bark as the god visited waiting souls and restored the
light of day.
Nehesy (1)(fl. 16th century B.C.E.)Obscure ruler of the
Fourteenth Dynasty at Xois
He was a contemporary of the HYKSOSFifteenth Dynasty
(1640–1532 B.C.E.) and ruled his small city at the same
time that the last rulers of the Thirteenth Dynasty (c.
1640 B.C.E.) and the Theban Seventeenth Dynasty
(1640–1550 B.C.E.) were active. Nehesy, whose name
meant “Nubian,” was listed in the TURIN CANON. The
dates of his reign are unknown.
He served as an official at XOISand then assumed
royal status locally. His name has been discovered in
inscriptions at TELL EL-HABUAand at other eastern Delta
sites, indicating some prominence in the region. Nehesy
ruled only Xois but kept it out of the Hyksos domain.
Nehesy (2) (Nehsi)(fl. 15th century B.C.E.) Treasury
and royal court official of the Eighteenth Dynasty
Nehesy also served HATSHEPSUT(r. 1473–1458 B.C.E.) as
chancellor. He served as well as the chief treasurer and as
“the Guardian of the Royal Seal.” Nehesy accompanied
SENENMUTand Prince THUITYon an expedition to PUNTas
part of Hatshepsut’s TRADEventures. He was buried on
the western shore of Thebes. His tomb had inscriptions
concerning the reigns of Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III.
He was also honored with a shrine at GEBEL EL-SILSILEHin
NUBIA(modern Sudan).
Nehi(fl. 15th century B.C.E.) High ranking official of the
Eighteenth Dynasty
Nehi served TUTHMOSIS III(r. 1479–1425 B.C.E.) as the
viceroy of Kush, or NUBIA(modern Sudan). He was given
the title of “King’s Son of Kush,” a rank that accompanied
the office of the VICEROYof that territory in most histori-
cal periods. Nehi erected a victory STELAfor Tuthmosis III
at WADI HALFA. His residence was on the ELEPHANTINE
Island at ASWAN, where he ruled over the regions of the
south. Nehi brought tribute to the royal court each year,
calling himself “a Servant Useful to His Lord, Filling His
House With Gold.” His governorship of Nubia extended
as far south as the third cataract of the Nile.
Neith (1) (Nit) A goddess, sometimes called Nit by
the Egyptians, whose cult dates to Predynastic Periods
(before 3000 B.C.E.) on the Nile, she was the archer god-
dess of the Delta region, with a shrine at Basyun, on the
Rosetta branch of the river. Another large temple dedi-
cated to Neith was erected in SAIS, and she was popular in
the FAIYUMand then in Upper Egypt.
A war goddess, Neith was depicted on an elaborate
stela that dates to c. 2900 B.C.E. in the reign of AHA, the
first ruler, also called Menes. Aha reportedly erected
Neith’s temple at Sais. Her name seems to have originated
from a term describing the weaving of flax or spells. Orig-
inally she was depicted as a cow goddess and was hon-
ored as the Mother Goddess of the Western Delta. She
was also the patroness of the Libyans who ruled Egypt in
the Twenty-second Dynasty (945–712 B.C.E.). Neith was
depicted as a woman wearing the crown of Lower Egypt
and holding bows and arrows.
Her hieroglyph name was believed to represent a
loom shuttle, and the goddess became the patroness of
weavers as well as hunting and warfare. In hymns she was
addressed as “the Opener of the Ways.” By the time of the
Old Kingdom Period (2575–2134 B.C.E.), Neith was wor-
shiped as the consort of the god SETand the mother of
SOBEK. She was also associated with the goddess NUN, the
symbol of primeval chaos. The PYRAMID TEXTShonor her
as guarding OSIRISand ISIS. She was also linked to the
linen wrappings used in the mummification process.Neith (2)(fl. 23rd century B.C.E.) Royal woman of the
Sixth Dynasty
She was a lesser-ranked queen of PEPI II(r. 2246–2152
B.C.E.). The daughter of PEPI Iand ANKHNESMERY-RÉ(1),
she was reportedly the widow of MERENRÉ I, Pepi II’s prede-
cessor. A pair of OBELISKSwas recovered, bearing her name,
and her tomb in Pepi II’s pyramidal complex in south
SAQQARAwas found to be quite elaborate. A wall that was
designed with an entrance surrounds this gravesite.
Vestibule walls are covered with reliefs at the opening of
the tomb, leading to a colonnaded court with more reliefs.
This court has square pillars and is a cult chamber with
three niches, a SERDAB,and a FALSE DOOR. The actual burial
chamber is decorated, and the ceiling is lined with star
designs. The PYRAMID TEXTSof the epoch are on the walls,
which also have the traditional “palace facade” design.Neithotep(fl. 30th century B.C.E.)Royal woman of the
First Dynasty
She was probably the consort of NARMERand the mother
of AHA, the Menes honored as the first pharaoh, c. 2920
B.C.E. Her name meant the “goddess Neith is Content.”
Some scholars believe that Neithotep was the consort of
Aha. Others believe that she is the woman depicted on
the MACEHEADof Narmer, the original heiress being pre-
sented to the unifier of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Neithotep was provided with a large tomb in ABYDOS
by Aha. Her tomb is one of the earliest monuments in
Egypt, designed as a brick mastaba with recessed panels
on the exterior walls. The burial chamber was not subter-
ranean but arranged at ground level. Objects bearing the
names of Narmer and Aha were found in this tomb.Neka-’ankh(fl. 25th century B.C.E.)Cultic official of the
Fifth Dynasty
He served as the mortuary priest for the pyramid of
USERKHAF(r. 2465–2458 B.C.E.). Such priests performedNeka-’ankh 273