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Djedefre , 3rd Pharaoh 4th Dynasty
- Preferred Name: Djedefre , 3rd Pharaoh 4th Dynasty
- Alternate Name: Radjedef Djedefre, Djedefra
- Gender: M
- http://familysearch.org/v1/TitleOfNobility: 3rd Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty - 10 to 14 yearsBET 2566 BC AND 2554 BC
- FSID: G4MT-ZQZ
- Death: 2520 BC
- Birth: ABT 2585 BC in Egypt at LATI: N7 LONG: E0 with note: GEDCOM data
- Burial: ABT 2554 BC in Pyramid of Djedefre, Abu Rawash, Egypt at LATI: N7 LONG: E0
- Notes:
=== Life Sketch ===
Djedefre (also known as Djedefra and Radjedef – Modern Greek: Ρετζεντέφ) was an ancient Egyptian king (pharaoh) of the 4th Dynasty during the Old Kingdom. He is well known by the Hellenized form of his name Rhatoisēs (Ῥατοίσης) by Manetho. Djedefre was the son and immediate throne successor of Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza; his mother is not known for certain. He is the king who introduced the royal title Sa-Rê (meaning “Son of Ra”) and the first to connect his cartouche name with the sun god Ra.
Djedefre married his brother Kawab's widow, Hetepheres II, who was sister to both of them, and who perhaps married a third brother of theirs, Khafre, after Djedefre's death. Another queen, Khentetenka is known from statue fragments in the Abu Rowash mortuary temple. Known children of Djedefre are:
. Hornit (“Eldest King's Son of His Body”) known from a statue depicting him and his wife.
. Baka (“Eldest King's Son”) known from a statue base found in Djedefre's mortuary temple, depicting him with his wife Hetepheres.
. Setka (“Eldest King's Son of His Body; Unique Servant of the King”) known from a scribe statue found in his father's pyramid complex. It is possible that he ruled for a short while after his father's death; an unfinished pyramid at Zawiyet el-Arian was started for a ruler whose name ends in ka; this could have been Setka or Baka.
. Neferhetepes (“King's Daughter of His Body; God's Wife”) is known from a statue fragment from Abu Rowash. Until recently, she was believed to be the mother of a pharaoh of the next dynasty, either Userkaf or Sahure.
The French excavation team led by Michel Valloggia found the names of two other possible children of Djedefre in the pyramid complex:
. Nikaudjedefre (“King's Son of His Body”) was buried in Tomb F15 in Abu Rowash; it is possible that he wasn't a son of Djedefre but lived later and his title was only honorary.
. Hetepheres (“King's Daughter of His Body”) was mentioned on a statue fragment.
Preferred Parents:
Father: Khufu 'Cheops' , 2nd Pharaoh 4th Dynasty, b. 2610 BC d. 2566 BC
Mother: Meritites bint Sneferu I, d. 2566 BC
Family 1: Khentetka ,
- Neferhetepes bint Djedefre, b. in Egypt d. 2494 BC
Family 2: Hetepheres bint Khufu, 4th Dynasty II,
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