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Fifth Dynasty of Egypt

The Fifth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty V) is
often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group Fifth Dynasty of Egypt
title the Old Kingdom. The Fifth Dynasty pharaohs reigned for
approximately 150 years, from the early 25th century BC until
the mid 24th century BC.

Contents
Chronology
Rulers
Userkaf
The pyramid of Unas at Saqqara
Djedkare Isesi
Capital Memphis
Notes
Common languages Egyptian
References language
Bibliography Religion ancient
Egyptian
religion
Chronology Government Absolute
monarchy
The Fifth Dynasty of Egypt is a group of nine kings ruling Egypt Pharaoh
for circa 150 years in the 25th and 24th centuries BC.[note 1] The • 7–8 years (first) Userkaf
relative succession of kings is not entirely secured as there are • 13 years Sahure
contradictions between historical sources and archaeological • c. 10 years Neferirkare
evidence regarding the reign of the shadowy Shepseskare. Kakai
• c. 2 years Neferefre
• Few months Shepseskare
Rulers • 24–35 years Nyuserre Ini
• 8–9 years Menkauhor
Known rulers in the Fifth Dynasty are listed below.[7] Manetho Kaiu
assigns 248 years of rule to the Fifth Dynasty; however, the • 33 up to over 44 Djedkare Isesi
years
pharaohs of this dynasty more probably ruled for an
• 15–30 years (last) Unas
approximate 150 years.[19] This estimate varies between both
scholar and source. The Horus names[18] and most names of the Historical era Old Kingdom of
Egypt
queens[20] are taken from Dodson and Hilton.[21]
Preceded by Succeeded by
Fourth Sixth
Dynasty of Dynasty
Egypt of Egypt

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Dynasty V pharaohs
Horus (throne) Estimated reign
Name of King Images Pyramid Queen(s)
Name duration

Pyramid in Khentkaus I ?
Userkaf Irimaat 7 years
Saqqara Neferhetepes

13 years, 5
Pyramid in
Sahure Nebkhau months and 12 Meretnebty
Abusir
days

Neferirkare Pyramid in
Neferirkare 20 years Khentkaus II
Kakai Abusir

Unfinished
Pyramid of
Neferefre Neferkhau 2 to 3 years Khentkaus III ?
Neferefre in
Abusir

Likely a few Possibly in

Shepseskare Shepseskare
months Abusir

Pyramid in
Nyuserre Ini Nyuserre 24 to 35 years Reptynub
Abusir

"Headless
Menkauhor Kaiu Menkauhor 8 or 9 years Pyramid" in Meresankh IV?
Saqqara

33 to more than Pyramid in

Djedkare Isesi Djedkare Setibhor
44 years Saqqara

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Unas Wadjtawy 15 to 30 years Pyramid in Nebet

Saqqara Khenut

Manetho writes that the Dynasty V kings ruled from Elephantine, but archeologists have found evidence
clearly showing that their palaces were still located at Ineb-hedj ("White Walls").

As before, expeditions were sent to Wadi Maghareh and Wadi Kharit in the Sinai to mine for turquoise
and copper, and to quarries northwest of Abu Simbel for gneiss. Trade expeditions were sent south to
Punt to obtain malachite, myrrh, and electrum, and archeological finds at Byblos attest to diplomatic
expeditions sent to that Phoenician city. Finds bearing the names of several Dynasty V kings at the site of
Dorak, near the Sea of Marmara, may be evidence of trade but remain a mystery.

Userkaf

How Pharaoh Userkaf founded this dynasty is not known for certain. The Westcar Papyrus, which was
written during the Middle Kingdom, tells a story of how king Khufu of Dynasty IV was given a prophecy
that triplets born to the wife of the priest of Ra in Sakhbu would overthrow him and his heirs, and how
he attempted to put these children – named Userkaf, Sahure, and Neferirkare – to death; however in
recent years, scholars have recognized this story to be at best a legend and admit their ignorance over
how the transition from one dynasty to another transpired.

During this dynasty, Egyptian religion made several important changes. The earliest known copies of
funerary prayers inscribed on royal tombs (known as the Pyramid Texts) appear. The cult of the god Ra
gains added importance, and kings from Userkaf through Menkauhor Kaiu built temples dedicated to Ra
at or near Abusir. Then late in this dynasty, the cult of the deity Osiris assumes importance, most notably
in the inscriptions found in the tomb of Unas.

Djedkare Isesi

Amongst non-royal Egyptians of this time, Ptahhotep, vizier to Djedkare Isesi, won fame for his wisdom;
The Maxims of Ptahhotep was ascribed to him by its later copyists. Non-royal tombs were also decorated
with inscriptions, like the royal ones, but instead of prayers or incantations, biographies of the deceased
were written on the walls.

