Sarenput I

Sarenput I (Egyptian: sꜣ-rnpwt) was the Nomarch of Elephantine during the reign of pharaoh Senusret I of the early 12th Dynasty during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (Middle Bronze Age).

Family Several family members are known. His paternal line may have held the title ḥqꜣ n ꜣbw (Ruler of Abu/Elephantine).

Father: ḥqꜣ n ꜣbw ḥp (ḥp). He was son of nb-ḫntj and born to gꜣwt-ꜥnqt. Spouse: ḥmt-nṯr nt ḥwt-ḥr; nbt pr sꜣt-ṯnj (Sattjeni).

Children Son: ḥꜣtj-ꜥ; jmj-rꜣ ḥmw-nṯr ḥqꜣ-jb (Heqaib I), named after legendary Heqaib of the 6th Dynasty. Daughter: sꜣt-ṯnj (sꜣt-ṯnj). Son: ḥqꜣ-jb ḥrj-jb (ḥqꜣ-jb ḥrj-jb). Son: ḥqꜣ-jb šrj (ḥqꜣ-jb šrj).

Career His father is not explicitly named in the biographical inscriptions in his tomb (QH 36), which is common for "new men" appointed by the crown. He was a protégé of Senusret I, and his rise to power appears to be a reward for military or administrative service rather than hereditary right.

In his tomb, Sarenput I recorded a long title string: jrj-pꜥt; ḥꜣtj-ꜥ; ḫtmw-bjtj; smr wꜥtj; jmj-rꜣ ḥmw-nṯr; jmj-rꜣ ḥmw-nṯr n sṯt nbt ꜣbw; ḥrj-tp (n) ḥmw-kꜣ; jmj-rꜣ ḥmw-nṯr n ẖnmw; ḥrj-sštꜣ n nsw m mšꜥ; ḥrj-sštꜣ n mdw-nṯr; sḏm sḏmt; ḥqꜣ ḫꜣswt; jmj-rꜣ ꜥḥꜥw wr m pr-nsw; ḥrj-tp ꜥꜣ n tꜣ-sṯj; jmj-rꜣ jꜥꜣw; jmj-rꜣ ḫꜣst nb(t); jmj-rꜣ ḫꜣst jꜥꜣw; ẖrj-ḥb ḥrj tp; jmj-rꜣ ꜥꜣ ꜣbw; jrj-nḫn m pr sṯt; ḫrp ḥmww wr; rḫ-nsw mꜣꜥ; ḥꜣtj-ꜥ sꜣ-rnpwt.

Sarenput held several titles such as nomarch of the 1st nome of Upper Egypt ("Land of the Bow"), mayor of Elephantine, overseer of the priests of Satet, overseer of the foreign lands and many others. Like his distant predecessors Harkhuf and Heqaib, he also was the king's personal trading agent for the goods from Nubia and had a role in one of Senusret I's military campaign in this country, when the king rewarded Sarenput as reported in the latter's autobiography from his tomb.

Sanctuary of Heqaib Many of Sarenput's attestations came from the sanctuary of Heqaib at Elephantine, where he ordered a shrine for the deified Heqaib and also one for himself, provided by many stelae and a statue depicting him. Aswan 1319 | At Elephantine, a granite statue of a seated man showing Sarenput I, with title string "jrj-pꜥt; ḥꜣtj-ꜥ; jmj-rꜣ ḥmw-nṯr; ḥqꜣ n ꜣbw sꜣ-rnpwt".

Death and burial Tomb

Sarenput I was buried in a large rock-cut tomb at Qubbet el-Hawa (No. 36) opposite Aswan, which was decorated in sunk reliefs at the outside, and lively painted in the interior. The tomb is composed of three rooms connected by hallways; the first two chambers are provided with colonnades while the innermost has a niche that once housed a statue of the owner. Unfortunately, the whole tomb suffered significant damage over time. The exterior photographs document the entrance while it was still partly covered by sand, the courtyard and facade after clearance, the transition from the courtyard to the rock-cut chambers, and the facade walls north and south of the entrance. The version inside the tomb tends to expand the writing of some words, whereas the facade version is more condensed.