Sahure

King 2487-2473 BC.

    Sahure was the son and successor of *Userkaf, the founder of the Fifth Dynasty; he and his brother *Neferirkare were both the children of Queen *Khentkaues. Sahure was mentioned in the folktale preserved in the Westcar Papyrus, as one of the triplets born to the sun-god Re by the wife of a priest of Re; the tale relates that these children were destined to exercise the kingship throughout Egypt.

    Sahure continued his father's policy of promoting the sun-cult, and he also inaugurated the royal cemetery at Abusir to the north of Saqqara, where his successors, *Neferirkare, Neferifre and *Niuserre, also built their pyramids. Sahure's pyramid is the most complete pyramid of the Fifth Dynasty to be excavated and published and it displays a high level of artistic achievement. The plain, rectangular pillars found in earlier pyramid temples are replaced here by columns which represent papyrus stems bound together, and the capitals imitate the leaves of the palm.

    Fine limestone was used for the sculptured wall-reliefs, and although some of these have been badly damaged, the remainder illustrate a wide range of subject matter dealing with the king's relationship with the gods, and his public duties. These include scenes of hunting in the desert, baiting hippopotami in the river, and historical events such as a campaign against the *Libyans. In these, Seshat, the goddess of writing, lists the animals captured in the desert hunt, and the foreign chieftains and their families are shown coming in submission to Egypt. A parallel scene on another wall depicts ships returning from Syria; these have sailors and *Asiatics on board, who raise their arms in praise of pharaoh; this probably represents a trading expedition returning from *Byblos, the port that supplied the Egyptians with their cedarwood. It is known from the Palermo Stone that during this reign expeditions were also sent to Sinai in search of turquoise and to *Punt on the Red Sea coast to obtain incense and spices.

BIBL. Borchadt, L. Das Grabdenkmal des Konigs Sa3hu-Re. (three vols) Leipzig: 1910-13.

Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David

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(reigned c. 2487–2475 BC)

   Second ruler of Dynasty 5. According to the later Westcar Papyrus, he was a brother of his pred ecessor, Userkaf, but he was more likely his son. He continued the policy of sun worship, constructing his own sun temple and a pyramid and temple complex at Abusir. The reliefs from the temple depict a trade expedition, probably to Lebanon. The area was excavated by the German Ludwig Borchardt from 1907–1908. Sahure’s only known queen was Meretnebty.

   See also Neferirkare.

Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Egypt by Morris L. Bierbrier