(20th century BCE). He is well noted for his tomb at Beni Hasan and its palms.
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| Khnumhotep II hunting birds |
He was a member of a powerful family of nomarchs and officials which was likely launched by his grandfather
Khnumhotep I and housed in Men'at Khufu. Khnumhotep II held many titles such as transmitted prince and count, foremost of actions, royal sealer, unique friend, member of the elite, overlord of Nekheb, and likewise superintendent of the Eastern Desert, a place which he held from Year 19 of Amenemhat II until at least Year 6 of Senusret II i.e. the date which appears in Khnumhotep's tomb. Alike most nomarchs of the time he likewise given some priestly charges.
His predecessor as nomarch was plausibly his relative Netjernakht, and Khnumhotep observed him by making his tomb. His mother was Baqet while his father was an official described Neheri. Khnumhotep had 2 wives, the great of them was Khety, herself a girl of the unnamed nomarch of the neighbouring 17th nome with Hardai as capital. Like her husband, Khety held a important number of titles such as daughter of a regulator, king's friend, foremost of activenesses, lady of the house, and was as well a priestess of Hathor and Pakhet. Khnumhotep's secondary wife was Tjat who given few, honest titles such as sealant, lady of the house and one who experiences her lord; she is the only noted female sealant at the court of a local governor. Those peculiarities and the fact that both associates appears various times in Khnumhotep's tomb suggests that the one between him and Khety was likely a politically substitute marriage while Tjat could have been his regular love who was established sealer by him in order to have her shorter. From his two consorts, Khnumhotep II had several children:
Nakht inherited his maternal grandfather's charge of nomarch at Hardai
Khnumhotep IV, followed his father as nomarch of the 16th nome, but does not appear in his father's tomb and is only noted by his incomplete tomb at Beni Hasan
Khnumhotep III entered to the royal court where he managed to become high steward and later vizier
Neheri was buried in a small tomb at Beni Hasan where a stela of him was found
another son is known for being a "mayor" in a contiguous nome.Tomb of Khnumhotep II:
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The surface of the tomb
of Khnumhotep II |
Khnumhotep II is buried in
Beni Hasan in the rock-cut Tomb 3 (BH3), one of the most notable of the whole necropolis. In ancient times, the tomb left have been set about via a path that was distinguishable by dark brown boulders on either side; the path extended from the open out court down the hill to the edge of the broken land.
The tomb is fronted by a columned portico and a small court; the courtyard would have been closed by mud-brick walls. The small columned portico is on the west side of the courtyard, direct in front of the tomb entrance. The ceiling of the portico is curved similar to the shape of a split barrel. The rock around the threshold leading only the tomb to the chapel was smoothed and flat, on which a fourteen line inscription is giving the list of the festal days for the functions of funeral offerings, addressed percheru, along with the name and titles of Khnumhotep II. The floor of the main chamber (as well referred to as the chapel) is sunk into the ground under the level of the open outside court and is come into by three steps. The chapel is the main chamber cut straight back into the drop almost symmetrical with 4 columns and two large shafts (that lead to burial chambers) are cut into the floor. These four main columns support a ceiling that is widespread by three segmented drum shapes. These vaults are painted in a figure that may be referencing a tent. The only light for this chamber would have come from the doorway to the portico and originally a door, between the portico and the chamber, could have been used to close the tomb to the outdoor components. Percy Newberry notes that the only remain from the inward metric door is the pivot-hole. On the doorposts are prayers to Osiris and Anubis above a seated Khnumhotep II who is facing inward. At the back of this main room (east wall) is a close rectangular shine approached by a step about 13 centimetres (5.1 in) high. Newberry names that from his resume of the tomb there was a statue here of a seated Khnumhotep II, but the whole statue had been cut away and only a helping of the seat continues. On the wall are as well depicted Khnumhotep's most sacred officials and employees at his local court, which fairly resemble a downscaled rendering of the royal court with a topical anaesthetic treasurer and some stewards and superintendents.
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| Relatives of Khnumhotep II |
In the main chamber there is an autobiography of the went; it begins to the left of the entering to the shrine and runs levorotatory around the walls of the main chamber, ending to the right of the doorway leading to the shrine. The main types of information included are about the actions Khnumhotep II didst during his lifespan, his family and their lives, as well as the good kinship of his family to the royal house, Khnumhoteps excellent character, and his quest to visitors that offers are made to him.
On the west wall of the chamber are scenes reading mainly the provisions for the funeral and the resurrection of the went. This is instanced by the boat voyages making a association between Khnumhotep II and the god Osiris. The orientation of the boats within the tomb literally has them travel south to Abydos (right of the entering) and north to return (left of the entering). The wall jointly ensures the tomb owner of rebirth in the hereafter where he will be sustained through cult activenesses.
On the eastern end of the northwest wall there is a great standing figure of Khnumhotep II receiving oblations primarily of several cases of animals and birds. What makes this tomb stand out among the 39 important rock-cut tombs at Beni Hasan is the well knew picture of the Aamu group, Asiatic nomadic traders who are sometimes seen Hyksos or leastways their forerunners; the group, led by a man addressed Absha (or Abisha, Abishai), was bringing offerings to the gone.
The west end of the paries has another large-scale pattern of Khnumhotep II only here he is lining right and practicing a bow to hunt in the defect which is on the edge of the Egyptian world, the edge between order (maat) and chaos. It has been read that in this scene Khnumhotep II is assuming the role of the king superior over the chaotic power of the desert.
The east wall houses the entrance to the shrine, as well as two large depicting of Khnumhotep II hunting in the marshes, one on the north side and the other on the south side. To the southeastern he is harpooning two fishes and to the north he is fowling with a throwing beat. These hunting in the marshes pictures help protect the deceased in the hereafter as well as guarantee his rebirth through intensions of sexuality. Beneath him, north of the door, there are shows of several people fishing and below him on the south side are delegacies of advertising boatmen. Collectively this wall being the perpetual renewal of Khnumhotep II.
The fourth paries of this tomb, south wall, was dedicated to the celebration of the cult meal of Khnumhotep II and his wife Khety. The east end of the wall features the went seated in front of an offering table covered with offerings holding a flail, traditionally seen as a symbolisation of royalty or divinity, in his right hand. At the western end of the wall there is an example of Khety sitting in front of a full providing table. She is facing left and concerned in her husbands meal presented by his cult. The shrine portrays a smaller version of the offering cult and in many ways can be seen as an elaboration from the false door of the
Old Kingdom, where a statue wrong a niche could have been one. The placing of statues in the chapel itself is a new funerary art style that seemed in the Middle Kingdom tombs.
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