25d: Self-Made King- The First Intermediate Period (Part 4)

Apr 12, 2014

Intef I, a powerful lord of Waset/Thebes/Luxor, emerges as a key figure during a tumultuous phase in ancient Egypt. He discusses his remarkable self-promotion and military expansion beyond established norms. Tensions rise as Intef isolates and confronts loyalist governors nearby. The conversation also delves into the historical context of the Mehsah Hui soldiers and the geopolitical landscape of the Kenner Bend, revealing how personal ambitions intertwine with the broader struggle for power during the First Intermediate Period.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

The Uncertain Legacy of Angtifi and His Tomb Curse

02:27 • 8min

Geopolitical Tensions at the Kenner Bend

10:40 • 33min

Geopolitical Struggles in Ancient Egypt: The Rise of Royal Power

44:08 • 22min

Newly researched and updated in 2024.

The first phase is over, and the war is heating up. Around 2055 BCE, a lord of Waset/Thebes/Luxor named Intef I promoted himself far above the established norms. Sending representatives to treat with the other rulers, Intef nonetheless began to push his military power further afield. Soon, he began to isolate and attack the loyalist governors nearby…

Episode details:

The Qena Bend and locations referenced in this episode.
Logo image: Model soldiers from a First Intermediate Period tomb (Brooklyn MFA).
“Godfather” Walz theme by Andrea Giuffredi.
“Declare Independence” by Björk, instrumental version.
Music and interludes by Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com.

The History of Egypt Podcast:

Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
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Select Bibliography:

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J. C. Darnell, Theban Desert Road Survey in the Egyptian Western Desert, I: Gebel Tjauti Rock Inscriptions 1-45 and Wadi el-Hôl Rock Inscriptions 1-45 (2002).
J. C. Darnell and D. Darnell, ‘New Inscriptions of the Late First Intermediate Period from the Theban Western Desert and the Beginnings of the Northern Expansion of the Eleventh Dynasty’, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 56 (1997), 241—258. JSTOR.
A. E. Demidchik, ‘The History of the Heracleopolitan Kings’ Domain’, in H.-W. Fischer-Elfert and R. B. Parkinson (eds), Studies on the Middle Kingdom in Memory of Detlef Franke (2013), 93—106. Online.
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W. Grajetzki, The Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (2006 & 2024).
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M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms (1973).
S. Seidlmayer, ‘The First Intermediate Period (c. 2160--2055 BC)’, in I. Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000), 108—136.
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T. Wilkinson, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: The History of a Civilisation from 3000 BC to Cleopatra (2010).
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H. Willems, ‘The First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom’, in A. B. Lloyd (ed.), A Companion to Ancient Egypt, 1 (2010), 81—100.

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