Ninetjer (2815—2778)

Cartouche of King Nynetjer

King Ninetjer was the third king of the 2nd Dynasty, and took Memphis as his capitol. He ruled ancient Egypt for about 40 years and he was known for his festivals and some temples. Historican Manetho gives Ninetjer a prevail of 47 years and calles him in a Greek way - Binothris. The change to a b-sound was made in later times when an additional sign (a ram) with that value was put to the king's name. Writings from his own time only content the flag and the weavy line (serek in picture right). From Eygptian canyons his name therefor is to be read: Baneteren, Baneteru and Neteren (cartouche from Abydos list in picture left).

He is the best known of all kings from this early part of the second dynasty. Sealings with his name has been base in various places in Lower Egypt and most of all in Sakkara where one "nobility class" mastaba at the north escarp contained half a dozen. It probably belonged to one of his high officials. His name has also been discovered in big a mastaba from Giza, but just at one occasion in Upper Egypt - at Abydos. It was got on stone vessels from the tomb of the later king Peribsen who possibly had brought them down south from the Memphis field. Apart from all stone vessels his name only seems twice on other cases of objects: a small ivory label and a famous statuette of stone.

This fine cut little piece measurement 13,5 cm in height and 8,8 x 4,8 centimetres at the base, is made of a hard alabaster-like pit with a sheen towards greenish-yellow. It indicates the king sitting on his throne wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt and at his bureau he's holding the crook and the flail. He is dressed in a tight fitting robe and this apparel is usually connected with the Sed-festival that took place every 20th year. He looks like a man in his older days. At both sides of the base his name is written by hieroglyphs not framed by a serek as established in upper left corner of the picture.

Most of the noesis about his deeds comes from the Palermo stone where his call is written above the boxes with the annual effects. These entries are from his 6th to his 20th year on the throne. Writing on rock vessels from Sakkara advise that his rule was at least 35 years long since a notation says that the biennial census had just been executed for the 17th time.

The notations about different celebrations are all exclude one referring to events from Lower Egypt. There are books of political events too, because in his 13th year in office he ordered his military forces to attack two unknown towns (Sm-r and Há). The name Há can also be read "northern land" suggesting a rebellion from some places in the delta, or disorder at the northern frontier.

Ninetjer's tomb has been base in Sakkara just south of Djoser's pyramid complex and about 150 thousand beside the tomb drifts of the give of the dynasty Hotepsekhemwy. Comparing the both structures gives at hand that Ninetjer's is well smaller and more irregular with corridors and rooms cut out almost haphazardly, maybe because bad excellent in the bedrock in some parts. The galleries from older pharaoh are, as they are depicted from sketches made in the beginning of the 1900s, almost too symmetrical and probably not entirely correct. One thing do the tombs have in common: incomplete corridors. Possibly did the work go on as long as the pharaoh lived start with the serious parts, and then finally ceased when he died.