Khufu
From Conservapedia
Khufu (sometimes known by the Hellenised name Cheops) was the second Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty, during the Old Kingdom. He is believed to have reigned for 23 years, but perhaps longer, circa 2589 to 2566 BC.
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Background and Reign
Khufu was the son of Snefru, the first Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty. Surprisingly little is known of his reign or his personal life, and only a single, tiny statuette of Khufu, less than 6 inches high, survives, and is now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
An recently re-discovered inscription inside his pyramid records an event in the “Year of the 17th Count of Khufu”. The cattle count is believed to have been held bi-annually, suggesting a reign of over 30 years, though the Turin Canon states it as 23, which, at present, is generally accepted to be accurate.
The burial of his mother, Hetepheres I, was discovered at Giza in 1925, substantially intact but with her mummy missing, and may be a re-interment following the disturbance of her original tomb.Mark Lehner believes she was originally buried in Dashur, though Zahi Hawass disputes this interpretation.
Khufu left several sons and daughters, and two of his sons would reign after him, Djedefra, who succeeded his father, and Khafra, who succeeded him in turn.
Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid at Giza served as the mortuary complex for Khufu, the largest and most ambitious project undertaken ever undertaken in Ancient Egypt. The exact means of construction remain extremely contentious, but it is now accepted within the academic community that construction took around 20 years, with a site workforce of approximately 20,000. Khufu set up local limestone quarries on-site to obtain the internal limestone blocks, though the fine, white limestone used for the outer casing stones (now robbed) had to be shipped across the Nile from Tura.Various other stones were also used in the paving, causeway, valley and pyramid temples, including granite and travertine, shipped in from as far afield as Aswan and Hatnub.
Egyptian Tales of Khufu
Khufu became the subject of several Ancient Egyptian tales in subsequent periods. Surprisingly, given that Egyptians tended to look more favourably upon Pharaohs they regarded as being powerful and “effective of monuments”, many of the stories paint a negative picture of him. He is portrayed as dismissive of human life, when, in the “Three Tales of Wonder” he commands a prisoner to be brought before him and executed, so that he may be entertained by Djedi, a magician who can rejoin severed heads. Djedi rebukes Khufu telling him it is forbidden to murder to the sacred cattle (humans).
This was once seen by scholars, such as Pierre Montet, who interpreted the tale as evidence that Khufu had imposed considerable burdens upon his subjects during the mammoth task of completing the pyramid. This view is now rejected, given that his father Snefru is portrayed in the same papyrus as a benevolent, kind and pleasure loving ruler. Snefru, however constructed at least two large pyramids at Dashur, and completed an already started (or perhaps even entirely built) a third pyramid at Meidum.
Greek Tales
Herodotus claims in his texts to have visited the pyramids of Giza, though this is uncertain, as his descriptions are extremely inaccurate. He reports being told fantastical tales of Khufu, including that in order to obtain resources for the project, he prostituted his own daughter, a story that is certainly false. He also claims that Khufu closed all the temples, and prohibited offerings to made to any gods, though no Egyptian texts mention this, and it again is certainly false.
Although by the 20th century Herodotus was known to be inaccurate, it is likely that these accounts, combined with Egyptian and Biblical folk tales led to the view of Khufu as a tyrant and also the systematic use of slave armies to build the Giza pyramid complexes, particularly that of Khufu.
Solar Boat
One of the best preserved examples of an Ancient Egyptian boat was found buried in Khufu’s pyramid complex, found dismantled but in a specially constructed pit. It has been reassembled and is now on public display in a dedicated, climate controlled structure built directly above the original pit. Another boat was also discovered, though not in such good condition. It is planned to excavate the second boat for eventual display in the Grand Egyptian Museum, currently under construction. It is believed the boats were symbolic vessels, intended to aid the Pharaoh in his journey to unite with Ra, who was perceived as crossing the heavens in a celestial ship.
