Pharaoh, King and Ruler of Egypt: Anedjib

Anedjib

While the 3rd century BC priest Manetho states that he ruled Egypt for 26 years, virtually all Egyptologists reject this figure in favour of a far shorter reign, due to the relatively small number of attestations known for this king in the monumental record. Toby Wilkinson's reconstruction of the near-contemporary Palermo Stone shows that Anedjib's reign length was only "10 complete or partial years." Anedjib's penultimate and final year is recorded in Cairo Fragment One register III. While Anedjib is known to have "celebrated a Sed-festival, something which does not normally take place until a king had been on the throne for some considerable time," this was presumably due to the fact "that Anedjib was elderly when he succeeded Den, and that the celebration of a Sed-Festival was considered auspicious to renew the powers of a king past his prime."

Anedjib's predecessor and presumed father, Den, enjoyed a long reign of 30+ years, implying that his successor Anedjib was elderly when he assumed power. Contemporary records suggest that he ruled Egypt during a time of political instability and dynastic conflict between Lower and Upper Egypt. Anedjib himself is thought to have originated from an area of the Upper Egyptian city of Abydos known as This since he is recorded (as "Merbiapen") as a Thinite king on the Saqqara King List from the tomb of Thunery. Anedjib was forced to put down several uprisings in Lower Egypt. Numerous stone vases bearing his royal name had their inscriptions erased under Semerkhet his successor which suggests that Semerkhet deposed Anedjib.

We believe Anedjib (Andjyeb, Enezib), who seems to have been from the area around Abydos known as This, and is recorded as a Thinite king on the Saqqara King List from the tomb of Thunery, was the 5th ruler of Egypt's 1st Dynasty. Anedjib was this king's Horus name, which means "Safe is His Heart". If he is to be identified with Manetho's Miebidos (Miebis, Merpubia), then he may have ruled Egypt for about 26 years. However, most Egyptologists seem to give him a somewhat shorter reign, though he may have served as a co-regent with his father, who was probably king Den, for some time. In his A History of Ancient Egypt, Nicolas Grimal tells us that Anedjib did in fact celebrate a Sed-festival, though it seemingly took place only shortly after the death of Den, suggesting that he came to the throne as sole ruler of Egypt only late in life. Vases discovered at Abydos in the area of Umm el-Qa'ab record this jubilee, along with the addition to his name, "protection surrounds Horus".

Anedjib was probably the first king to have a nebty (Two Ladies) title and the news-bit (He of the sedge and bee) name in his royal titulary, although the nesw-bit title (without a name) had already been introduced in the reign of Den. This title reunited the two divine antagonists of the north and south in the person of the king.

There were apparently problems during Anedjib's rule, as well as that of the next king, Semerkhet. It is very possible that the long reign of Den was responsible for the succession difficulties related to these two kings. It would seem that he experienced considerable problems with Northern, or Lower Egypt and apparently had to put down several revolts in that region. His successor, king Semerkhet, was probably responsible for erasing Anedjib's name from a number of inscriptions on stone vases and other objects.

However, Semerkhet's name was omitted from the Saqqara King List, so it is sometimes thought that Semerkhet may have usurped the throne of Egypt after Anedjib.

Anedjib's tomb, Tomb 10, at Umm el-Qa'ab in Abydos affirms the impression of the crisis filled nature of his short reign. It is considered to be "one of the worst built and smallest tomb among the Abydos royal tombs, a mere 53.75 X 29.5 ft (16.4 X 9 m)." His burial chamber was built entirely of wood rather than stone, and was of poor construction quality while "the surrounding 64 graves of retainers were also of low standard."

Another tomb which was apparently built during the reign of Anedjib is that of an official named Nebitka (tomb 3038 at Saqqara). This tomb is interesting in that it contained a mudbrick stepped structure inside the Mastaba like structure, that some Egyptologists see as a forerunner of Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara.

Other than his tomb at Abydos, king Anedjib is also attested to by seal impressions in tomb 3038 (the tomb of Nebetka) at Saqqara, in a tomb at Helwan, and also in a tomb at Abu Rawash.

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