Merkawre Sobekhotep

Attestations Merkaure is only attested by a few attestations mainly from Thebes, Upper Egypt, with one reference to Nekhen (Hierakonpolis).

Contemporary Merkawre Sobekhotep is attested by a scarab-seal of unknown origin.

He is also attested by two statues dedicated to Amun. The statues were originally from Karnak and are now in the Egyptian Museum and in the Louvre Museum respectively. The statues present Merkawre Sobekhotep with two sons Bebi and Sobekhotep, both bearing the titles of "king's son" and of "court official".

Seated Statue Cairo JE 43599 At Karnak, a granite seated statue dedicated to Amun with the royal name of mr-kꜣw-rꜥ sbk-ḥtp. Also mentioned (1) Bebi King's Son, Seb Official, Mouth of Hierakonpolis (sꜣ-nsw; sꜣb; rꜣ-nḫn bbj (PD 228 weak)) and (2) Sobekhotep King's Son, Seb Official, Mouth of Hierakonpolis (sꜣ-nsw; sꜣb; rꜣ-nḫn sbk-ḥtp).

Bebi (PD 228 weak) may be mentioned in Bologna EG 1927 as "king's son", and Stela Cairo CG 20578 as “senior king's son” and “true king's son”.

Non-contemporary In the New Kingdom, Merkawre Sobekhotep was mentioned in the Karnak King List (Thutmose III, 18th Dynasty) and Turin King List (Ramesses II, 19th Dynasty).

Karnak King List The Karnak King List 42 (45) mentions "Merkaure". He is mentioned along with Mersekhemre (41 (46)) and Sekhemre Seusertawy (43 (44)). The list itself is not considered chronological, and only a select number of rulers are mentioned. The kings sit in rows of four/five kings and the different numbering can depend on what direction the names are read.

Turin canon The Turin King List 8:08 mentions: "The Dual King Merkau[ra] Sobek[hotep], 2 years, [x months], 4 days". In this list he is preceded by Sewadjkare Hori (8:07) and succeeded by [Lost] 8:09. After Merkawre Sobekhotep's kingship, the sequence of rulers of the 13th dynasty is highly uncertain due to a large lacuna affecting the Turin canon. Four to seven king names are lost to the lacuna.

Speculations He probably reigned over Middle and perhaps Upper Egypt during the mid-17th century BC from 1664 BC until 1663 BC. Alternatively, the German Egyptologist Thomas Schneider dates this short-lived king's reign from 1646 BC to 1644 BC