Sobekhotep III

Sekhemre Sewadjtawy Sobekhotep III was an Egyptian king of the mid Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt who reigned four years.

Family Parents and siblings

The family of the king is known from several sources. A monument from Sehel Island shows Sobekhotep with his father Mentuhotep, his mother was king's mother Iuhetibu (Yauheyebu), his brothers Seneb and Khakau, and a half-sister called Reniseneb. Reniseneb was a daughter of Iuhetibu and her second husband Dedusobek.M. F. Laming Macadam, A Royal Family of the Thirteenth Dynasty, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 37 (Dec., 1951), pp. 20-28.

Wife and children Sobekhotep III had two wives, Senebhenas and Neni. A stela from Koptos (Qift),Dodson, Aidan and Hilton, Dyan. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. (2004). . now in the Louvre (C 8), mentions the daughters of Neni: Iuhetibu Fendy and Dedetanqet. Iuhetibu Fendy wrote her name in a cartouche. This is the second time in Egyptian history that a king's daughter received this honor.

Senebhenas is shown with Sobekhotep on an altar in Sehel Island and a stela in Wadi el-Hol. The stela depicts Sobekhotep III before the god Monthu. He receives an ankh and a was-scepter from the god. Sobekhotep is followed by his father Montuhotep, his mother Iuhetibu, and his wife Senebhenas.

Early life A number of scarab seals have been found that were from an officier of the ruler's table Sobekhotep begotten of the officier of the ruler's table Mentuhotep.Martin, G.T., Egyptian Administrative and Private Name Seals Oxford 1971, n. 575-588. It is possible that these seals belonged to Sobekhotep III before he became king.

Reign Sobekhotep III is known from many objectsA scarab of Sobekhotep III, at the Metropolitan Museum of ArtAnother scarab of Sobekhotep III, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. despite the fact that the Turin King List gives him a reign of only four yearsFollowing Ryholt: ''The Political Situation, p. 71. However, the four is partly destroyed; year 3 is also possible. and two to four months in length. He added inscriptions to the temple of Menthu at MadamudF. Bisson de la Roque, J. J. Clère, Fouilles de Médamoud (1927), Cairo 1928, p. 44; Porter & Moss V (1937), p. 146-49. and built a chapel at El Kab.Ryholt, The Political Situation, p. 344. On SehelM.F.L. Macadams: Gleanings from the Bankes MSSIn: Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 32 (1946), 60, pl. VIII; H.A. Wild: A Bas-Relief of SekhemRe-Sewadjtowe Sebkhotpe In: Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 37 (1951), p. 12-16. an altar with his name was found.

Sobekhotep III was the first of a group of Thirteenth Dynasty kings about whom there exists historical records. This group of Thirteenth Dynasty kings are all known from many objects. These kings produced many seals and there are many private monuments that can be dated to these reigns. This would seem to indicate that Egypt was relatively stable during this period.

Attestations The main attestations of Sobekhotep III are found in Upper Egypt. Only small finds (tradables) are attested in Lower Egypt and Nubia. For a full list, see Ryholt 1997:343-44 File 13/26 Sobekhotep III is also indirectly attested by monuments owned by people associated with him.

Lower Egypt At Saqqara, a scarab-seal.BM EA 30506 The seal is said to be from Saqqara. At Lisht, seal-impressions (2) and scarab-seals (2).

Upper Egypt

At Abydos, a scarab-seal. At Koptos, a stela of two king's daughtersLouvre Museum C8. and a scarab-seal. At Wadi el-Hol, a rock-inscription (family list). At Medamud, architectural elements (usurped).Louvre E 13891 One base of a colossal statue was later reused by Sobekemsaf II.linteau ; montant de porte (in French) Retrieved 20 October 2025. At Gebelein, a stela of Iufseneb with the royal name of Sobekhotep III.Cairo TN 22.5.26.13 Retrieved 20 October 2025. The father of Iufseneb was a governor with the title string ḥꜣtj-ꜥ; ḫtmw-bjtj; smr-wꜥtj n mrwt; ḥꜣtj-ꜥ n [...] [...].

Nubia At the fortress of Mirgissa (Nubia), a scarab-impression with the royal name of Sobekhotep III and the King's Mother Iuhetibu.Mirgissa 32-1-120 Retrieved 20 October 2025. Also a seal-impression with the name Sekhemre Sewadjtawy, a seal with two impressions.BMFA, Ryholt 1997:344; unclear if this is the same impression as Mirgissa 32-1-120.

Non-contemporary attestation Karnak King List The Karnak King List does not mention Sobekhotep III in its preserved cartouches.

Turin King List

The Turin King List 7:24 contains the entry: "The Dual King Sekhem[ka]re Wadjtawy Sobekhotep, 4 years, 2 months x days" (nsw-bit sḫm-kꜢ-rꜤ wꜢḏ-tꜢ.wy sbk-ḥtp rnpt 4 Ꜣbd 2 hrw x). In the list, Sekhemre Wadjtawy Sobekhotep is preceded by [Mer]ib[ra] ...Seth (7:23) and succeeded by Khasekhemre Neferhotep, son of Haankhef (7:25).

Sobekhotep III

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