| abstract | - Merhotepre Ini was the son and successor of Merneferre Ai and a king of the late Thirteenth Dynasty. He is assigned a brief reign of 2 Years 3-4 Months and 9 days in the Turin Canon (Ryholt: p.192) Although, Merhotepre enjoyed a very brief reign, he is attested in the historical records by the Cairo Juridical Stela. This document, which is dated to Year 1 of the later Theban king Nebiriau I, contains an important geneaological charter which states that Ayameru--the son by Vizier Aya and the King's daughter Reditenes--was appointed Governor of El-Kab in Year 1 of Merhotepre Ini. (Bennett: pp.124-125) The reason for this appointment was due to the unexpected death of the childless Governor of El-Kab Aya-junior who was Vizier Aya's eldest son and Ayameru's elder brother. The charter identifies a certain Kebsi as the son of Governor, and later, Vizier Ayameru. (Bennett: p.124) It appears that Aya was already the Vizier prior to Year 1 of Merhotepre Ini. When Vizier Aya later died, he was succeeded to the Vizerate by Ayameru, his son. Ayameru, in turn, simultaneously transferred the Governorship of Elkab to his son, Kebsi. This means that a period of only 2 family generations or about 40-60 years at most separate Year 1 of the 13th Dynasty king Merhotepre Ini from Year 1 of the Theban king Nebiriau I, who is assigned a reign of 26 years in the Turin Canon. (Bennett: p.124-125) The purpose for the creation of the Cairo Juridical Stela was to document Kebsi's sale of his office as Governor of El-Kab to a relative named Sobeknakht in order to settle his personal debts. This aforementioned Sobeknakht was the father of the famous Governor of El-Kab Sobeknakht II, who is the owner of Tomb T10 at Elkab--one of the most richly decorated tombs in Second Intermediate Period Egypt. (PM V 185) The tomb was cleaned in 2003 by British Egyptologists and found to contain an inscription with important historical significance: it recounts a massive Nubian attack on the small and fragile 17th Dynasty city state of Thebes which was decisively repulsed by a counterattack led by this aged Governor.[1][2]
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