Sobekemsaf was an ancient Egyptian official of the late Thirteenth Dynasty or early Seventeenth Dynasty, in the Second Intermediate Period. He is especially well known from his statue in Vienna.
Family Sobekemsaf (sbk-m-sꜣ⸗f “Sobek is his protection”) came from an influential family. His father was the senior scribe of the vizier and later Chief of the Upper Tens, Dedusobek Bebi. His mother was a certain Lady of the House, Duanofert. His uncle Nebankh, the brother of his father was high steward under Sobekhotep IV in the late 13th Dynasty, and therefore one of the most influential officials at the royal court. The sister of Sobekemsaf was the queen Nubkhaes. She evidently managed to marry into the royal family, or her husband managed to become king. Albeit her royal husband is not yet identified for sure.
His family is listed in Stela Louvre C 13.https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/5/inscription/259 Mother (mwt⸗s): nbt pr dwꜣt-nfrt. (Duat-Neferet) Father (jtj⸗s): wr mḏw šmꜥw ddw-sbk/bbj (Dedusobek/Bebi) Maternal Grandmother (mwt nt mwt⸗s): nbt pr ḥmw. Paternal Uncle (sn n jtj⸗s): ḫtmw-bjtj; jmj-rꜣ pr-wr; šmsw (n) nsw nb-ꜥnḫ. (High Steward Nebankh)
Siblings Brother (sn⸗s): ḫtmw-bjtj; sš ꜥ n nsw n ḫft-ḥr nb-swmnw. (King's Scribe Nebsumenu) Brother (sn⸗s): sꜣb; rꜣ-nḫn sbk-ḥtp. (King's Acquaintance Sobekhotep) Brother (sn⸗s): ḫtmw-nṯr n ꜣbḏw nb-ꜥnḫ. (Sealbearer of the God of Abydos, Nebankh) Brother (sn⸗s): sbk-m-ḥꜣt. Sister (snt⸗s): nbt pr nbw-m-ḥb. Sister (snt⸗s): nbt pr nbw-m-ꜣḫt. Sister (snt⸗s): nbt pr nbt⸗j-m-nbw. Sister (snt⸗s): nbt pr nfrw-sbk. Sister (snt⸗s): nbt pr nb⸗j-pw. Sister (snt⸗s): jrjt-pꜥt; ḥmt-nsw wrt; ẖnmt nfr ḥḏt nbw-ḫꜥ⸗s (Queen Nubkhaes)
Attestation Sobekemsaf (PD 563) appears on several monuments.https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/5/person/563 They include a stela now in the Louvre in Paris (C13), a statue in Berlin (Inv. no. 2285), a stela in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (CG 20763) and the almost lifesize statue today in Vienna, in the Kunsthistorisches Museum (inv. no. 5801). The base of the statue is in Dublin National Museum of Ireland, Reg. No. 1889.503.objects listed in Detlef Franke: Personendaten aus dem Mittleren Reich (20.-16. Jahrhundert v. Chr.), Dossiers 1-796, Wiesbaden 1984, , p. 338, Dossier no. 563; the statue base: W. Seipel: Gott, Mensch, Pharaoh, Vienna 1992, , pp. 214-16 On his monuments Sobekemsaf bears two titles. On the stelae in Cairo and Vienna as well as on the statue in Berlin he bears the title overseer of the granaries. On the statue in Vienna he has the title Reporter of Thebes (wHmw n w3st), being evidently promoted in the between times.
Overseer of the Double Granary Cairo CG 20763 A limestone stela fragment with various people.https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/5/inscription/2024 It it includes (no title) Sobekemsaf and his brother Sealbearer of the God of Abydos, Nebankh and two sisters.
Stela Louvre C 13 At Abydos, a limestone round-topped stela of Great King's Wife Nubkhaes.https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/5/inscription/259 It mentions her family members, including her father Chief of the Tens of Upper Egypt, Dedusobek/Bebi, and her brother Overseer of the Double Granary, Sobekemsaf. Also mentioned is her uncle High Steward, Nebankh. Both her father and uncle had previously served under king Sobekhotep IV in the late 13th Dynasty, see Stela Wadi el-Hudi 25.https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/5/inscription/4126 Another brother is Sealbearer of the God of Abydos, Nebankh.
Berlin ÄM 2285 A granodiorite statue of man seated on the ground of Overseer of the Double Granary, Sobekemsaf.https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/5/inscription/3500 It mentions his father Chief of the Tens of Upper Egypt, Bebi (Dedusobek/Bebi).
Reporter of Thebes Statue Wien ÄS 5051/5801 At Armant, a granodiorite statue of man standing of Reporter and Reporter of Waset (Thebes), Sobekemsaf.https://pnm.uni-mainz.de/5/inscription/3019 Son of Chief of the Tens of Upper Egypt, Dedusobek/Bebi and Lady of the House, Duat-Neferet.
The Vienna statue is an important, high quality artwork. Its dating was for a long time under discussion. It was known that Sobekemsaf is the brother of a queen Nubkhaes. However, there is also a queen with the same name, known as the wife of the 17th Dynasty king Sobekemsaf II. Therefore, it was an open question whether the statue and Sobekemsaf belong to the 13th or 17th Dynasty. However, today, there is a general agreement, that Sobekemsaf dates to the 13th Dynasty, shortly after Sobekhotep IV, as most of his family members are datable around this reign.Kim Ryholt: The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period c.1800–1550 B.C, Museum Tuscalanum Press, 1997. , 239-242
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