Assiout'' or ''Assiut''. ( ' ) is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt. It was built close to the ancient city of the same name, which is situated nearby. The modern city is located at , while the ancient city i ...
.
It is generally assumed that Tefibi was the second of a trio of related nomarchs datable to the
Herakleopolite period; he was likely preceded by his father Khety and followed by his son, also named
Khety.
[
]
Biography
He was member of a long line of nomarchs in Asyut with strong bonds of loyalty and friendship towards the Herakleopolite dynasty, and seems that he continued the policy of good governance pursued by his father Khety I: in fact, Tefibi praised the safety and the respect of the laws in his ''nomos''.
When the Thebans extended their influences on Thinis
Thinis ( Greek: Θίνις ''Thinis'', Θίς ''This'' ; Egyptian: Tjenu; ;
) was the capital city of pre- unification Upper Egypt. Thinis remains undiscovered but is well attested by ancient writers, including the classical historian Manetho ...
and Abydos, the Herakleopolite pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...
(who is generally believed to be Wahkare Khety
Wahkare Khety was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 9th or 10th Dynasty during the First Intermediate Period.
Identity
The identity of Wahkare Khety is controversial. While some scholars believe that he was the founder of the 9th Dynasty, ...
) and Tefibi rallied their troops, and swiftly regained Thinis. Their undisciplined soldiers sacked the sacred necropolis
A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' ().
The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...
, as reported by the king himself in the '' Teaching for King Merykare''.[Hayes, op. cit., p. 466-467.]
Tefibi died during the reign of king Merikare, who installed Khety II, son of the deceased, as nomarch in Asyut.
References
Further reading
* Spanel, Donald B., "The Herakleopolitan Tombs of Kheti I, Jt(.j)jb(.j), and Kheti II at Asyut", ''Orientalia'', 58, 1989, pp. 301–14.
External links
The Biography of Tefibi
{{authority control
Nomarchs
People of the Tenth Dynasty of Egypt
Ancient Egyptian priests
Ancient Egyptian royal sealers
3rd-millennium BC births
21st-century BC deaths