Hudjefa
Encyclopedia
Hudjefa is an ancient Egyptian word
meaning "missing" or ″erased″. It was used by the royal scribes of the Ramesside era
during the 19th dynasty
of Ancient Egypt
when the scribes compiled king lists such as the royal table of Sakkara and the royal canon of Turin
and the name of a deseased pharaoh
was unreadable, damaged, or completely erased.
In the 19th century it was thought by Egyptologists and Historians to be a name of a king, because the scribes had placed the word ″hudjefa″ inside a royal cartouche
, but as knowledge about egyptology
advanced, scholars realized its true meaning. Therefore ″hudjefa″ is now seen as a pseudonym
replacing a illegible name of a king. Known examples are Hudjefa I
and Hudjefa II.
Egyptian language
Egyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...
meaning "missing" or ″erased″. It was used by the royal scribes of the Ramesside era
Ramesses II
Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...
during the 19th dynasty
Nineteenth dynasty of Egypt
The Nineteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt was one of the periods of the Egyptian New Kingdom. Founded by Vizier Ramesses I, whom Pharaoh Horemheb chose as his successor to the throne, this dynasty is best known for its military conquests in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.The warrior kings of the...
of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
when the scribes compiled king lists such as the royal table of Sakkara and the royal canon of Turin
Turin King List
The Turin King List, also known as the Turin Royal Canon, is a hieratic papyrus thought to date from the reign of Ramesses II, now in the Museo Egizio at Turin...
and the name of a deseased pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
was unreadable, damaged, or completely erased.
In the 19th century it was thought by Egyptologists and Historians to be a name of a king, because the scribes had placed the word ″hudjefa″ inside a royal cartouche
Cartouche
In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an ellipse with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu, replacing the earlier serekh...
, but as knowledge about egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
advanced, scholars realized its true meaning. Therefore ″hudjefa″ is now seen as a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
replacing a illegible name of a king. Known examples are Hudjefa I
Hudjefa I
Hudjefa I is the cartouche name and pseudonym of a king who is said to have ruled during the Ancient Egyptian 2nd dynasty. The exact length of his reign is unknown since the Turin canon gave him a reign of 11 years while the ancient Greek historian Manetho suggested that the pharaoh ruled for 48...
and Hudjefa II.