Early Dynastic Period
Raneb (Nebra)
2nd Dynasty · 2890-2686 BCE
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Raneb, also read Nebra, was an early Dynasty 2 king. His name is notable because it contains the god Ra, and it has often been discussed in relation to the developing prominence of solar cults; it does not by itself prove that he introduced Ra worship. His reign is attested on stone vessels and in king lists, but his burial place and the length of his rule remain uncertain. Raneb’s position after Hotepsekhemwy is broadly accepted, while the earliest Second Dynasty sequence remains difficult to reconstruct from the limited contemporary record. Research: UCL Digital Egypt.
Chronology: Shaw, Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000)
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Lord of the Sun
There is very scant material evidence surviving from his reign, and historians even debate the exact reading of his name. Depending on the translation of the hieroglyphs, he is known as either Raneb ("Ra is my lord") or Nebra ("Lord of the Sun").
Continuing the Saqqara tradition
Like his predecessor, Raneb does not appear to have a tomb in the ancestral royal cemetery of Abydos. Seals bearing his name were found inside Hotepsekhemwy's tomb in Saqqara, indicating that Raneb likely oversaw his predecessor's funeral and chose to be buried in Saqqara as well.