Sobekhotep III

Sekhemre Sewadjtawy Sobekhotep III was an Egyptian king of the mid Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt who reigned four years.

Family Parents and siblings Scarab of Sobekhotep III giving the name of his father, god's father Mentuhotep. The family of the king is known from several sources. A monument from Sehel Island shows Sobekhotep with his father Mentuhotep, his mother was king's mother Iuhetibu (Yauheyebu), his brothers Seneb and Khakau, and a half-sister called Reniseneb. Reniseneb was a daughter of Iuhetibu and her second husband Dedusobek.

Wife and children Sobekhotep III had two wives, Senebhenas and Neni. A stela from Koptos (Qift), now in the Louvre (C 8), mentions the daughters of Neni: Iuhetibu Fendy and Dedetanqet. Iuhetibu Fendy wrote her name in a cartouche. It is possible that these seals belonged to Sobekhotep III before he became king.

Reign Sobekhotep III is known from many objects despite the fact that the Turin King List gives him a reign of only four years and two to four months in length. He added inscriptions to the temple of Menthu at Madamud and built a chapel at El Kab. On Sehel an altar with his name was found.

Sobekhotep III was the first of a group of Thirteenth Dynasty kings about whom there exists historical records. This group of Thirteenth Dynasty kings are all known from many objects. These kings produced many seals and there are many private monuments that can be dated to these reigns. This would seem to indicate that Egypt was relatively stable during this period.

Attestations The main attestations of Sobekhotep III are found in Upper Egypt. Only small finds (tradables) are attested in Lower Egypt and Nubia. For a full list, see Ryholt 1997:343-44 File 13/26 Sobekhotep III is also indirectly attested by monuments owned by people associated with him.

Lower Egypt At Saqqara, a scarab-seal. The seal is said to be from Saqqara. At Lisht, seal-impressions (2) and scarab-seals (2).

Upper Egypt

At Abydos, a scarab-seal. At Koptos, a stela of two king's daughters and a scarab-seal. At Wadi el-Hol, a rock-inscription (family list). At Medamud, architectural elements (usurped). One base of a colossal statue was later reused by Sobekemsaf II. At Gebelein, a stela of Iufseneb with the royal name of Sobekhotep III. The father of Iufseneb was a governor with the title string ḥꜣtj-ꜥ; ḫtmw-bjtj; smr-wꜥtj n mrwt; ḥꜣtj-ꜥ n [...] [...].

Nubia At the fortress of Mirgissa (Nubia), a scarab-impression with the royal name of Sobekhotep III and the King's Mother Iuhetibu. Also a seal-impression with the name Sekhemre Sewadjtawy, a seal with two impressions.

Non-contemporary attestation Karnak King List The Karnak King List does not mention Sobekhotep III in its preserved cartouches.

Turin King List

The Turin King List 7:24 contains the entry: "The Dual King Sekhem[ka]re Wadjtawy Sobekhotep, 4 years, 2 months x days" (nsw-bit sḫm-kꜢ-rꜤ wꜢḏ-tꜢ.wy sbk-ḥtp rnpt 4 Ꜣbd 2 hrw x). In the list, Sekhemre Wadjtawy Sobekhotep is preceded by [Mer]ib[ra] ...Seth (7:23) and succeeded by Khasekhemre Neferhotep, son of Haankhef (7:25).