PHARAOH.SEfourth pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty
Also known as: Khafre·Chephren·Khefren
Khafra was a son of Khufu and succeeded his brother Radjedef. It is possible that his name actually was Rakhaf, using the same pattern as his brother, with Ra at the beginning of the name rather than at the end as is the norm used in Egyptology. Rakhaf translates to "Ra is his (very) appearance", which actually makes sense, so it is not unreasonable to consider it. Herodotus and Diodorus transcribed his name as Khephren, which suggests that Khafra would fit as the source. Manetho named him Souphis.
He is of course known as the builder of the second largest pyramid at Giza, but little else is known about him.
He is of course known as the builder of the second largest pyramid at Giza, but little else is known about him.
Titulary & Hieroglyphs
Sources of antiquity
| Author | Greek | Transcription | Reign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africanus iv, 3 | Σoυφις | Suphis | 66 years |
| Herodotus 127 | Χεφρηνα | Chephren | 56 years |
| Diodorus 1.64.1 | Κεφρην | Cephren | 56 years |
| Eratosthenes 16 | Σαωφις β | Saophis II | 27 years |
References
- Beckerath, J., 1999. “Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen”, 2 ed., MÄS 49 (1999): pp. 54–55
- Leprohon, R. J., 2013. The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary. pp. 36
- Baker. D. D., 2008. The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume I. pp. 169–171