Montuhotep II
Episode 11 Middle Kingdom Dynasty XII
The History of Ancient Egypt
Professor Robert Brier
Film Review
After centuries of total anarchy, Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (lasting (2134-1782 BC) gradually restored orderly rule. Its initial princes were all named Inteph, and all focused mainly on reuniting Upper and Lower Egypt.
- Inteph Seher Towi (“causing peace in two lands”) – Although he inscribed his name in a cartouche (like a pharaoh), there’s little evidence he controlled all of Upper and Lower Egypt.
- Inteph Wah-Ankh (“established in life”) – reputed as the first dog lover in history (he had five of them),* Inteph Wah-Ankh referred to himself as the king of Upper and Lower Egypt.
- Ineph Nkht Neb Tep (“good mighty lord foremost”) – Born in Thebes (southern Egypt), he led his army north to subdue Upper Egypt.
- Monuthotep I – (“pleasing to the god of war Hotep”).
- Montuthotep II Se Ankh Ib Towi (“causing life in the heart of two lands”) – Renowned by Egytptians for finally reuniting upper and lower Egypt. His tomb is filled with the coffins and statues of his harem. He placed the tombs of his nobles around his temple, one containing 60 mummies of soldiers killed in battle. The tomb of one of his chancellors Meket Ra contains models of servants, a butchery, bakery and brewery to serve him in the afterlife. That of his priest Heke Natcht contains querulous letters to his sons regarding post-mortem management of his land.**
- Montuhotep III Nakh Ka Ra (“causing the soul of Ra to live”) – Sent expedition of 3000 men to the Red Sea to collect the fine black stone for his sarcophagus.
- Montuhotep Neb Towi Ra IV – sent an expedition of 10,000 troops to Wadi Hammad (in modern day Jordan) to collect a special rock on which a pregnant gazelle gave birth for his sarcophagus.
Middle Kingdom coffins were made of wood and had magical spells inscribed on their inner surfaces for the the deceased to recite to get to the afterlife. Many had eyes painted on the outside for them to see through. Statues from the Middle Kingdom are extremely crude because the kings no longer provided studios for their official artists to work from.
*Egyptians were really keen pet owners though they preferred cats to dogs. The whippet is a genetic descendant of the Egyptian pharaoh’s hound
**Agatha Christie, whose husband was an Egyptologist, based one of her novels on the Heke Natcht letters.
Film can be viewed free with a library card on Kanopy.
https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/1492791/1492817
The Most Revolutionary Act 