Mentuhotep IV

(Nebtowyre) King 1997-1991 BC.

    Nebtowyre Mentuhotep IV does not appear in the Turin Canon (which enters no ruler for the seven years after the death of *Mentuhotep III), but his name is known from inscriptions in quarries to which he sent expeditions. He probably succeeded Mentuhotep III as the last king of the Eleventh Dynasty. An inscription which dates to Year 2 of his reign is particularly interesting, since it mentions his vizier, Amenemhe, whom he sent on an expedition to Wadi Hammamat to obtain his stone sarcophagus. It is this vizier who was almost certainly the man who ultimately usurped the throne to become *Amenemmes I, the founder of the Twelfth Dynasty. In the Prophecy of *Neferti, conditions of dissolution and chaos are described throughout Egypt; these were brought to an end only through the advent of a powerful king—*Amenemmes I—and it has been suggested that *Beduin incursions may have occurred during the reign of such a relatively weak king as Mentuhotep IV, thus producing further social and economic problems during this difficult time.

BIBL. Winlock, H.E. The rise and fall of the Middle Kingdom in Thebes. New York: 1947.

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

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(reigned c. 1992–1985 BC)

   Throne name Nebtawyre. Successor and probable son of Mentuhotep III and Imi. He is not listed in any of the surviving king lists but is known from contemporary documents, including inscriptions of mining expeditions to the Wadi el-Hudi and the Wadi Hammamat. The latter records a visit by his vizier, Amenemhat, who is generally believed to be the future Amenemhat I who may well have overthrown his master.

Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Egypt by Morris L. Bierbrier