Notes
1. Several dates have been proposed by the scholars for the Fifth Dynasty: 2513–2374,[1][2] 2510–
2370,[3] 2510–2460,[4] 2504–2345,[5] 2498–2345,[6] 2494–2345,[7][8][9][10] 2465–2323,[11][12] 2454–
2297,[5] 2450–2335,[13][14] 2450–2325,[15] 2435–2306,[16][17] 2392–2282[18]

References
1. Verner 2001b, pp. 588–590. 4. Grimal 1992, p. 390.
2. Altenmüller 2001, pp. 597–600. 5. von Beckerath 1997, p. 188.
3. Verner 2001d, p. 473. 6. Clayton 1994, p. 60.

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7. Shaw 2000, p. 482. 15. Arnold 2003, p. 267.

8. Bard 1999, p. xlv, Chronology of Ancient Egypt. 16. Hornung 2012, p. 491.
9. Málek 2000, pp. 98 & 100. 17. Bárta 2017, p. 3.
10. Rice 1999, p. xlix, Chronoloy. 18. Dodson & Hilton 2004, p. 288.
11. Lehner 2008, p. 8. 19. Altenmüller 2001, p. 597.
12. Allen et al. 1999, p. xx. 20. Dodson & Hilton 2004, p. 65.
13. Verner 2001a, p. 418. 21. Dodson & Hilton 2004, pp. 65 & 288.
14. Krauss 1998, p. 56.

Bibliography
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Élisabeth; Grimal, Nicolas; Grzymski, Krzysztof; Hawass, Zahi; Hill, Marsha; Jánosi, Peter;
Labée-Toutée, Sophie; Labrousse, Audran; Lauer, Jean-Phillippe; Leclant, Jean; Der Manuelian,
Peter; Millet, N. B.; Oppenheim, Adela; Craig Patch, Diana; Pischikova, Elena; Rigault, Patricia;
Roehrig, Catharine H.; Wildung, Dietrich; Ziegler, Christiane (1999). Egyptian Art in the Age of
the Pyramids (http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Egyptian_Art_in_the_Age_of
_the_Pyramids). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. OCLC 41431623 (https://www.worl
dcat.org/oclc/41431623).
Altenmüller, Hartwig (2001). "Old Kingdom: Fifth Dynasty". In Redford, Donald B. (ed.). The Oxford
Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Volume 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 597–601.
ISBN 978-0-19-510234-5.
Arnold, Dieter (2003). The Encyclopaedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture (https://archive.org/details/en
cyclopaediaofa00diet). London: I.B Tauris & Co Ltd. ISBN 1860644651.
Bard, Kathryn, ed. (1999). Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. London; New York:
Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-98283-9.
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UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. San Diego: The University of California. 1 (1). ISBN 978-0-
615-21403-0.
Clayton, Peter (1994). Chronicle of the Pharaohs (https://archive.org/details/ChronicleOfThePharaohsBy
SamySalah). New York: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-05074-3.
Dodson, Aidan; Hilton, Dyan (2004). The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames &
Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-05128-3.
Grimal, Nicolas (1992). A History of Ancient Egypt. Translated by Ian Shaw. Oxford: Blackwell
Publishing. ISBN 978-0-631-19396-8.
Hornung, Erik; Krauss, Rolf; Warburton, David, eds. (2012). Ancient Egyptian Chronology (https://archiv
e.org/details/AncientEgyptianChronology). Handbook of Oriental Studies. Leiden, Boston: Brill.
ISBN 978-90-04-11385-5. ISSN 0169-9423 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0169-9423).
Krauss, Rolf (1998). "Wenn und aber: Das Wag-Fest und die Chronologie des Alten Reiches". Göttinger
Miszellen (in German). Göttingen: Universität der Göttingen. Seminar für Agyptologie und
Koptologie. 162: 53–64. ISSN 0344-385X (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0344-385X).
Lehner, Mark (2008). The Complete Pyramids (https://archive.org/details/completepyramids00lehn).
London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. ISBN 978-0-500-05084-2.
Málek, Jaromir (2000). "The Old Kingdom (c.2160-2055 BC)" (https://archive.org/details/oxfordhisto00sh
aw). In Shaw, Ian (ed.). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (https://archive.org/details/oxfordhist
o00shaw/page/83). Oxford University Press. pp. 83–107 (https://archive.org/details/oxfordhisto00
shaw/page/83). ISBN 978-0-19-815034-3.
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44328-6.
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Verner, Miroslav (2001a). "Archaeological Remarks on the 4th and 5th Dynasty Chronology" (http://www.
gizapyramids.org/pdf_library/verner_archiv_or_69.pdf) (PDF). Archiv Orientální. 69 (3): 363–418.
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Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Volume 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 585–591.
ISBN 978-0-19-510234-5.
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Monuments (https://archive.org/details/pyramidscomplete00vern). Translated by Steven Rendall.
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German). 46. Mainz am Rhein: Philipp von Zabern. ISBN 978-3-8053-2310-9.

Preceded by Dynasty of Egypt Succeeded by

Fourth Dynasty c. 2494 – 2345 BC Sixth Dynasty

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