Pharaoh.SEPHARAOH.SE

Den

The fifth pharaoh of the First Dynasty
Prenomen: Khasty
Also known as: Dewen · Udimu
The Horus name Den is unlikely to be an accurate realisation. The meaning of the name is as obscure as its proper pronouncation. He was the first pharaoh to use the title nswt-bjtj (king of Upper and Lower Egypt.) The name of the fifth ruler on Abydos king list is Sepati, consisting of two N24 signs, which were likely misread in later periods instead of N25. Likewise, the name on the Turin papyrus, Qenty, has the sign Aa8 (ḳn) which is a probably a corruption of sign N24 (spꜢt) or N25 (ḫꜢstj) both known from other names of Den.

Titulary & Hieroglyphs

d-n
Den
d-n
"The slaughterer"
Jar label with “Jubilee scene”, British Museum EA 32650
Petrie, Royal Tombs, I, plates XIV, XV, XXI
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:38-39, 5:H
jar.t-nbw-Sn
Iaret nebu shen
ꞽꜤr.t-nbw-šn
"Golden cobra"
Petrie, Royal Tombs, II, plate VII (12)
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:38-39, 5:G
xAstj
Khasty
ḫꜢstꞽ
"He of the Two Deserts"
Petrie, Royal Tombs, I, plate V (8-9, 11-12)
Beckerath, “Handbuch”:38-39, 5:N
spAtj
Sepati ★
spꜢtꞽ
"He of the great districts"
Mariette, Abydos, I, plate 43 (5)
The signs for desert (N25) were likely misread during the NK as districts (N24)
Abydos Canon5·Beckerath, “Handbuch”:38-39, 5:1
qntj
Qenti ★
ḳntꞽ
Papyrus Ebers, Plate XXIX recto, Column 103.2
Turin King List3.16·Beckerath, “Handbuch”:38-39, 5:2

Sources of antiquity

Author Greek Transcription Reign
Africanus  i, 5 Ουσαφαιδoς Usaphaidus 20 years
Eusebius  i, 5 Ουσαφαης Usaphais 20 years

References