Abydos King List

The start of the king list, showing Seti and his son Ramesses II on the way to making an offering to Ptah-Seker-Osiris, on behalf of their 72 ancestors: the contents of the king list. Ramesses is depicted holding censers.

The Abydos King List, also known as the Abydos Table, is a list of the names of 76 kings of ancient Egypt, found on a wall of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Egypt. It consists of three rows of 38 cartouches (borders enclosing the name of a king) in each row. The upper two rows contain names of the kings, while the third row merely repeats Seti I's throne name and nomen.

Besides providing the order of the Old Kingdom kings, it is the sole source to date of the names of many of the kings of the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties, so the list is valued greatly for that reason.

This list omits the names of many earlier pharaohs who were apparently considered illegitimate — those were the Hyksos, Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Smenkhkare, Tutankhamen, Sobekneferu, Mentuhotep I, Intef I, Intef II, Intef III, pharaohs of the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt and Ay.

Contents of the king list

Drawing of the cartouches in the Abydos King List.

First Dynasty

Cartouches 1 to 8	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 1 to 8 (Click to enlarge)	1	Meni. Probably King Narmer.	Menes
	2	Teti. Same name in Turin King List.	Hor-Aha
	3	Iti. Same name in Turin King List.	Djer
	4	Ita. Called Itui in Turin King List.	Djet
	5	Septi. Called Qenti in Turin King List.	Den
	6	Meribiap. Called Merbiapen in Turin King List.	Anedjib
	7	Semsu. Called Semsem in Turin King List.	Semerkhet.
	8	Qebeh. Same name in Turin King List.	Qa'a.

Second Dynasty

Cartouches 9 to 14	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 9 to 14 (Click to enlarge)	9	Bedjau. Called Baunetjer in Turin King List.	Hotepsekhemwy
	10	Kakau. Same name in Turin King List.	Raneb
	11	Banetjer. Same name in Turin King List.	Ninetjer
	12	Wadjnas. Name damaged in Turin King List.	Weneg
	13	Sendi. Called Senedj in Turin King List.	Senedj
	14	Djadjay. Called Bebti in Turin King List.	Khasekhemwy

Third Dynasty

Cartouches 15 to 19	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 15 to 19 (Click to enlarge)	15	Nebka. Same name in Turin King List.	Nebka
	16	Djeser-za. Djoser-it in Turin King List.	Djoser
	17	Teti. Djoser-ti in Turin King List.	Sekhemkhet
	18	Sedjes. Hudjefa in Turin King List.	Khaba
	19	Neferkara. Huni in Turin King List.	Huni

Fourth Dynasty

Cartouches 20 to 25	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 20 to 25 (Click to enlarge)	20	Sneferu. Senefer in Turin King List.	Sneferu
	21	Khufu. Name missing in Turin King List.	Khufu
	22	Djedefre. Name missing in Turin King List.	Djedefre
	23	Khafre. Incomplete name in Turin King List	Khafre
	24	Menkaure. Name missing in Turin King List.	Menkaure
	25	Shepseskaf. Name missing in Turin King List.	Shepseskaf

Fifth Dynasty

Cartouches 26 to 33	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 26 to 33 (Click to enlarge)	26	Userkaf. Name partially lost in Turin king list.	Userkaf
	27	Sahure. Name lost in Turin King List.	Sahure
	28	Kakai	Neferirkare Kakai
	29	Neferefre	Neferefre
	30	Nyuserre	Nyuserre Ini
	31	Menkauhor	Menkauhor Kaiu
	32	Djedkare. Djed in Turin King List.	Djedkare Isesi
	33	Unis. Same name in Turin King List.	Unas

Sixth Dynasty

Cartouches 34 to 39	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 34 to 39 (Click to enlarge)	34	Teti	Teti
	35	Userkare	Userkare
	36	Meryre	Pepi I Meryre
	37	Merenre	Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
	38	Neferkare	Pepi II Neferkare
	39	Merenre Saemsaf	Merenre Nemtyemsaf II

Eighth Dynasty

Cartouches 40 to 47	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 40 to 47 (Click to enlarge)	40	Netjerikare	Netjerkare
	41	Menkare	Menkare
	42	Neferkare	Neferkare II
	43	Neferkare Neby	Neferkare Neby
	44	Djedkare Shemai	Djedkare Shemai
	45	Neferkare Khendu	Neferkare Khendu
	46	Merenhor	Merenhor
	47	Sneferka	Neferkamin

Cartouches 48 to 56	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 48 to 56 (Click to enlarge)	48	Nikare	Nikare
	49	Neferkare Tereru	Neferkare Tereru
	50	Neferkahor	Neferkahor
	51	Neferkare Pepiseneb	Neferkare Pepiseneb
	52	Sneferka Anu	Neferkamin Anu
	53	Kaukara	Qakare Ibi
	54	Neferkaure	Neferkaure II
	55	Neferkauhor	Neferkauhor
	56	Neferirkare	Neferirkare

Eleventh/Twelfth Dynasty

Cartouches 57 to 61	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 57 to 61 (Click to enlarge)	57	Nebhepetre	Mentuhotep II
	58	Sankhkare	Mentuhotep III
	59	Sehetepibre	Amenemhat I
	60	Kheperkare	Senusret I
	61	Nubkaure	Amenemhat II

Cartouches 62 to 65	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 62 to 65 (Click to enlarge)	62	Khakheperre	Senusret II
	63	Khakaure	Senusret III
	64	Nimaatre	Amenemhat III
	65	Maakherure	Amenemhat IV

Eighteenth Dynasty

Cartouches 66 to 74	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 66 to 74 (Click to enlarge)	66	Nebpehtira	Ahmose I
	67	Djeserkara	Amenhotep I
	68	Aakheperkara	Thutmose I
	69	Aakheperenra	Thutmose II
	70	Menkheperra	Thutmose III
	71	Aakheperura	Amenhotep II
	72	Menkheperura	Thutmose IV
	73	Nebmaatra	Amenhotep III
	74	Djeserkheperura Setepenra	Horemheb

Nineteenth Dynasty

Cartouches 75 and 76	n°	Name written in the list	Common name
Cartouches 75 and 76 (Click to enlarge)	75	Menpehtira	Ramesses I
	76	Menmaatra	Seti I

See also

• Karnak king list
• Palermo Stone
• Saqqara Tablet
• Turin King List
• Medinet Habu king list

External links

• Abydos Table
• Abydos King List