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Timeline › 24th Dynasty

Bakenranef c. 720–715 BC

The second and last king of the 24th Dynasty at Sais, remembered by the Greeks as Bocchoris, a wise lawgiver. Stelae from his reign were found in the Serapeum at Saqqara, where an Apis bull was buried in his years 5 and 6, and a faience vase with his cartouche turned up in a tomb at Tarquinia in Italy. Manetho says the Kushite king who took Egypt burned him alive, a story many historians now doubt.

Throne name: Wahkare

wꜣḥ-kꜣ-rꜥ: “Enduring is the ka of Ra”

Sign by sign

  1. Sun N5rꜥ The sun, the sun god Ra. Day.
  2. Fibre swab V29wꜣḥ To set down, to endure.
  3. Raised arms D28kꜣ The ka, a person's life force.
Now draw this cartouche yourself

Birth name: Bakenranef

bꜣk-n-rn.f: “Servant of his name”

Sign by sign

  1. Saddle-billed stork G29bꜣ The ba, a person's spirit. The sound bꜣ.
  2. Basket with handle V31k The sound k. Also means 'you, your'.
  3. Ripple of water N35n The sound n. Also means 'of, to'.
  4. Mouth D21r The sound r. Also means 'mouth'.
  5. Ripple of water N35n The sound n. Also means 'of, to'.
  6. Horned viper I9f The sound f. Also means 'he, his'.
Now draw this cartouche yourself

Where to see Bakenranef's name today

Monument

Serapeum of Saqqara

In the Serapeum the writing to find is on a few of its giant stone sarcophagi: columns of hieroglyphs and royal cartouches, among them the name of Amasis of the 26th Dynasty. The galleries were the burial place of the Apis bulls, living images of Ptah of Memphis.

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).