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  Ancient Egypt / 1st Dynasty /
Semerkhet
Other spelling: Semempses
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Ivory label of king Semerkhet. Now in the British Museum, London, UK.
Stele of Semerkhet.
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King of Egypt, 7th king of the 1st Dynasty, ruling from sometime around 2900 BCE. The Palermo Stone sets his reign to 9 years, Manetho to 18.
There is some uncertainty to his reign. He is not listed in the Saqqara Tablet, and there has been no discoveries of any mastabas built during his reign at Saqqara, which happened with the other kings of the same dynasty. He was buried at Abydos, in a tomb larger and finer than that of his predecessor's, Anedjib.
It may be suggested that he did not rule over all of Egypt, perhaps even that part of his reign was parallel to Anedjib's. Several stone vessels found at Abydos have originally had the name of Anedjib, but this was erased and replaced with that of Semerkhet. This suggest a feud in the royal court.
According to accepted king lists, he was preceded by Anedjib, and succeeded by Qa'a.
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