Amenemhat I c. 1985–1956 BC
A former vizier who founded the 12th Dynasty and a new capital, Itjtawy. A famous text, the Instruction of Amenemhat, describes a plot against his life.
Birth name: Amenemhat
imn-m-ḥꜣt: “Amun is at the front”
Sign by sign
- Flowering reed M17i The sound i.
- Game board Y5mn To remain, to endure (as in Amun).
- Ripple of water N35n The sound n; also means 'of, to'.
- Owl G17m The sound m; also means 'in'.
- Forepart of a lion F4ḥꜣt Front, beginning.
- Bread loaf X1t The sound t; also the feminine ending.
Names of gods (Ra, Amun, Ptah) are written first out of respect, even when they are read later. Dates are approximate; we follow Ian Shaw (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000).