Djedkare Isesi was a pharaoh, the eighth and penultimate ruler of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt in the late 25th century to mid-24th century BC. He likely enjoyed a reign of more than 40 years, which heralded a new period in the history of the Old Kingdom. He did not build a temple to the sun god Ra, possibly reflecting the rise of Osiris in the Egyptian pantheon. He also reorganised the funerary cults of his forebears buried in the necropolis of Abusir.
About Djedkare Isesi in brief
Djedkare Isesi was a pharaoh, the eighth and penultimate ruler of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt in the late 25th century to mid-24th century BC. He likely enjoyed a reign of more than 40 years, which heralded a new period in the history of the Old Kingdom. He did not build a temple to the sun god Ra, possibly reflecting the rise of Osiris in the Egyptian pantheon. He also reorganised the funerary cults of his forebears buried in the necropolis of Abusir and reformed the corresponding priesthood. Under his rule, Egypt also entertained continuing trade relations with the Levantine coast and made punitive raids in Canaan. He is also remembered by the ancient Egyptians as the purported author of The Maxims of Ptahhotep, one of the earliest pieces of philosophic wisdom literature. The reforms he implemented are generally assessed negatively in modern Egyptology as his policy of decentralization created a virtual feudal system that transferred much power to the high and provincial administrations. Some Egyptologists such as Naguib Kanawati argue that this contributed heavily to the collapse of the Egyptian state during the First Intermediate Period, c. 200 years later. However, Nigel Strudwick says that in spite of Djedkar’s reforms, Ancient Egyptian officials never amassed enough power to rival that of the king. Djingkare is well attested in sources contemporaneous with his reign. The tombs of many of his courtiers and family members have been discovered in Giza, Saqqara and Abusirs.
In addition to letters on papyrus dealing with administrative or private matters, DjedKare is also attested on four ancient Egyptian king lists dating to the New Kingdom, all dating to Seti I. Djed kare is listed on the Saqqare Tablet where he is also listed under the name Maat. He occupies the prenomen on the 32nd entry of the Ados King List, which was written during the reign of Thutmose III. The word \”Nub\”, meaning gold, to designate Nubia is first recorded during Djed Kare’s reign. He died in his fifties and was buried in a pyramid in Saqqar, which is now ruined owing to theft of stone from its outer casing during antiquity. The burial chamber still held his mummy when it was excavated in the 1940s. Examinations of the mummy revealed that he died of natural causes in his 50s. In particular, the earliest depictions of a battle or siege scene was found in the tomb of one of Djeskare’s subjects. These texts were discovered in the mortuary temples of pharaohs Nefer Kakai, Neferefre and queen Khentka II. These letters, inscribed on the walls of tombs, typically present royal praises for the tomb owner. They give insights into the administrative reforms that Djedksare conducted during his reign and, in a few cases, even record letters that the king sent to his officials.
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